In Our Time

This episode explores the life and scientific contributions of Rosalind Franklin, highlighting her pivotal role in determining DNA's structure through X-ray crystallography.

In Our Time is a BBC Radio 4 podcast where Melvyn Bragg and three guests explore a single subject each week, ranging from mathematics and history to science and philosophy.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Empress Dowager Cixi, who dominated the Qing court for nearly 50 years during a period of intense crisis.

Melvin Bragg and guests Joe Kahan, Lynn Frostick, and Richard Caulfield discuss the revolutionary theory of plate tectonics.

Melvin Bragg discusses Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh who ruled ancient Egypt as a king, with experts Elizabeth Frude, Kate Spence, and Campbell Price.

Melvyn Bragg hosts historians Jonathan Morris, Markman Ellis, and Judith Hawley to explore coffee’s global history.

Hosts Ben Henderson and Alice Loxton explore the historical reasons behind the lack of functional pockets in women’s clothing.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aphra Behn, the first English woman to earn a living from writing.

Melvyn Bragg discusses the biology, evolution, and cultural significance of seashells with experts Suzanne Williams, Liz Harper, and Helen Scales.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and career of Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, the 18th-century portraitist who painted Marie Antoinette roughly 30 times.

Host Melvyn Bragg discusses the Delian League with historians Leah Lazar, Polly Lowe, and Paul Cartledge.

Host Misha Glenny discusses the life and literary legacy of Machado de Assis, considered Brazil’s greatest writer, with experts Ana Claudia Suriani…

Melvyn Bragg is joined by Jenny McIlwain, Christopher Berry, and Bill Baker to explore the evolutionary history of trees.