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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Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Thu 28 Dec 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Shakespeare's great comedy of love, desire and marriage.
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Vincent van Gogh
Thu 21 Dec 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great Dutch painter of Sunflowers and Starry Nights.
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Tiberius
Thu 14 Dec 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the man born in Republican Rome who became second Emperor.
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Karl Barth
Thu 7 Dec 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential Swiss protestant theologian.
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Edgar Allan Poe
Thu 30 Nov 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the author of the Fall of the House of Usher.
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Marguerite de Navarre
Thu 23 Nov 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss writer and Renaissance queen Marguerite de Navarre.
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The Theory of the Leisure Class
Thu 16 Nov 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Veblen on conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure.
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The Barbary Corsairs
Thu 9 Nov 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the impact of North African privateers on law and language
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Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
Thu 2 Nov 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle's ideas on how to live a good life.
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Germinal
Thu 26 Oct 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Emile Zola's novel, set in a French miners' strike.
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Julian of Norwich
Thu 19 Oct 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the medieval anchoress and her Revelations of Divine Love.
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The Federalist Papers
Thu 12 Oct 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Hamilton, Madison and Jay's urgings for a US Constitution.
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Plankton
Thu 5 Oct 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the tiny lifeforms that sustain so much life on earth.
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The Economic Consequences of the Peace
Thu 28 Sep 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Keynes' influential attack on the Treaty of Versailles
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The Seventh Seal
Thu 21 Sep 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Bergman's iconic film of a knight playing chess with Death
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Melvyn Bragg talks to Mishal Husain
Thu 21 Sep 2023
To mark his 1000th episode of In Our Time, Melvyn Bragg talks to Mishal Husain.
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Albert Einstein
Thu 14 Sep 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Einstein's astonishing impact on theoretical physics.
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Elizabeth Anscombe
Thu 22 Jun 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential 20th-century moral philosopher.
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Oedipus Rex
Thu 8 Jun 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests on Sophocles' tragedy, sometimes called the best play ever written
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Mitochondria
Thu 1 Jun 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the power-packs within cells in all complex life on Earth.
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Louis XIV: The Sun King
Thu 25 May 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and reign of the French king who built Versailles
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Virgil's Georgics
Thu 18 May 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Roman poet's celebration of agriculture and rural life
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The Shimabara Rebellion
Thu 11 May 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 1637-8 Christian uprising in Japan.
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The Dead Sea Scrolls
Thu 4 May 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Biblical texts and documents found in the late 1940s.
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Walt Whitman
Thu 27 Apr 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the innovative and highly influential American poet.
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Linnaeus
Thu 20 Apr 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and legacy of the pioneering Swedish botanist.
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The Battle of Crécy
Thu 13 Apr 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 1346 conflict between the armies of France and England
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Cnut
Thu 6 Apr 2023
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Dane who became a powerful King of England in 1016.
In Our Time podcasts
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