Indicast #228: Sports Day

Few people have had more access to Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s charismatic founder, than Stephen Witt. In his book "The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip", Witt traces the company’s three-decade journey under the leadership of a man he describes as sometimes “neurotic”, a founder who, despite being at the top of his game, constantly fears going out of business. And yet, his team remains fiercely loyal. He rarely fires those who face his ire. So how does he lead a company in an industry where every few years the technology is upended and replaced by something entirely new? And how does he stay grounded while working relentless hours? Stephen spoke to hundreds of people to find the answers, many of which he shares in his book and in this podcast.

Why do humans go to war? Is peace ever truly possible? In this podcast historian of the Second World War and expert on totalitarian regimes and military conflict joins us to talk about his latest book, "Why War?". Drawing on decades of research, Prof Overy talks about organized violence from prehistoric times to modern state conflicts. He explains how war has evolved and what drives it and how leaders can use provocative language to brainwash their people before invading another country. What we can learn from nations, including India, that have managed to avert a full-scale war despite decades of conflicts with their neighbouring countries? Despite all the grim violence around us in Gaza and Ukraine, Prof Overy remains hopeful and says that fears of a third world war may be overblown.

Charlie English is the author of "The CIA Book Club: The Best Kept Secret of the Cold War". In this episode he talks about a little-known chapter in Cold War history where the CIA smuggled banned books into the Eastern Bloc in an effort to challenge communist ideology. Charlie shares how the CIA ran this literary operation for over three decades, why even detective novels had political weight in Soviet-ruled countries, and what it meant to grow up under state censorship so tight you needed permission to buy a sheet of paper.