In Our Time Podcast
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas, people and events that have shaped our world.
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.
History fans can learn about pivotal wars and societal upheavals, such as the rise and fall of Napoleon, the Sack of Rome in 1527, and the political intrigue of the Russian Revolution. Those fascinated by the lives of kings and queens can journey to Versailles to meet Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV the Sun King, or to Ancient Egypt to meet Cleopatra and Nerfertiti. Or perhaps you’re looking to explore the history of religion, from Buddhism’s early teachings to the Protestant Reformation.
If you’re interested in the stories behind iconic works of art, music and literature, dive in to discussions on the artistic genius of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers. From Gothic architecture to the works of Shakespeare, each episode of In Our Time offers new insight into humanity’s cultural achievements.
Those looking to enrich their scientific knowledge can hear episodes on black holes, the Periodic Table, and classical theories of gravity, motion, evolution and relativity. Learn how the discovery of penicillin revolutionised medicine, and how the death of stars can lead to the formation of new planets.
Lovers of philosophy will find episodes on the big issues that define existence, from free will and ethics, to liberty and justice. In what ways did celebrated philosophers such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Karl Marx push forward radical new ideas? How has the concept of karma evolved from the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism to today? What was Plato’s concept of an ideal republic, and how did he explore this through the legend of the lost city of Atlantis?
In Our Time celebrates the pursuit of knowledge and the enduring power of ideas.
Episodes to download
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Margaret of Anjou
Thu 24 May 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Queen of England at the start of the Wars of the Roses
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The Emancipation of the Serfs
Thu 17 May 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the freeing of a third of Russians from serfdom in 1861.
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The Mabinogion
Thu 10 May 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the medieval Welsh stories of Celtic mythology.
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The Almoravid Empire
Thu 3 May 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great empires of the Islamic west.
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The Proton
Thu 26 Apr 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Proton, found in the nuclei of all elements.
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Middlemarch
Thu 19 Apr 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss George Eliot's greatest novel, published 1871-72.
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George and Robert Stephenson
Thu 12 Apr 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss George and Robert Stephenson and the birth of railways.
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Roman Slavery
Thu 5 Apr 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the relationship between slavery and the power of Rome.
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Tocqueville: Democracy in America
Thu 22 Mar 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Alexis de Tocqueville's analysis of American democracy.
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Augustine's Confessions
Thu 15 Mar 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine's account of his conversion to Christianity.
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The Highland Clearances
Thu 8 Mar 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss evictions and migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
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Sun Tzu and The Art of War
Thu 1 Mar 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential ancient Chinese work on military strategy.
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Rosalind Franklin
Thu 22 Feb 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pioneering scientist Rosalind Franklin.
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Frederick Douglass
Thu 8 Feb 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and ideas of Frederick Douglass, born to slavery.
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Cephalopods
Thu 1 Feb 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the biology of squid, octopus, cuttlefish and nautilus.
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Cicero
Thu 25 Jan 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the political philosophy of Marcus Tullius Cicero.
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Anna Akhmatova
Thu 18 Jan 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and work of the celebrated Russian poet.
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The Siege of Malta, 1565
Thu 11 Jan 2018
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Ottoman attack on the Knights Hospitaller in Malta.
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Hamlet
Thu 28 Dec 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Shakespeare's best known, longest and most quoted play.
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Beethoven
Thu 21 Dec 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and influence of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
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Thomas Becket
Thu 14 Dec 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life, murder and impact of Thomas Becket (c 1118-1170)
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Moby Dick
Thu 7 Dec 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the most popular idea sent in by listeners.
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Carl Friedrich Gauss
Thu 30 Nov 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Gauss, one of the great mathematicians.
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Thebes
Thu 23 Nov 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Greek city of Thebes in myth, drama and history.
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Germaine de Stael
Thu 16 Nov 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and works of the great woman of letters.
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Picasso's Guernica
Thu 2 Nov 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the events behind and impact of Picasso's iconic work.
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Feathered Dinosaurs
Thu 26 Oct 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss which dinosaurs were feathered, and their links to birds.
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The Congress of Vienna
Thu 19 Oct 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Congress of Vienna, 1814-15.
In Our Time podcasts
Download programmes from the huge In Our Time archive.
The In Our Time Listeners' Top 10
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Arts and Ideas podcast
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