Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Ethereal Mind | 20100614 | 20110404 (R3) | The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. How did wireless conquer the world in the early years of the twentieth century, and how did a fascination with radio among scientists and writers unleash new ideas about the transmission of thought and the utopian potential of invisible forces? Producer: Matt Thompson. David Hendy on how wireless communication conquered the world in the early 20th century. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. How did wireless conquer the world in the early years of the twentieth century, and how did a fascination with radio among scientists and writers unleash new ideas about the transmission of thought and the utopian potential of invisible forces? Producer: Matt Thompson. David Hendy on how wireless communication conquered the world in the early 20th century. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. |
| 02 | The Cultivated Mind | 20100615 | 20110405 (R3) | The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. How effective were the efforts of the BBC to improve the 'public mind' between the wars? Did broadcasts such as W.B. Yeats's poetry recitals or E.M. Forster's talks foster ideas of a 'spiritual democracy' and an enlightened citizenry? Producer: Matt Thompson. How effective were BBC efforts to improve the 'public mind' between the two world wars? Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. How effective were the efforts of the BBC to improve the 'public mind' between the wars? Did broadcasts such as W.B. Yeats's poetry recitals or E.M. Forster's talks foster ideas of a 'spiritual democracy' and an enlightened citizenry? Producer: Matt Thompson. How effective were BBC efforts to improve the 'public mind' between the two world wars? Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. |
| 03 | The Anxious Mind | 20100616 | 20110406 (R3) | The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. Tonight the reporting of the Holocaust in 1945 and television coverage of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986. If media have made us all witnesses to horror and tragedy do they also help us to come to terms with suffering, or just leave us depressed at the wrongs in the world? Producer: Matt Thompson. David Hendy asks if media reports of tragedy help us to come to terms with suffering. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. Tonight the reporting of the Holocaust in 1945 and television coverage of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986. If media have made us all witnesses to horror and tragedy do they also help us to come to terms with suffering, or just leave us depressed at the wrongs in the world? Producer: Matt Thompson. David Hendy asks if media reports of tragedy help us to come to terms with suffering. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. |
| 04 | The Fallible Mind | 20100617 | 20110407 (R3) | The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. Two seminal TV programmes: the American drama Marty, broadcast in 1953, and the BBC's Face-to-Face, from 1960, used unflinching close-ups to reveal human beings as flawed individuals. Did they make us more compassionate - or just more obsessed with the private lives of others? Producer Matt Thompson. David Hendy asks if revealing TV shows have increased interest in others' private lives. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. |
| 05 | The Superficial Mind | 20100618 | 20110408 (R3) | The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. Might the Internet, despite its wonderful power as a repository of information and creativity, be slowly degrading or enhancing our mental abilities? Are our brains ready for it? Producer Matt Thompson. David Hendy asks if the internet is degrading or enhancing our mental abilities. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. The historian of broadcasting, David Hendy, explores the ways in which the electronic media have shaped the modern mind. Might the Internet, despite its wonderful power as a repository of information and creativity, be slowly degrading or enhancing our mental abilities? Are our brains ready for it? Producer Matt Thompson. David Hendy asks if the internet is degrading or enhancing our mental abilities. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond. |