A History of Ideas

A History of Ideas

A fresh take on the History of Ideas as big subjects like beauty, freedom, technology and morality get dissected by a team of thinkers. Philosophers, theologians, lawyers, Neuroscientists, historians and mathematicians join Melvyn Bragg to present a history in many voices.

  • Updated:
    Weekly
  • Episodes available:
    Indefinitely help

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Recent episodes (10)

  • 30 of 60 - Archaeologist Matt Pope on tools and evolution

    Fri, 30 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    Medium Archaeologist Matt Pope looks at tool use in human evolution. He argues that technology hasn't just changed us, it helped to create us.

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  • 29 of 60 - Surgeon Gabriel Weston on Medical Technology

    Thu, 29 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    How has medical technology changed us? Surgeon Gabriel Weston looks at the past, present, and the weird and wonderful future of medicine to find the answer.

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  • 28 of 60 - Justin Champion on Francis Bacon

    Wed, 28 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    Justin Champion suggests 17th century polymath, Francis Bacon, is the architect of the modern world. But he also understood the fallibility of technology and its creators.

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  • 27 of 60 - Tom Chatfield on rewiring our brains

    Tue, 27 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    Has technology changed us? Writer, Tom Chatfield can't help feeling a little anxious about the hold that new technology has on his life.

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  • 26 of 60 - How has Technology changed us?

    Mon, 26 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    How has technology Changed us? Melvyn Bragg is joined by technologist Tom Chatfield, surgeon Gabriel Weston, Historian Justin Champion and archaeologist Matt Pope.

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  • 25 of 60 - Giles Fraser on Morals

    Fri, 23 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    What makes us human: Theologian Giles Fraser finds his answer in Wittgenstein and Bladerunner.

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  • 24 of 60 - Barry Smith on Human Language

    Thu, 22 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    Philosopher Barry Smith argues that language is out most important uniquely human attribute and examines Noam Chomsky's idea of a universal grammar.

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  • 23 of 60 - Catharine Edwards on death

    Wed, 21 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    A History of Ideas: What makes me human? Only humans know they are going to die. Dealing with this makes us truly human. Catharine Edwards on the Stoic philospher Seneca.

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  • 22 of 60 - Simon Schaffer on Biology

    Tue, 20 Jan 15

    Duration:
    14 mins

    Simon Schaffer on Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus who first classified humans among the apes and founded the system by which we classify all the animals on earth.

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  • 21 of 60 - What makes me human?

    Mon, 19 Jan 15

    Duration:
    13 mins

    Philosopher Barry Smith, Classicist Catherine Edwards, historian Simon Schaffer and theologian Giles Fraser discuss what makes us human. Melvyn Bragg Presents

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