Celebrity Big Brother recently returned to our screens, another programme in the long list that catapults people to the heights of fame. But has it always been this way? In this podcast Dr Angie Hobbs, Department of Philosophy, explains that in the past people were only famous for acts of heroism, bravery or extreme creativity. How did people gain fame and notoriety before the advent of reality television and the internet? What are the views of philosophers such as Plato?

In helping academics to overcome the challenges of impact and engagement, some universities are setting up digital centres to distribute useful resources and guidance. Eleanor Lovell discusses the University of Warwick’s Knowledge Centre and the ways it seeks to assist academics in increasing their impact.

Professor Robert Jackson from the University of Warwick expressed concerns at a conference this week that cuts and policy changes by the government had marginalised Religious Education in schools.

A protester disrupted Rupert Murdoch's appearance before MPs, allegedly attacking the media tycoon with an improvised custard pie. According to Baz Kershaw, professor of performance at Warwick University, such stunts tap into a centuries-old mechanism for mocking those in positions of authority.

In the wake of the News of the World phone hacking scandal Professor Wyn Grant from the Department of Politics and International Studies discusses the political fallout for David Cameron, the police and the newspaper industry itself.