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A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.
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Download the best satirical comedy from Radio 4, every Friday. Features The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, The Naked Week and Too Long; Didn't Read.
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The Limelight podcast - for fiction and drama serials you won't want to miss from Radio 4.
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Historical themes, events and key individuals from Akhenaten to Xenophon.
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New research on how society works
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Brighten your week with the latest BBC Radio 4 comedy.
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Tim Harford and the More or Less team try to make sense of the statistics which surround us. From BBC Radio 4
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Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
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Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
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Best-selling author Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.
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'Jaw-dropping', 'gripping', 'bingeable,' 'thrilling' - dramatic true stories and investigations that reveal how the world really works.
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From ghostly phantoms to UFOs, Danny Robins investigates real-life stories of paranormal encounters. So, are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? Written and presented by Danny Robins Editor and Sound Designer: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme Music by Lanterns on the Lake Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
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Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
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Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories beyond the news headlines. Presented by Kate Adie.
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Reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news.
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In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective
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In this new series, Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci investigate which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe. Each week Helen and Armando will crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to decode the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and should I be worried? You'll be treated to a crash course in the dark arts of political la ...
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News-making original journalism documentary series, investigating stories at home and abroad.
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In-depth conversations with some of the world's leading artists and creatives across theatre, visual arts, music, dance, film and more. Hosted by John Wilson.
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Americast is the authoritative US news and politics podcast from the BBC. Each week we provide audiences with the best analysis from across the BBC, with on-the-ground observations and big picture insights about the stories which are defining America right now. The podcast is hosted by trusted BBC journalists including the BBC’s North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North Americ ...
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Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.
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Intelligent and challenging quiz games on BBC Radio 4. Featuring Round Britain Quiz, Counterpoint and Brain of Britain with Quizmasters including Paul Gambaccini, Kirsty Lang and Russell Davies.
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Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives – looking back at the news and making links between past and present. Broadcast as Free Thinking, Fridays at 9pm on BBC Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.
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From Altruism to Wittgenstein, philosophers, theories and key themes.
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Uncover new perspectives on unforgettable stories from our past. The History Podcast is the home of story-driven history series from BBC Radio 4. Each series will take you inside the most pivotal events in history, through the people who were there, to uncover new perspectives on the moments that still define us now.
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Combative, provocative and engaging live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze
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Led by James Naughtie, a group of readers talk to acclaimed authors about their best-known novels
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Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
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Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future
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Dara O Briain and Isy Suttie discover strange-but-true tales as they’re drip-fed nuggets of narrative by a special guest expert with an often surprising link to the story.
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Popular culture, poetry, music and visual arts and the roles they play in our society.
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Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
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Presenter James Crawford looks at an author's latest work and delves further into their creative process by learning about the three other texts that have shaped their writing.
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While Sliced Bread takes a break we serve up… Dough. Dough is the series from BBC Radio 4 which looks at the business behind profitable, everyday products and considers how they might evolve in the years to come. In each episode, entrepreneur Sam White speaks to industry experts to find out how these products manage to make a profit and what game-changing - and pointless - innovations they have seen in their time. Tom Cheesewright, a technology expert and applied futurist, then offers his pr ...
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The latest news from the world of personal finance plus advice for those trying to make the most of their money.
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Campaigning journalist, broadcaster and historian Alex Renton shines a light into the dark corners of British society.
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A weekly reflection on a topical issue.
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The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past. History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium fo ...
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Scientific principles, theory, and the role of key figures in the advancement of science.
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An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines
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Investigating every aspect of the food we eat
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Jay Rayner hosts a culinary panel show packed full of tasty titbits that might change the way we think about food, cooking and eating. An expert panel answers audience questions.
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Illuminated is BBC Radio 4's home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries that shed light on hidden worlds. Welcome to a place of audio beauty and joy, with emotion and human experience at its heart. The programmes you will find in this feed explore the reality of contemporary Britain and the world, venturing into its weirdest and most wonderful aspects. This is a chance to meet voices that are not normally heard, open secret doors into concealed chambers and, above all, be transpo ...
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Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday
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Without us realising, an enormous DNA database has been created online. It holds the secrets of your true identity and promises to reveal untold family connections. But what happens when online ancestry tests reveal more than you had bargained for? Across two series, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigate ...
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Celebrating the music that special guests cherish and would like to bestow to future generations.
