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
-
Dylan Thomas
Thu 16 Jun 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the poems, plays and persona of the prominent Welsh writer
-
The Death of Stars
Thu 9 Jun 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how the ends of stars can lead to new planets and new life
-
Hegel's Philosophy of History
Thu 26 May 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Hegel's ideas on the consciousness of freedom.
-
Comenius
Thu 19 May 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 17th-century Czech educator committed to toleration.
-
Tang Era Poetry
Thu 12 May 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Li Bai and Du Fu from the Golden Age of Chinese Poetry.
-
The Davidian Revolution
Thu 5 May 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the lasting impact of David I, King of Scotland c1084-1153
-
Early Christian Martyrdom
Thu 28 Apr 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Eusebius of Caesarea and his stories of Christian martyrs.
-
Olympe de Gouges
Thu 21 Apr 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the author of The Declaration of the Rights of Woman, 1791
-
Homo erectus
Thu 14 Apr 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the two-million-year span of our most adaptable ancestor.
-
Polidori's The Vampyre
Thu 7 Apr 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 1819 work that inspired two centuries of vampire tales
-
The Sistine Chapel
Thu 31 Mar 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Michelangelo's iconic frescoes in Renaissance Rome.
-
Antigone
Thu 24 Mar 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Sophocles' tragedy of an autocrat who defies family ties.
-
Charisma
Thu 17 Mar 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Max Weber's idea of charismatic authority in leadership
-
Seismology
Thu 10 Mar 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how the study of earthquakes helps reveal Earth's secrets.
-
The Arthashastra
Thu 3 Mar 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ancient Indian Sanskrit text the Arthashastra.
-
Peter Kropotkin
Thu 24 Feb 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the prominent Russian anarchist and his idea of Mutual Aid
-
Romeo and Juliet
Thu 17 Feb 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Shakespeare's tragedy of young star-crossed love in Verona
-
Walter Benjamin
Thu 10 Feb 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most influential thinkers of the last century.
-
The Temperance Movement
Thu 3 Feb 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the enthusiasm in Britain for abstaining from alcohol.
-
Colette
Thu 27 Jan 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss a major force in French culture in the 20th century.
-
The Gold Standard
Thu 20 Jan 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss what happened when world currencies were tied to gold
-
Thomas Hardy's Poetry
Thu 13 Jan 2022
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Hardy's goal of being a great poet and how he succeeded.
-
Fritz Lang
Thu 30 Dec 2021
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss a giant of cinema in Weimar Germany and Hollywood.
-
The Hittites
Thu 23 Dec 2021
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great powers of the Late Bronze Age.
-
A Christmas Carol
Thu 16 Dec 2021
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Charles Dickens' celebrated story of Scrooge's redemption.
-
The May Fourth Movement
Thu 9 Dec 2021
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and protests in 1919 that shaped modern China.
-
The Battle of Trafalgar
Thu 2 Dec 2021
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Nelson's famous victory and death on 21 October 1805.
-
Plato's Gorgias
Thu 25 Nov 2021
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's exploration of the nature of power and freedom.
-
The Decadent Movement
Thu 18 Nov 2021
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Beardsley, Wilde and art for art's sake in the 1890s.
-
William and Caroline Herschel
Thu 11 Nov 2021
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the siblings at the forefront of 18th-century astronomy
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.