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The science of cooking, with Dr Stuart Farrimond
15 juni 2021 · 27 min
Food scientist, doctor and TV presenter Stuart Farrimond tells us about how you can use science to upgrade your cooking.
Once you’ve mastered the basics with Instant Genius, dive deeper with Instant Genius Extra, where you’ll find longer, richer discussions about the most exciting ideas in the world of science and technology. Only available on Apple Podcasts.
Produced by the team behind BBC Science Focus Magazine. Visit our website: https://www.sciencefocus.com/
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The end of the Universe, with Dr Katie Mack
14 juni 2021 · 36 min
Theoretical astrophysicist, author and one of Twitter’s most-followed scientists Dr Katie Mack tells us about the Universe's ultimate fate.
Once you’ve mastered the basics with Instant Genius, dive deeper with Instant Genius Extra, where you’ll find longer, richer discussions about the most exciting ideas in the world of science and technology. Only available on Apple Podcasts.
Produced by the team behind BBC Science Focus Magazine. Visit our website: https://www.sciencefocus.com/
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Welcome to Instant Genius
31 mei 2021 · 3 min
The podcast that gives you the chance to be an expert in everything. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How AI and androids could shape the music of the future
24 mei 2021 · 26 min
While Daft Punk may have sadly split, machine-created music may be about to skyrocket in popularity. Not only are artificial intelligence neural networks now capable of creating original melodies, but scientists are also developing robots capable of playing – and improvising – live music.
So, will AI and androids soon top the charts? And could they even replace human musicians entirely?
On this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, Prof Nick Bryan-Kinns, director of the Media and Arts Technology Centre at Queen Mary University of London, joins staff writer Thomas Ling to explain groundbreaking new music technology.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Sticher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Could these gloves be the future of music? – Imogen Heap
Why do humans make music?
The psychology of the sea shanty: Why work songs are such earworms
Meet the computer scientist teaching an AI to play Dungeons and Dragons
The creator of Bellingcat on using the internet to investigate global affairs
The future of human flight, with real-life Iron Man Richard Browning
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Could 'counterfactuals' solve the biggest problems in physics?
17 mei 2021 · 29 min
Most laws of physics tell us what must happen. Throw a ball in the air and it will come back down. But physicist Chiara Marletto, a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, says that laws like this only tell us part of the story.
She believes that the rest lies in 'counterfactuals': things that could be.
In her new book, The Science of Can and Can’t (£20, Allen Lane), she explains how these counterfactual properties could solve many of science’s biggest outstanding problems.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Sticher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Prof Avi Loeb on what 'Oumuamua tells us about the problem with modern physics
Marcus Chown: Does the Big Bang really explain our Universe?
Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?
Katie Mack: How will the Universe end?
Sonia Contera: How will nanotechnology revolutionise medicine?
Everything You Wanted To Know About… Physics with Jim Al-Khalili
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What happens to you after 40 days with no natural light?
10 mei 2021 · 37 min
Around two months ago, a group of 15 people – scientists, explorers and medics – travelled deep into a cave in the south of France. The expedition descended to a point so deep that natural light could not reach them, and there the team stayed for 40 days and 40 nights without clocks, phones or anyway of telling the time.
The project’s goal was to understand what happens to our brains and bodies when we’re deprived of an external measure of time and they hoped to discover how a group of people could adapt to such an extreme situation.
Just two weeks ago, that team emerged from the cave, and Christian Clot, the expedition’s leader and the designer of the DEEP TIME mission, joins editor Daniel Bennett on this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast to talk about what the experiment discovered, how the expedition changed him and what ultimately happened when the team returned to the surface.
Let us know what you think of the Science Focus Podcast by filling out our survey. By submitting it, you enter the prize draw to win one of seven £100 Voucher Express Gift Cards. It should take no more than five minutes. UK residents only. Full T&Cs. Lees meerTake part in the survey
Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Sticher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Why realistic humanoid robots need to learn to lip-sync
The psychology of the sea shanty: Why work songs are such earworms
Mental health and your brain: What happens when it goes wrong
Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)
How to maximise your motivation, according to a neuroscientist
Prof John Drury: The psychology of lockdowns
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Why do humans make music?
3 mei 2021 · 27 min
Our lives are full of music, from the songs we sing along to on the radio to the orchestral scores that bring a film to life. But why is it that humans love to make music, and how did it evolve in the first place?
Musicologist Prof Michael Spitzer, author of the new book The Musical Human (£30, Bloomsbury), joins BBC Science Focus online assistant Sara Rigby on this week’s episode to explain.
