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SidewaysEpisodes

  1. Know It All

    The story of a perpetual student prompts Matthew to interrogate the nature of wisdom.

  2. 26/08/2026

    Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives, making us see the world differently.

  3. The Stranger

    The remarkable power in all of us to help complete strangers.

  4. Stolen Notes

    A priceless instrument goes missing and changes the path of a musician’s career.

  5. Good Vibes Only

    When tragedy strikes, why do we so often respond with positivity?

  6. Brainless

    Meet the highly intelligent, bright yellow blob that doesn’t have a brain.

  7. Stick to the Script

    Throwing away the script to unlock the brain’s creative potential.

  8. Small Giants

    Shrinking down the things that matter most, to something we can hold in our hand.

  9. The Talent Trap

    A conductor walks away from a life built on decades of honing her talent.

  10. The Hands of Forgiveness

    An act of forgiveness sets off a chain of events that alters the life of one woman.

  11. Absurdity on Toast

    A young man is arrested in his home, and his ordinary life turns absurd.

  12. Dangerous Ideas

    Matthew Syed considers whether some ideas are simply too dangerous to explore.

  13. Scream Queen

    A metal singer reveals how letting out her scream transformed her life.

  14. The Story My Sister Told Me

    How one childhood story helped change the course of many lives.

  15. Broody Men

    Matthew Syed challenges assumptions about male desire to have a baby.

  16. The Scientist and the Miracle

    Matthew Syed considers whether miracles can be compatible with scientific thinking.

  17. Hide and Seek

    What’s the real appeal of secret societies? Mystery, belonging or something else entirely?

  18. Crazy Cat Lady

    Why does a childless woman with cats cause such cultural panic? Matthew Syed investigates.

  19. When Time Slows Down

    Matthew Syed asks if slow-motion experiences suggest the way we think of time is illusory.

  20. Me, Myself and Mine

    What does it mean to own your body - and is that even the right question to ask?

  21. Inventing a Language

    Matthew Syed explores our extraordinary capacity to invent new systems of communication.

  23. Reliving History

    Matthew Syed explores the power and potential of re-enacting the past.

  24. Limitless Love

    Matthew Syed explores the human capacity for limitless love.

  25. Tempting Fate

    Matthew Syed questions the consequences of tempting fate.

  26. Digital Ghosts

    Matthew Syed explores the ethical boundaries around using AI to create digital ghosts.

  27. Memento Mori

    Matthew Syed confronts the passage of time and the inexorability of decay.

  28. Bliss in Suffering

    Matthew Syed ponders the possibility of experiencing bliss in the midst of suffering.

  29. Reality Shifting

    Matthew Syed explores the nature of reality and the possibility of its hidden layers.

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