Is Evil Rational? • 2013

58:53

Bettany Hughes investigates the revolutionary ideas of Karl Marx. Born to an affluent Prussian family, Marx became an angry, idealistic radical, constantly on the run for his political agitating and incendiary writing. In Paris he first formulated his explosive analysis of capitalism and its corrosive effects on human nature. In Brussels he co-authored the Communist Manifesto with Frederick Engels. In London his obsessive theorizing dragged his family into poverty and tragedy. Marx's masterpiece Das Capital was largely overlooked in his lifetime, and only 11 people attended his funeral. Yet his ideas would generate one of the most influential, and divisive, ideologies in history. Drawing on expert opinion and new evidence, Bettany reveals the flesh-and-blood man and his groundbreaking ideas.

Part 1 • Genius of the Modern World • 2016 • People

62:32

Have you ever wondered why people believe things like religion, spirituality, conspiracy theories and political ideology without evidence? Why it's so hard to change their minds, even after presenting the facts? Reasons To Believe is a thought-provoking documentary by filmmaker Ben Fama Jr., that explores the psychology and science of belief and why we believe, sometimes falsely, in things that may not match up with reality. Facilitated by leaders in the fields of science, philosophy, neuroscience, moral reasoning, psychology, perception, memory formation, and indoctrination, these experts answer a variety of thought provoking questions and provide tangible structure to the definition and creation of belief in the human brain. Fama asks the question: Why do we believe?

2017 • People

59:03

Dawkins discusses his book, the Selfish Gene, which divided the scientific community and made him the most influential evolutionary biologist of his time. Professor Richard Dawkins is one of the most well-known and controversial scientists in Britain. A passionate atheist he believes science rather than religion offers us the best way to appreciate the wonders of the Universe we live in. In the last 10 years he has become notorious for his outspoken views on religion, but at the heart of his success is his explosive first book -- The Selfish Gene -- which put forward a radical rewriting of evolutionary theory and divided the scientific community. Much of the controversy comes from its provocative title.

S2E3 • Beautiful Minds • 2012 • People

177:36

Comedian, actor, president, war leader - in his own words. The extraordinary life of one of the world's most recognisable leaders, and how war in Ukraine changed everything. Produced by 72 Films. Chapter 1: The Comedian and The Dictator With unique access to Volodymyr Zelensky and Olena Zelenska, this episode charts Zelensky's extraordinary journey from aspiring comedian to president of his country. Opening with the collapse of the Soviet Union - an event which had a profound effect on Zelensky and Vladimir Putin in very different ways - to the Maidan Revolution sparking a political awakening in Zelensky, this episode explores his role as the Ukrainian president in the hit TV show Servant of the People and his decision to run for president in real life. Chapter 2: President in the Real World After the high of his election victory, Zelensky is forced to face political reality. Using in-depth interviews with Zelensky, his wife Olena Zelenska and their closest advisors, this episode puts viewers inside the room as Zelensky grapples with what it means to be the leader of a country. From Zelensky's infamous phone call with Donald Trump to his only meeting with Vladimir Putin in Paris, the former comedian has a brutal initiation into the ruthless world of power politics. As Putin becomes increasingly belligerent and the drumbeat of war grows louder, Zelensky is under a huge amount of pressure. Is Ukraine prepared for war? Is Zelensky up to the job? Chapter 3: War Leader Opening in the first hours of the Russian invasion, this final episode follows explores how Zelensky used the skills he'd honed as an entertainer to galvanise people, as well as taking viewers inside Ukraine's peace negotiations with Russia. And the Zelenskys reveal what happened in the first hours of the Russian invasion, open up about the realities of living through war and the difficulty of making life and death decisions.

2024 • People

38:28

Seven million Pepsi Points to win a fighter jet? It should have been impossible. But 20-year-old John Leonard sees the ad in 1995 - and finds a loophole.

S1E1 • Pepsi, Where's My Jet? • People

49:59

The Sixth Episode features some major players from war and peace, from east and west. From inventors who have changed the way we live and fight to artists who have given us reasons to do both, we count through 35 to 24 and cover some of the most influential and infamous people who made the twentieth century – a long reigning monarch, a murderous dictator and the “father of the Atom Bomb”. Quite a mixture!

S1E6 • The 101 People who Made the 20th Century • 2016 • People