In the episode, Thomas Dixon introduces the history of emotions, showing the complex nature of our emotions and how they have developed culturally.

Learn more about The History of Emotions: A Very Short Introduction here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-history-of-emotions-a-very-short-introduction-9780198818298

Thomas Dixon is Professor of History and Director of the Centre for the History of the Emotions at Queen Mary University of London. His research and teaching explore the intellectual and cultural histories of passions, emotions, love, altruism, tears, and weeping, especially in Britain.

Subscribe to The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In this episode, David Bender introduces nutrition, a topic of interest to us all as we try to live healthier lives but one which can prove confusing due to the wealth of information and misinformation available to us.

Learn more about Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/nutrition-a-very-short-introduction-9780199681921

David Bender is Emeritus Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry, University College London. He has authored and co-authored several texts on nutrition and his research interests have been in the field of amino acid and vitamin nutritional biochemistry.

Subscribe to The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In this episode, Karen Radner introduces Ancient Assyria, a kingdom which grew to be geographically vast, socially diverse, and multicultural.

Learn more about Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/ancient-assyria-a-very-short-introduction-9780198715900

Karen Radner holds the Alexander von Humboldt Chair of the Ancient History of the Near and Middle East at LMU Munich. Her research focuses on the Assyrian Empire. Her numerous books include the five-volume Oxford History of the Ancient Near East (Oxford University Press, 2020-2023) as well as editions of cuneiform text archives from Iraq, Syria and Turkey. She currently directs archaeological excavations at Assur, an UNESCO world heritage site in northern Iraq.

Subscribe to The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In this episode, Jonathan Slack introduces stem cells and how they can be used in the treatment of a range of diseases.

Learn more about Stem Cells: A Very Short Introduction here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/stem-cells-a-very-short-introduction-9780198869290

Jonathan Slack is Emeritus Professor at the University of Bath and the University of Minnesota. His work specialises in embryonic development and stem cell biology, and while working for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund he discovered the first inducing factor controlling embryonic development. He is also the author of Genes: A Very Short Introduction (2023, OUP).

Subscribe to The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In this episode, Ian Stewart introduces the concept of infinity and discusses its application to mathematics, science, and everyday life.

Learn more about Infinity: A Very Short Introduction here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/infinity-a-very-short-introduction-9780198755234

Ian Stewart is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Warwick University. He is a well-known and highly successful writer on mathematics and its applications and has authored over 80 books including Symmetry: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2013), and the bestselling series The Science of Discworld I, II, III, and IV with Terry Pratchett and Jack Cohen.

Subscribe to The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In this episode, Philip Mladenov introduces marine biology, a field whose importance is ever growing as our oceans undergo rapid and profound changes due to human influence.

Learn more about Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/marine-biology-a-very-short-introduction-9780198841715

Philip Mladenov has 40 years of professional experience in marine and environmental research, teaching and exploration and is retired from his position of Professor of Marine Science at the University of Otago. He has worked with government agencies, politicians, and large companies to build awareness and strategic responses to climate change, environmental degradation, and resource over-exploitation.

Subscribe to The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In the first episode of Season 6, Ian Goldin introduces development, the process by which nations escape poverty and achieve economic and social progress. This crucial process has been the subject of extensive examination for hundreds of years.

Learn more about Development: A Very Short Introduction here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/development-a-very-short-introduction-9780198736257

Ian Goldin is Director of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, and Professor of Globalisation and Development. From 2001 to 2006, he was Vice President of the World Bank and the Bank’s Director of Development Policy, and following the end of apartheid, Ian was economic adviser to President Mandela.

Subscribe to The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In the final episode of Season 5, Daniel Haybron introduces the emotion most of us aspire to have—happiness—and how our pursuit of it impacts our well-being.

Learn more about “Happiness: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/happiness-a-very-short-introduction-9780199590605

Daniel Haybron is is the Theodore R. Vitali C.P. Professor of Philosophy at Saint Louis University. His research focuses on ethics, psychology and political philosophy, particularly issues of well-being. He is the author of The Pursuit of Unhappiness: The Elusive Psychology of Well-Being.

Follow The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In this episode, Charles Barr introduces British cinema, the home of Ealing Studios and Alfred Hitchcock, and delves into its global significance.

Learn more about “British Cinema: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/british-cinema-a-very-short-introduction-9780199688333

Charles Barr worked for many years at the University of East Anglia, helping to develop one of the first UK programmes in Film Studies at graduate and undergraduate level and is currently Emeritus Professor at the University of East Anglia.

Follow The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press

In this episode, Michelle Baddeley explores behavioural economics, a field that allows us to understand our own decision-making processes and how this can impact our financial behaviour.

Learn more about “Behavioural Economics: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/behavioural-economics-a-very-short-introduction-9780198754992

Michelle Baddeley is an expert in behavioural economics and behavioural finance. She is currently a Professor in Economics, the UTS Business School’s Associate Dean Research and the Director of the Centre for Livelihoods and Wellbeing (CLAW).

Follow The Very Short Introductions Podcast on:

© Oxford University Press