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 Misha Glenny 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 Nefertiti. 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.
What this show covers
history of scienceAncient GreecedesignGreenwichtimekeepingclocksstandard timeAugustine and AquinasChurch historyTrinityChristian theologyCouncil of NicaeaEmmacomedy of mannersliterary criticism
What listeners will find here
From sundials to atomic clocks: how humans learned to measure time
The episode traces the history of timekeeping from sunrise and sunset to water clocks, medieval mechanical devices, railway standardisation and atomic precision. It explores how practical needs, religion and technology gradually turned time into a shared global system.
Why the Trinity became Christianity’s defining and most debated mystery
The episode explores the Trinity as a central Christian doctrine: one God known as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It follows the early controversies, the role of the Council of Nicaea, and the theological questions that later thinkers such as Augustine and Aquinas wrestled with.
Why Emma still sparkles as Austen’s most elusive heroine
Jane Austen’s Emma returns here as Misha Glenny’s ninth archive pick, revisiting the 2015 discussion of a novel often seen as Austen’s masterpiece. The episode explores a brilliantly comic social world built around a heroine Austen herself thought few would like.
Why the overlooked War of 1812 mattered far beyond the battlefield
The War of 1812 episode explores why this often-neglected conflict between the United States and the British Empire had lasting consequences. It connects the war’s causes, its inconclusive fighting, and its deep impact on national identity, Native Americans, and the wider Atlantic world.
Why Plato’s Republic still provokes arguments about justice, power and democracy
Plato’s Republic asks whether it is always better to be just than unjust, for both individuals and the city-state. This archive pick revisits the dialogue’s biggest ideas, from philosopher-rulers and the cave to poetry, the soul and democracy’s slide toward tyranny.
Episodes
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