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Double Lives
From undercover field operatives to online anonymity, via lives led in the closet and large scale infidelity, Matthew Sweet discusses the what can pr…
3 months ago
Victorian Values
What does the phrase 'Victorian values' conjure today? Matthew Sweet and guests explore what we have inherited from that formative era in relation to…
3 months, 1 week ago
Innovation
Are we addicted to novelty? What are the cultural settings that allow innovation to flourish? And are novelty and innovation things we've always valu…
3 months, 2 weeks ago
Travel
Are you planning your summer holiday? The first Saturday in January is called Sunshine Saturday because typically more holidays are booked on that da…
3 months, 3 weeks ago
Idleness
Is idleness ever a virtue? In a world that seems to privilege utility and productivity above all else, Matthew Sweet considers whether we can rethink…
4 months, 1 week ago
Influencing History
Do individuals or broader forces shape history? In the 2025 Reith lectures on BBC Radio 4, Rutger Bregman argues that small groups of individuals can…
4 months, 2 weeks ago
Marriage
Why marry? Jane Austen began her novel Pride and Prejudice with the observation "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possess…
4 months, 3 weeks ago
Rocks
Rocks have shaped the fates of civilizations and the study of geology has transformed our intellectual landscape. In the 19th century developments in…
5 months ago
Revenge and reconciliation
What function do ceremonies like Armistice Day perform? How do we balance desires for reconciliation with feelings about revenge? How we remember war…
5 months, 1 week ago
The end of civilisations and societies
"Doom-prepping" tech billionaires have been in the headlines recently and whether it’s ecological crisis or a breakdown in law and order, fear of soc…
5 months, 2 weeks ago