An exploration of human relationships with water. Read more
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Water Ways
An exploration of human relationships with water.
Guns
Guns: from gun sellers in the US to the impact of the gun on human progress.
Woke
Laurie Taylor talks to philosopher Susan Neiman about the concept of ‘woke’.
Sugar
Sugar: its social history and meaning in our lives.
Pets
How the British relationship to companion animals has changed. Also, the dog walk.
The Grave - Memorial Benches
Laurie Taylor explores the origins of the grave and the meaning of memorial benches.
Intersections
Intersections - how violence impacts some people more than others.
Hope and the 'good enough' life
Hope and the 'good enough' life.
The Power of Song
The power of song: An iconic hymn, and singing and peacebuilding in South Sudan.
The Passport
The Passport: a cultural history. Also, the trade in 'golden passports'.
THE ENGLISH
THE ENGLISH: How the country house became ‘English’, and changing notions of England.
Traditionalism - Russian Orthodox Converts
Traditionalism and Russian Orthodox converts.
Capitalism
Capitalism: the origins of the word and a survey of attitudes to our economic system.
Anonymity - Self-creation
Laurie Taylor explores hidden and crafted identities.
Richard Sennett
Richard Sennett: A conversation with a leading cultural and social thinker.
Garden Utopias
Garden Utopias: from the suburban privet hedge to guerrilla gardening.
Opioids
Opioids in the US and UK: from illicit drug heroin to pharmaceutical drugs.
The politics of the body
The politics of the body: movement and posture.
The swimming pool
The swimming pool: its iconic role in our society and culture. Also, pool etiquette.
Shopping
From the rise of the mall, to the closure of shops during Covid.
The British Elite
Who runs Britain today? Are they a conservative chumocracy or a different kind of elite?
Coffee Culture
Hipster baristas in Philadelphia and Chinese-run espresso bars in Italy.
Medical Icons
Medical revolutions that transformed out relationship to our bodies and the world.
Sight and Power
From Bentham's panopticon and surveillance cameras to conflicts over views of Mount Fuji.
Architecture and Hope
Can building design create hope, from high security prisons to homeless hostels?
Gender and Radicalisation
How does gender influence men and women's participation in extremist politics?
Sea Travelling
Shipboard travels and maritime maps.
Meaning of Work
What makes work meaningful, from nurses to lawyers? Also, cleaners' quest for dignity.
Food Systems
From tin cans to stretch-wrap, the secret life of food packaging.