Let us know what you think of the Science Focus Podcast by filling out our survey. By submitting it, you enter the prize draw to win one of seven £100 Voucher Express Gift Cards. It should take no more than 5 minutes. UK residents only. Full T&Cs. Lees meerTake part in the survey
Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Sticher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
The psychology of the sea shanty: Why work songs are such earworms
Could these gloves be the future of music? – Imogen Heap
The neuroscience of happiness – Dean Burnett
Dr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?
Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)
Phobias, paranoia and PTSD: Why virtual reality therapy is the frontier of mental health treatment
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The future of human flight, with real-life Iron Man Richard Browning
26 april 2021 · 27 min
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to the "real-life Iron Man" – not Marvel's Tony Stark, but inventor Richard Browning.
He’s the creator of the ‘Jet Suit’, which can fly one person through the air at speeds of 135km/h. He’s also founder and chief test pilot of Gravity Industries and author of new book Taking on Gravity (£20, Bantam Press).
He explains his quite literal rise to success – and the future of human flight.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Sticher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Podcast: Why realistic humanoid robots need to learn to lip-sync
Ritu Raman: Can you build with biology?
Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
Meet the computer scientist teaching an AI to play Dungeons and Dragons
How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and more
Dr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?
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Why realistic humanoid robots need to learn to lip-sync
19 april 2021 · 30 min
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, commissioning editor Jason Goodyer speaks to Dr Carl Strathearn, a research fellow at the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University.
He's currently conducting research on realistic humanoid robots, specifically on more realistically synchronising their speech and mouth movements.
He tells us about how to get robots out of the Uncanny Valley, why the way a robot looks is so important, and why Data from Star Trek is an inspiration for his work.
Read an edited excerpt from this interview
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and more
Dr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?
Rana el Kaliouby: What if computers could read our emotions?
Ritu Raman: Can you build with biology?
Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?
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How to understand statistics in the news and when to trust them
12 april 2021 · 1 uur 6 min
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, editor Daniel Bennett speaks to Tom Chivers and David Chivers.
Tom is a veteran science journalist and author and David is lecturer in economics at the University of Durham. As well as a surname, they share a passion for statistics, or more precisely for the way that numbers are used and presented in the media. Together they’ve written a new book: How to Read Numbers: A Guide to Statistics in the News and Knowing When to Trust Them.
They talk to Daniel about how to understand the sometimes confusing stats surrounding health and risk, how to spot a suspicious claim when you see one, and how to think about the current concerns surrounding the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Sir David Spiegelhalter: There's no such thing as Blue Monday
Matt Parker: What happens when maths goes horribly, horribly wrong?
Hannah Fry: How much of our lives is secretly underpinned by maths?
Prof Linda Scott: Why is there still economic inequality between men and women?
Hannah Fry: What's the deal with algorithms?
Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?
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The bizarre biology of the mantis shrimp
5 april 2021 · 22 min
What is your favourite animal? If you know anything about the mantis shrimp, it might well be your top pick. Dwelling in shallow tropical waters, these mysterious predators not only wield one of the strongest punches in nature, but also a one-of-a-kind visual system that scientists are only just making sense of.
One of these scientists is Dr Martin How from the University of Bristol. He joins us on this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast to reveal more about mantis shrimp and their remarkable abilities.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Everything you ever wanted to know about… the deep sea with Dr Jon Copley
Andrew Hunter Murray and Dan Schreiber: Is there really no such thing as a fish?
Brad Lister: Are we facing an insect apocalypse?
Neil Gemmell: The genetic hunt for the Loch Ness Monster
Neil Shubin: How do big changes in evolution happen?
Mark Lynas: Could leaving nature to its own devices be the key to meeting the UK’s climate goals?
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The creator of Bellingcat on using the internet to investigate global affairs
29 maart 2021 · 45 min
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we speak to Elliot Higgins, the founder of Bellingcat. If you haven’t heard that name before, then you might be surprised to know that Bellingcat is behind some of the biggest news revelations of the decade.
They use social media and information freely available online to carry out what they call open source investigation.
Their work has uncovered the use of chemical weapons in Syria, identified suspects in the Skripal poisoning in Salisbury and identified the people responsible for downing flight MH17 over Ukraine.
Eliot speaks to editor Dan Bennett about his new book, We Are Bellingcat (£20, Bloomsbury), which tells the story of how a group of amateur hobbyists ended up taking on Russian spies.
Read an edited excerpt of this interview
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Dr Julia Shaw: Why do we do bad things?
Marcel Danesi: Why do we want to believe lies?
Project Discovery: Could computer games help find a cure for COVID-19?
Chris Lintott: Can members of the public do real science?
Lara Martin: Meet the computer scientist teaching an AI to play Dungeons and Dragons
Rana el Kaliouby: What if computers could read our emotions?
