Four Thought

Novelist James Friel, author of "The Posthumous Affair", defends the value and virtues of the single life against the widespread cultural view that being in a couple is a superior state of being. Four Thought is a series of talks offering a personal viewpoint recorded in front of an audience at the RSA in London. Producer: Sheila Cook.

Anna Minton, author of "Ground Control", argues that the increasingly high security surrounding public and private buildings creates a sense of fear rather than safety. Alan McInnes, director of Secured by Design responds:"SBD is awarded when homes and buildings meet a minimum security standard. Security has become a factor in planning because of high levels of crime, inadequate, low grade security fittings by builders in past years and the Crime & Disorder Act which logically required public authorities and police to have crime prevention on their agenda for the benefit of the whole community. SBD is only one of several strategies, including social and community interventions that are supported by these agencies. Police specialists in each force spend their time advising architects, builders and members of the public about security methods and the principles of designing out crime. This is a free service. Insurers have no part to play in this. What Anna Minton is complaining about is not SBD but design c

Ben Dyson, founder and director of Positive Money, tells how his disillusionment with mainstream economics led him to campaign for a proper understanding of how money works as the first step in fixing a failed banking system. Producer: Sheila Cook.

Author and independent local councillor Rabina Khan calls for a new understanding of multiculturalism which acknowledges people's multiple identities and avoids simplistic labels. "Regardless of which label we choose, there are different experiences for each label, and so there are many different ways of observing any religion or culture or lifestyle," she says."By valuing multiple identities, multicultural Britain enhances rather than undermines British identity among minority communities." Producer: Sheila Cook.

Writer and former priest Mark Vernon says we should rehabilitate the concept of narcissism as a valuable form of self-love. "Love others as if they were yourself, yes. But also, love yourself so you can love others. Proper self-regard resources other regard," he says.Producer: Sheila Cook.

The eminent psychiatrist Colin Murray Parkes illuminates the importance of secure attachments for human happiness and sees insecurity at the root of conflict and extremism. Accepting advice from wise outsiders is crucial, he argues, whether healing the emotional wounds of bereavement or breaking the cycle of political violence. "Out of this support new national and personal identities are emerging with subtle changes in the feelings that go with them," he says.Producer: Sheila Cook.

Entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan challenges the negative view of whistle-blowers and argues that people who dare to speak uncomfortable truths are vital to the success of businesses and other organisations. All too often important information is available, but acting on it is avoided because it would cause conflict. As a former CEO, she believes that a positive attitude to dissent is the key to progress. Producer: Sheila Cook.

Where is the next growth economy? Investment expert Ruchir Sharma spends his time looking for economic growth in unlikely places - he describes his search for economic potential for Radio 4's Four Thought.

Gaelic broadcaster Niall Iain MacDonald vanished from his Stornoway home on May 17th 2007. In this powerful talk he discusses his extraordinary fightback against depression: to row 45 miles of grey water in a challenge to himself and his illness: Rowing the Minch.

Ian Robertson is Professor of Psychology at Trinity College, Dublin.He argues that success and being a winner has an effect on us that is "as strong as any drug" - and so does that mean there is a neurological explanation to the old idea that power corrupts?

Writer Joe Dunthorne asks what we can all learn about living together from the mosh pit at a rock gig.Joe asks whether we should we all be a bit more open to social interaction. He contrasts the boisterous pushing and shoving at a rock gig with the quiet carriage on the train. In one, he argues, everyone rubs along, and if you need something, you say it. The same cannot be said for the quiet carriage.Producer: Giles Edwards.

Does history repeat itself? Entrepreneur Katarina Skoberne describes how in her family's case it did, and discusses the thought-provoking lessons it taught her.Katarina's great-grandfather was an admiral in the Russian imperial navy. His life was often interrupted by disaster, and he twice lost everything and was forced to start again. But Katarina recently discovered some of his writing, and more than 100 years later found interesting parallels to her own life and experiences.Producer: Giles Edwards.

Architect Ali Mangera discusses the closely-connected futures of cities and shopping.He describes how the retail industry is coming to terms with the major challenges it faces: from internet shopping to increasing demands for a local and sustainable experience. And, through the prism of his own experience working between Barcelona and London, he shares his vision for the future of shopping.Ali argues that the two sides to the current retail experience - need, and hedonism - will be much more closely intertwined in future, with shopping being as much about entertainment and even education as it is about filling our bellies or clothing ourselves.Producer: Giles Edwards.

Publisher and technologist James Bridle asks how computer networks will affect cultural memories. In this Four Thought, James brings his two lives together to look for the crossing points between books and technology.How will storing our memories and experiences on 'the network' change how we relate to them? They are no longer spread through time and geography, and instead much more visible to us, but what does that mean? When we have read a book, the book remains as a souvenir of the experience, but we do not yet have a similar way of accounting for the time we spend online.Producer: Giles Edwards.

The Covent Garden Academy of Flowers' Gillian Wheeler argues that flower design is evolving into an art, with tremendous variation in design and even sculpture. Flowers can both look and smell beautiful, and she says this powerful combination has the power to overcome tremendous obstacles.Cut flowers will first grow, and then eventually die away. Gillian believes that this transience, which sees both the way they look and smell transformed several times over a matter of days, is the most important characteristic, and one which marks flowers out from other forms of art.Producer: Giles Edwards.

Naif Al-Mutawa discusses the importance of interpreting and translating between cultures.Naif created The 99 - comic books featuring characters based on Islamic culture and religion, but appealing to universal virtues. In his Four Thought talk, he uses his own experiences running up against extremism and wilful misunderstanding, to meditate on the importance of cultural interpretation. And he argues that art and religion co-existed for centuries, and should be able to do so again.Producer: Giles Edwards.

With the pressure on for victory at the Olympics, comedian Leisa Rea ponders the delights of losing.She reveals what happened when she told a group of school children that she would only be rewarding them for appalling work, which fell way below the expected standard.Producer: Giles Edwards.

Scientist Alice Bell argues that better engagement by scientists, rather than lessons in 'scientific literacy', is the solution to the lack of public understanding of science.She is frustrated how often this apparent panacea is rolled out as the solution to the problem. But on some controversial subjects the scientific evidence does not point in a single direction, she says. More than that, the specific bit of science needed to understand the subject at hand varies from issue to issue.Instead, scientists should work to provide structures where non-experts can learn about science as and when they become important to them.Producer: Giles Edwards.

Serial social entrepreneur Colin Crooks argues that politicians and the media are wrong to focus on youth unemployment.Instead, he says, we should all be worried about the very high levels of persistent unemployment amongst the 'let-down generation' who were failed by poor education between the 1970s and 1990s. Teaching them the lessons of being in work, he argues, would not only benefit them, but their children, too.And he believes that to make a meaningful impact in these unemployed people's lives, we should stop developing skills for jobs which often do not exist, and instead focus on creating real jobs where they live.Producer: Giles Edwards.

Computer games present a wonderful opportunity to know ourselves; a slow bombardment of opportunities for self-reflective thought says games developer Mitu Khandaker.She argues that to look beyond the violent and mindless games of popular caricature is to see a new medium which represents the culmination of all our previous artistic forms - literature, film, painting, music. Parts of all of these, she says, can coalesce in games.Producer: Giles Edwards.