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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Four Quartets
Thu 22 Dec 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss TS Eliot's Four Quartets, known as his great last work.
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The Gin Craze
Thu 15 Dec 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the cause and impact of the gin craze in the 18th century.
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Harriet Martineau
Thu 8 Dec 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and works of Harriet Martineau, writer.
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Garibaldi and the Risorgimento
Thu 1 Dec 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Garibaldi and the Risorgimento, for our Listener Week.
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Baltic Crusades
Thu 24 Nov 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss crusades against Baltic pagans from 12th Century onwards.
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Justinian's Legal Code
Thu 17 Nov 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great impact of legal changes under emperor Justinian.
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The Fighting Temeraire
Thu 10 Nov 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss JMW Turner's The Fighting Temeraire.
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Epic of Gilgamesh
Thu 3 Nov 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Gilgamesh, the great epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia.
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The 12th Century Renaissance
Thu 20 Oct 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss a period of great change in western Europe.
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Plasma
Thu 13 Oct 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss plasma, one of the fundamental states of matter.
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Zeno's Paradoxes
Thu 22 Sep 2016
Does an arrow in flight move and could Achilles overtake a tortoise? Not according to Zeno
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The Invention of Photography
Thu 7 Jul 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the invention of photography.
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Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Thu 23 Jun 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience.
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Margery Kempe and English Mysticism
Thu 2 Jun 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Margery Kempe, the medieval English mystic.
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The Gettysburg Address
Thu 26 May 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, 1863.
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Titus Oates and his 'Popish Plot'
Thu 12 May 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Titus Oates and his fictitious Popish Plot.
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Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Thu 5 May 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
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1816, the Year Without a Summer
Thu 21 Apr 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss 1816, known as the year without a summer.
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The Sikh Empire
Thu 7 Apr 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire.
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Agrippina the Younger
Thu 31 Mar 2016
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Roman empress Agrippina the Younger.
In Our Time podcasts
Download programmes from the huge In Our Time archive.
The In Our Time Listeners' Top 10
If you’re new to In Our Time, this is a good place to start.
Arts and Ideas podcast
Download the best of Radio 3's Free Thinking programme.