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In the 1660s, Isaac Newton sat alone in the dark… and slid a needle behind his eyeball — not out of madness, but to unlock the secrets of light.

Centuries earlier, Homer described the ocean not as blue, but “wine-dark.” In fact, in the Iliad and the Odyssey, the colour blue doesn’t exist. It’s never mentioned. Not once.

That strange absence haunted William Gladstone. As a scholar—and Prime Minister—he scoured the ancient world’s most sacred texts: the Bible, the Vedas, the Koran. Still no blue. Only the Egyptians, obsessed with the afterlife, spoke of it — as if they alone could see it. Why?

Because colour isn’t just in the world. It’s in the mind. Filtered through the fragile lenses of our eyes. Shaped by evolution. Warped by biology. You see three cones of colour. A dog sees two. A Mantis shrimp sees sixteen!

The truth is chilling: we don’t see the world as it is — only as we’re built to perceive it. This is the story of a colour that didn’t exist... until we learned to name it.

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High above the clouds, where the air thins and every step is a battle, two men vanished into legend."

 In June 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine set out to conquer the unconquerable — the summit of Mount Everest — armed with little more than grit, woolen coats, and an indomitable spirit."
 "They were last seen alive, climbing high into the mist, agonizingly close to the top... and then — nothing.

 For nearly a century, the question has haunted mountaineers and historians alike: did Mallory and Irvine reach the summit before they disappeared into Everest’s icy silence? Did they make history — or become its greatest mystery?"
 "Today, we retrace their final, fateful steps... through clues left frozen in time, through rumors of missing cameras, vanished photographs, and the ghost stories whispered on the Roof of the World.

 "This is the story of ambition, sacrifice — and a mystery that refuses to die."

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He had the jawline of a movie star, the charm of a matinee idol, and the pedigree of American royalty. But John Fitzgerald Kennedy was more than just a handsome face — he was a war hero, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and the youngest man ever elected President of the United States.

He was the golden boy — but behind the perfect smile and polished speeches, he lived a life built on contradictions. He saved lives in the Pacific, but couldn't rescue the Bay of Pigs. He stared down the Soviets in the Cuban Missile Crisis, yet couldn’t control the chaos at home — or in his private life. There were whispers of affairs with starlets and spies, and shadows that followed him to the Oval Office.

This is the story of JFK: the myth, the man, and the secrets he took to the grave.

In this episode of Rearview Mirror Chronicles, we dive into the contradictions, the courage, and the chaos. This is the story of JFK: legend, leader, and the man who captured the world’s imagination… even as he struggled to hold onto his own.

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They say he died in the fourteenth century. But his tomb was empty. No body. No bones. Just silence.

Nicholas Flamel—a name etched into dusty grimoires and whispered in secret circles. A medieval scribe who, legend claims, unlocked the secrets of the Philosopher’s Stone. Gold from lead. Life from death. Immortality.

For over six centuries, he’s been spotted across Europe—unchanged. Ageless. Watching. Join Keith as he opens the ancient doors and steps into the shadows, where fact and fable bleed together. Was Flamel just a clever man with a good story? Or did he truly conquer death… and vanish into alchemical darkness?

Light your candle. Hold your breath. The hunt for the undying alchemist begins.

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How depraved was Caligula? More than Tiberius? How monstrous was Nero? The dark reputations of these emperors owe a great deal to the Roman writer Suetonius, whose 121 AD work, "Lives of the Caesars" offered intimate portraits of 12 rulers of Rome - from Julius Caesar to Domitian. 

Join Keith as he interviews historian and podcaster Tom Holland who has just produced a new translation of the "Lives", as he speaks about the profound influence of Suetonius' work on today's society - and whether it's an example of ancient fake news.  

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In the dead of night on November 7, 1974, Lord Lucan vanished without a trace after the brutal murder of his children's nanny, Sandra Rivett, in a case that gripped Britain like a thriller novel come to life. Was this aristocratic gambler a cold-blooded killer who took his own life to escape justice—or did he disappear into a world of shadows, aided by a cabal of elite friends, slipping away to live under an assumed identity in far-off lands? In today’s episode, we dive into one of the most tantalizing mysteries of the 20th century—piecing together sightings, secrets, and whispers that refuse to die.

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Today’s journey takes us deep into the heart of Africa – a continent rich in culture, but ravaged by the forces of empire, greed… and the struggle for humanity.

Sir John Henderson – the nobleman who was a slave. Richard Oswald – Politician and slaver, and Dr. David Livingstone – the missionary, explorer, and abolitionist, whose footsteps carved both legend and controversy across the continent.

These men didn’t just witness history – they shaped it. Some with chains. Some with words. And one, perhaps, with a conscience too large for the age.

So buckle in, as we follow their stories across deserts and rivers, palaces and slave forts – uncovering how Scotland’s fingerprints were left on Africa’s darkest and most redemptive pages.

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Welcome back to Rearview Mirror Chronicles! Last time, we explored J.R.R. Tolkien’s early life and the war that shaped him. Now, we turn to The Lord of the Rings—a story born from his experiences of battle, loss, and faith.

The trenches of World War I echo in the battlefields of Middle-earth, while his Catholic beliefs infuse the story with themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the corrupting power of the One Ring. Yet, despite its deep roots in tradition, Tolkien’s epic found an unlikely following in the 1960s counterculture movement, embraced by hippies as an anti-establishment, nature-loving manifesto.

But The Lord of the Rings isn’t just a product of its time—it’s still profoundly relevant today. In a world grappling with power, war, and moral choices, it reminds us that even the smallest acts of courage can change everything.

Let’s return to Middle-earth and uncover the deeper meanings behind Tolkien’s masterpiece.

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In the quiet corners of a small English town, in the flickering glow of candlelight, a boy loses himself in the pages of myth and legend—unaware that one day, his own words will shape the greatest fantasy saga ever written.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien… a name that would one day transport millions to the lands of elves, dwarves, and dragons. But before Middle-earth, before the One Ring, before the sweeping battles and the lore that would captivate generations, there was simply a young man—a scholar, a soldier, a lover of words—who lived through war, loss, and great friendships… all of which would one day find their way into his stories.

And then, one fateful summer, a single sentence appeared on a blank page—words that would change fantasy literature forever:

‘In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.’

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Picture this: A sun-scorched island in the heart of the Mediterranean. A desperate band of knights, vastly outnumbered, stands against the might of an empire. It is the year 1565, and the Ottoman war machine—30,000 strong—has arrived on the shores of Malta, determined to wipe the Knights of St. John off the face of the earth. But what follows is not just a battle—it is one of the most ferocious and awe-inspiring sieges in history. For four months, against impossible odds, the defenders of Malta held firm, fighting tooth and nail for survival.

How did they do it? What made this tiny fortress island the linchpin of Europe’s defense? And why is the Great Siege of Malta still remembered as one of the most astonishing last stands of all time?

Join Keith as he peels back the pages of history to bring you the greatest story of resilience, strategy, and sheer human will. This is the Siege of Malta—1565