Aerolite
Philip Marsden explores the story of man鈥檚 relationship with metals in a journey that takes him from his childhood rock-hunting in Somerset to the search for gold in Georgia.
Philip Marsden鈥檚 passion for rocks dates back to his boyhood, when he first discovered the excitement of searching for crystals and fossils. In Under a Metal Sky, he takes us on a captivating journey across Europe through the story of metals, revealing how they became an engine of culture, trade and technology that changed our relationship with the natural world.
In the fourth episode, Philip visits Prague and investigates the history of alchemy. In Prague Castle, he explores the mineral collection of the 16th-century Habsburg ruler Rudolf II, who lived at a time when the line between magic and science was still blurred. The precious stones in his collection were thought to be a source of power and a source of life.
Those beliefs in alchemy were discredited in the scientific revolution that followed. But did we lose a useful way of interpreting the world at the same time?
Read by Adrian Lukis
Produced and Abridged by Jo Glanville
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Studio Engineer: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for 大象传媒 Radio 4
Last on
Broadcasts
- Yesterday 11:45大象传媒 Radio 4
- Today 00:30大象传媒 Radio 4