Best Spinneys Podcasts (2025)

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Laura Spinney - How One Ancient Language Went Global 1:02:22

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9d ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Most of us speak a descendant of one ancient tongue: Proto-Indo European. Almost all of Europe shares the DNA of its legacy. Acclaimed journalist and author of international bestseller Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World Laura Spinney explores the origins of this ancient language and how it spread far from its cradle ne…

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Wrapping up Season 3 25:04

15d ago25:04

25:04

Hosts Tiffany Eslick and Devina Divecha look back at some of their favourite moments from the third season of Nourish by Spinneys. We’ll be back with new episodes in September. See you then!By Spinneys

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Proto-Indo-European and Laura Spinney 42:46

24d ago42:46

42:46

Episode 37's star language is another 'proto'-tongue, arguably the most famous of all reconstructed prehistoric languages: Proto-Indo-European. This ancient language, whose linguistic descendants can now be found across the world, has long been the goal of an intellectual quest. The task of identifying the facts of PIE began in the realms of philol…

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[45] Laura Spinney — The First Human Language and How We Think 1:02:13

25d ago1:02:13

1:02:13

Once more a dive into deep history, this time into the question how languages developed, and how it is possible to reconstruct the history and genesis of languages, and with them of abstract thinking and civilisation. Laura Spinney is a distinguished and bestselling science writer. In her new book Proto she looks at the world of languages before th…

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A Journey into Uncharted Territories with David Attenborough, Miriam Margolyes, Nigel Planer, and others... 56:42

2d ago56:42

56:42

Sir David Attenborough, Miriam Margolyes, Nigel Planer, and others join us for a glimpse into Uncharted Territories, a new audio author showcase from John Murray publishers. This week we have a guest appearance from our friends at John Murray publishers who are sharing Uncharted Territories, their first ever audio author showcase. Here they’ve cura…

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[47] Tim Mackintosh-Smith: Being Arab Throughout History and Ibn Khaldoun 1:10:58

4d ago1:10:58

1:10:58

As a scholar of Arabic language and literature, Tim has made classic Arabic literature his life’s work, and has lived in Yemen until 2019. His special interest at the moment is the great scholar Ibn Khaldoun, who lived in the 14th century and who was one of the great thinkers about power, society, and, yes, being Arab, a concept linked to language …

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Russell Shorto on the Origins of New York & Chris Pavone’s Thriller of Class, Money, and Morality 1:06:22

5d ago1:06:22

1:06:22

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform Episode Summary This week on Writer’s Voice, we explore New York from two perspectives: its dramatic colonial origins and its modern-day extremes. First, historian Russell Shorto reveals the pivotal moment when Manhattan shifted from Dutch to English hands—and …

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Exposing Hidden Agendas: Will Potter on Factory Farm Secrecy & Project Censored on Press Freedom Under Siege 1:15:25

12d ago1:15:25

1:15:25

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform Episode Summary Today, a double episode on press freedom under siege. Investigative journalist and author Will Potter joins us to talk about Little Red Barns: Hiding the Truth, from Farm to Fable. It’s a powerful exposé of how the agriculture industry attacks j…

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John Tregoning - A Curious Scientist’s Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death 1:09:06

14d ago1:09:06

1:09:06

How does the body stay alive? And what does ageing really mean, from the inside ? Biomedical scientist and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at Imperial College London John Tregoning reveals the science of staying alive, ageing, and death. Journeying from the nature of genes to the science of inflammation, from today's anti-ageing craze to real healt…

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Filmmaker Petra Costa - Apocalyptic Christianity and the Rise of the Far-Right 21:47

16d ago21:47

21:47

Oscar nominated for her film The Edge of Democracy, which documented the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and the rise of Jair Bolsonaro, Petra Costa returns to the subject of Brazil's fragile democracy in Apocalypse in the Tropics. Streaming now on Netflix, Apocalypse explores the relationship between evangelical Christianity and the far-ri…

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[46] Gerd Schwerhoff — Die Bauernkriege, ein Wendepunkt? 1:05:10

18d ago1:05:10

1:05:10

Im frühen 16. Jahrhundert erhoben sich im süddeutschen Raum tausende von Bauern, Bergwerksknappen und Bürgern gegen ihre adeligen oder kirchlichen Herren. Sie stürmten Burgen und Klöster und forderten mehr Rechte, weniger Frondienste, weniger Steuern und die freie Ernennung von Priestern. Gerd Schwerhoff hat diese Welle von Rebellionen, durch die i…

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Dolly Jones - How to Combine a Career and Family 1:07:19

20d ago1:07:19

1:07:19

When high-flying journalist Dolly Jones had her children, the idea of returning to work felt daunting. She struggled to find material to galvanise and reassure her, and to make her feel that anything was possible. She set out to change all of that, gathering practical advice, life-hacks and guilt-avoidance strategies from a diverse range of women i…

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Michael German on POLICING WHITE SUPREMACY: THE ENEMY WITHIN 57:48

20d ago57:48

57:48

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform Episode Summary In this episode of Writer’s Voice, former FBI agent, scholar, and author Michael German discusses his explosive book Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within. German, who infiltrated white supremacist and right-wing militia groups during his F…

