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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Aphra Behn
Thu 12 Oct 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aphra Behn (1640-1689): playwright, poet, spy.
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Constantine the Great
Thu 5 Oct 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Roman emperor Constantine the Great.
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Wuthering Heights
Thu 28 Sep 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Emily Bronte's only novel, Wuthering Heights.
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Kant's Categorical Imperative
Thu 21 Sep 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the difference between right and wrong, according to Kant.
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Bird Migration
Thu 6 Jul 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how birds navigate and the risks and benefits of migration
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Plato's Republic
Thu 29 Jun 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great works of political and ethical theory.
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Eugene Onegin
Thu 22 Jun 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Pushkin's masterpiece, Eugene Onegin, a novel in verse.
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The American Populists
Thu 15 Jun 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rural protest movement in America's Gilded Age.
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Christine de Pizan
Thu 8 Jun 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and work of Christine de Pizan (c1364-1430).
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Louis Pasteur
Thu 18 May 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Louis Pasteur, known as a founder of microbiology.
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Emily Dickinson
Thu 11 May 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), celebrated American poet.
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The Battle of Lincoln 1217
Thu 4 May 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the fight for the English crown at the Battle of Lincoln.
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The Egyptian Book of the Dead
Thu 27 Apr 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ancient Egyptian funerary text, The Book of the Dead.
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Rosa Luxemburg
Thu 13 Apr 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and times of Rosa Luxemburg, revolutionary.
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Pauli's Exclusion Principle
Thu 6 Apr 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Wolfgang Pauli and the Pauli Exclusion Principle.
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Hokusai
Thu 30 Mar 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and work of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.
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The Battle of Salamis
Thu 23 Mar 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the significance of The Battle of Salamis, 480BC.
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The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
Thu 16 Mar 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the highest global temperatures in the last 65m years.
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North and South
Thu 9 Mar 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South from 1855.
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The Kuiper Belt
Thu 2 Mar 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the icy Kuiper Belt region beyond Neptune, home to Pluto.
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Seneca the Younger
Thu 23 Feb 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the works, life and times of Seneca the Younger.
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Maths in the Early Islamic World
Thu 16 Feb 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the flourishing of maths in the Islamic world from C8th.
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Hannah Arendt
Thu 2 Feb 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and life of Hannah Arendt, political philosopher
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Parasitism
Thu 26 Jan 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Parasitism, where one species gains at the cost of another
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Mary, Queen of Scots
Thu 19 Jan 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of Mary, Queen of Scots.
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Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality
Thu 12 Jan 2017
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Nietzsche's On The Genealogy of Morality.
In Our Time podcasts
Download programmes from the huge In Our Time archive.
The In Our Time Listeners' Top 10
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