Ada Lovelace

This episode will be available to listen to for free on 2nd November 2026. You can listen to it right away by subscribing to Noiser+. Head to www.noiser.com/subscriptions for more information.

Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the notorious poet Lord Byron, did not follow in her father’s literary footsteps. Instead, she is remembered today as a trailblazer for women in science. At a time when women's access to education was limited, she was able to use her wealth and title to connect with the greatest scientific minds of her day. But as well as possessing an impressive intellect, Ada Lovelace lived an unusual life, experiencing her fair share of scandal, heartbreak and near ruin.

So how did the circumstances of her parentage and upbringing shape her character? How was she able to pursue her scientific ambitions, despite society’s constraints? And how did her fascination with mathematics lead her to financial disaster?

This is a Short History Of Ada Lovelace.

A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Dr Corin Throsby, a writer, broadcaster, and expert in Romantic literature who teaches at the University of Cambridge.

Written by Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Matt Peaty | Sound design by George Tapp | Assembly edit by Dorry Macaulay | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact Check: Sean Coleman