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The Forum

The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.

World Service,763 episodes

Episodes

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Humans and Big Data: Who is in charge?
Can massive amounts of processed data help us make better decisions?
24 Nov 2012,40 mins
Listening: The Forum Live @ the Radio Theatre
Celebrating 90 years of BBC Radio.
17 Nov 2012,40 mins
People Power: a dream, fig leaf or reality?
What will it take for the voice of ordinary citizens to be clearly heard?
10 Nov 2012,40 mins
Rivals or enemies? Why the distinction matters.
Bitter partisanship is poisoning Western politics, so what is the way forward?
03 Nov 2012,40 mins
Guilt
What's the best way to deal with personal and collective guilt?
27 Oct 2012,40 mins
Black Holes – a force for good?
Supermassive black holes which project their power across entire galaxies of stars.
20 Oct 2012,40 mins
That's disgusting!
How a primal emotion protecting us from poison can drive our decisions.
13 Oct 2012,40 mins
Real versus virtual
As digital technology spreads, is there a still a border between real and virtual?
06 Oct 2012,40 mins
21st Century Education
What is education really for and how should we improve it? Presented by Martin Rees.
29 Sep 2012,40 mins
22/09/2012 GMT
How are we, and other creatures, affected by being cut off from the rest?
22 Sep 2012,40 mins
The power of seduction
How often are we lured into making choices without being aware of it?
15 Sep 2012,40 mins
08/09/2012 GMT
How much control do we really have over our bodies and health?
08 Sep 2012,40 mins
Revenge
What drives our vengeful desires and what happens if we listen to them?
01 Sep 2012,40 mins
Technology. Does it connect or divide us?
Does digital technology open or close our minds? A show from the Aspen Festival of Ideas.
25 Aug 2012,40 mins
18/08/2012 GMT
We explore how electricity and our bodies make the world go round.
18 Aug 2012,40 mins
Legacy of London 2012
How much has London and the UK, changed as a result of the Olympics?
12 Aug 2012,40 mins
(In) Dependence
Where's the line between independence and dependency?
29 Jul 2012,40 mins
28/07/2012 GMT
Inequality - the challenge for our age? Presented by former Irish President Mary Robinson.
28 Jul 2012,40 mins
21/07/2012 GMT
Why some athletes, plants and stars keep going for much longer than others.
21 Jul 2012,40 mins
14/07/2012 GMT
How do we find the way to our destination?
14 Jul 2012,40 mins
07/07/2012 GMT
How do Americans see their role in the world? A show from the Aspen Festival of Ideas.
07 Jul 2012,40 mins
30/06/2012 GMT
How do we navigate between our selfish and selfless desires? A show from New York City.
30 Jun 2012,40 mins
23/06/2012 GMT
Is the gap between humans and truly creative, inquisitive machines really getting smaller?
23 Jun 2012,40 mins
16/06/2012 GMT
Links that govern the brain, anti-social behaviour and the skills needed for the future.
16 Jun 2012,40 mins
09/06/2012 GMT
Innovative ways to tackle mental illness worldwide
09 Jun 2012,40 mins
02/06/2012 GMT
A useful springboard or an unnecessary hindrance?
02 Jun 2012,40 mins
26/05/2012 GMT
Free market - the best aid to development or a hydra that devalues everything it touches?
26 May 2012,40 mins
Future Wars
How different will future conflicts be from those fought today?
19 May 2012,40 mins
12/05/2012 GMT
Do we deserve another bite of the cherry?
12 May 2012,40 mins
05/05/2012 GMT
Why there is more to empty space than you might think.
05 May 2012,40 mins