BBC Radio 4 · Education

In Our Time

A world-class seminar, every week. In Our Time explores the ideas, people and discoveries that have shaped our world, spanning history, philosophy, religion, science, literature, art and culture. On Thursdays, hear brand-new episodes hosted by Misha Glenny and leading academics. On Mondays, discover Misha's Archive Picks: classic conversations from the In Our Time archive, originally presented by Melvyn Bragg. Recent episodes have featured topics as wide-ranging as the Roman Arena, Handel's Messiah, John Keats, On Liberty and the Mariana Trench, bringing expert insight to pivotal events, influential thinkers and remarkable discoveries. Throughout the archive, you can hear discussions on historical figures such as Marie Antoinette, Nefertiti, Mary Wollstonecraft, Karl Marx and Albert Einstein; explore great works of literature such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the poetry of John Donne; uncover the stories behind cultural masterpieces including Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel; or journey from Jupiter and the death of stars, to the theories of Plato and Aristotle. In Our Time celebrates the pursuit of knowledge and the enduring power of ideas.

Episodes

This BBC podcast episode of "In Our Time" features Melvyn Bragg leading a discussion with Victoria Martin, Harry Cliff, and Frank Close about the electron. The discussion begins with the historical context of the electron's discovery by JJ Thomson and moves to its significance in modern technology. The panel explores t...

Plato's Atlantis

20 Oct 2022

54m

Nineteen Eighty-Four

13 Oct 2022

52m

AI processed

In this episode of "In Our Time," Melvyn Bragg leads a discussion with David Dwan, Lisa Mullen, and John Bowen about George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. The panel explores the dystopian setting of the novel, its roots in Orwell's life and political views, particularly his experiences in the Spanish Civil War an...

John Bull

28 Jul 2022

53m

Angkor Wat

21 Jul 2022

49m

Dylan Thomas

14 Jul 2022

50m

The Death of Stars

07 Jul 2022

58m

Hegel's Philosophy of History

23 Jun 2022

52m

AI processed

This BBC podcast episode of "In Our Time" features a panel discussion on Hegel's philosophy of history. Host Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, along with professors Sally Sedgwick, Robert Stern, and Stephen Houlgate, explore Hegel's life, key concepts like Geist and dialectic, and his view of history as the progress of freedom...

Comenius

16 Jun 2022

56m

Tang Era Poetry

09 Jun 2022

46m

AI processed

In this episode of "In Our Time," Melvyn Bragg leads a discussion with Tim Barrett, Tian Yuan Tan, and Frances Wood about the poetry of Li Bai and Du Fu, two of China's greatest poets from the Tang Era. The conversation explores the historical context of the Tang Dynasty, the poets' lives and styles, the influence of D...