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Prof Avi Loeb on what 'Oumuamua tells us about the problem with modern physics
22 maart 2021 · 45 min
In 2017, the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii spotted an interstellar object passing by Earth for the first time. Shortly after, Harvard’s Prof Avi Loeb was met with a backlash from the scientific community for suggesting it could be of alien origin.
Now, several years on, he has written a book, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, outlining why we still can’t out rule the possibility, and why scientists should always keep an open mind.
We speak to Avi on this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast. He tells us why he believes the object, 'Oumuamua, was of alien origin, and what problems this reveals about the way modern physics is conducted.
Read an edited excerpt of this interview
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?
Bergur Finnbogason: Project Discovery and its search for exoplanets
Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
What if the Earth’s magnetic field died? – Jim Al-Khalili
Building a base on the Moon, and crafting believable sci-fi – Andy Weir
Dr Becky Smethurst: How do you actually find a black hole?
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Meet the computer scientist teaching an AI to play Dungeons and Dragons
15 maart 2021 · 39 min
Many of us have had a one-to-one interaction with artificial intelligence. Whether that’s through an automated chat service for customer service, or trying our hand at beating an AI built to play chess. But these experiences aren’t flawless, they’re not as smooth as our interactions with other human beings.
One researcher trying to improve the language abilities of AI is Lara Martin, a postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania. More specifically, Lara is trying teach AI to tell stories.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Rana el Kaliouby: What if computers could read our emotions?
Aleks Krotoski: What happens to your data when you die?
Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?
Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?
Jamie Susskind: How technology is changing politics
Jim Al-Khalili: Why AI is not the enemy
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International Women’s Day: The forgotten female scientists of history
8 maart 2021 · 40 min
Today is International Women’s Day, and in this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, online assistant Sara Rigby talks to science historians Anna Reser and Leila McNeill, authors of Forces of Nature: The Women who Changed Science (£20, Frances Lincoln).
They tell us about the women who engaged in science throughout history but don’t always get remembered – the midwives, the astronomers, and the wives and sisters.
Read an edited excerpt from the interview
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Why aren't there more women in science?
Angela Saini: Inequality in science
Caroline Criado Perez: Does data discriminate against women?
Kathryn D. Sullivan: What is it really like to walk in space?
Subhadra Das: What part has science played in racism?
Kevin Fong: What happened to Apollo 13?
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How to maximise your motivation, according to a neuroscientist
1 maart 2021 · 29 min
As the UK enters its 13th month of lockdown restrictions and home-working, many surveys cite a slump in mental wellbeing and general productivity.
But are there any scientific ways we can maximise our motivation and prevent procrastination?
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, neuroscientist Dr Gabija Toleikyte, author of Why the F*ck Can't I Change, tells us all about it.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)
Dean Burnett: The neuroscience of happiness
Daniel Freeman: How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and more
Anthony David: Why is there still such stigma around mental health?
Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?
Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine?
Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?
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Inside the February issue with the BBC Science Focus team
21 februari 2021 · 35 min
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we chat through the February 2021 issue of the magazine, which is on sale now.
Managing editor Alice Lipscombe-Southwell opens the episode by telling us why it's so important artificial intelligence learns how to tell stories.
Next up is editor Dan Bennett, who tells us about the world’s first airport for drones and flying cars, which is opening in Coventry, UK.
Finally, commissioning editor Jason Goodyer tells about the latest developments in the study of dark matter.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Hannah Fry: How much of our lives is secretly underpinned by maths?
Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?
Bergur Finnbogason: Project Discovery and its search for exoplanets
Ritu Raman: Can you build with biology?
Robin Ince: Inside the mind of a comedian
Finding the fun in science – Dara Ó Briain
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Mental health and your brain: What happens when it goes wrong
15 februari 2021 · 49 min
In the UK, one in four people experience a mental health problem each year. The reality of living with common problems like depression and anxiety is increasingly well-known.
But how much do you actually know about what’s going on in your brain when your mental health suffers?
Neuroscientist Dean Burnett, author of the new book Psycho-logical, tells us all about it on this episode of the Science Focus Podcast.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Dean Burnett: What’s going on in the teenage brain?
The neuroscience of happiness – Dean Burnett
Prof John Drury: The psychology of lockdowns
How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and more
Elisa Raffaella Ferrè: What happens to the brain in space?
Dr Guy Leschziner: What is your brain doing while you sleep?
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Why rewilding success stories make us hopeful for the future
8 februari 2021 · 27 min
There are few places left on Earth that have been untouched by humans, and biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate.
Luckily, there are ambitious rewilding programmes around the world that aim to fix this by returning land to nature.
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we speak to Dr Andrea Perino, a scientist from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research and an expert on rewilding. She tells us about the benefits of rewilding, whether it's acres of forest or just a tiny patch in your back garden.
