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

In this episode of "In Our Time," Melvyn Bragg leads a discussion with Frank Close, Michela Massimi, and Graham Farmelo about the life and work of Wolfgang Pauli and his groundbreaking Exclusion Principle. The panel explores Pauli's early life, his contributions to quantum mechanics, including the concept of two-valued...

Zeno's Paradoxes (Archive Episode)

20 Nov 2025

47m

Thomas Hardy's Poetry (Archive Episode)

13 Nov 2025

50m

The Moon (Archive Episode)

06 Nov 2025

43m

The Waltz (Archive Episode)

30 Oct 2025

52m

Hannah Arendt (Archive Episode)

23 Oct 2025

48m

The Time Machine (Archive Episode)

16 Oct 2025

52m

AI processed

This BBC podcast episode of "In Our Time" features Melvyn Bragg and three guests—Amanda Rees, Simon James, and Simon Schaffer—discussing H.G. Wells's novel "The Time Machine." The discussion covers Wells's background, the social and scientific context of the book, the plot and characters, and the book's themes, includi...

Sir Thomas Wyatt (Archive Episode)

09 Oct 2025

57m

The Waltz (Archive Episode)

09 Oct 2025

52m

Julian of Norwich (Archive Episode)

02 Oct 2025

50m

Pheromones (Archive Episode)

25 Sep 2025

49m

Tutankhamun (Archive Episode)

18 Sep 2025

53m

The Economic Consequences of the Peace (Archive Episode)

11 Sep 2025

1h 6m

AI processed

This BBC podcast episode of "In Our Time" features Melvyn Bragg leading a discussion with Margaret MacMillan, Michael Cox, and Patricia Clavin about John Maynard Keynes' "The Economic Consequences of the Peace." The discussion explores the conditions in Europe after World War I, Keynes' role at the Paris Peace Conferen...