Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

18th-century German astronomers

The concept of Germany as a distinct region in Central Europe can be traced to Julius Caesar, who referred to the unconquered area east of the Rhine as Germania, thus distinguishing it from Gaul. The victory of the Germanic tribes in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (AD 9) prevented annexation by the Roman Empire, although the Roman provinces of Germania Superior and Germania Inferior were established along the Rhine.

2 episodes

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  1. Carl Friedrich Gauss

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of Gauss, 'prince of mathematicians', including those on number theory, geometry, probability theory, astronomy and electromagnetism.

    30 November 2017

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    Featuring: Marcus du Sautoy, Colva Roney-Dougal, Nick Evans

     
  2. William and Caroline Herschel

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pioneering brother and sister who, between them, discovered Uranus, comets, double stars and infrared light at the end of the 18th century.

    11 November 2021

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    Featuring: Monica Grady, Carolin Crawford, Jim Bennett