Read more about rewilding
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Mark Lynas: Could leaving nature to its own devices be the key to meeting the UK’s climate goals?
Merlin Sheldrake: How have fungi shaped the world?
Samantha Alger: What can we do to save the bees?
Ross Barnett: Why should we be interested in prehistoric animals that aren’t dinosaurs?
Sir David Attenborough: How can we save our planet?
Brad Lister: Are we facing an insect apocalypse?
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The psychology of the sea shanty: Why work songs are such earworms
1 februari 2021 · 22 min
2021 has got off to a strange start, with a surprising trend sweeping the internet: sea shanties. This ancient genre of music has exploded in popularity in recent weeks, thanks to people on social media singing them, sharing them and adding their own twists.
In fact, they’ve become so popular that Bristol-based shanty band The Longest Johns have entered the top 40 in the UK singles chart.
Naturally, we here at BBC Science Focus wanted to know what it was about sea shanties that makes them so catchy. So this week, we spoke to Professor Catherine Loveday of the University of Westminster. She’s a neuropsychologist who specialises in music. Lees meerRead more about the science of sea shanties
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Could these gloves be the future of music? – Imogen Heap
The neuroscience of happiness – Dean Burnett
Dr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?
Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)
Phobias, paranoia and PTSD: Why virtual reality therapy is the frontier of mental health treatment
How a scientist used viruses to save her husband’s life from a superbug
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Team talk: Beating pandemic burnout, the seasons of you and a daring giraffe rescue
25 januari 2021 · 31 min
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we chat through the January 2021 issue of the magazine, which is on sale now.
Editor Dan Bennett opens the episode by talking about new research that suggests that rather than following a pattern of spring, summer, autumn and winter, our bodies may have their own seasonal fluctuations that don’t match the calendar.
Next up is managing editor Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, who tells us about how we can beat the pandemic burnout.
Finally, commissioning editor Jason Goodyer tells the story of a daring rescue of endangered giraffes from an island where food is slowly running out.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
End of year roundup: The non-COVID science that brought us joy in 2020
Inside the December issue with the BBC Science Focus team
The Science Focus team: What’s inside November’s issue?
Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)
Prof John Drury: The psychology of lockdowns
How a scientist used viruses to save her husband’s life from a superbug
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Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)
18 januari 2021 · 48 min
Humans' ability to turn thoughts into actions has enabled us to change the world. But we've never been great at getting two things done at once.
Understanding how our brain helps us achieve our goals through something called executive function, or cognitive control, can explain why we're so bad at multitasking.
According to neuroscientist Prof David Badre, when we're armed with this knowledge we can begin to work together to become a better society. Badre's new book, On Task (£25, Princeton University Press) explains the mechanisms behind cognitive control.
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast we speak to Badre to find out more about how our brains work.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Dean Burnett: The neuroscience of happiness
Daniel Freeman: How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and more
Anthony David: Why is there still such stigma around mental health?
Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?
Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine?
Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?
Gordon Wallace: Is an implantable electronic device the future of medicine?
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How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and more
11 januari 2021 · 37 min
In the New Year issue, we cover the biggest ideas that you need to understand in 2021, and in the past few episodes of the podcast we’ve been talking to the experts who will explain these ideas in their own words.
For the next in the series, we speak to Daniel Freeman, a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford. Daniel has been working with VR technology since 2001 and is a founder of Oxford VR, a University of Oxford spinout company.
He tells us about using virtual reality to treat mental health problems.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Anthony David: Why is there still such stigma around mental health?
Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?
Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine?
Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?
Gordon Wallace: Is an implantable electronic device the future of medicine?
Dean Burnett: The neuroscience of happiness
Dr Lucy Rogers: What makes a robot a robot?
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How a scientist used viruses to save her husband’s life from a superbug
4 januari 2021 · 48 min
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we're joined by AIDS researcher Professor Steffanie Strathdee.
In 2015, Strathdee's husband was infected by superbug that was resistant to every antibiotic that the doctors could throw at it, but she was able to save his life with an experimental treatment made of viruses found in sewage.
In the New Year issue of BBC Science Focus Magazine, we cover the biggest ideas that you need to understand in 2021. This episode is one of a series in which we talk to the experts who will explain these ideas in their own words.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Marcus Chown: Does the Big Bang really explain our Universe?
Sonia Contera: How will nanotechnology revolutionise medicine?
Professor Catharina Svanborg: Is the cure for cancer hiding in human breast milk?
Brian Switek: How did bones evolve?
Bill Bryson: What should we know about how our bodies work?
Dr Monty Lyman: What does our skin tell us about ourselves?
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Marcus Chown: Does the Big Bang really explain our Universe?
