Free Thinking Episodes Episode guide
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Humours and the body
From mitochondria and 16th-century cancer treatments to breath, blood and Bach cantatas.
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Victorian colour, jewellery and metalwork
Nandini Das visits Colour Revolution at the Ashmolean in Oxford and talks to a jeweller.
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Being Blonde
Matthew Sweet and Professor Lynda Nead explore links between Diana Dors and Ruth Ellis.
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The Frieze/Radio 3 Museum Directors Debate 2023
Directors of the National Portrait Gallery, London and MACBA, Barcelona join Anne McElvoy
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Art, Kew, a symphony and nature
Artist Mat Collishaw, composer Jimmy LΓ³pez Bellido, academics Vid Simoniti and Sarah Casey
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Faith, consciousness and creating meaning in life
Philosophers Daniel Dennett, Philip Goff, podcaster Liz Oldfield & a faith museum curator.
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Refuge and National Poetry Day
Poets Momtaza Mehri, Julianknxx and historian JesΓΊs Sanjurjo join Matthew Sweet.
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Slavic culture and myth
Matthew Sweet looks at the origins of creatures like Baba Yaga, Banniks and Rusalkas.
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Hobbes and New Leviathans
John Gray on why rereading Hobbes can help us understand contemporary politics.
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Childbirth and parenthood: Contains Strong Language
Testament, Hannah Silva, historian Jessica Cox and Thackray museum curator Laura Sellers.
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Betty Miller and Marghanita Laski
Howard Jacobson, Lara Feigel and Lisa Mullen with Matthew Sweet.
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Notebooks and new technology
Authors Jonathan Coe, Roland Allen, Lesley Smith and art book maker Gill Partington.
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Why go into space?
Christopher Harding investigates the history, culture and science of space exploration.
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Black Atlantic
Artist Jaqueline Bishop and curator of an exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge.
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The Red Shoes
Ahead of a BFI festival, Matthew Sweet and guests discuss Powell and Pressburger's film
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Queer history, new narrative in San Fransisco
Diarmuid Hester & Dodie Bellamy tell Naomi Paxton about a 70s experimental writing group.
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The Wolfson Prize 2023
Rana Mitter talks to the six authors shortlisted for the UK's main history writing prize.
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Rock Follies
The groundbreaking 1970s TV drama reassessed with guests including actor Rula Lenska.
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Oxford Philosophy
The influence of JL Austin, Gilbert Ryle, Elizabeth Anscombe, and later, Derek Parfit.
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Childhood and play
The V&A has re-opened its museum of childhood as Young V&A plus how kids learn to speak.
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South Asia: poverty and princes
Historians Joya Chatterji and Tripurdaman Singh, plus the novels of Kamala Markandaya.
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Liverpool Biennial and art at MIF
Catherine Fletcher talks to three artists with new works at the Liverpool Biennial.
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A lively Tudor world
From needlework to marriage portraits to depicting music on the page.
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Dystopian thinking
As Kay Dick's They opens at MIF, Matthew Sweet and guests trace the history of dystopias.
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Julian the Apostate
We examine Rome's last pagan ruler via Ibsen's drama to apostasy in contemporary politics.
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Boyhood to Manhood
Chris Harding with Luke Turner, Jeffrey Boakye and Lisa Sugiura discuss growing up now.
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Gut instinct
From gut feelings in your stomach to the language of disgust. Matthew Sweet hosts.
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Diva
As the V&A opens an exhibition about performers, Naomi Paxton discusses what makes a diva.
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The Sorrows of Young Werther
The book of the Sturm und Drang generation. Anne McElvoy explores the ideas behind it.
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The Kitchen: art, film, life
Sarah Kent, Marianne Hem Eriksen, Melanie Williams and Angela Hui join Matthew Sweet.
