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 SocietyAge of EnlightenmentRecipients of the Copley MedalWriters about religion and science20th-century atheistsMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences18th-century philosophersForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesClassical liberalismEnglish 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 SciencesEnglish atheistsRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Royal Medal winners18th-century English male writers19th-century English writers19th-century male writersPeople associated with electricity18th-century English writers19th-century British physicists20th-century English LGBTQ people20th-century English philosophersAmerican political philosophersCritics of JudaismDeist philosophersEnglish libertariansEnglish people of Irish descentEnglish physicistsEnglish republicans18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American Enlightenment19th-century American philosophers20th-century English mathematiciansAmerican deistsAmerican philosophers of cultureAmerican philosophers of educationAmerican philosophers of religionBurials at Highgate CemeteryCastrated peopleEnglish logiciansExperimental physicistsOptical physicistsPeople educated at Westminster School, London17th-century English architects18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writers18th-century English people19th-century American writers19th-century British chemists19th-century English scientistsAmerican nationalists, American religious skepticsAnti-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 pardonsPolitical 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
SciencePeople convicted for homosexuality in the United Kingdom, People who have received posthumous pardonsEnglish inventorsLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophersComputer designersTheoretical biologists20th-century English philosophersGay scientistsSuicides by cyanide poisoning20th-century atheistsEnglish people of Scottish descentCastrated peopleGay academicsEnglish people of Irish descentEnglish logicians20th-century English LGBTQ people20th-century English mathematiciansFellows of the Royal SocietyEnglish atheists20th centuryComputationMathematicsMichael Faraday
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Michael Faraday, the most famous British scientist of the 19th century.
24 December 2015
Featuring: Geoffrey Cantor, Laura Herz, Frank James
SciencePeople associated with electricityWriters about religion and scienceRoyal Medal winnersEnglish Protestants19th-century British chemistsMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesOptical physicistsExperimental physicistsMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesEnglish inventors19th-century English scientistsHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesRecipients of the Copley MedalBurials at Highgate CemeteryForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesMembers of the French Academy of SciencesRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)English physicistsFellows of the Royal Society19th-century British physicistsMagneticians19th centuryRobert 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
HistoryHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican philosophers of educationRadicalsAmerican philosophers of culture19th-century male writersUniversal basic income writersEnglish libertariansAmerican male non-fiction writersAmerican deistsAnti-monarchists18th-century philosophersWriters about activism and social changeAmerican political philosophersNaturalized citizens of France19th-century American writers18th-century English male writers19th-century American philosophersEnglish inventorsAmerican philosophers of religionClassical liberalismDeist philosophers18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writers18th-century English peopleTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of history18th-century English writersCritics of JudaismPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaAmerican nationalists, American religious skeptics18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American Enlightenment19th-century English writersEnlightenment philosophersSocial philosophersMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyDeputies to the French National ConventionEnglish republicansBritish deists18th century19th centuryAmerica