28 december 2020 · 49 min
In the New Year issue of BBC Science Focus Magazine, we cover the biggest ideas that you need to understand in 2021. Over the next few episodes of the Science Focus Podcast, we’ll be talking to the experts who will explain these ideas in their own words.
In this episode, we talk to science writer Marcus Chown, who tells us all about the major problems in our current understanding of cosmology. We discuss the Big Bang, dark matter, inflation, and what we still don't know about the formation of our Universe.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Katie Mack: How will the Universe end?
Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?
Dr Jacob Bleacher: Why do we need to go back to the Moon?
Elisa Raffaella Ferrè: What happens to the brain in space?
Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
Kathryn D. Sullivan: What is it really like to walk in space?
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End of year roundup: The non-COVID science that brought us joy in 2020
24 december 2020 · 45 min
It’s been a long and strange year, and most of our attention has been focussed on the coronavirus. So, in this bonus episode of the Science Focus Podcast, the team talks about this year’s most interesting science that has nothing to do with COVID.
We start off by talking about our favourite scientific developments of the year, and then we discuss the books and documentaries that we’ve loved.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Inside the December issue with the BBC Science Focus team
The Science Focus team: What's inside November's issue?
Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?
Dr Jacob Bleacher: Why do we need to go back to the Moon?
Andy Weir: Building a base on the Moon, and crafting believable sci-fi
Gretchen McCulloch: How has the internet affected how we communicate?
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Prof John Drury: The psychology of lockdowns
21 december 2020 · 28 min
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Prof John Drury, a behavioural psychologist based at the University of Sussex who specialises in studying crowds and collective behaviour.
The UK recently came out of the second COVID-19 lockdown, and went into a new three-tier system, with much of the country still in in the strictest tier.
John tells us about why people respond to the restrictions differently, how to ensure people follow the rules, and what the long-term effects the lockdowns will have on our psychology.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Hugo Zeberg: How could Neanderthal genes affect COVID-19?
Dr Rachel Brown: Why are some COVID-19 patients suffering from neurological complications?
Project Discovery: Could computer games help find a cure for COVID-19?
David Halpern: Nudge theory
Dr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?
Dr Julia Shaw: Why do we do bad things?
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Dr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?
14 december 2020 · 44 min
This week on the Science Focus Podcast, we're joined by Dr Pete Etchells, a professor of psychology with a particular interest how video games affect our mood and behaviour.
Pete is also the author of the book Lost in a Good Game which explores why we love video games, and what they do for us.
Today we’re talking about the relationship between gambling and video games: what we know and what don’t. We want you to help us with the research, so if you want to get involved in a real-life scientific study that could shape the conversation around gaming and gambling, stayed tuned and listen in for details at the end.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?
Project Discovery: Could computer games help find a cure for COVID-19?
The neuroscience of happiness – Dean Burnett
Dr Julia Shaw: Why do we do bad things?
Anthony David: Why is there still such stigma around mental health?
Brendan Walker: Where is the best place to sit on a rollercoaster?
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Christmas Lectures 2020: How can we look after our planet?
7 december 2020 · 36 min
Started by Michael Faraday in 1825, and now broadcast on national television, the Christmas lectures bring a science topic to our screens over three nights every year. The series of lectures has always been held within the Royal Institution in London, but this year, of course, is going to be slightly different.
In this week's episode, editorial assistant Amy Barrett is joined today by three expert scientists, Tara Shine, Chris Jackson and Helen Czerski, who are going to be presenting the 2020 Christmas lectures, titled Planet Earth: A User's Guide.
In lecture one, geologist Chris Jackson will reveal our Earth's climate story through the rocks and the fossil record. In lecture two, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski will talk about the part our oceans play in the climate crisis. And in lecture three, environmental scientist Tara Shine will talk about carbon emissions and what we're really breathing in.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Hannah Fry: How much of our lives is secretly underpinned by maths?
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures past and present
Sir David Attenborough: How can we save our planet?
Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac: Has climate change determined our future?
Everything you ever wanted to know about... the deep sea with Dr Jon Copley
Mark Miodownik: Are biodegradable plastics really better than traditional plastic?
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Inside the December issue with the BBC Science Focus team
30 november 2020 · 35 min
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we chat through the December 2020 issue of the magazine, which is on sale now.
The issue is all about the search for extraterrestrial life, so managing editor Alice Lipscombe-Southwell starts us off by telling us about the most promising places in our Solar System to search for alien life.
Commissioning editor Jason Goodyer tells us about a new drug delivery system that draws inspiration from parasitic hookworms, and then editorial assistant Amy Barrett brings us back around to ET by discussing why we want to believe in aliens.
