Alain de Botton and JJ Williams' Inheritance Tracks

Richard Coles and Sian Williams talk to Alain de Botton about his new 'Manifesto for Atheists' and his desire to popularise challenging subjects like science, philosophy and architecture- amongst other things. They hear from two former Birmingham gang members about how they got out of the vicious cycle of gang life, meet Devon based composer David Haines and find out about how he brings popular engagement with science through song- he's the songwriter in residence at the MIT science festival in the US in a few weeks time, thrill to a Saturday Live Society: this week the 'Friends of the Newport Ship' who rescued, conserved and now plan to rebuild a 15th ship found when the orchestra pit for a theatre was being dug next to the river Usk in Newport, Wales, listen to Welsh rugby legend J.J. Williams as he shares his Inheritance Tracks and journey with John McCarthy to the Watts Gallery in Compton Surrey to explore the largely forgotten genius of Victorian artist, GF Watts.

Producer: Chris Wilson.