The Forum Podcast
The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.
Episodes to download
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The Devils: Dostoevsky’s novel of political evil
Thu 4 Nov 2021
Dostoevsky’s study of terrorism and poisoned ideals in pre-revolutionary Russia
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A focus on spectacles
Thu 28 Oct 2021
Looking at the history of an invention many of us take for granted
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Sarah Bernhardt: Queen of stage and screen
Thu 21 Oct 2021
The 19th Century French actress who defined modern celebrity
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A dirty history of diamonds
Thu 14 Oct 2021
The complex and sometimes shocking story of the diamond industry throughout history
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Sushi: The Japanese dish with an ancient tradition
Thu 30 Sep 2021
Sushi originally started in East Asia as a means of preserving fish
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Toni Morrison: The legacy of a literary legend
Thu 23 Sep 2021
How her influence as a writer extends across the globe
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Algorithms: From the ancients to the internet
Thu 16 Sep 2021
The 4,000-year history of the mathematical operations that now govern our daily lives.
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Louder! How the electric guitar conquered popular music
Thu 9 Sep 2021
The origins and early years of making the guitar electric
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Luigi Pirandello: Italian dramatist who brought chaos to the stage
Thu 2 Sep 2021
The radical, convention-breaking plays of an architect of modern 20th century theatre
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Mars: A history of the Red Planet
Thu 26 Aug 2021
When might we send humans to one of our closest neighbours in our solar system?
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A radiant light: The Indonesian poet Amir Hamzah
Thu 19 Aug 2021
The romantic works and tragic life of a noble writer from Sumatra
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Sailing by the stars: The pioneering voyages of David Lewis
Thu 12 Aug 2021
One man's intrepid quest to revive ancient navigation
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Inside the mind of crime writer Patricia Highsmith
Thu 5 Aug 2021
A 20th century master of the psychological thriller
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Ibn Sina: The Persian polymath
Mon 2 Aug 2021
Best known for his Canon of Medicine, Avicenna helped shape modern science
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The Panama Canal: The real story behind the engineering triumph
Thu 29 Jul 2021
The Canal that joined up the Atlantic and Pacific oceans but how did it impact Panama?
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Ida Pfeiffer: 19th Century globetrotter
Thu 22 Jul 2021
The eccentric traveller and collector who circumnavigated the globe twice
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Rain or shine? A short history of the weather forecast
Thu 15 Jul 2021
A century and a half of scientific meteorology
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Emile Berliner, inventor of the gramophone
Thu 8 Jul 2021
How mass-produced audio discs transformed our sound world
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The Wizard of Oz: A homegrown American fairy tale
Thu 24 Jun 2021
The magical story of Dorothy, a plucky American heroine who follows the yellow brick road
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Falconry: The history of hunting with birds of prey
Thu 17 Jun 2021
From nomads to nobles, the working relationship between humans and raptors
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Aramaic: An imperial language without an empire
Thu 10 Jun 2021
A history of one of the oldest living languages in the world
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X-rays: New ways of seeing
Thu 3 Jun 2021
The discovery of X-rays in 1895 and how it transformed our world
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Machiavelli, master of power
Thu 27 May 2021
The life and reputation of Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince
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The birth of the modern car
Thu 20 May 2021
Design milestones in the early history of motor vehicles
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Ukulele - a history of Hawaii's national instrument
Thu 13 May 2021
The mini guitar that came to symbolise Hawaiian culture
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Tadeusz Kosciuszko, groundbreaking fort builder
Thu 6 May 2021
The engineer who championed freedom on two continents
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The census: A snapshot of life
Thu 29 Apr 2021
Charting the history of counting and classifying people the world over
Do you think political or business leaders need to be charismatic? Or do you prefer highly competent but somewhat stern people?
We’d love to hear your views on charm and charisma for a future Forum.