We close the podcast with details of our exciting new competition, judged by comedian and author Dara Ó Briain.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
The Science Focus team: What's inside November's issue?
Finding the fun in science – Dara Ó Briain
Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?
Bergur Finnbogason: Project Discovery and its search for exoplanets
Ritu Raman: Can you build with biology?
Robin Ince: Inside the mind of a comedian
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Genes and heredity - Everything you ever wanted to know about... the biology of life with Sir Paul Nurse
25 november 2020 · 24 min
For this instalment in the Everything you ever wanted to know about... series, we’ve sourced questions from Google, our listeners and the Science Focus team to put to experts and help you understand key ideas in science, in short episodes.
This week, we're joined by geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, the Director of the Francis Crick Institute in London and one of the recipients of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with Leland Hartwell and Timothy Hunt.
Paul has recently published a book that helps readers understand biology, called What is Life? (£9.99, David Fickling Books). He shared some of the concepts from the books with us over two quick-fire episodes.
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Cells - Everything you ever wanted to know about... the biology of life with Sir Paul Nurse
23 november 2020 · 25 min
For this instalment in the Everything you ever wanted to know about... series, we’ve sourced questions from Google, our listeners and the Science Focus team to put to experts and help you understand key ideas in science, in short episodes.
This week, we're joined by geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, the Director of the Francis Crick Institute in London and one of the recipients of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with Leland Hartwell and Timothy Hunt.
Paul has recently published a book that helps readers understand biology, called What is Life? (£9.99, David Fickling Books). He shared some of the concepts from the books with us over two quick-fire episodes.
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Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?
16 november 2020 · 30 min
In this week’s episode, I’m talking to Dr Douglas Vakoch, President of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or METI.
We talk about whether we should be broadcasting messages into space to signal our existence to intelligent alien species.
We also discuss how we could create a message that an unknown species of alien could understand. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
Bergur Finnbogason: Project Discovery and its search for exoplanets
What if the Earth’s magnetic field died? – Jim Al-Khalili
Building a base on the Moon, and crafting believable sci-fi – Andy Weir
Dr Becky Smethurst: How do you actually find a black hole?
Kathryn D. Sullivan: What is it really like to walk in space?
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Exploring the deep sea - Everything you ever wanted to know about... the deep sea with Dr Jon Copley
13 november 2020 · 30 min
Our guest this week is Dr Jon Copley. Jon is a marine biologist, specialising in the deep sea. He went on the first mini sub dive to the world’s deepest hydrothermal vents, 5km down on the ocean floor, and also took part in the firs minisub dives to 1km deep in the Antarctic.
Jon is also a science communicator and writer, who worked as a science advisor on the iconic BBC series Blue Planet II. He is also an associate professor of ocean exploration and public engagement at the University of Southampton. In 2019, he also published fantastic book called Ask an Ocean Explorer which tells you all about the ocean in 25 questions.
Over three quick-fire episodes, Jon tells BBC Science Focus managing editor Alice Limpscombe-Southwell about the bizarre life found on the ocean floor, the habitats where they thrive, and what it's like to explore the deep sea in a submarine.
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Deep sea habitats - Everything you ever wanted to know about... the deep sea with Dr Jon Copley
11 november 2020 · 36 min
Our guest this week is Dr Jon Copley. Jon is a marine biologist, specialising in the deep sea. He went on the first mini sub dive to the world’s deepest hydrothermal vents, 5km down on the ocean floor, and also took part in the firs minisub dives to 1km deep in the Antarctic.
Jon is also a science communicator and writer, who worked as a science advisor on the iconic BBC series Blue Planet II. He is also an associate professor of ocean exploration and public engagement at the University of Southampton. In 2019, he also published fantastic book called Ask an Ocean Explorer which tells you all about the ocean in 25 questions.
Over three quick-fire episodes, Jon tells BBC Science Focus managing editor Alice Limpscombe-Southwell about the bizarre life found on the ocean floor, the habitats where they thrive, and what it's like to explore the deep sea in a submarine.
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Deep sea creatures - Everything you ever wanted to know about... the deep sea with Dr Jon Copley
9 november 2020 · 42 min
Our guest this week is Dr Jon Copley. Jon is a marine biologist, specialising in the deep sea. He went on the first mini sub dive to the world’s deepest hydrothermal vents, 5km down on the ocean floor, and also took part in the firs minisub dives to 1km deep in the Antarctic.
Jon is also a science communicator and writer, who worked as a science advisor on the iconic BBC series Blue Planet II. He is also an associate professor of ocean exploration and public engagement at the University of Southampton. In 2019, he also published fantastic book called Ask an Ocean Explorer which tells you all about the ocean in 25 questions.
