Start the Week

Andrew Marr discusses the wonders of the universe with Lisa Randall, Richard Dawkins and the Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Andrew Marr looks at the lasting impact of the British Empire with Jeremy Paxman, Richard Gott, Mariéme Jamme and Sun Shuyun.

Andrew Marr discusses foreign intervention with the Conservative MP Rory Stewart and the former intelligence officer, Frank Ledwidge. The BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera discusses the role of the British secret service, from the Cold War days of spies lurking in the shadows, to the disaster of the 'dodgy dossier' on Iraq. And Dr Rosemary Hollis, Professor of Middle East Policy Studies, considers the impact of recent revelations of complicity with Gaddafi's regime, and how 9/11 has skewed international relations.

Andrew Marr discusses the work of the 'Godfather' of new music Pierre Boulez. The French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard explains the joy of his compositions, which are in a state of permanent revolution. The writer Peter Conrad pits Verdi against Wagner to ask whether it's possible to love both composers, or does taste, nationality and ideology still get in the way. With a very English temperament Simon Jenkins romps through the history of England in a bid to answer why the nation lost America, avoided a French revolution and gradually lost its world supremacy. And the Welsh National Poet, Gillian Clarke, talks about her country's literary heritage.

Andrew Marr talks to the journalist Misha Glenny about the murky world of internet crime, as the cybercops pit their wits against the cyberthieves and hackers. The creative director at Google, Ton Uglow, celebrates the art and ingenuity that comes with he calls, ‘the post-digital age’. It’s more colourful, but no less subversive, at an exhibition of Postmodernism at the V&A. The curator Jane Pavitt argues that for this radical movement, style was everything. And the art historian Martin Kemp explores how image, branding and logos have become the obsessions of our age – from the Coca Cola bottle to the images of Christ and Che Guevara.

Andrew Marr discusses the life and work of the writer Vasily Grossman in a special programme recorded at an event in Oxford to celebrate his greatest novel, Life and Fate. Grossman was a Ukrainian Jew who spent most of WWII reporting on the front line with a humanity and attention to detail that defied the Soviet censors. His masterpiece, Life and Fate, pitted communism against fascism but came down on the side of human kindness. Start the Week looks at the legacy of a writer who is largely ignored in his own country, and asks how Grossman's depiction of the war compares to the authorised version in Russia today. Andrew is joined by the historian Antony Beevor, and the writers Andrey Kurkov and Linda Grant.

Andrew Marr talks to the science fiction writer China Mieville, whose latest planetary creation explores the links between language and thought, and asks what it means to have no concept of lying. A N Wilson explores a world closer to home, but no less alien, medieval Florence, as he tries to uncover the life and work of Dante. Jonathan Bate's play, Being Shakespeare, also attempts to bring to life the work of the Bard and the real man behind the legend, by placing him in his historical context. And the prize-winning poet Jo Shapcott argues for the transformative nature of poetry.

Andrew Marr explores the limits of science. Philosopher and neuroscientist Raymond Tallis mounts an assault on those who see neuroscience and evolutionary theory as holding the key to understanding human consciousness. Fellow scientist Barbara Sahakian explores the ethical dilemmas which arise when new drugs developed to treat medical conditions are used to enhance performance in the general population. And gerontologist Aubrey de Grey argues regenerative medicine could one day prevent the process of aging.

Andrew Marr talks to Tim Harford about the key to success. The 'undercover economist' argues that the fear of failure paradoxically leads to greater and more dangerous failures - from oil disasters to world conflict. Success in Parliament is often mercurial, but the new Director of the Institute for Government and former Labour Minister Andrew Adonis believes the pool of talent for the top jobs is too small, and that Ministers should be better prepared for their role. Priyamvada Gopal argues that university education is becoming one of the country's biggest failures. She believes the humanities have been denigrated, as consecutive governments have emphasised the value of work, over knowledge. And Eli Pariser explores the world of internet personalisation in which your every move is tracked and individual choices assessed: he warns that it's the end of objective news and the free exchange of ideas.

Andrew Marr talks to Richard Sennett about increasing urbanisation. With half the world's population living in major cities, Sennett asks why the art of designing cities has declined so dramatically in the last century. Iain Sinclair turns a critical eye on the grand plans for London's 2012 Olympics, and asks what will happen when the last race is run. Kate O'Regan was appointed as a judge in the Constitutional Court in South Africa by Nelson Mandela when he became President in 1994. She reflects on the role of the judiciary in building a modern democracy. And the advertising guru John Hegarty reveals how you sell someone something they didn't even know they wanted. Over the last four decades he has transformed brands, famously linking Vorsprung durch Technik to Audi and, in a stroke, changing the perception of a staid car.

Andrew Marr talks to the historian Jane Shaw about the story of Mabel Barltrop: her followers believed she was the daughter of God. Theatre director Jonathan Kent brings the last non-Christian ruler of the Roman Empire to the stage, in the little known Ibsen play, Emperor and Galilean. Ziauddin Sardar gives his take on the Qur'an, drawing contemporary lessons from this Sacred Text on everything from power and politics, to sex and evolution. And Ross Perlin exposes the world of unpaid internships.

Andrew Marr wanders the globe with writer Paul Theroux as he celebrates the pleasures and pains of travel. On Amnesty International's 50th anniversary, its General Secretary Salil Shetty looks back at how the organisation has changed. Journalist Catherine Mayer rejects the traditional patterns of aging, arguing that more and more people are living agelessly. And landscape artist Charles Jencks explains how science and the cosmos have influenced his designs.

Andrew Marr talks to former British ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles about the failures of Western policy in Afghanistan. In 2003 Baha Mousa was arrested by the British Army in Basra, in Iraq. Two days later he was dead. Richard Norton-Taylor sifts through all the evidence to bring the public inquiry into his death to the stage. David Pryce-Jones asks what motivates those who take up foreign causes, to the detriment of their own country, in Treason of the Heart. And the philosopher Angie Hobbs turns to the Greek Gods to untangle modern ideas of heroism and bravery.

Andrew Marr talks to Anatol Lieven who argues that Pakistan, despite often being referred to as a 'failed state', has the makings of a viable and coherent country. Francis Fukuyama analyses the development of political institutions from early tribal societies to the growth of the modern state. The author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid, explores what it means to be middle class in Pakistan, and Tahmima Anam looks back to Bangladesh's fight for independence, and the relationship between religion and politics in her home country.

Andrew Marr talks to the Labour MP Denis MacShane about the 30th anniversary of the election of France's first socialist President, Francois Mitterrand. The People's Pledge wants a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, and one of its founders Ruth Lea argues that it's time to leave. The Turkish artist Kutlug Ataman explores the artificial nature of man-made boundaries in his latest works. And the so-called 'godfather' of the Young British Artists, Michael Craig-Martin, showcases the art of drawing.