Members of the American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and community outreach. Considered the first learned society in the United States, it has about 1,000 elected members, and by April 2020 had had only 5,710 members since its creation.
14 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
CultureHistoryScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyOntologistsSocial philosophersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersAge of EnlightenmentAphoristsBurials at Westminster AbbeyRecipients of the Copley MedalWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersGerman male non-fiction writers20th-century atheistsMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of social science18th-century philosophersForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesGerman LutheransJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersPantheistsPhilosophers of mathematicsUniversity of Paris alumniWriters from Paris20th-century French philosophersClassical liberalismEnglish AnglicansFrench Roman CatholicsFrench atheistsHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophy of scienceAmerican male non-fiction writersLiteracy and society theoristsMembers of the French Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of language20th-century essayistsAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeAmerican people of English descentEnglish agnosticsEnglish travel writersFrench philosophers of educationFrench philosophers of scienceJewish agnosticsMembers of the Académie FrançaisePhilosophers of technologyRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Royal Medal winnersSimple living advocates18th-century English male writers19th-century English writers19th-century male writersAlumni of the University of EdinburghAnti-nationalistsCharles DarwinEnglish Nobel laureatesFrench male non-fiction writersFrench philosophers of cultureFrench philosophers of historyJewish socialistsKnights BachelorMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesMembers of the Order of MeritMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesMetaphysics writersPeople associated with electricityPhenomenologistsRhetoric theoristsUniversity of Göttingen alumniWriters about globalizationÉcole Normale Supérieure alumni18th-century English writers19th-century American male writers19th-century British physicistsAcademic staff of the University of GöttingenAmerican political philosophersBritish Nobel laureatesCritical theoristsCritics of JudaismDeist philosophersDiscoverers of chemical elementsEnglish abolitionistsEnglish inventorsEnglish libertariansEnglish republicansEuropean democratic socialistsForeign members of the Royal SocietyFrench epistemologistsFrench sociologistsIndependent scientistsMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesNaturalized citizens of the United StatesUtilitarians18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American Enlightenment18th-century pseudonymous writers19th-century American philosophers19th-century Anglicans20th-century American male writers20th-century English mathematiciansAcademic staff of the Collège de FranceActivists for African-American civil rightsAlbert EinsteinAlumni of the University of BristolAmerican autobiographersAmerican deistsAmerican humanistsAmerican male journalistsAmerican philosophers of cultureAmerican philosophers of educationAmerican philosophers of religionAmerican slave ownersCongressional Gold Medal recipientsDeaths from coronary thrombosisEnglish emigrants to the United StatesExperimental physicistsFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeGerman Ashkenazi JewsGerman agnosticsGerman travel writersGrand Cross of the Legion of HonourHonorary members of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Recipients of the Matteucci MedalHuman evolutionHumor researchersInstitute for Advanced Study visiting scholarsIntellectual historyJewish atheistsJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesLycée Condorcet alumniMembers of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsMental calculatorsNobel laureates in ChemistryNobel laureates in PhysicsPhilosophers of linguisticsRecipients of Franklin MedalStateless peopleWinners of the Max Planck Medal18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writers18th-century American politicians, American Freemasons, Signers of the United States Constitution18th-century English people18th-century German LGBTQ people18th-century lexicographers, 18th-century writers in Latin19th-century American businesspeople19th-century American memoirists, People of the Six Years' War19th-century American writers19th-century British biologists, 19th-century English naturalists, British evolutionary biologists, Fellows of the Linnean Society of London, Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society, Fellows of the Zoological Society of London19th-century French chemists20th-century American engineers20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences20th-century British physicists, Members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences20th-century British scientists20th-century French male writers20th-century French memoiristsAcademic staff of ETH ZurichAcademics of the Victoria University of ManchesterAlumni of Christ's College, CambridgeAmerican Ashkenazi Jews, American Zionists, American agnostics, German ZionistsAmerican electrical engineers, People from ManhattanAmerican nationalists, American religious skepticsAmerican people of Dutch descentAnti-monarchistsBotanical nomenclatureBritish deistsBritish theoretical physicists, Mathematical physicistsCavendish Professors of PhysicsCircumnavigators of the globeCommanding Generals of the United States Army, Presidents of the United StatesCorresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1917–1925)Corresponding fellows of the British AcademyCreators of writing systemsDeputies to the French National ConventionEnglish scepticsForeign members of the USSR Academy of SciencesFrench essayistsFrench scientists with disabilitiesGay scientistsHonorary Fellows of the Royal Society of EdinburghHuman geographersIndependent scholarsJewish German physicists, Jewish scientistsJewish historiansLinguists from FranceMasonic grand mastersMembers of the Lincean AcademyNaturalised citizens of AustriaNaturalized citizens of FrancePersons of National Historic Significance (Canada)Philosophers from MassachusettsPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaRadicalsRadio pioneersRecipients of the Dalton MedalRecipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 1st classRecreational cryptographers, Writers from Boston, Writers from PhiladelphiaTaxon authorities of Hypericum speciesThe New School facultyTheoretical biologistsUnited States Military Academy alumniUniversal basic income writersUniversity of Jena alumniWriters about communism
Albert Einstein
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Einstein's impact on the world of physics after his 'miraculous year' in 1905 and why he went on to become so very famous after World War One.
