Understand

Understand from BBC Radio 4 - unravelling the complexities of the biggest stories and subjects that really matter right now.

Radio 4,121 episodes

Episodes

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Seven Ages of Man, with Michael Rosen
Trailer
What does being a ‘man’ mean? Seven men share their experiences through the decades.
22 Sep 2026,3 mins
Seven Ages of Man, with Michael Rosen
1. Michael Palin's in his 80s
Two Michaels talk about masculinity and how being in your 80s is liberating.
26 Sep 2026,14 mins
Seven Ages of Man, with Michael Rosen
2. Colm Tóibín's in his 70s
Colm Tóibín, author and poet, opens up about sexuality and creativity in his 70s.
26 Sep 2026,15 mins
Seven Ages of Man, with Michael Rosen
3. David Baddiel's in his 60s
David Baddiel shares the realities of being a man in his 60s.
28 Sep 2026,14 mins
Seven Ages of Man, with Michael Rosen
4. Matthew Todd's in his 50s
Journalist and writer Matthew Todd talks about self-acceptance in his 50s.
29 Sep 2026,14 mins
Seven Ages of Man, with Michael Rosen
5. Lias Saoudi's in his 40s
Fat White Family singer Lias Saoudi reveals how he has transformed in his 40s.
30 Sep 2026,14 mins
Seven Ages of Man, with Michael Rosen
6. Marvin Sordell's in his 30s
Former footballer Marvin Sordell opens up about his breakdown and new life after 30.
01 Oct 2026,15 mins
Seven Ages of Man, with Michael Rosen
7. Vittorio Angelone's in his 20s
Can comedian Vittorio Angelone learn to like himself, after his tumultuous 20s?
02 Oct 2026,15 mins
The Value Crisis
Trailer
Ros Atkins asks whether we're living through a crisis in what we value.
10 Sep 2026,3 mins
The Value Crisis
1. Crisis, What Crisis?
Ros Atkins asks whether technology has triggered a crisis in what we value.
14 Sep 2026,42 mins
The Value Crisis
2. We've Been Here Before
Ros Atkins looks to the past for lessons on navigating great shifts in what we value.
21 Sep 2026,42 mins
The Value Crisis
3. Prompting a Crisis?
Will AI add value to our lives?
28 Sep 2026,42 mins
All Kinds of Minds
Trailer
Nathan Filer explores the complex and shifting terrain of neurodiversity.
20 Aug 2026,2 mins
All Kinds of Minds
1. The Language of Neurodiversity
How is the language of neurodiversity changing the way we understand difference?
24 Aug 2026,42 mins
All Kinds of Minds
2. Growing Up Neurodivergent
What does it mean to grow up neurodivergent in a school system under strain?
31 Aug 2026,42 mins
All Kinds of Minds
3. Neurodivergence and Adulthood
Navigating neurodivergence in adulthood.
07 Sep 2026,42 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
Trailer
The story of the power struggles that forged the green movement
24 Jun 2026,3 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
1. Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion launches one of its early occupations - against Greenpeace.
29 Jun 2026,14 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
2. The Greenpeace
Environmentalist hippies set sail to stop a nuclear test.
30 Jun 2026,15 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
3. The Ecologist
The story of an influential green magazine and the man who created it.
01 Jul 2026,15 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
4. Terror
A pair of environmentalists burn down a ski resort in Colorado, USA.
02 Jul 2026,15 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
5. Brokenhagen
The US president gatecrashes a secret rendez-vous at the world’s climate summit
03 Jul 2026,14 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
6. Arctic 30
A campaign against oil drilling in the arctic takes a dangerous turn
06 Jul 2026,14 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
7. Impenetrable
An indigenous community is evicted from its homeland for gorilla conservation.
07 Jul 2026,14 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
8. Shutdown
Protesters clash on the eve of the shutdown of Germany’s last remaining nuclear plants
08 Jul 2026,14 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
9. Crackdown
Did Just Stop Oil help lead to new laws cracking down on disruptive protest?
09 Jul 2026,14 mins
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement
10. Rival Visions
Where next for the future of the green movement?
10 Jul 2026,14 mins
Rinsed
Trailer
A sewage scandal and a centuries old battle between public good and private profit
06 May 2026,2 mins
Rinsed
1. The Bridge
After watching their local river grow murky and lifeless, two neighbours fight back.
11 May 2026,14 mins
Rinsed
2. Water Works
The centuries-old battle between public good and private profit still being fought today.
12 May 2026,14 mins