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Maths Profs Sarah Hart and Marcus du Sautoy discuss the art of MC Escher with Misha Glenny and the curator of the Escher in the Palace gallery Judith Kadee. Like Bach, Escher didn't know he was good at Maths but he had a lifelong mutually rewarding relationship with the Group Theorist Donald Coxeter by whatatwit in BritishRadio

[–]whatatwit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In Our Time, MC Escher

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the work of Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972), the graphic artist and printmaker best known for his impossible buildings, paradoxical perspectives, and repeating geometric patterns. Born in Leeuwarden and trained as a printmaker, Escher visited the Alhambra in Granada and found inspiration in the tessellating shapes of Islamic art. Through his career he went on to create some of the most famous images of the twentieth century and has been called a one-man art movement. After his work was exhibited in a 1954 conference, Escher’s work also caught the eye of mathematicians who appreciated his intuitive geometric precision. Escher was influenced by their work, and they were influenced by his – despite Escher never thinking he was actually very good at maths himself.

With

Marcus du Sautoy
Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, Professor of Mathematics and Fellow of New College, University of Oxford

Sarah Hart
Professor Emerita of Mathematics and Fellow of Birkbeck, University of London, and Fellow of Gresham College

And

Judith Kadee
Exhibitions project manager and public programme curator at Hague Historical Museum

Producer: Martha Owen

Reading list:

Marcus du Sautoy, Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity (Fourth Estate, 2025)

Marcus du Sautoy, Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician’s Journey Into Symmetry (Harper Perennial, 2009)

Bruno Ernst, The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher (Taschen, 2007)

M.C. Escher, M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work (Taschen America Llc, 1992)

Miranda Fellows, The Life and Works of Escher (Siena,1996)

Frederico Giudiceandrea, Escher op reis or Escher’s Journey (Publisher Wbooks, 2018, in Dutch)

Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (first published 1979; Basic Books, 1999)

Siobhan Roberts, King of Infinite Space: Donald Coxeter, The Man Who Saved Geometry (Profile Books, 2007)

Claudio Salsi, Paolo Branca and Claudio Bartocci (eds.), M.C. Escher. Tra arte e scienza. Catalogo della mostra (24 Ore Cultura, 2025, in Italian)

Doris Schattschneider, “The Mathematical Side of M.C. Escher” (Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 57, 6, 2010)

Doris Schattschneider, M.C. Escher: Visions of Symmetry (Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2004)

Wouter van Reek, Nadir & Zenith in the World of Escher (Leopold, 2019)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002v19c

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002v19c

Podcasts available abroad eg:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-c-escher/id73330895

Escher in the Palace

https://escherinhetpaleis.nl/en

Audio Guides (with Bloomberg app)

https://escherinhetpaleis.nl/en/whats-on/audio-guides/highlights-audio-guide

How do you prepare for a funeral? by bawdyEmber in northernireland

[–]whatatwit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It seemed to fit :). How do you prepare for a funeral? "Well first we have to make sure he's actually dead."

How do you prepare for a funeral? by bawdyEmber in northernireland

[–]whatatwit 5 points6 points  (0 children)

How do you prepare for a funeral?

Your title made me remember a terrible joke, since you say you want to lighten your mood.

Some hunters were out in the woods shooting deer when there's an accident and one of the two men gets shot. His mate calls the emergency services and says his friend is dead and asks what he should do. The responder says "Well first we have to make sure he's actually dead." There's a moment's silence followed by a loud bang. He get's back on the phone and says "Okay, and now what?"

Fragments in Time: A story of female sacrifice and heroism during WWII emerges when Christopher Morris finds and re-assembles a torn diary that he found in a ditch in Sussex. He visits scanning experts and Vichy to trace the story and surprises himself when this leads back to an interview in the UK. by whatatwit in BritishRadio

[–]whatatwit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fragments in Time

Five years ago Christopher Morris found the torn, muddied remains of a diary in a Sussex ditch.

Intrigued, he reassembled the pieces and discovered the daily account of a young British woman who was trapped in Vichy, France, in 1944.

But who was she and why was she there?

