In Our Time
BBC Radio 4
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny 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 Nefertiti. 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.
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 Nefertiti. 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
Mentioned books
Jan 4, 2010 • 42min
The Royal Society and British Science: Episode 1
As part of the BBC's year of science programming, Melvyn Bragg looks at the history of the oldest scientific learned society of them all: the Royal Society. Melvyn travels to Wadham College, Oxford, where under the shadow of the English Civil War, the young Christopher Wren and friends experimented in the garden of their inspirational college warden, John Wilkins. Back in London, as Charles II is brought to the throne from exile, the new Society is formally founded one night in Gresham College. When London burns six years later, it is two of the key early Fellows of the Society who are charged with its rebuilding. And, as Melvyn finds out, in the secret observatory in The Monument to the fire, it is science which flavours their plans.
Dec 31, 2009 • 42min
Mary Wollstonecraft
This week’s discussion features John Mullan, an English professor at University College London, alongside Karen O'Brien from the University of Warwick and Barbara Taylor from the University of East London. They explore the revolutionary life of Mary Wollstonecraft, from her challenging upbringing to becoming a key Enlightenment thinker. They discuss her groundbreaking work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which challenges the status quo of women's rights. The panel reflects on Wollstonecraft's legacy, her influence on feminism, and the complex public perception of her ideas.
Dec 24, 2009 • 42min
The Samurai
Experts Gregory Irvine, Nicola Liscutin, and Angus Lockyer discuss the complex role of Samurai in Japanese culture, beyond their fierce warrior image. From their origins as rural warriors to becoming bureaucrats, the Samurai underwent identity crisis and adaptation in times of peace. The podcast explores their influence on national identity, Zen Buddhism, and Western impact in the 19th century.
Dec 10, 2009 • 42min
Pythagoras
Mathematical experts Serafina Cuomo, John O'Connor, and Ian Stewart discuss the enigmatic Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans. They delve into the mystical beliefs of the Pythagoreans, their unique code of living, and the profound impact of Pythagorean ideas on Western science and philosophy. Explore the Pythagoreans' fascination with numbers, their influence on modern science, and their unconventional cosmology that challenged traditional views.
Dec 3, 2009 • 42min
The Silk Road
Melvyn Bragg and guests Tim Barrett, Naomi Standen and Frances Wood discuss the Silk Road, the trade routes which spanned Asia for over a thousand years, carrying Buddhism to China and paper-making and gunpowder westwards.In 1900, a Taoist monk came upon a cave near the Chinese town of Dunhuang. Inside, he found thousands of ancient manuscripts. They revealed a vast amount of evidence about the so-called Silk Road: the great trade routes which had stretched from Central Asia, through desert oases, to China, throughout the first millennium.Besides silk, the Silk Road helped the dispersion of writing and paper-making, coinage and gunpowder, and it was along these trade routes that Buddhism reached China from India. The history of these transcontinental links reveals a dazzlingly complex meeting and mingling of civilisations, which lasted for well over a thousand years.With:Tim Barrett is Professor of East Asian History at the School of Oriental and African Studies; Naomi Standen is Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies at Newcastle University; Frances Wood is Head of the Chinese Section at the British Library.
Nov 26, 2009 • 42min
Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Guests Melvyn Bragg, Roy Foster, Jeri Johnson, and Katherine Mullin discuss James Joyce's novel, 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.' They explore the protagonist's struggles with family, church, and societal expectations. The podcast dives into Joyce's experimental approach in depicting psychological complexities and the lasting influence of the novel on literary experimentation. Other topics include the cultural nationalism in Joyce's time, the protagonist's evolution from autobiographical to artistic representation, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, identity conflicts, language nuances, religious symbolism, and Stephen's adolescent sexuality.
Nov 19, 2009 • 42min
Sparta
Melvyn Bragg and guests delve into the militaristic world of Sparta, contrasting its brutal culture with Athens. They discuss Spartan training, political system, poetry, and the influential role of Spartan women. The podcast explores Sparta's legacy, including the historic battle of Thermopylae and its impact on Greek history.
Nov 12, 2009 • 42min
Radiation
Melvyn Bragg and guests Jim Al-Khalili, Frank Close and Frank James discuss the history of the discovery of radiation.Today the word 'radiation' conjures up images of destruction. But in physics, it simply describes the emission, transmission and absorption of energy, and the discovery of how radiation works has allowed us to identify new chemical elements, treat cancer and work out what the stars are made of.Over the course of the 19th century, physicists from Thomas Young, through Michael Faraday to Henri Becquerel made discovery after discovery, gradually piecing together a radically new picture of reality. They explored the light beyond the visible spectrum, connected electricity and magnetism, and eventually showed that heat, light, radio and mysterious new phenomena like 'X-rays' were all forms of 'electromagnetic wave'. In the early 20th century, with the discovery of radioactivity, scientists like Max Planck and Ernest Rutherford completed the picture of the 'electromagnetic spectrum'. This was a cumulative achievement that transformed our vision of the physical world, and what we could do in it.Jim Al-Khalili is Professor of Theoretical Physics and Chair in the Public Engagement in Science at the University of Surrey; Frank Close is Professor of Physics at Exeter College, University of Oxford; Frank James is Professor of the History of Science at the Royal Institution.
Nov 5, 2009 • 42min
The Siege of Munster
Melvyn Bragg and guests Diarmaid MacCulloch, Lucy Wooding and Charlotte Methuen discuss the Siege of Munster in 1534-35.In the early 16th century, the Protestant Reformation revolutionised Christian belief. But one radical group of believers stood out. The Anabaptists rejected infant baptism and formal clergy, and believed that all goods should be held in common. They were also convinced that the Second Coming was imminent.In 1534, in the north-western German city of Munster, a group of Anabaptists attempted to establish the 'New Jerusalem', ready for the Last Days before the coming Apocalypse. But the city was besieged by its ousted Prince-Bishop, and under the reign of its self-appointed King, a 25-year-old Dutchman called Jan van Leyden, it descended into tyranny. Books were burned, dissenters were executed and women were forced to marry. As starvation spread, King Jan lived in luxury with his 16 wives. The horrors of Munster have resonated through the European memory ever since. Diarmaid MacCulloch is Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford; Charlotte Methuen is University Research Lecturer in Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford and Lecturer in Church History and Liturgy at Ripon College Cuddesdon; Lucy Wooding is Lecturer in Early Modern History at King's College, London.
58 snips
Oct 29, 2009 • 42min
Schopenhauer
AC Grayling, Beatrice Han-Pile, and Christopher Janaway discuss the dark philosophy of Schopenhauer, focusing on the Will driving all existence. They explore Schopenhauer's rejection of Hegel, influence of Kant, and his view on suffering and boredom. The podcast delves into the role of art as an escape, Schopenhauer's impact on Eastern philosophy, and his influence on artists and writers like Wagner and Freud.