14 September 2023
Featuring: Richard Staley, Diana Kormos Buchwald, John Heilbron
ScienceJewish German physicists, Jewish scientistsAmerican humanistsAmerican male non-fiction writersGerman male non-fiction writersEuropean democratic socialistsNaturalised citizens of AustriaAlbert EinsteinGerman agnosticsAcademic staff of ETH ZurichMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesGerman Ashkenazi JewsRecipients of Franklin MedalStateless peopleNobel laureates in Physics20th-century American male writersJewish socialistsWinners of the Max Planck MedalJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesPhilosophers of mathematicsNaturalized citizens of the United StatesAmerican Ashkenazi Jews, American Zionists, American agnostics, German ZionistsPhilosophers of science20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences20th-century American engineersJewish agnosticsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyPhilosophy of sciencePantheistsAnti-nationalists20th centuryGermanyMathematicsBenjamin Franklin
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of the scientist, writer, printer, diplomat and American founding father Benjamin Franklin.
1 March 2012
Featuring: Simon Middleton, Simon Newman, Patricia Fara
CultureHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesPeople associated with electricityAmerican philosophers of educationHumor researchersActivists for African-American civil rightsAmerican philosophers of cultureCreators of writing systemsWriters about religion and scienceAmerican slave ownersRhetoric theoristsRecreational cryptographers, Writers from Boston, Writers from PhiladelphiaAmerican male non-fiction writersIndependent scientistsIndependent scholarsAmerican people of English descentAmerican deistsWriters about activism and social changeSimple living advocatesAmerican political philosophers18th-century American politicians, American Freemasons, Signers of the United States ConstitutionPhilosophy writersAmerican autobiographersAmerican philosophers of religionHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of technologyMasonic grand mastersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of historyRecipients of the Copley MedalPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaPhilosophers from Massachusetts18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentAmerican male journalistsSocial philosophersMembers of the American Philosophical Society18th-century pseudonymous writersAphoristsAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of literatureFellows of the Royal Society18th centuryAmericaDarwin: On the Origins of Charles Darwin
Melvyn Bragg presents a series about the life and work of Charles Darwin. Darwin's early life and time at Cambridge, where his interests shifted from religion to natural science.
5 January 2009
Featuring: Jim Moore, Steve Jones, David Norman, Colin Higgins
ScienceEnglish agnosticsHuman evolutionRoyal Medal winnersCharles DarwinIndependent scientistsEnglish scepticsEnglish Anglicans19th-century British biologists, 19th-century English naturalists, British evolutionary biologists, Fellows of the Linnean Society of London, Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society, Fellows of the Zoological Society of LondonTheoretical biologistsMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAlumni of the University of EdinburghCircumnavigators of the globeMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesUtilitariansMembers of the Lincean AcademyEnglish abolitionists19th-century AnglicansRecipients of the Copley MedalAlumni of Christ's College, Cambridge19th-century English writersMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEnglish travel writersRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Fellows of the Royal SocietyBurials at Westminster AbbeyDeaths from coronary thrombosis19th centuryAnimalsHumboldt
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Prussian naturalist and explorer, Alexander Von Humboldt. A hero in South America; Charles Darwin described him as ‘the greatest scientific traveller who ever lived’.
28 September 2006
Featuring: Jason Wilson, Patricia Fara, Jim Secord
ScienceUniversity of Göttingen alumniMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesGerman LutheransMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities18th-century German LGBTQ peopleIndependent scientistsForeign members of the Royal SocietyGerman travel writersMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesHuman geographersHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesUniversity of Jena alumniFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesRecipients of the Copley MedalMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyMembers of the French Academy of SciencesRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Gay scientistsMembers of the Prussian Academy of Sciences18th century19th centuryLinnaeus
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pioneering 18th century Swedish botanist, who devised a method of naming species and a new system for classifying plants and animals.
20 April 2023
Featuring: Staffan Müller-Wille, Stella Sandford, Steve Jones
ScienceMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences18th-century lexicographers, 18th-century writers in LatinBotanical nomenclatureFellows of the Royal SocietyMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyMembers of the French Academy of SciencesMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesTaxon authorities of Hypericum species18th centuryLouis Pasteur
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and work of Louis Pasteur, microbiologist, developer of vaccines, saviour of the French beer and wine industries and preserver of milk.
18 May 2017
Featuring: Andrew Mendelsohn, Anne Hardy, Michael Worboys
ScienceRecipients of the Copley MedalFrench Roman CatholicsMembers of the Académie FrançaiseGrand Cross of the Legion of HonourForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesFrench scientists with disabilitiesHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesForeign members of the Royal SocietyMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyÉcole Normale Supérieure alumni19th-century French chemistsMembers of the French Academy of SciencesMembers of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsRecipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 1st class19th centuryFranceLévi-Strauss
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss.