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Historian of Science Thomas Levenson — How Humans Discovered Germs 59:38

22d ago59:38

59:38

Today, you are far more likely to die of heart disease, cancer, or accident than you are to die of an illness caused by a germ: but for most of human history, microorganisms were our greatest nemesis. As recently as 1900, pnuemonia, influenza, tuberculosis, and gut infections accounted for half of all deaths in the United States. And yet, humans ha…

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Jeremy Hunt - Can Britain Be Great Again? 1:19:17

26d ago1:19:17

1:19:17

Former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt shares a thought-provoking vision of our place in the world in the century ahead. Is Britain a minor player, marginalised by our departure from the EU and dwarfed by the rise of new economies? Or is there a major role for us to play in a rapidly changing international order? With the election of President Trump,…

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Lizzie Wade on APOCALYPSE: What Collapse Reveals About Human Possibility 57:25

27d ago57:25

57:25

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform Episode Summary On this episode of Writer’s Voice, we speak with science journalist Lizzie Wade about her groundbreaking book Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures. Through stories of ancient climate collapse, pandemic uphe…

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Robin Ince - Journeys in Neurodiversity 1:22:39

29d ago1:22:39

1:22:39

Tracing his journey through his diagnosis with ADHD, Robin Ince explores his own insecurities and discoveries along the way, from the importance of vulnerability, to finding greater meaning and happiness, to the beauty of connecting with others through shared neurodiversity. Illuminating how diagnosis can help individuals find and understand their …

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Afua Hirsch In Conversation with Caroline Darian, Daughter of Dominique Pelicot 1:03:42

1M ago1:03:42

1:03:42

Caroline Darian, daughter of Dominique Pelicot, shares with Afua Hirsch a rallying cry for change, and confronts the hidden violence that too many endure in silence. The Pelicot mass rape trial was unprecedented in scope and nature, captivating France and the world. Dominique’s daughter, Caroline Darian, shares with journalist Afua Hirsch her famil…

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Retreat, Resilience & Return: Jess Walter on SO FAR GONE and Marguerite Holloway on TAKE TO THE TREES 58:13

1M ago58:13

58:13

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform Episode Summary On this episode of Writer’s Voice, two authors share stories of retreat and re-engagement in a world unraveling. First, novelist Jess Walter talks about So Far Gone, a gripping, darkly funny, and deeply moving novel about Rhys Kinnick—a retired …

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[44] Ian Buruma — Where Did the West Begin? 55:56

1M ago55:56

55:56

Ian Buruma is a historian, biographer, memorialist and essayist between “East” and “West" whose insights and intellectual precision make him a joy to discuss with. In his recent biography of Spinoza he argues that the great Enlightenment philosopher has a message that is more urgent today than ever. The idea of a West, of a realm of rational rule a…

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Jon Watts - The Life and Assassination of Dom Philips and the Mission to Save the Amazon 1:12:09

1M ago1:12:09

1:12:09

On 5 June 2022, award-winning journalist Dom Phillips was working on a book about the Amazon rainforest, alongside the indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, when they were both shot dead. They are believed to have been assassinated by one of the criminal networks whose ecological exploitation they were working to expose. A team of expert writers took up…

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The floating island, with Chef Christophe Devoille 38:17

1M ago38:17

38:17

Tiffany Eslick and Devina Divecha sit down with Chef Christophe Devoille for our season finale. They talk about his journey from working for Chef Alain Ducasse to becoming Executive Pastry Chef at the Atlantis The Royal. They then witness a Chef Christophe masterclass where he shares his cooking tips while making a historic French dessert, île flot…

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Isabel Allende - On the Power of Story, Resistance, and Humanity 1:05:13

1M ago1:05:13

1:05:13

Isabel Allende shares the story of Emilia del Valle, her unforgettable new heroine on a treacherous, life-changing journey during the Chilean Civil war of 1891. Past and present merge in this conversation, as Isabel explores how her new heroine—who reminds us of Isabel herself— confronts the tyranny and injustice of her time. As tyranny and injusti…

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[43] Julian Baggini — What happened to the Enlightenment? 1:01:30

1M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

Julian Baggini is one of the most insightful writers on philosophy in general and the Enlightenment in particular I know. We talk about the Enlightenment, and in how far it was the radical turning point as which it is often seen, or whether it does not mask great continuities under the guise of dramatic change. Has the Enlightenment released a vast…

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Laura Lippman on MURDER TAKES A VACATION: Art, Age, and a Woman’s Right to Reinvent Herself 57:03

1M ago57:03

57:03

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Episode Summary This week: Grandmaster of crime fiction Laura Lippman joins us to talk about her delightful new mystery, Murder Takes a Vacation. The novel brings back Muriel “Mrs.” Blossom—now a wealthy, single woman in her sixties—on a river cruise where art…

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Daniel Davis - The Real Science of Immune Health 1:09:46

1M ago1:09:46

1:09:46

We are surrounded by bold claims and quick fixes for ‘boosting’ our immune health. But one thing the science is clear on is that everyone’s immune system is unique – what is good for one person may not work well for another. So how do we separate the bogus claims from the useful advice? Head of Life Sciences and Professor of Immunology at Imperial …