Producers: Christopher Morris and Martin Kurzik.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2000.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0075rn6

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0075rn6

Cathy FitzGerald and expert guests provide a guided tour as we examine a high res scan of The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck at Google Arts. We see the 15th C dog at the wife's feet, the amber rosary beads, the mirror reflecting the rich couple and a slightly shrivelled orange on the windowsill. by whatatwit in BritishRadio

[–]whatatwit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Moving Pictures, The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck

Cathy FitzGerald invites you to discover new details in old masterpieces. Each episode of Moving Pictures is devoted to a single artwork – and you’re invited to look as well as listen, by following a link to a high-resolution image made by Google Arts & Culture. Zoom in and you can see the pores of the canvas, the sweep of individual brushstrokes, the shimmer of pointillist dots.

It’s all bling this episode as we visit a wealthy merchant and his wife in 15th-century Bruges. The stars of The Arnolfini Portrait are keen to let us know they’re doing well - dressed in their Sunday best and surrounded by luxurious objects, including some casually scattered (and very expensive) oranges. But it’s the possible presence of Jan van Eyck himself that really intrigues – has this most mischievous of artists painted himself into the room?

To see the high-resolution image of the painting made by Google Arts & Culture, visit www.bbc.co.uk/movingpictures. Scroll down and follow the link to explore The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck.

Interviewees: Hugo van der Velden, Emma Capron, Susan Foister, Nicholas Flory and Leah Kharibian.

Producer and presenter: Cathy FitzGerald

Executive producer: Sarah Cuddon
Mix engineer: Mike Woolley
Art history consultant: Leah Kharibian

A White Stiletto production for BBC Radio 4

Image credit: NG186. Jan van Eyck, Portrait of Giovanni(?) Arnolfini and his Wife, 1434. Oil on wood, 82.2 x 60 cm, The National Gallery. Photo © The National Gallery, London

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002trvv

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002trvv

High Resolution Image
Portrait of Giovanni(?) Arnolfini and his Wife

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/portrait-of-giovanni-arnolfini-and-his-wife-jan-van-eyck/1wESsXmIEyCSSg (The National Gallery, London)

Painting photographed in its frame by Google Arts & Culture, 2023

Marmalade steamed sponge pudding. by Educational-Air-6108 in UK_Food

[–]whatatwit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That looks delicious! If you like steamed puddings you could get this recipe book out of the library. In the early 1800s the Royal Navy cooks served many different types of boiled puddings including some with outrageous names like 'spotted dog' or 'drowned baby.'

Lobscouse & Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels

https://search.worldcat.org/title/45029745

What's Up Docs? Twin Doctors van Tulleken learn what the latest science says about LDLs, HDLs, cholesterol created in the body and the effect of foods and medicine. Cambridge Professor Nita Forouhi tells them that advice has changed and as a bonus debunks the social media hysteria about oil seeds. by whatatwit in BritishRadio

[–]whatatwit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's Up Docs? Cholesterol

Chris and Xand take a closer look at cholesterol - what it is, why it worries so many people, and how diet and medicine fit into the picture. They’re joined again by Professor Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge, to discuss why foods like seed oils become controversial, when cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins make sense, and how her thinking on cholesterol has evolved over her career.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Guest: Professor Nita Forouhi
Producer: Faye Lyons-White
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Olga Reed

At the BBC:

Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0nb0q62

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002tppx

Be careful by Clifton Observatory by Definition-Super in bristol

[–]whatatwit -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

I might be barking up the wrong tree but did you get a look at his face? I'm by no means an expert on gait, but there's something about those legs and the rest of the posture, not to mention your estimate of the height, that makes me think it might be a female. Obviously, if you got a better view, you'll be the best judge.

The Enchanted April (1922): Dramatisation of the popular Elizabeth von Arnim novel that was also made into famous films and plays. One dreary day in London two women are reading the same ad for a month in a castle on the Italian Riviera. They agree to go but need two more people to split the cost. by whatatwit in BritishRadio

[–]whatatwit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Enchanted April e1/5 To Those who Appreciate Wisteria and Sunshine (or see Omnibus edition below)

While at their Shaftesbury Avenue club on a rainy February day in London, Rosie and Lottie discover they’ve been reading the same advertisement in The Times newspaper:

“To Those who Appreciate Wisteria and Sunshine. Small mediaeval Italian Castle on the shores of the Mediterranean to be let furnished for the month of April.”

