In Our Time

In Our Time is one of the longest-running intellectual discussion programs anywhere, with over 1,100 episodes spanning history, science, philosophy, religion, and culture. The format is straightforward: a host sits down with three academic experts and they spend about 50 minutes digging into a single topic. Recent subjects have ranged from the Code of Hammurabi to the art of Michelangelo to the science of archaea. The show aired on BBC Radio 4 for decades under Melvyn Bragg, and in early 2026 Misha Glenny took over hosting duties. What makes it different from most educational podcasts is the panel format — you get three specialists who sometimes disagree with each other, which makes the conversations feel alive rather than scripted. The experts are real working academics, not just popular science communicators, so the depth of knowledge is remarkable. With 4.6 stars from over 5,000 ratings, the show has a devoted global audience. The massive back catalog is a genuine treasure — you could spend months working through episodes on topics you never knew you were interested in. Episodes on Napoleon sit alongside discussions of black holes and the poetry of John Keats. It feels like auditing the best university seminar you never got to take, except the professors are actually trying to make it interesting. The BBC production quality is consistently excellent, and the pacing rewards your full attention.