Over three quick-fire episodes, Jon tells BBC Science Focus managing editor Alice Limpscombe-Southwell about the bizarre life found on the ocean floor, the habitats where they thrive, and what it's like to explore the deep sea in a submarine.
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The Science Focus team: What's inside November's issue?
2 november 2020 · 46 min
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast we chat through the November 2020 issue of the magazine, which is on sale now.
Editor Dan Bennett explains why, this month, we’re focusing on food myths. Scientist and writer Professor Tim Spector penned our cover feature to reveal the fact and the fiction surrounding diet and nutrition, and some of his research may have results that surprise you.
Talking about the amazing variety of our ocean’s other-worldly sea slugs is managing editor Alice Lipscombe-Southwell. These small marine animals might sport cute faces and bright colours, but they’re armed with an array of deadly defences too.
Commissioning editor Jason Goodyer digs into our piece about algorithms, which asks, what went wrong with the A Level results algorithm? And online assistant Sara Rigby scrutinises the stats around plug-in hybrid cars to find out if they’re as eco-friendly as marketed.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Matt Parker, Helen Arney and Steve Mould: What links coffee, snowflakes and frogs?
Andrew Hunter Murray and Dan Schreiber: Is there really no such thing as a fish?
Matt Parker: What happens when maths goes horribly, horribly wrong?
Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?
Robin Ince: What's inside the mind of a comedian?
Dara Ó Briain: Can you find the fun in science?
Ryan North: How do you invent everything?
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Prof Linda Scott: Why is there still economic inequality between men and women?
26 oktober 2020 · 44 min
In this week’s episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Professor Linda Scott, an expert in women’s economic development and Emeritus DP World Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Oxford.
Her book, The Double X Economy, has been shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2020. In it, she argues that when we economically empower women, we all succeed.
Linda tells us about her work in women's economics, why the number of women joining the workforce is slowing down, and her idea for an '80 per cent Christmas' to close the gender pay gap. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
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Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Caroline Criado Perez: Does data discriminate against women?
Pragya Agarwal: When does bias become prejudice?
Why aren't there more women in science?
Angela Saini: Is racism creeping into science?
Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?
Matt Parker: What happens when maths goes horribly, horribly wrong?
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Everything you ever wanted to know about… cancer with Dr Kat Arney
19 oktober 2020 · 45 min
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Dr Kat Arney about cancer.
Kat is a science writer and broadcaster, and founder of the science communication consultancy First Create The Media. Her book, Rebel Cell is out now.
She reveals how tissue becomes a tumour, how cells migrate to help cancer spread, and what scientists are doing right now to better understand the disease.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
Matt Parker, Helen Arney and Steve Mould: What links coffee, snowflakes and frogs?
Professor Catharina Svanborg: Is the cure for cancer hiding in human breast milk?
Is gene editing inspiring or terrifying? – Nessa Carey
Can we slow down the ageing process? – Sue Armstrong
Eating for your genes – Giles Yeo
How to get a good night’s sleep – Alice Gregory
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Hugo Zeberg: How could Neanderthal genes affect COVID-19?
12 oktober 2020 · 16 min
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Hugo Zeberg, a geneticist working at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Hugo has just published a paper that suggests those of us with a certain set of genes inherited from Neanderthals may suffer from more severe effects of COVID-19.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Dr Rachel Brown: Why are some COVID-19 patients suffering from neurological complications?
Project Discovery: Could computer games help find a cure for COVID-19?
Elisa Raffaella Ferrè: What happens to the brain in space?
Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine?
Nessa Carey: Is gene editing inspiring or terrifying?
Dean Burnett: What’s going on in the teenage brain?
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Matt Parker, Helen Arney and Steve Mould: What links coffee, snowflakes and frogs?
6 oktober 2020 · 54 min
Today‘s podcast episode is a special one, with not one, not two, but three fantastic guests. We’ve teamed up with the three spoken nerds – Matt Parker, Steve Mould and Helen Arney – to bring you an episode of unnecessary details all about… ice.
Steve explains how instant coffee is made, Matt gets irate about eight-pointed 'snowfakes' and Helen talks cryonic freezing.
To hear more from the three spoken nerds, check out their new Podcast Of Unnecessary Detail.
The song was “You And Me And Walt Disney”, produced by Helen Arney and Olly the Octopus and you can download it for free along with all the songs from Unnecessary Detail podcasts at helenarney.bandcamp.com
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Andrew Hunter Murray and Dan Schreiber: Is there really no such thing as a fish?
Matt Parker: What happens when maths goes horribly, horribly wrong?
Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy? ?
Robin Ince: What's inside the mind of a comedian?
Dara Ó Briain: Can you Finding the fun in science?
Ryan North: How do you invent everything?
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Merlin Sheldrake: How have fungi shaped the world?
