The podcast delves into the surge of printed texts during the 17th century, from sensationalist rogue publications to the evolution of news delivery. It explores the impact of print on societal controversies and its role in shaping the English Civil War. Additionally, it discusses the rise of publication rates, the accessibility of cheap print, and the democratizing essence of newspapers in fostering political discourse.

Melvyn Bragg and guests dive into the contentious realm of relativism, questioning the existence of absolute truths and exploring how cultural perspectives shape our understanding of reality. They discuss the ethical dilemmas posed by relativism and how it challenges universal standards like human rights. The podcast delves into the evolution of relativism from ancient Greece to modern times, highlighting its impact on philosophy, science, and society.

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the enigmatic world of prime numbers and their profound implications in mathematics. From the record-breaking 9.1 million-digit prime number to the elusive rules governing this sequence, delve into the mysteries of prime numbers and their potential to unlock secrets about atoms and the world financial system.

Explore the importance of oaths in ancient Greece and Rome, from maintaining peace treaties to upholding loyalty in democracy and the Roman army. Learn about the significance of trust and divine beliefs in Roman culture, and the role of oaths in shaping responsible citizenship and civic loyalty. Delve into the complexities of oath-taking, from perjury as a capital offense in Rome to moral dilemmas in various societal contexts. Discover the challenges of keeping oaths across different cultural backgrounds, with examples from Spartans and Persians.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ‘Oresteia’, the seminal trilogy of tragedies by Aeschylus. The composer Richard Wagner recalled the visceral sensations of reading Aeschylus' great trilogy for the first time. "I could see the Oresteia with my mind's eye ... Nothing could equal the sublime emotion with which the Agamemnon inspired me; and to the last word of the Eumenides, I remained in an atmosphere so far removed from the present day that I have never since been really able to reconcile myself with modern literature." Aeschylus' audience were all familiar with the tale of one man's return home from the Trojan War. Homer's Odyssey recounted Odysseus' perilous journey home, the forceful ejection of the suitors from his household and his reunion with wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Aeschylus had a very different tale of homecoming to tell in his Oresteia. Agamemnon arrives home from Troy to a murderous welcome from a vengeful wife and a cycle of atrocities unfolds in his household. The Oresteia has inspired some of the greatest artists and thinkers of the modern world. From Richard Wagner and Friedrich Nietzsche to T.S. Eliot and Simone de Beauvoir – the ‘Oresteia’ has fired the modern imagination.Why did Aeschylus make the family the subject of his bloody revenge tragedy? How did his trilogy make a contribution to the development of Athenian legal institutions? And why has the Oresteia had such a powerful hold over the modern imagination? With Edith Hall, Professor of Greek Cultural History at Durham University; Simon Goldhill, Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge; Tom Healy, Professor of Renaissance Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore diverse concepts of heaven and the afterlife throughout history. They discuss medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas' views, the Protestant vs Catholic interpretations, and the allure of hell in Western culture. The podcast delves into ancient Egyptian and Zoroastrian beliefs, the evolution of individualism in religious contexts, and literary depictions of heaven in works like Dante's Divine Comedy.

Exploring the lead-up to the Peterloo Massacre amid fear and repression, the aftermath of the bloodshed, and the role it played in the Great Reform Act of 1832. Dive into Thomas Paine's 'The Rights of Man' challenging traditional power structures, industrial unrest, and radical movements pre-Peterloo Massacre.

Delving into the age-old question of whether machines can think like humans, the podcast explores the historical roots of artificial intelligence. From early pioneers like Alan Turing to the impact of warfare on AI development, it raises intriguing questions about the essence of humanity and the quest to imitate the human mind. The conversation touches on the complexities of assessing intelligence in mechanistic AI approaches and the evolving relationship between AI and human understanding.

Thomas Hobbes, a 17th-century political philosopher, explores the need for surrendering individual freedom to a powerful sovereign for societal order post the English Civil War. Discussed are his radical views on human nature, the symbolism in his Leviathan, and the concept of fear as the foundation of political theory.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the search for the Graviton particle and the quest for a unifying theory of gravitational force. They delve into the challenges of merging quantum mechanics with general relativity, the intricacies of gravity, and the potential connection between supersymmetric particles and the existence of gravitons.