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Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them
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Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince host a witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists’ eyes. Joined by a panel of scientists, experts and celebrity science enthusiasts they investigate life, the universe and everything in between on The Infinite Monkey Cage from the BBC. From the smallest building blocks of life to the furthest stars, the curious monkeys pull apart the latest science to reveal fascinating and often bizarre insights into the world around us and what lies beyond. Ca ...
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1
The Naked Week: Ep 2. Brick Walls, Dead Wood, and Charlie.
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The Naked Week team are back to place satirical news-tariffs on current events with a mix of correspondents, guests and, occasionally, live animals. This week we use a housebrick to explain what's happened with the Reform Party, carve literal dead wood to explain what's happening with the civil service, and explain more news with haikus. From The S…
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Turkey protests continue despite more than a thousand arrests
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Protests continued in Turkey for a sixth night after the jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is a major political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. President Erdogan labelled the protests "evil" and blamed opposition political parties for provoking a "movement of violence". More than a thousand people have been arrested, we speak t…
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Bryan Ferry, Disney's Snow White, the impact of cash prizes on creativity
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Bryan Ferry discusses his latest album, Loose Talk and reflects on his long career in music. Disney's new live action version of Snow White has just opened and has attracted criticism from those who felt it departed too far from the original film. Film critics Larushka Ivan Zadeh and Al Horner explore why Disney's reinterpretation of its own canon …
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Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why does Trump want to shut down the Education Department?
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It’s Americanswers! Sarah, Anthony and Marianna join Matt Chorley from 5 Live to answer your questions. Today, can Donald Trump dismantle the Department of Education without going through Congress, and what impact would it have on kids with special educational needs? Also, as Canada prepares for its snap general election, what role is the U.S. play…
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24 MAR 25By BBC Radio 4
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Vishvapani, a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order
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22 MAR 25By BBC Radio 4
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Abdulrazak Gurnah on family and resistance
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Abdulrazak Gurnah won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021 ‘for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism.’ In his latest novel, Theft, he returns to the streets of his childhood home in Zanzibar, to trace the intertwined lives of three young people in a story of love, betrayal and kindness. The Possibility of…
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The secret of the bees, an unusual secret Santa and the secret to a happy marriage all feature in this week’s show, written by the next generation of comedy writers. DMs Are Open is back for a brand new series. Stevie Martin is your host and she’s brought together an incredible cast of comedy legends: Al Roberts, Charlotte Ritchie, Sunil Patel and …
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Welcome to the feast! We’re invited to a traditional Georgian ‘Supra’ to immerse ourselves in the magic of Georgian polyphonic singing. The table groans with food, the wine flows, and the singing fills the heart. Led by toastmaster Levan Bitarovi, diners are guided through a narrative, weaving together their personal and collective experiences, thr…
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Paul Gambaccini chairs the grand final of the prestigious musc quizBy BBC Radio 4
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Booker-shortlisted writer David Szalay talks to presenter James Crawford on Take Four Books this week about his new novel, Flesh, and the three other works that inspired its creation in some way. In a pared back style, Flesh, follows the life of its protagonist, István, who at fifteen years old has an affair with an older woman, the consequences of…
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Sir Jony Ive is a designer who is best known for his pioneering work at Apple alongside his friend and colleague, the late Steve Jobs. Jony’s creative vision is behind some of the company’s seminal products which have transformed the way we live today including phones, music players and watches. He was born in Chingford in east London and loved dra…
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Jonathan Powell, the UK’s National Security Adviser, is used to operating behind the scenes: he’s spent decades working as a diplomat, negotiator and mediator. Recent events in the US and Ukraine have thrust him into the spotlight. After the fiery Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, Powell has been credited with advi…
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Kate Adie presents stories from Ukraine, Serbia, Guatemala, Kenya and the Philippines. Diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine are continuing after initial attempts to secure a ceasefire stalled. Russia has refused to support a US-led plan for a 30-day ceasefire and demanded talks about its red lines first. James Landale has been in Kyiv …
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The energy regulator Ofgem says suppliers must take urgent action to find out how widespread a problem back billing is. It's when suppliers send out new bills for electricity and gas from longer than 12 months ago, a practice that was banned in 2018. The development follows Money Box's investigation which discovered thousands of people have wrongly…
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Rachel Burden is a familiar voice on the BBC airwaves, she’s been a regular on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast programme, regularly brings us the news on the television, and hosts Cafe Hope - Radio 4’s virtual coffee shop where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they're doing to make the world a better place. Born in Buckinghamshire, …
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Jay Rayner and a panel of expert chefs and writers are in Huntingdon sharing their top tips with an audience of keen home cooks. Joining Jay are Andi Oliver, Jocky Petrie, Melek Erdal and food historian Dr Annie Gray. The panellists discuss what to do with a glut of super hot chillis, recipes involving fruit and meat pairings, and the best way to c…
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What are the chances of an asteroid hitting earth in 2032?
