I read the brief overview of the book that you signposted, but didn't hear the broadcast. I'm afraid that my incomprehension of the ideas referred to, is as profound as some of those theories seem to be. Or not to be.
What I'd like to know is this, from anyone who has read the book. Could an historian who has read a lot of 'popular science' but has no other scientific background, make sense of it? If so, I'll give it a go.
Waitrose has stopped providing bags for loose veg.
How to deal with doom-y thoughts
. (Failed physics O level 3 times but did go on to get a science degree - I thinks there's science and then there's physics!)