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 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.
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
Mentioned books
Nov 24, 2016 • 47min
Baltic Crusades
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Baltic Crusades, the name given to a series of overlapping attempts to convert the pagans of North East Europe to Christianity at the point of the sword. From the 12th Century, Papal Bulls endorsed those who fought on the side of the Church, the best known now being the Teutonic Order which, thwarted in Jerusalem, founded a state on the edge of the Baltic, in Prussia. Some of the peoples in the region disappeared, either killed or assimilated, and the consequences for European history were profound. With Aleks Pluskowski
Associate Professor of Archaeology at the University of ReadingNora Berend
Fellow of St Catharine's College and Reader in European History at the Faculty of History at the University of Cambridgeand Martin Palmer
Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and CultureProducer: Simon Tillotson.
Nov 17, 2016 • 47min
Justinian's Legal Code
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas brought together under Justinian I, Byzantine emperor in the 6th century AD, which were rediscovered in Western Europe in the Middle Ages and became very influential in the development of laws in many European nations and elsewhere.WithCaroline Humfress
Professor of Medieval History at the University of St AndrewsSimon Corcoran
Lecturer in Ancient History at Newcastle Universityand Paul du Plessis
Senior Lecturer in Civil law and European legal history at the School of Law, University of EdinburghProducer: Simon Tillotson.
Nov 10, 2016 • 46min
The Fighting Temeraire
This image: Joseph Mallord William Turner, The Fighting Temeraire, 1839 (c) The National Gallery, LondonMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss "The Fighting Temeraire", one of Turner's greatest works and the one he called his 'darling'. It shows one of the most famous ships of the age, a hero of Trafalgar, being towed up the Thames to the breakers' yard, sail giving way to steam. Turner displayed this masterpiece to a public which, at the time, was deep in celebration of the Temeraire era, with work on Nelson's Column underway, and it was an immediate success, with Thackeray calling the painting 'a national ode'.With Susan Foister
Curator of Early Netherlandish, German and British Painting at the National GalleryDavid Blayney Brown
Manton Curator of British Art 1790-1850 at Tate Britainand James Davey
Curator of Naval History at the National Maritime MuseumProducer: Simon Tillotson.
6 snips
Nov 3, 2016 • 47min
Epic of Gilgamesh
"He who saw the Deep" are the first words of the standard version of The Epic of Gilgamesh, the subject of this discussion between Melvyn Bragg and his guests. Gilgamesh is often said to be the oldest surviving great work of literature, with origins in the third millennium BC, and it passed through thousands of years on cuneiform tablets. Unlike epics of Greece and Rome, the intact story of Gilgamesh became lost to later generations until tablets were discovered by Hormuzd Rassam in 1853 near Mosul and later translated. Since then, many more tablets have been found and much of the text has been reassembled to convey the story of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk the sheepfold, and Enkidu who the gods created to stop Gilgamesh oppressing his people. Together they fight Humbaba, monstrous guardian of the Cedar Forest, and kill the Bull of Heaven, for which the gods make Enkidu mortally ill. Gilgamesh goes on a long journey as he tries unsuccessfully to learn how to live forever, learning about the Great Deluge on the way, but his remarkable building works guarantee that his fame will last long after his death.With Andrew George
Professor of Babylonian at SOAS, University of LondonFrances Reynolds
Shillito Fellow in Assyriology at the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford and Fellow of St Benet's HallandMartin Worthington
Lecturer in Assyriology at the University of CambridgeProducer: Simon Tillotson.
Oct 27, 2016 • 46min
John Dalton
The scientist John Dalton was born in North England in 1766. Although he came from a relatively poor Quaker family, he managed to become one of the most celebrated scientists of his age. Through his work, he helped to establish Manchester as a place where not only products were made but ideas were born. His reputation during his lifetime was so high that unusually a statue was erected to him before he died. Among his interests were meteorology, gasses and colour blindness. However, he is most remembered today for his pioneering thinking in the field of atomic theory. With: Jim Bennett
Former Director of the Museum of the History of Science at the University of Oxford and Keeper Emeritus at the Science MuseumAileen Fyfe
Reader in British History at the University of St AndrewsJames Sumner
Lecturer in the History of Technology at the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of ManchesterProducer: Victoria Brignell.
Oct 20, 2016 • 49min
The 12th Century Renaissance
Discover the intellectual, social, creative, and technological growth in Western Europe during the 12th century Renaissance. Explore economic and social change, cultural and intellectual change, and political and legal change. Discuss the church's views on classical texts and the bottom-up nature of church reform movements. Explore the impact of the 12th century Renaissance on modernity and the connection between psychology, spirituality, and learning. Also, delve into the role of female patrons in medieval romances.
Oct 13, 2016 • 46min
Plasma
Explore the abundance of plasma in the universe, its role as the fourth state of matter, and its prevalence in celestial objects. Learn about plasma's ability to conduct electricity and its applications in microchip development. Discover the potential of plasma for solving the energy problem and its medical applications in surgeries. Delve into the challenges of controlling and producing plasmas, as well as the multidisciplinary nature of low-temperature plasmas and the impact of solar weather on Earth.
Oct 6, 2016 • 47min
Lakshmi
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the origins of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, and of the traditions that have built around her for over 3,000 years. According to the creation story of the Puranas, she came to existence in the churning of the ocean of milk. Her prominent status grew alongside other goddesses in the mainly male world of the Vedas, as female deities came to be seen as the Shakti, the energy of the gods, without which they would be powerless. Lakshmi came to represent the qualities of blessing, prosperity, fertility, beauty and good fortune and, more recently, political order, and she has a significant role in Diwali, one of the most important of the Hindu festivals. With Jessica Frazier
Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Kent
Research Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies at the University of OxfordJacqueline Suthren-Hirst
Senior Lecturer in South Asian Studies at the University of Manchesterand Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
Professor of Comparative Religion and Philosophy at Lancaster UniversityProducer: Simon Tillotson.
28 snips
Sep 29, 2016 • 51min
Animal Farm
Delve into the allegorical world of Animal Farm and its sharp critique of totalitarianism, particularly Soviet communism. Discover how Orwell's experiences in the Spanish Civil War shaped his views and writing. Explore the initial hope for freedom among the animals and the subsequent power struggles led by the pigs. Reflect on the book's publication challenges during WWII and its resurgence during the Cold War. Uncover the intricate themes of memory and history, connecting Orwell's insights on power dynamics to his other works like 1984.
Sep 22, 2016 • 47min
Zeno's Paradoxes
Delving into Zeno's mind-bending paradoxes challenging motion, Aristotle, Aquinas, and Russell tried to unravel them. From Achilles and the tortoise to the dichotomy paradox, experts explore the playful yet insightful concepts. Infinity complexities in mathematics, quantum Zeno effect, and Einstein's quantum thresholds add intriguing layers to understanding reality.