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On 27 December 2024, astronomers spotted an asteroid that was potentially heading towards earth. Named 2024 YR4, it was estimated to be between 40m and 90m across, with the potential to cause massive damage if it hit a populated area of the planet. The chances of that happening, however, seemed to fluctuate significantly - ranging from 1% to a peak…
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Some flights resume at Heathrow airport after closure
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Heathrow’s chief executive has apologised to thousands of stranded passengers after a fire at a nearby electrical substation resulted in a loss of power to the airport. It has now reopened after being closed for most of the day, and says it hopes to run a full operation tomorrow. We examine what it means for the resilience of the UK’s infrastructur…
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As Radio 4 marks the 5th anniversary of the first COVID lockdown, Free Thinking investigates one of the defining experiences of that period for many people: isolation. It's a word that entered the English language in the 18th century, and arguably its emergence as a concept marked a change in the way people saw their relationships with other people…
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The celebrated American theorist, Francis Fukuyama, in his book 'The End of History and the Last Man' argued that US-style liberalism was the ultimate destination for all mankind, 'the final form of human government'. John Gray explains why he believes his prophecy has been turned on its head. 'As in the past, many human beings will live under tyra…
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Group Captain John Allman ‘Paddy’ Hemingway DFC, Dame Julie Kenny, Tuppy Owens, Dick McTaggart
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Matthew Bannister on: Group Captain John Allman ‘Paddy’ Hemingway DFC , the last surviving pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain during the second world war. Dame Julie Kenny, the successful businesswoman from Rotherham who led the regeneration of one of Britain’s largest stately homes. Tuppy Owens, who campaigned for greater openness about sex…
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21 MAR 25By BBC Radio 4
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Bradford is this year’s UK City of Culture - but what does food have to do with it? Sheila Dillon visits the city to meet market traders, chefs and restaurateurs to find out how its industrial past has influenced the thriving food culture of today. She visits Bradford’s St James wholesale market to discover how the Asian restaurant trade has been i…
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The Trump Comeback... Michael Wolff’s Inside Story
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How did Donald Trump get close to Elon Musk? What is the story behind his relationship with Melania, and how did Trump get re-elected against all the odds? Donald Trump is no stranger to the journalist Michael Wolff, whose latest book is his fourth on the current president. His book, All or Nothing, details the story of Trump’s comeback and and his…
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Cuneiform: the world’s first writing system
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Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Mesopotamia by Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid and comedian Phil Wang to learn about the history of cuneiform, the oldest writing system in the world. In the 19th Century, European scholars began to translate inscriptions found on ruins and clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia - an area of the world between the Tigris and Euph…
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Israeli cabinet meeting to discuss sacking head of Shin Bet
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Israeli forces on Thursday began ground operations inside Gaza again, as part of their renewed military offensive in the Strip. Meanwhile on the domestic front a long-simmering political crisis is coming to a head as Israel's cabinet considers the recommendation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sack the head of the country's domestic intelli…
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Review: Clueless the Musical, Oscar winning animated film Flow, Robert de Niro in The Alto Knights. Plus poetry from Seán Hewitt
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Critics Hanna Flint and Boyd Hilton join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss Clueless, a new musical based on the 1995 film staring Alicia Silverstone. They also discuss Flow, Oscar-winning, dialogue-free, animated film based around the story of a cat who must find safety after its home is devastated by a flood. Plus Robert de Niro playing two gangsters in th…
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Scientists gather this week to tackle emerging risks from cutting-edge biotech, echoing the landmark Asilomar conference that shaped genetic engineering safety 50 years ago. What new threats face us, and how can the scientific community stay ahead of them? Also in the programme: are you feeling asteroid anxiety? We take a closer look at the chances…
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Proposed new guidance from the Sentencing Council for England and Wales – which is due to come into effect in April – would make the ethnicity, faith or personal circumstances of an offender a bigger factor when deciding whether to jail them. The independent body is responsible for issuing guidelines “to promote greater transparency and consistency…
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20 MAR 25By BBC Radio 4
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the renowned and versatile Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728 - 1774). There is a memorial to him in Westminster Abbey’s Poet’s Corner written by Dr Johnson, celebrating Goldsmith's life as a poet, natural philosopher and historian. To this could be added ‘playwright’ and ‘novelist’ and ‘science writer’ and ‘pamphle…
