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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The Siege of Munster
Thu 5 Nov 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Siege of Munster in 1534-35.
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Schopenhauer
Thu 29 Oct 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer.
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The Geological Formation of Britain
Thu 22 Oct 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the geological formation of Britain.
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The Death of Elizabeth I
Thu 15 Oct 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth I.
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The Dreyfus Affair
Thu 8 Oct 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Dreyfus Affair, which tore France apart in the 1890s.
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Calculus
Thu 24 Sep 2009
The dispute between Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz over who invented calculus.
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Logical Positivism
Thu 2 Jul 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the radical philosophy of the Vienna Circle.
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Sunni and Shia Islam
Thu 25 Jun 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the origins of the split between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims
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Elizabethan Revenge
Thu 18 Jun 2009
Melvyn Bragg discusses why revenge tragedy was so popular with Elizabethan theatre goers.
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St Paul
Thu 28 May 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influence of St Paul on the early Christian church.
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The Whale - A History
Thu 21 May 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the evolutionary history of the whale.
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The Siege of Vienna
Thu 14 May 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 1683 siege of Vienna by the Ottoman Army.
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The Building of St Petersburg
Thu 23 Apr 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the building of St Petersburg.
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Suffragism
Thu 16 Apr 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss suffragism, the movement for women's voting rights.
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Aldous Huxley's Brave New World
Thu 9 Apr 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aldous Huxley's dystopian 1932 novel Brave New World.
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Baconian Science
Thu 2 Apr 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Jacobean thinker Francis Bacon and Baconian Science.
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The School of Athens
Thu 26 Mar 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Raphael's depiction of Plato and Aristotle.
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The Boxer Rebellion
Thu 19 Mar 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Boxer Rebellion in the summer of 1900.
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The Library of Alexandria
Thu 12 Mar 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Library of Alexandria.
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The Measurement Problem in Physics
Thu 5 Mar 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the measurement problem in physics.
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The Waste Land and Modernity
Thu 26 Feb 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss TS Eliot's seminal poem The Waste Land.
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The Observatory at Jaipur
Thu 19 Feb 2009
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the observatory at Jaipur.
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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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