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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Rudyard Kipling
Thu 16 Oct 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of Rudyard Kipling.
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The Battle of Talas
Thu 9 Oct 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Battle of Talas in AD751.
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Julius Caesar
Thu 2 Oct 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and reputation of Julius Caesar.
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The Sun
Thu 10 Jul 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the science of the sun, source of all our energy.
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Mrs Dalloway
Thu 3 Jul 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Virginia Woolf's novel Mrs Dalloway.
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Hildegard of Bingen
Thu 26 Jun 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the medieval writer and mystic Hildegard of Bingen.
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The Philosophy of Solitude
Thu 19 Jun 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosophy of solitude.
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Robert Boyle
Thu 12 Jun 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of the pioneering scientist Robert Boyle.
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The Bluestockings
Thu 5 Jun 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the 18th-century Bluestocking Society.
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The Talmud
Thu 29 May 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Talmud, a major text of rabbinical Judaism.
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The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Thu 22 May 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
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The Sino-Japanese War
Thu 8 May 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Second Sino-Japanese War.
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The Tale of Sinuhe
Thu 1 May 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Egyptian poem The Tale of Sinuhe.
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Tristram Shandy
Thu 24 Apr 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Laurence Sterne's comic novel Tristram Shandy.
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Strabo's Geographica
Thu 10 Apr 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Strabo's Geographica, an early work of geography.
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States of Matter
Thu 3 Apr 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the states of matter, from solids to plasmas.
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Weber's The Protestant Ethic
Thu 27 Mar 2014
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
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Bishop Berkeley
Thu 20 Mar 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the 18th-century philosopher George Berkeley.
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The Trinity
Thu 13 Mar 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Trinity, a central doctrine of Christianity.
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Spartacus
Thu 6 Mar 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Roman gladiator and rebel leader Spartacus.
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The Eye
Thu 27 Feb 2014
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of ideas about the eye and how it works.
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The Phoenicians
Thu 6 Feb 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Phoenicians of the ancient Mediterranean.
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Catastrophism
Thu 30 Jan 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the geological theory of Catastrophism.
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Sources of Early Chinese History
Thu 23 Jan 2014
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the sources for early Chinese history.
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In Our Time podcasts
Download programmes from the huge In Our Time archive.
The In Our Time Listeners' Top 10
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