Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)
The Pour le Mérite (German: [puːɐ̯ lə meˈʀiːt]; French: [puʁ lə me.ʁit], lit. 'For Merit') is an order of merit (German: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. The Pour le Mérite was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Order of the Red Eagle and the House Order of Hohenzollern, among the highest orders of merit in the Kingdom of Prussia.
6 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
PhilosophyScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyOntologistsSocial philosophersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEpistemologistsRecipients of the Copley MedalWriters about religion and scienceBurials at Westminster AbbeyMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesGerman LutheransJewish philosophersPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsAristotelian philosophersBritish male essayistsEnglish AnglicansHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesLogiciansMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of logicMembers of the French Academy of SciencesPolitical philosophersCritics of religionsEnglish agnosticsEnglish travel writersJewish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyRoyal Medal winners19th-century English writersAlumni of the University of EdinburghBritish philosophers of educationCharles DarwinKnights BachelorMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesMetaphysics writersPeople associated with electricityRationalistsUniversity of Göttingen alumniWriters about globalization19th-century British physicists20th-century British philosophersAcademic staff of the University of GöttingenBritish ethicistsBritish political philosophersDiscoverers of chemical elementsEnglish abolitionistsEnglish inventorsEnglish physicistsFellows of the British AcademyForeign members of the Royal SocietyIndependent scientistsMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesUtilitarians19th-century Anglicans20th-century British essayistsBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish historians of philosophyBurials at Highgate CemeteryCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubCorresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesDeaths from coronary thrombosisExperimental physicistsGerman travel writersHuman evolutionJewish women scientistsMental calculatorsOptical physicistsPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtWinners of the Max Planck Medal18th-century German LGBTQ people18th-century German astronomers19th-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 British chemists19th-century English scientists20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian agnostics, Austrian essayists, Austrian logicians, British agnostics, British logicians, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Writers from ViennaAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAlumni of Christ's College, CambridgeAustrian LutheransBritish male non-fiction writersBritish social liberalsCircumnavigators of the globeConverts to Lutheranism from JudaismCritics of MarxismEnglish ProtestantsEnglish scepticsGay scientistsHuman geographersJewish ethicistsLinear algebraistsMagneticiansMembers of the Lincean AcademyMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourTheoretical biologistsUniversity of Jena alumniWomen nuclear physicists
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
Featuring: Marcus du Sautoy, Colva Roney-Dougal, Nick Evans
ScienceFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesLinear algebraistsMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesFellows of the Royal SocietyMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesUniversity of Göttingen alumniAcademic staff of the University of Göttingen18th-century German astronomersHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesMental calculatorsGerman LutheransMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesCorresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesOptical physicistsMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesRecipients of the Copley MedalRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Darwin: 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 travel writersTheoretical biologistsFellows of the Royal SocietyMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesEnglish AnglicansUtilitariansEnglish abolitionists19th-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 LondonBurials at Westminster AbbeyEnglish sceptics19th-century AnglicansRecipients of the Copley MedalAlumni of Christ's College, CambridgeEnglish agnosticsCharles DarwinAlumni of the University of Edinburgh19th-century English writersCircumnavigators of the globeRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Members of the American Philosophical SocietyDeaths from coronary thrombosisMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesMembers of the Lincean AcademyIndependent scientistsHuman evolutionRoyal Medal winnersHumboldt
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 Jena alumniHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences18th-century German LGBTQ peopleGerman LutheransGerman travel writersForeign members of the Royal SocietyRecipients of the Copley MedalFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesUniversity of Göttingen alumniHuman geographersGay scientistsMembers of the French Academy of SciencesRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Members of the Prussian Academy of SciencesMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesIndependent scientistsLise Meitner
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the only woman to have an atomic element named solely after her (Meitnerium), in recognition of her role in solving the question of nuclear fission.
08 May 2025
Featuring: Jess Wade, Frank Close, Steven Bramwell
ScienceFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesJewish women scientistsWinners of the Max Planck MedalForeign members of the Royal SocietyAustrian LutheransConverts to Lutheranism from JudaismMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesWomen nuclear physicistsDiscoverers of chemical elementsRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Michael 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 winnersPopper
Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosopher Karl Popper, author of The Open Society and a seminal thinker about science.
8 February 2007
Featuring: John Worrall, Anthony O'Hear, Nancy Cartwright
PhilosophyBritish political philosophersEpistemologistsCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesTheorists on Western civilizationBritish ethicistsPhilosophers of logicKnights BachelorLogiciansPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietySocial philosophersPhilosophers of technologyRationalistsAristotelian philosophersPhilosophers of economicsWriters about religion and scienceWriters about globalizationBritish philosophers of educationBritish social liberalsRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtBritish male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of mathematicsBritish historians of philosophyJewish agnosticsAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceCritics of religions20th-century British philosophers20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian agnostics, Austrian essayists, Austrian logicians, British agnostics, British logicians, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Writers from ViennaOntologistsPhilosophers of mindRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)MetaphysiciansJewish philosophersPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsJewish ethicistsMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourWriters about activism and social change20th-century British essayistsCritics of MarxismPhilosophers of historyFellows of the British AcademyMetaphysics writersBritish male essayists