Do we think differently in different languages? | BBC Ideas
So, do we think differently in different languages? OK. (Speaking Russian) Sorry, it’s like a tongue twister. That’s a brilliant question. The Whorfian hypothesis as it’s known, which is the idea that our language affects our thinking, has been debated for decades, even centuries. There’s a growing amount of experimental evidence that differences across languages […]
The secrets of the deep ocean | BBC Ideas
The ocean covers over 70% of our planet. And yet, what we know about it barely scratches the surface. Beneath its swell is a largely unexplored universe, until recently, beyond the gaze of human eyes. So why do we know so little about the ocean? For a start, immense pressure presents huge challenges for divers […]
The extraordinary life of musical genius Joseph Boulogne | BBC Ideas
Joseph Boulogne also known as the Chevalier de Saint-Georges is perhaps the most famous musician and composer you’ve never heard of. A soldier, athlete, musical genius and revolutionary. He was the crème de la crème of 18th Century French society. Boulogne was born in 1745 on the Carribean island of Guadeloupe then part of a […]
Josephine Baker: The musical icon who became a WWII spy | BBC Ideas
The life of Josephine Baker is a dazzling rags-to-riches story of a musical icon, stage sensation, and heroine of the French Resistance, who took 20th Century Europe by storm – think Janelle Monáe meets James Bond. Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St Louis, Missouri in 1906. Her mother had dreams of being […]
Can humans reproduce in space? | BBC Ideas
Humans will travel to Mars within the next couple of decades. That’s according to Nasa, anyway. The ultimate goal? To live entirely independent of Earth. Scientists are already developing technology that will enable us to travel incredibly long distances and keep us alive when we get there. But if we really want to inhabit other […]
‘There’s no one way to be autistic’ | BBC Ideas BBC Ideas 554K subscribers Naka-subscribe
Introduction My whole life changed with five simple words delivered casually by a relative at a party: “You know you’re autistic, right?” Initially, I rejected the idea. I was 30 and my knowledge of autism was based on TV caricatures and digs from people who suggested anyone behaving poorly must be “on the spectrum”. I […]
Neoliberalism: The story of a big economic bust up | A-Z of ISMs Episode 14 – BBC Ideas
The A-Z of isms… neoliberalism. Friedrich Hayek, a tweedy, Austrian-born economist, had one of those light bulb moments in the mid 1930s and switched on an ideology that unites its enemies in scorn, but has inspired governments and entrepreneurs down the decades – neoliberalism. The idea was built on the classical liberalism of the 18th […]
How to write a perfect speech | BBC Ideas
Intro The secret behind any great speech… it all begins with the speaker, having somebody who has that world view, who knows what they want to say, who knows what story they want to tell. That’s critical, a speechwriter can come up with something on their own, but it really needs to be a collaborative […]
3 keys to success for young people | BBC Ideas
Why do some young people from really tough backgrounds beat the odds? And what can we all learn from them? When I was a child, I was bounced from children’s home to children’s home. Yeah, it was tough. But I made it as a writer and as a poet. So this subject, above all, is […]
Inside my autistic mind | BBC Ideas
Meet Murray Do you want to sit down? Just look straight ahead. That’s really good. Great. I like that. This is Murray’s film about what his world is like I am an autistic person. It is obvious when you see me. I have no voice, but yearn to say so much. If you are willing […]