94. Small Giants
Matthew Syed explores how the tiniest items can hold the biggest ideas, and why we shrink the most important people, monuments and icons down to pocket-sized replicas.
David McGurk had a childhood love of action figures. Something that he and Matthew Syed, and probably most of us, share. But David and his brother went a step further - they started making their own makeshift figures from soap and cheap glue.
But it wasn’t until family tragedy struck as an adult that the memory of his brother’s creativity returned and inspired David to become a professional miniature figure-maker, with a quirky eye for his subject matter.
From miniature busts of emperors, to the mystery of tiny canoes in the British Museum, Matthew Syed uncovers the big messages and emotions that can be distilled in the tiniest of objects.
With contributions from artist David McGurk; Jack Davy, anthropologist and a curator at the Natural History Museum in London; and Lambros Malafouris, Professor of Cognitive and Anthropological Archaeology at the University of Oxford.
Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Production Manager: Joe Savage
Sound Design and Engineering: Nicholas Alexander
Theme tune by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
Featuring archive from: Mattel’s He-Man, Skeletor, and Castle Grayskull 1984 TV advert
On radio
Broadcasts
- Wednesday09:00BBC Radio 4
- Next Friday16:30BBC Radio 4
Sideways - Articles
Features on some of the fascinating topics from Sideways with Matthew Syed.
My last 5p: How one homeless man’s generosity led to him marrying the love of his life
How one act of generosity can have profound consequences.
Why we all need an alter ego
Matthew Syed looks at how adopting an alter ego can help us all to access confidence.
What's the secret of making a smash hit pop song?
Exploring the success of Max Martin, the behind-the-scenes genius behind 22 No.1 hits.
Podcast
![]()
Sideways
Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives, making us see the world differently.
