en-us Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:56:06 -0500 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/iot/iot_20080117-1130.mp3 Melvyn Bragg ponders the complex character of The Fisher King - the keeper of the Holy Grail, he's been Christian and pagan, tragic and enduring,a fertility god and a symbol of sexual fear and desire. With Melvyn to discuss The Fisher King are Carolyne Larrington, Tutor in Medieval English at St John’s College, Oxford; Stephen Knight, Distinguished Research Professor in English Literature at Cardiff University and Juliette Wood, Associate Lecturer in the Department of Welsh, Cardiff University and Director of the Folklore Society. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:08:54 -0400 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/iot/iot_20080117-1130.mp3 990434 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/iot/iot_20080124-1130.mp3 Melvyn Bragg explores plate tectonics - the revolutionary scientific theory which made geologists (and many more besides) profoundly re-think what the Earth was, how it worked and how it related to all the things in it. Melvyn is joined by Richard Corfield, Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences at the Open University; Joe Cann, Senior Fellow in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds and Lynne Frostick, Director of the Hull Environment Research Institute and Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Hull. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:08:48 -0400 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/iot/iot_20080124-1130.mp3 1004897 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/iot/iot_20080214-1130.mp3 Melvyn Bragg examines the history and the meaning behind one of the world's best known icons, the Statue of Liberty. He is joined by Robert Gildea, Professor of Modern History at Oxford University; Kathleen Burk, Professor of American History at University College London and John Keane, Professor of Politics at the University of Westminster. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:08:34 -0400 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/iot/iot_20080214-1130.mp3 1038745 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/iot/iot_20080221-1130.mp3 Melvyn Bragg considers the mind-blowing concept of the Multiverse with his guests: Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society and Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge; Fay Dowker, Reader in Theoretical Physics at Imperial College and Bernard Carr, Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Queen Mary, University of London. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:08:33 -0400 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/iot/iot_20080221-1130.mp3 1049586