HG Wells, Utopias, Paraphernalia
Thinking Allowed
BBC
4.4 • 997 Ratings
🗓️ 15 June 2011
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
HG Wells was so involved in establishing sociology in this country that he wrote to Prime Minister Balfour to ask for a special endowment so he could give up on his novels. His emphasis was on utopias, he felt that social science could only progress if an ideal version of society was created with which to compare our own. He lost his battle but the sociologist Ruth Levitas tells Laurie that sociology has become boring and that Wells was right! Also, some everyday things - keys, combs, glasses - have the ability to enchant or absorb. Laurie Taylor talks to Steven Connor and Michael Bywater about how paraphernalia can have an almost magical power. Producer: Charlie Taylor.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, |
| 0:06.0 | the Science of Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that karma place within. |
| 0:27.0 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:32.0 | My name is Annie Matt Manas. |
| 0:33.0 | And my name is Nick Grimshaw. |
| 0:35.0 | How long have we known each other, babe? |
| 0:37.0 | Probably 20 years now. |
| 0:38.0 | And in that time, we've always worked in and around music, right? |
| 0:42.0 | You have. |
| 0:43.0 | So it kind of makes sense that we do a podcast better. |
| 0:45.0 | It sounds like he's been 20 years in the making. |
| 0:47.0 | It's not Avatars are for podcasts, basically. |
| 0:49.0 | But it is good. |
| 0:50.0 | So we put the world to write with regards to music. |
| 0:53.0 | It's all the stuff that you'd want to chat to your mate about over a pint. |
| 0:56.0 | Sidetracked with us Annie and Nick. |
| 0:59.0 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 1:01.0 | This is a Thinking Loud Podcast from the BBC and for more details in our terms of use |
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