Haycast 07: Robert Winston, Rick Gekoski and the classics

In today's Haycast, Robert Winston answers festivalgoers' questions on science, literature and his guilty pleasures, while Claire Armitstead and Sarah Crown catch up on gossip in the Hay festival green room, where writers and performers gather when they're not on stage. History – what it is, how it's taught – has been one of the unexpected themes of this year's Hay festival. Charlotte Higgins talks to classicists Richard Miles and Paul Cartledge about where ancient history fits in, and challenges them to name one thing she didn't already know about Carthage and Sparta. Finally, Sarah takes a magical mystery tour of the town of Hay-on-Wye with rare books dealer Rick Gekoski – in town to discuss his bibliomemoir, Outside of a Dog – as her guide. He ferrets out the best books the town has to offer, culminating in an amazing discovery in the Poetry Bookshop, which results in some highwire negotiations. Today, we're interviewing Roy Hattersley . Any questions – post them below.