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 SocietyEpistemologistsBurials at Westminster AbbeyRecipients of the Copley MedalWriters about religion and scienceMembers 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 MedalWriters from Vienna18th-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 KingdomAcademics 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 alumniUniversity of Vienna 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
ScienceRecipients of the Copley MedalMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesUniversity of Göttingen alumniMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesAcademic staff of the University of GöttingenHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences18th-century German astronomersMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesGerman LutheransMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesCorresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesOptical physicistsRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesMental calculatorsFellows of the Royal SocietyLinear algebraists18th centuryAstronomyMathematicsDarwin: 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 centuryLise 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.
8 May 2025
Featuring: Jess Wade, Frank Close, Steven Bramwell
ScienceMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesJewish women scientistsWinners of the Max Planck MedalRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtAustrian LutheransDiscoverers of chemical elementsForeign members of the Royal SocietyConverts to Lutheranism from JudaismRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesWomen nuclear physicists20th centuryMichael 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 centuryPopper
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
PhilosophyUniversity of Vienna alumniPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of mindWriters about globalizationJewish ethicistsWriters about religion and scienceBritish historians of philosophyPhilosophers of religionBritish male non-fiction writersBritish male essayistsPhilosophers of logicKnights BachelorAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceMetaphysics writers20th-century British essayists20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian agnostics, Austrian essayists, Austrian logicians, British agnostics, British logicians, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Naturalised citizens of the United KingdomWriters about activism and social changeAristotelian philosophersEpistemologistsBritish philosophers of educationPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyCritics of religionsMetaphysiciansPolitical philosophersRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtWriters from ViennaPhilosophers of technologyFellows of the British AcademyBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsPhilosophers of mathematics20th-century British philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyJewish philosophersRationalistsBritish social liberalsBritish ethicistsLogiciansBritish political philosophersForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of economicsJewish agnosticsMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourSocial philosophersCritics of MarxismCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Ontologists20th centuryEconomicsMathematicsMedicine