English inventors
English inventions and discoveries are objects, processes or techniques invented, innovated or discovered, partially or entirely, in England by a person from England. Often, things discovered for the first time are also called inventions and in many cases, there is no clear line between the two.
4 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
HistoryScienceFellows of the Royal SocietySocial philosophersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeEnlightenment philosophersMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyRecipients of the Copley MedalWriters about religion and scienceAge of Enlightenment18th-century philosophers20th-century atheistsForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesEnglish AnglicansEnglish people of Scottish descentHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesNatural philosophersAmerican male non-fiction writersMembers of the French Academy of SciencesClassical liberalismRoyal Medal winners18th-century English male writers19th-century English writers19th-century male writersEnglish atheistsPeople associated with electricityRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)18th-century English writers19th-century British physicists20th-century English philosophersAmerican political philosophersCritics of JudaismDeist philosophersEnglish libertariansEnglish physicistsEnglish republicans18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American Enlightenment19th-century American philosophers20th-century English LGBTQ people20th-century English mathematiciansAmerican deistsAmerican philosophers of cultureAmerican philosophers of educationAmerican philosophers of religionBurials at Highgate CemeteryCastrated peopleEnglish logiciansEnglish people of Irish descentExperimental physicistsOptical physicists18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writers18th-century English people19th-century American writers19th-century British chemists19th-century English scientistsAmerican religious skeptics, American nationalistsAnti-monarchistsBritish deistsBritish scientific instrument makersComputer designersDeputies to the French National ConventionEnglish ProtestantsGay academicsGay scientistsLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophersMagneticiansNaturalized citizens of FrancePeople convicted for homosexuality in the United Kingdom, People who have received posthumous pardonsPeople educated at Westminster School, LondonPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaRadicalsSuicides by cyanide poisoningTheoretical biologistsUniversal basic income writers
Alan Turing
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and life of the founder of computer science - whose work helped crack enemy codes in WW2 - and his exploration of artificial intelligence.
15 October 2020
Featuring: Leslie Ann Goldberg, Simon Schaffer, Andrew Hodges
ScienceFellows of the Royal Society20th-century atheistsEnglish people of Scottish descentEnglish atheists20th-century English philosophersEnglish inventors20th-century English LGBTQ people20th-century English mathematiciansCastrated peopleEnglish logiciansEnglish people of Irish descentSuicides by cyanide poisoningComputer designersGay academicsGay scientistsTheoretical biologistsLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophersPeople convicted for homosexuality in the United Kingdom, People who have received posthumous pardonsMichael Faraday
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Michael Faraday, the most famous British scientist of the 19th century.
25 December 2015
Featuring: Geoffrey Cantor, Laura Herz, Frank James
ScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesWriters about religion and scienceRecipients of the Copley MedalMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesMembers of the French Academy of SciencesRoyal Medal winnersPeople associated with electricityRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)English inventors19th-century British physicistsEnglish physicistsOptical physicistsExperimental physicistsBurials at Highgate CemeteryEnglish Protestants19th-century British chemists19th-century English scientistsMagneticiansRobert Hooke
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Robert Hooke, the 17th-century scientist with a wide variety of interests from elasticity to microscopes who fell out with Newton.
18 February 2016
Featuring: David Wootton, Patricia Fara, Rob Iliffe
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, which was published in 1776 and bolstered support for American independence.
21 January 2016
Featuring: Kathleen Burk, Nicholas Guyatt, Peter Thompson
HistorySocial philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEnlightenment philosophers18th-century philosophersHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican male non-fiction writersClassical liberalism19th-century male writers18th-century English male writers19th-century English writersDeist philosophers18th-century English writersEnglish inventorsEnglish libertariansAmerican political philosophersCritics of JudaismEnglish republicansAmerican philosophers of education19th-century American philosophersAmerican deistsAmerican philosophers of cultureAmerican philosophers of religionDeputies to the French National Convention18th-century English people19th-century American writersAnti-monarchistsBritish deistsNaturalized citizens of FranceRadicalsPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaUniversal basic income writers18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentAmerican religious skeptics, American nationalists18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writers