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Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language. This week, the government announced their plans for welfare reform, so we take a look at the language around welfare, around benefit claimants, and how it's changed over the years. Gone are the 'strivers vs shirkers' of the 2010s or ev…
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How can the bicycle industry recover from sales that plummeted after the pandemic? The entrepreneur, Sam White, hosts Dough - the BBC Radio 4 series which looks at the business behind profitable everyday products and where the smart money might take them next. In each episode, Sam, and the futurist, Tom Cheesewright, are joined by product manufactu…
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Turkish police detain President Erdogan’s main rival
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Ekrem Imamoğlu of the CHP opposition party has been arrested days before his likely nomination as a presidential candidate. We speak to the deputy chair of the party and gauge international reaction to what is being described as an attack on democracy. Also on the programme, the effect 'The Knowledge' test taken by London cab drivers has on the bra…
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Francois Ozon's new film When Autumn Falls, Pierre Boulez Centenary, Shona McCarthy on leaving Edinburgh Festival's Fringe
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French auteur Francois Ozon, whose previous films include 8 Women, Swimming Pool and Potiche, talks about his latest, When Autumn Falls, a bittersweet story of age, youth and breaking the rules, set in a picturesque Burgundy village. As the centenary of his birth approaches, leading pianist Tamara Stefanovich and musicologist Jonathan Cross discuss…
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Is Donald Trump ready to defy the courts?
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The U.S. President is setting up a major showdown with America’s judicial system. Sarah and Justin pick apart claims that Donald Trump defied a court order by deporting more than 200 migrants to El Salvador, despite a judge ordering to be turned planes carrying the migrants to be turned back if they were already in the air. Legal analyst and former…
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19 MAR 25By BBC Radio 4
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David Dimbleby traces the history of a hidden force that changed Britain - the free market revolution - and the invisible hands that shaped it. It started on a chicken farm in Sussex, gained traction in the shadows of post-war London and rose to heights of excess in the new champagne bars of the City. It's 2025 and this once radical idea now define…
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Why are more people claiming disability benefits?
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More working age people are claiming disability benefits. What's driving the trend? Is it true that the UK imprisons more people for their social media posts than Russia does? One of the country’s most important data sources has been falling apart. We find out why. Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. Presenter: Tim HarfordRepo…
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The Sound of Music - Brian Eno, Sam Bennett and Trevor Cox
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Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the history of music recording, joined by acoustics professor Trevor Cox, music professor Sam Bennett and musician and producer Brian Eno. Together they guide us through the evolution of sound recording, a space in which technology hasn’t stood still since its advent in the mid-1800s. We hear the very first recognis…
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A dark, cold morning in February 2025. Hundreds are filing into the Museum of the Bible - evangelical leaders, gospel singers, and over 30 members of Congress including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. They've gathered just three blocks from the US Capitol for an annual event of fervent prayer about what they see as America's most pressing proble…
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People owe more money for gas and electricity bills than ever before. New calculations from the energy consultancy firm Baringa reveal the average typical energy debt is £1,500 - that's up £300 in a year. The total owed to energy companies is 3.8 billion pounds, which is almost double what it was two years ago. Energy prices are also forecast to ri…
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Putin says he won't attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure for 30 days
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Vladimir Putin agreed not to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days after a phone call with US President Donald Trump. The Trump administration had hoped to broker a full ceasefire, agreed to by Ukraine, during the phone call. Instead they've said they'll continue negotiations with Russia in the Middle East. As we went on air two astron…
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Julian Barnes's new book Changing My Mind, Victor Hugo's artwork, Emma Donoghue's novel The Paris Express
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Sculptor Antony Gormley and Professor of French literature, Catriona Seth discuss Victor Hugo's visual art with Tom Sutcliffe. Victor Hugo was a 19th century cultural colossus, known for monumental works such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables as well as his poems, plays and political writings. It's not so well known that throughout …
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18 MAR 25By BBC Radio 4
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Laurie Taylor talks to Ivan Markovic, Lecturer in Human Geography at Durham University, about the unique social atmosphere surrounding tobacco use in modern Britain, from its encouragement as part of the Home Front ‘mood management’ during the Second World War to the impact of smoking on 1980s workplace regulations and the UK ban on its use in publ…
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