Understand Podcast
NEW in Understand - An American Journey
James Naughtie examines the ideas tying America's founding to the modern United States.
Understand from BBC Radio 4 - unravelling the complexities of the biggest stories and subjects that really matter right now.
Episodes to download
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3. Establishing Justice—An American Journey
Last Monday
3/4How has 'justice' been understood by different generations of Americans?
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5. The Bush Doctrine—US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines
Fri 23 Jan 2026
5/5How the September 11 attacks led to conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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4. The Reagan Doctrine—US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines
Thu 22 Jan 2026
4/5How US policy changed towards the Soviet Union and the challenge of communism.
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3. The Nixon Doctrine—US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines
Wed 21 Jan 2026
3/5How did the Vietnam War change America’s foreign policy?
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2. The Truman Doctrine—US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines
Tue 20 Jan 2026
2/5What impact did WWII have on US policy towards the rest of the world?
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1. The Pursuit of Happiness—An American Journey
Mon 19 Jan 2026
1/4How have Americans understood the connection between economic and democratic freedom?
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1. The Monroe Doctrine—US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines
Mon 19 Jan 2026
1/5What is the 1823 doctrine, and how has it been used since by US presidents?
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Trailer—US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines
Fri 16 Jan 2026
1/5Justin Webb looks at five big US foreign policy shifts, from Monroe to Trump.
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10. Unknown unknowns—The Trip
Mon 1 Sep 2025
10/10What more is there to learn about psychedelics? Tim Hayward makes a case for curiosity.
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9. Sacred plants for sale—The Trip
Mon 1 Sep 2025
9/10Who stands to profit from the commercialisation of psychedelics?
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8. A tipping point?—The Trip
Mon 11 Aug 2025
8/10Significant barriers exist for research looking at psychedelics. Is that about to change?
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7. Fascination and taboo—The Trip
Mon 11 Aug 2025
7/10Psychedelic drugs have a chequered history. How did wonder turn to fear?
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6. Critical periods—The Trip
Mon 11 Aug 2025
6/10Can psychedelics help the brain to learn things anew?
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1. Altered States—The Trip
Mon 4 Aug 2025
1/10Tim Hayward looks at the science, culture, history - and future - of psychedelics.
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5. Message in a bottle—The Trip
Mon 4 Aug 2025
5/10Tim Hayward travels into the past to better understand today’s psychedelic research.
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4. Looking for a cure—The Trip
Mon 4 Aug 2025
4/10Tim Hayward investigates why people are travelling abroad seeking a psychedelic cure.
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3. Stranger things—The Trip
Mon 4 Aug 2025
3/10Tim Hayward visits the outer reaches of cutting edge psychedelic research.
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2. When the drugs take hold—The Trip
Mon 4 Aug 2025
2/10Tim Hayward investigates the anatomy of a trip.
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Introducing The Trip—The Trip
Wed 30 Jul 2025
1/10Tim Hayward looks at the science, history - and future - of psychedelics.
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9. You Can Do One—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Thu 24 Jul 2025
9/10Rishi Sunak is faced with the decision of what to do about HS2's future.
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8. Help I’m Under a Digger—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Wed 23 Jul 2025
8/10HS2 begins building, and environmental protestors make their presence felt
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7. Gold Plated—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Tue 22 Jul 2025
7/10HS2's contracts with major firms become a new focus for critics.
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6. The Only Friend that Mattered—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Mon 21 Jul 2025
6/10As HS2 faces fresh threats, a new prime minister steps in.
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5. Worry About the Detail Later—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Fri 18 Jul 2025
5/10Dissent grows within HS2 itself.
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4. Well Done Geoffrey—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Thu 17 Jul 2025
4/10Costs mount as compromises with protesting locals are struck
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3. That can’t be right—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Wed 16 Jul 2025
3/10Protest groups begin to organise as the line's route is announced.
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2. Mutually assured exaggeration—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Tue 15 Jul 2025
2/10HS2 makes its case to ministers, but fault lines rapidly emerge.
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1. The Railwayman—Derailed: The Story of HS2
Mon 14 Jul 2025
1/10HS2's story begins with a blank piece of paper.