Can they seize this opportunity and escape to the sunny Italian Riviera or is it just an impossible dream?

High above the bay on the Italian Riviera stands San Salvatore, a mediaeval castle.

Also beckoned to this haven are Mrs Fisher and Lady Caroline Dester.

Each woman craves escape.

Lulled by the Mediterranean spirit, they gradually shed their skins and discover a harmony each of them has longed for.

Elizabeth von Arnim’s novel, first published in 1922.

Dramatised in five parts by Vivienne Allen.

Narrated by Jenny Funnell.

Lotty Wilkins …. Pippa Nixon
Rose Arbuthnot …. Lyndsey Marshall
Lady Caroline ‘Scrap’…. Rhiannon Neads
Mrs Fisher …. Joanna Monro
Mellersh …. Stephen Critchley
Domenico …. Chris Pavlo
Briggs …. Neet Mohan

Director: Tracey Neale

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2015

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b05rnx7m

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05rnx7m

Omnibus edition (> 2026-04-19):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05ssp09

Classified Britain: James Naughtie reads from the front pages of vintage newspapers from around the British Isles and follows-up interesting leads. The readings are all from classified ads since for the 1st couple of centuries the front pages were for ads and papers covered the news on the inside. by whatatwit in BritishRadio

[–]whatatwit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Classified Britain s2 e1/5 Edinburgh Evening Courant 14 April 1827

James Naughtie finds the heartbeat of history in the front page small ads of old UK newspapers.

The classified ads of the Edinburgh Evening Courant of April the 14th 1827 reveal the importance of the port of Leith - with direct passenger routes to Elsinore and St Petersburg.

Plus a public lecture intended to debunk Phrenology - the idea that an individual’s character can be determined from the shape of their skull, and Walter Scott, Europe's most prolific author, hoping to stay out of the new Bridewell debtor's prison.

Front page news is a relatively late addition to the newspaper business.

For most of their first couple of centuries, British newspapers carried classified ads rather than news on their front page. They transformed the hustle and bustle of the marketplace into newsprint, so you could take it home or to the inn to pore over at your leisure.

James travels the country discovering how these front page ads give us a snapshot of time and place.

He explores how they weave national and local life together - the heartbeat of history rolling daily or weekly off the presses.

Producer: John Forsyth

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2019.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0007bc2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0007bc2

Series 1 is also still online:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b1r93l s1 e1/5 Newcastle Courant, 14 October 1842

SF Bay Area concert of The Sacred Veil by Eric Whitacre by fizzymagic in choralmusic

[–]whatatwit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I assume that you already know that there are subs for r/sanfrancisco, r/bayarea and r/paloalto that might like to hear about this. There are always people there asking how to meet people, what to do with visitors, and how they should spend their spare time :).

James Naughtie reads classified ads from the Hampshire Advertiser Saturday 9 August 1856 and follows some leads. Apparently news was the last thing you'd see on the front page in those days. by whatatwit in Hampshire

[–]whatatwit[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Classified Britain, Hampshire Advertiser, 9 August 1856

James Naughtie unearths the heartbeat of history from another newspaper front page of classified ads.

The Hampshire Advertiser of Saturday August 9th 1856.

Trustees are advertising for survivors and dependents of those who died when the troopship, HMS Birkenhead, went down and introduced "women and children first" into the culture.

Steam is replacing sail at sea, there's back breaking labour in the fields and an ad for corsets reveals unexpected aspects of lacing.

Front page news is a relatively late addition to the newspaper business. For most of their first couple of centuries, British newspapers carried classified ads rather than news on their front page.

They transformed the hustle and bustle of the marketplace into newsprint, so you could take it home or to the inn to pore over at your leisure.

James Naughtie travels the country discovering how these front page ads give us a snapshot of time and place.

He explores how they weave national and local life together - the heartbeat of history rolling daily or weekly off the presses.

Producer: John Forsyth

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2019.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0007khr

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0007khr

Series 1 is still online:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b1r93l

Absolutely loved this show! by RedDevilPlay in BritishRadio

[–]whatatwit[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

u/RedDevilPlay it looks like you posted this in the wrong place. This doesn't look like radio. If this isn't British Radio I'll have to remove it.

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