The Forum

The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.

World Service,763 episodes

Episodes

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Dust and Ash
How dust helps to keep the planet cooler and nourishes the Amazon rainforest
22 Jun 2013,40 mins
Globalisation: is it changing the way we think?
What impact is globalisation having on our sense of personal and national identity?
15 Jun 2013,40 mins
Fragility in Nature
Materials, relationships, ecosystems - what makes them resistant - or prone to failure?
08 Jun 2013,40 mins
Curiosity
Curiosity has always been with us but how important is it to science and to society?
01 Jun 2013,40 mins
Why Do We Tell Stories?
Why do stories have similar narratives over and over again?
25 May 2013,40 mins
Does Finance Have to be Invisible?
What would it take to fix the underlying flaws in our banking system?
18 May 2013,40 mins
The Art of Political Decision Making
Political decisions are hard to make. What strategies can be used to take decisive action?
11 May 2013,40 mins
Silence
From communication and contemplation to obedience and shame, we explore silence
04 May 2013,40 mins
Us and Them
Why divide ourselves into two camps - is what separates us stronger than what unites us?
27 Apr 2013,40 mins
The Mysterious Kingdom of Fungi
The surprising tough and ecological building substance that could reshape our world
20 Apr 2013,40 mins
Progress: Are we Making Any?
Advances suggest that things can only get better for the majority of people. Is it true?
13 Apr 2013,40 mins
Obsessions, new and old, in literature and technology
With Javier Marias, Evgeny Morozov and Manil Suri.
06 Apr 2013,40 mins
What If...The Forum could change the world?
Visions of the future with Michio Kaku, Barbara Sahakian and Karen Lord.
30 Mar 2013,40 mins
Viruses: in medicine, technology and in our minds
The terrifying and wonderful viral world with Peter Piot, Angela Belcher, Susan Blackmore
23 Mar 2013,40 mins
The Forum @ London's South Bank: A celebration of women of African and Caribbean descent.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, Ayanna Witter-Johnson
16 Mar 2013,40 mins
Making Good Law
It’s the basis of society: but what is the secret to creating laws that really work?
09 Mar 2013,40 mins
The Challenge of Ageing
Is it time to re-define what we actually mean by Old Age?
02 Mar 2013,40 mins
Meaning in Life
What makes your life meaningful? With Alain de Botton, Susan Wolf and Alexandre Mitchell.
23 Feb 2013,40 mins
Ice
New views from the world’s freezer
16 Feb 2013,40 mins
Improvisation
Why improvising comes naturally to all of us.
09 Feb 2013,40 mins
The vanishing world of our ancestors
Ancient tradition and custom among tribal people, and what we can learn from it.
02 Feb 2013,40 mins
Connections with the sea
Are all linked to the sea, even if we live hundreds of miles from the coast?
26 Jan 2013,40 mins
What’s the best way to build up new markets?
How do we encourage enterprise in a way that benefits lots of people, not just a few?
19 Jan 2013,40 mins
Plant and flower shapes
What makes a plant leaf or flower either flat and simple or curly and complicated?
12 Jan 2013,40 mins
Imitation
Why do human beings copy one another so much?
05 Jan 2013,40 mins
Taking Time Out
Making sense of gaps in our lives that take us out of our routine.
29 Dec 2012,40 mins
Happiness
What really makes us smile?
22 Dec 2012,40 mins
Maps and Mapmaking
Why do we make maps, and what do they say about us?
15 Dec 2012,40 mins
Women’s Freedom in 2012
Is women’s ability to choose and act increasing or in retreat?
08 Dec 2012,40 mins
The individual and society
The Forum @ RSA in London with Margaret Atwood.
01 Dec 2012,40 mins