Feb 23, 2026
Dorothy Hodgkin changed science by learning how to see what others could not. Born on 12 May 1910, she became a pioneer of X-ray crystallography, revealing the structures of penicillin, vitamin B12, and insulin and transforming modern medicine in the process. Working patiently for decades, often in physical pain,...
Feb 16, 2026
William Kidd sailed under a legal commission on 11 December 1695, tasked with hunting pirates in the Indian Ocean. Within six years, he would be hanged at Execution Dock on 23 May 1701, condemned as one of history’s most notorious pirates. This episode explores how a respected privateer became a convenient villain,...
Feb 9, 2026
Alan Rickman arrived on screen with rare authority, a presence shaped by theatre, discipline, and a refusal to rush. From his film debut as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (released 15 July 1988) to his long, patient portrayal of Severus Snape across the Harry Potter films (2001–2011), Rickman brought intelligence and...
Feb 2, 2026
Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on 22 December 1887 in Erode, India, and produced mathematics so original that it baffled experts across continents. Working largely in isolation, with little formal training, he filled notebooks with formulas that would later transform number theory and modern mathematics. This episode...