In Our Time With Melvyn Bragg

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the An Lushan Rebellion, a major uprising against the Chinese Tang Dynasty in 755 AD. Although the dynasty's authority was restored, it never regained the prosperity of previous generations. The An Lushan Rebellion displaced millions of people and changed the relationship between the Chinese state and neighbouring powers, but it also left a rich cultural legacy in the poetry memorialising this seismic event. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Frances Wood, Lead Curator of Chinese at the British Library; Naomi Standen, Professor of Medieval History at the University of Birmingham and Hilde de Weerdt, Fellow and Lecturer in Chinese History at Pembroke College, Oxford.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of the 16th century humanist scholar Desiderius Erasmus, almost universally recognised as the greatest classical scholar of his age. An important religious writer, he was also an outspoken critic of the Church, but when the Reformation began Erasmus chose to remain a member of the Catholic Church rather than side with Martin Luther and the reformers. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford; Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge and Jill Kraye, Professor of the History of Renaissance Philosophy and Librarian at the Warburg Institute, University of London.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Kama Sutra, one of the most celebrated and misunderstood texts of Indian literature. Although it is best known today for its chapter devoted to sexual pleasure, this Sanskrit work is a wide ranging manual to a life of fulfilment, which has had a profound influence on Indian culture and thought. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Julius Lipner, Professor of Hinduism and the Comparative Study of Religion at the University of Cambridge; Jessica Frazier, Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Kent and Research Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and David Smith, Reader in South Asian Religions at the University of Lancaster.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the evolution of the Scientific Method, the systematic and analytical approach to scientific thought. It became a topic of intense debate in the 17th century, and thinkers including Isaac Newton, Thomas Huxley and Karl Popper all made important contributions. Some of the greatest discoveries of the modern age were informed by their work, although even today the term 'scientific method' remains difficult to define. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Simon Schaffer, Professor of the History of Science at the University of Cambridge; John Worrall, Professor of the Philosophy of Science at the LSE and Michela Massimi, Senior Lecturer in the Philosophy of Science at University College London.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss 1848, the year that saw Europe engulfed in revolution. Across the continent, from Paris to Palermo, liberals rose against conservative governments. The first stirrings of rebellion came in January, in Sicily; in February the French monarchy fell; and within a few months Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy had all been overtaken by revolutionary fervour. Only a few countries were spared. With Tim Blanning, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Cambridge; Lucy Riall, Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London; and Mike Rapport, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Stirling.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Safavid Dynasty, rulers of the Persian empire between the 16th and 18th centuries. At the peak of their success the Safavids ruled over a vast territory which included all of modern-day Iran. They converted their subjects to Shi'a Islam, creating the religious identity of today's Iran, and their capital Isfahan became one of the most magnificent cities in the world. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Robert Gleave, Professor of Arabic Studies at the University of Exeter; Emma Loosley, Senior Lecturer at the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures at the University of Manchester and Andrew Newman, Reader in Islamic Studies and Persian at the University of Edinburgh.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the giant molecules that form the basis of all life. Macromolecules, also known as polymers, are long chains of atoms which form the proteins that make up our bodies, as well as many of the materials of modern life. We've only known about macromolecules for just over a century, so what is the story behind them and how might they change our lives in the future? Melvyn Bragg is joined by Athene Donald, Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge; Charlotte Williams, Reader in Polymer Chemistry and Catalysis at Imperial College London and Tony Ryan, Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Science at the University of Sheffield.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe. Published in 1719, it was an immediate success and is considered the classic adventure story - the sailor stranded on a desert island who learns to tame the environment and the native population. Robinson Crusoe has been interpreted in myriad ways, from colonial fable to religious instruction manual to capitalist tract, yet it is perhaps best known today as a children's story. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Karen O'Brien, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education at the University of Birmingham; Judith Hawley, Professor of Eighteenth-Century Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London and Bob Owens, Emeritus Professor of English Literature at the Open University.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Concordat of Worms. This treaty between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire, signed in 1122, put an end, at least for a time, to years of power struggle and bloodshed. It created a historic distinction between secular power and spiritual authority, defining more clearly the respective powers of monarchs and the Church. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Henrietta Leyser, Emeritus Fellow of St Peter's College, University of Oxford; Kate Cushing, Reader in Medieval History at Keele University and John Gillingham, Emeritus Professor of History at the London School of Economics and Political Science

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Writing in the 5th century BC, Heraclitus believed that everything is constantly changing. He expressed this thought in a famous epigram: "No man ever steps into the same river twice." At times a rationalist, at others a mystic, Heraclitus is an intriguing figure who influenced major later philosophers and movements such as Plato and the Stoics. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Angie Hobbs, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Senior Fellow in the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Warwick; Peter Adamson, Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at King's College London and James Warren, Senior Lecturer in Classics and a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of the Victorian poet Christina Rossetti. Rossetti was born into an artistic family and her siblings included Dante Gabriel, one of the leading lights of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Her poetry has a spirituality and sensitivity that has led to her redisovery in recent decades, not least by feminist critics who praise her powerful and independent poetic voice. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Dinah Birch, Professor of English Literature at Liverpool University; Rhian Williams, Lecturer in Nineteenth-Century English Literature at the University of Glasgow and Nicholas Shrimpton, Emeritus Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the revolutionary Jewish leader Judas Maccabeus. Born in the 2nd century BC, Judas led his followers in a rebellion against the Seleucid Empire, which was attempting to impose Greek culture and religion on the Jews. He succeeded in winning religious freedom, but it was not until 20 years after Judas's death that Judaea finally became an independent state. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Helen Bond, Senior Lecturer in the New Testament at Edinburgh University; Tessa Rajak, Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at the University of Reading and Philip Alexander, Emeritus Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Manchester.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy, and consider how and why his geocentric theory of the universe held sway for more than a thousand years. It was not until 1543, and Copernicus's heliocentric theory of the world, that the Ptolemaic model was finally challenged. But how and why did Ptolemy's system survive for so long? Melvyn Bragg is joined by Liba Taub of Cambridge University, Jim Bennett of the Museum of the History of Science at the University of Oxford, and Charles Burnett of the University of London.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Continental-Analytic split in Western philosophy. The Analytic school favours a logical, scientific approach, in contrast to the Continental emphasis on the importance of time and place. But what are the origins of this split and is it possible that contemporary philosophers can bridge the gap between the two? Melvyn Bragg is joined by Stephen Mulhall of New College, University of Oxford, Beatrice Han-Pile of the University of Essex and Hans Johann-Glock of the University of Zurich.

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the origins, science and mythology of the Moon. Humans have been fascinated by our only known satellite since prehistory but it was Galileo Galilei who first studied the Moon in detail with a telescope in 1609. Mankind first walked on the Moon in 1969 and since then advances in space science have given us some startling insights into the history of the Moon and our own planet. However, many intriguing questions remain unanswered. Melvyn Bragg is joined by Paul Murdin of Liverpool John Moores University, Carolin Crawford of the University of Cambridge and Ian Crawford of Birkbeck, University of London.