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David Runciman

The History of Ideas Podcast
with David Runciman

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A bi-weekly podcast exploring the history of ideas from politics to philosophy, science to fiction.

Latest episode

Forensics on Trial

16 August 2026

00:00 / 01:04

In today’s episode David talks to forensic anthropologist Sue Black about what happens when forensic science and forensic expertise end up on trial in the courtroom. When and how did scientists get involved in the business of criminal prosecution? What changed with the advent of DNA testing? Is the adversarial system the best way of testing scientific evidence? Can a jury distinguish between good science, bad science and junk science? And what might have gone wrong in the case of Lucy Letby?

Sue Black’s An Expert Witness is available now wherever you get your books https://bit.ly/45hcTge

Out now on PPF+: a final bad ideas bonus episode in which geneticist and science writer Adam Rutherford explains what’s wrong with genealogy: why does wanting to know where we come from lead us down so many blind alleys? To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up to PPF+ now https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus

You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus upcoming events and full lists of all episodes including PPF+ bonus episodes on our website https://www.ppfideas.com

Next time a brand-new series: The Lives of the Philosophers

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More episodes

The History of Bad Ideas: Overdiagnosis

12 August 2026

00:00 / 01:04

The History of Bad Ideas: Short-Form Video

9 August 2026

00:00 / 01:04

The History of Bad Ideas: Decadence

5 August 2026

00:00 / 01:04

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