23 May 2013
Featuring: Adam Kuper, Christina Howells, Vincent Debaene
CultureAcademic staff of the Collège de FranceFrench sociologistsLycée Condorcet alumniFrench philosophers of educationThe New School facultyJewish atheistsPhilosophers of mindWriters about globalizationWriters about religion and scienceFrench essayistsMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of religionLiteracy and society theoristsUniversity of Paris alumniCorresponding fellows of the British AcademyPhilosophers of languageFrench male non-fiction writersMetaphysics writersGrand Cross of the Legion of HonourPhilosophers of linguisticsFrench philosophers of scienceMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesWriters about activism and social change20th-century atheists20th-century French philosophersIntellectual historyMembers of the Académie FrançaiseJewish historiansCritical theoristsMetaphysicians20th-century French male writersFrench philosophers of historyWriters about communismTheorists on Western civilizationJewish philosophersWriters from ParisFrench epistemologistsAtheist philosophersPhilosophers of social scienceForeign associates of the National Academy of Sciences20th-century French memoiristsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyPhenomenologistsLinguists from France20th-century essayistsFrench atheistsOntologistsFrench philosophers of culture20th centuryFranceLanguageMedicineNikola Tesla
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the inventor who helped the advance of electrification in America at the end of the 19th century and cultivated his reputation as a visionary genius
4 April 2024
Featuring: Simon Schaffer, Jill Jonnes, Iwan Morus
SciencePeople associated with electricityRadio pioneers20th-century American engineersAmerican electrical engineers, People from ManhattanMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyNaturalized citizens of the United StatesMembers of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsMental calculatorsAmerican humanistsDeaths from coronary thrombosis19th century20th centuryPaul Dirac
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Bristolian theoretical physicist, ranked alongside Einstein by his peers, who won a Nobel for his work on quantum mechanics.
5 March 2020
Featuring: Graham Farmelo, Valerie Gibson, David Berman
ScienceEnglish agnosticsAcademic staff of the University of Göttingen20th-century British physicists, Members of the Pontifical Academy of SciencesEnglish emigrants to the United StatesAlumni of the University of BristolRoyal Medal winnersMembers of the Order of MeritNobel laureates in Physics20th-century English mathematiciansForeign members of the USSR Academy of SciencesBritish theoretical physicists, Mathematical physicistsWinners of the Max Planck MedalEnglish Nobel laureatesAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeRecipients of the Copley MedalBritish Nobel laureatesForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesInstitute for Advanced Study visiting scholarsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyFellows of the Royal Society20th centuryMathematicsPresident Ulysses S Grant
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Grant's role in rebuilding America in the decade after the Civil War and his impact on African-Americans and Native Americans.
30 May 2019
Featuring: Erik Mathisen, Susan-Mary Grant, Robert Cook
HistoryHall of Fame for Great Americans inductees19th-century American male writersUnited States Military Academy alumni19th-century American memoirists, People of the Six Years' WarAmerican people of English descentActivists for African-American civil rightsCongressional Gold Medal recipientsCommanding Generals of the United States Army, Presidents of the United StatesMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyAmerican slave owners19th centuryRutherford
Melvyn Bragg discusses Ernest Rutherford. He is seen as the father of nuclear science, a great charismatic figure who mapped the landscape of the sub-atomic world.
19 February 2004
Featuring: Simon Schaffer, Jim Al-Khalili, Patricia Fara
ScienceRadio pioneers20th-century British physicists, Members of the Pontifical Academy of SciencesPersons of National Historic Significance (Canada)Fellows of Trinity College, CambridgeKnights BachelorDiscoverers of chemical elementsHonorary members of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Recipients of the Matteucci MedalHonorary Fellows of the Royal Society of EdinburghRecipients of Franklin MedalCorresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1917–1925)Experimental physicistsCavendish Professors of PhysicsRecipients of the Dalton MedalEnglish Nobel laureatesAcademics of the Victoria University of ManchesterRecipients of the Copley MedalBritish Nobel laureates20th-century British scientistsForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyNobel laureates in Chemistry19th-century British physicistsBurials at Westminster Abbey19th century20th centuryThomas Edison
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of Thomas Edison, one of the great inventors and cultural figures of modern America.
9 December 2010
Featuring: Simon Schaffer, Kathleen Burk, Iwan Morus
ScienceHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesPeople associated with electricityAmerican people of Dutch descentAmerican electrical engineers, People from ManhattanAmerican people of English descentAmerican deistsCongressional Gold Medal recipientsHonorary members of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Recipients of the Matteucci Medal19th-century American businesspeopleMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyRecipients of Franklin Medal20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences19th century20th centuryThomas 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 centuryAmericaWashington and the American Revolution
Melvyn Bragg discusses the first President of the United States, George Washington, and the people and ideas that saw the American Revolution overthrow British rule in 1775.
24 June 2004
Featuring: Carol Berkin, Simon Middleton, Colin Bonwick
CultureHall of Fame for Great Americans inductees18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writers18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentAmerican people of English descentCongressional Gold Medal recipientsCommanding Generals of the United States Army, Presidents of the United StatesMembers of the American Philosophical Society18th-century American politicians, American Freemasons, Signers of the United States ConstitutionAmerican slave ownersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican male non-fiction writers18th centuryAmerica