Woman's Hour Folgen

What do our first names really say about us? More than you might think, according to Dr Jane Pilcher, Associate Professor at the University of Leicester. She claims that our names often reveal important clues about our age, social class and ethnicity that might affect the way that we are treated by other people. She joins Jane, along with name expert and the founder of the British Baby Names website, Eleanor Nickerson to discuss what's in a name.How has this classic British name become synonymous with being middle of the road? The actor Jane Asher turned 71 earlier this month and was born in the year that Jane entered the UK top 50. Jane Brody celebrated her 30th birthday last week and was born the year after Jane stopped being a UK top 100 name. Woman's Hour listener Victoria Smillie wanted to change her surname following her divorce, but realised in doing so that she had never been happy with her given name, Lesley, either. So she changed both. They are joined by another of our listeners, Tracy, who truly hates her name but can't quite bring herself to lose it. By the age of three, Esther Robertson had had three different first names and surnames. Esther joins Jane to discuss how her changing name has affected her life.The author Charlotte Mendelson keeps lists of names and can deliberate for hours about what to call the characters in her novels. She joins us along with the journalist and editor Alex Clark to discuss the best and worst names in books.Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Laura Northedge.

More and more of us are living longer but we don’t talk enough about what it means to be old, according to Consultant Geriatrician Dr Lucy Pollock. The author of ‘The Book about Getting Older’ tells us about what she’s learnt about looking after the old and their families over many years, and the practical things that people can do to make things happier in old age. We also hear from Anna Dixon, CEO of the Centre for Ageing Better. Exercise - and building muscle - can help you stay healthier longer into old age. Dr Niharika Duggal from the University of Birmingham explains how muscle improves our immunity. Janine Rickus from Extend, an organisation that specialises in exercise classes for older people, gives advice on the moves that'll keep you on your feet in old age. Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Dianne McGregor

Holly Ridings is the first woman to be NASA's chief flight director. She was appointed in 2018 and is responsible for missions to the International Space Station, the Orion spacecraft and commercial spacecraft. She is also in charge of the Artemis programme - named after Apollo's twin sister - which will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before and potentially lead to further missions to Mars. She is responsible for 32 flight directors who are overseeing human spaceflight at the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.How do you know if you’re fit enough psychologically to go into space? What do you need to do to survive in such close quarters with other people? When it comes to Mars, the focus is often on how to get there: the rockets, the engines, the fuel. But upon arrival, what will it actually be like? Jane speaks to Kate Greene author of “Once Upon a Time I Lived On Mars” and to Dr Iya Whiteley, Director of the Centre for Space Medicine at Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London. What are the jobs for women in space? Vinita Marwaha Madill is founder of Rocket Women which aims to inspire women around the world and provide advice on working in the space and technology industries.And finally, what is the cultural significance of space and the moon to us? It is the site of so much folklore, myth and legends and has spawned countless books, films and songs. Looking up at the stars is a trope of romance – but it also a reminder of how small and insignificant our own lives are – seen against the life of the cosmos. For that reason many ask – should we even be going to the moon or Mars? Jane discusses this with the folksinger Karine Polwart who is writing a new theatre piece called “The Only Light Was Stars” and Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian who is a driector, member of the SETi Institute, Vice-Chair of The Committee for the Cultural Utilisation of Space and director and founder of the International Space Orchestra in NASA. Presenter: Jane Garvey Producer: Clare Walker