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 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 writersClassical liberalismMembers 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
ScienceTheoretical biologistsEnglish atheists20th-century English mathematiciansLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophers20th-century English philosophersFellows of the Royal Society20th-century atheistsEnglish logiciansSuicides by cyanide poisoningGay scientistsEnglish inventorsCastrated people20th-century English LGBTQ peopleEnglish people of Scottish descentEnglish people of Irish descentPeople convicted for homosexuality in the United Kingdom, People who have received posthumous pardonsGay academicsComputer designersMichael 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 SocietyMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesMagneticiansOptical physicists19th-century British physicistsEnglish physicists19th-century English scientistsExperimental physicistsWriters about religion and scienceRecipients of the Copley MedalFellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences19th-century British chemistsEnglish ProtestantsMembers of the French Academy of SciencesRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)People associated with electricityEnglish inventorsBurials at Highgate CemeteryMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesRoyal Medal winnersRobert 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
History19th-century American writersEnglish libertarians19th-century American philosophersBritish deistsDeputies to the French National Convention18th-century philosophersAmerican male non-fiction writersClassical liberalismTheorists on Western civilizationAmerican deists19th-century male writersRadicalsSocial philosophers18th-century English writersAmerican political philosophers18th-century English peoplePolitical activists from PennsylvaniaNaturalized citizens of France18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writersAmerican philosophers of cultureUniversal basic income writersHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican philosophers of religionCritics of Judaism19th-century English writersDeist philosophersAmerican nationalists, American religious skepticsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEnlightenment philosophersEnglish inventorsWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyEnglish republicans18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentAnti-monarchists18th-century English male writersAmerican philosophers of education