Understand
BBC Radio 4NEW in Understand: How Reading Made Us
Did learning to read rewire our brains and change the way we live today? And with reading on the decline, what does this mean for our ability to think? With writer James Marriott.
Understand from BBC Radio 4 - unravelling the complexities of the biggest stories and subjects that really matter right now.
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 83 | Founded | 4 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | NewsGovernmentPolitics | |||
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Latest Episodes
Learning to read permanently alters your brain. It changes the emotions you experience and the way you relate to others. When a society learns to read the consequences are dramatic: wars break out, revolutions erupt and new political systems spring i... more
Reading seems an unremarkable skill. When we say something is as “easy as ABC”, we mean it is very easy indeed. In fact, learning to read has dramatic and irreversible consequences for people and for societies. Learning to read permanently alters you... more
Reading seems an unremarkable skill. After all, everyone can read. Even small children. When we say something is as “easy as ABC”, we mean it is very easy indeed. In fact, learning to read has dramatic and irreversible consequences for people and for... more
The story of how reading made us and what might happen if we stop - with James Marriott.
Key Facts
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Reviews
- Tim Hayward or Tim Harford?
The show is billed as one Tim on the BBC podcast menu and show description, however it’s actually by another Tim, regardless it’s an excellent show!
Apple Podcasts5Eldo19998
United Kingdom9 months ago How to rate Understand? It consists of multiple series, each of varying quality, but usually above average. The same can be said of its individual episodes. The aim of Understand is to document the UK's post- Cold War consensus and resultant decline. Post-WW1, it was called the Great Depression, and Churchill kicked Britain out of that. After WW2, it was unionised sclerosis, and Thatcher kicked Britain out of that. Following the collapse of communism, it's mass immigration and the return to squa... more
Podchaser49 months agoAPODiatristI would describe this show as fast-paced, breezy, and chipper. I listened to three of the four series they put out, and I only really got anything out of the one about the history of Israel and Palestine. The others were too quick and superficial. I think you could get more out of reading the Wikipedia page about any of these topics than you will from the 10-minute episode about it. There are better tech or political explainers out there.
Podchaser32 years agoSarah B- Israel & Palestine
This is a really helpful foundation and bite size review of the history of the region. Thank you to those involved.
Apple Podcasts5iWilloUnited Kingdom2 years ago - Great show!
Very informative and enjoyable. Thank you.
Apple Podcasts5do di cho
Australia3 years ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #73 | United Kingdom/News/Politics |
Apple Podcasts | #168 | United Kingdom/News |
Apple Podcasts | #91 |  France/News/Politics |
Apple Podcasts | #184 |  Germany/News/Politics |
Apple Podcasts | #219 | Australia/News/Politics |
Apple Podcasts | #30 |  Singapore/News/Politics |
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | Gender Skew | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interests | Professions | Age Range | |||
| Household Income | Social Media Reach | ||||
Frequently Asked Questions About Understand
What is Understand about and what kind of topics does it cover?
A BBC Radio 4 program that explains big, complex topics through clear storytelling and expert interviews. Recent episodes cover politics, history, economics, and democracy, often weaving in contemporary issues with historical context to help listeners grasp how institutions, policies, and ideas shape daily life. The show tends to favor accessible explanations, data-backed insights, and human-interest angles, making it appealing to curious, civically engaged audiences who want bite-sized, thought-provoking conversations without jargon.
Where can I find podcast stats for Understand?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Understand. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Understand and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Understand get?
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What are the audience demographics for Understand?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Understand, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Understand have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Understand has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Understand?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Understand:
1. More or Less
2. Sliced Bread
3. Radical with Amol Rajan
4. The Briefing Room
5. Sideways
How many episodes of Understand are there?
Understand launched 4 years ago and published 83 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Understand?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Understand?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Understand from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Understand?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Understand. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Understand?
Recent guests on Understand include:
1. Jung Chang
2. Sarah Maxwell
3. Maryanne Wolf
4. Douglas Brinkley
5. Gül Dölen
6. Eugenia Bone
7. Katrin Preller
8. Lucie Berkovitch
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.