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

Little Women

21 Nov 2024

48m

Hayek's The Road to Serfdom

14 Nov 2024

53m

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This episode of "In Our Time" discusses Friedrich Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom," exploring its historical context, central arguments, and lasting influence. The discussion covers Hayek's background, his intellectual influences within the Austrian School of Economics, and his critiques of central planning and socialism...

Robert Graves

07 Nov 2024

54m

The Haymarket Affair

31 Oct 2024

51m

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This BBC Radio 4 podcast episode of "In Our Time" discusses the Haymarket Affair of 1886, a pivotal moment in American labor history. Martha Clokie leads a discussion with Ruth Kinna, Christopher Phelps, and Gary Gerstle, exploring the tensions between workers and industry in 19th-century America, the events leading up...

Wormholes

24 Oct 2024

1h 0m

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In this episode of "In Our Time" from BBC Radio 4, Melvyn Bragg leads a discussion with Andrew Pontzen, Katy Clough, and Toby Wiseman about the concept of wormholes. The conversation begins by establishing the vastness of the universe and the theoretical possibility of wormholes as shortcuts through space-time. The pan...

In this episode of "In Our Time," Martha Clokie leads a discussion with James Ebdon and Claas Kirchhelle about bacteriophages (or phages), viruses that infect and kill bacteria. The conversation traces the discovery of phages, their role in understanding bacterial genetics, and their potential to combat antibiotic resi...

Monet in England

25 Jul 2024

50m

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In this episode of "In Our Time" from BBC Radio 4, Melvyn Bragg leads a discussion with Karen Serres, Frances Fowle, and Jackie Wulschlinger about Claude Monet's time in England and his series of paintings of the Thames. The discussion covers Monet's early life and influences, his move to London as a refuge during the ...