28 september 2020 · 41 min
The fungal kingdom is vast, and yet much of it remains unknown to us – it’s estimated that only about 6 per cent of all fungal species have, so far, been described.
But if fungi are all around us, why do we only know the names of a few? We might use yeast in baking, mushrooms in our cooking, or have been treated with penicillin, but biologist Merlin Sheldrake says there is much more wonder to be found in understanding our fungal friends better.
His new book, Entangled Life, reveals the complexity of the fungal world. In it, he describes the fungal networks that connect trees and plants in something called the Wood Wide Web, and explains how fungi were crucial to the creation of the world we see around us today.
We spoke to Merlin about this strange and wondrous lifeform.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:The Urban Birder: What wildlife can city-dwellers see?
Samantha Alger: What can we do to save the bees?
Mark Miodownik: Are biodegradable plastics really better than traditional plastic?
Neil Shubin: How do big changes in evolution happen?
Mark Lynas: Could leaving nature to its own devices be the key to meeting the UK’s climate goals?
Brad Lister: Are we facing an insect apocalypse?
Neil Gemmell: The genetic hunt for the Loch Ness Monster
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Sue Black: What stories do our skeletons tell?
21 september 2020 · 47 min
In today’s episode, we’re chatting to Professor Sue Black, an anatomist and forensic anthropologist. You might’ve seen characters doing her job on television, in shows like NCIS or Silent Witness – although, they’re not quite an accurate portrayal, as you’ll find out.
Over the course of her career, Sue has worked with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the United Nations, helping to identify victims and perpetrators from only sections of their bodies – perhaps a finger found in a bin bag, or the back of an assaulter’s hand caught on film. Her work has taken her to places such as Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq.
She talks to us about how science helps her piece together fragmented parts of a human jigsaw. This episode contains some graphic content, including descriptions of criminal acts and dissection, that some listeners might find upsetting.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Brian Switek: How did bones evolve?
Mark O'Connell: Transhumanism: using technology to live forever
Bill Bryson: What should we know about how our bodies work?
Nathan Lents: Everything that's wrong with the human body
Ritu Raman: Can you build with biology?
Aleks Krotoski: What happens to your data when you die?
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Professor Trevor Cox: Was Stonehenge an ancient acoustic chamber?
14 september 2020 · 32 min
For decades, Stonehenge, the mysterious prehistoric circle of stones built on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, has left scientists scratching their heads. Who exactly built it and what was it used for?
In the latest attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery, a team of engineers based at the University of Salford have 3D-printed a scale model of the ancient monument in order to investigate the effect its unique structure would’ve had on conversations, rituals, and even music.
We spoke to Professor Trevor Cox, the acoustic engineer heading up the study, to find out more.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Trevor Cox: To become Prime Minister, change your voice
Natalie Starkey: What asteroids can tell us about our Solar System
Mike Garrett: Is there anybody out there?
Colin Stuart: The most mysterious objects in the Universe
Dr Lucy Rogers: What makes a robot a robot?
Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?
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Dr Julia Shaw: Why do we do bad things?
7 september 2020 · 46 min
Everyone does bad things. We know deep down are wrong, but we do them anyway. Sometimes, people do things so bad that we call them evil.
Criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw says there’s no such thing as evil. In her book Making Evil, she argues that we should ditch the idea altogether, and try to understand so-called “evil” people.
In this week’s episode of the Science Focus Podcast, she talks about psychopaths, mental illness and why we do bad things.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Jack Lewis: Sin and why we do the things we shouldn't
ASMR science: are 'brain tingles' more than just a feeling?
Jesse Bering: What can psychology tell us about suicide?
Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?
Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?
Gary Barker: What does it mean to be a man?
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James Hamblin: Should we all stop showering?
31 augustus 2020 · 39 min
We know how important good hygiene is. It protects us from viral infections and diseases, but what if, by washing, soaping and scrubbing, we’re actually damaging our health?
Dr James Hamblin, journalist and professor of public health, stopped showering five years ago. In his new book, Clean (£16.99, Bodley Head), he reveals how our skin is affected by the products we apply. The overuse of soap and cosmetic products – sold to us with the promise of caring for our skin – might even be causing some of the ailments we’re using them to try to treat.
It hasn’t always been this way. Historically, humans have gone from seeing bathing as something vaguely sinful and reserved for the wealthy, to a daily necessity that, if neglected, is a huge social blunder.
According to James, it’s time for a whole new perspective on cleaning. One that starts with a personal reflection of our relationship with our body.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Dr Monty Lyman: What does our skin tell us about ourselves?
Phillippa Diedrichs: Is body positivity the answer to body image issues?
Dean Burnett: The neuroscience of happiness
Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?
Sue Armstrong: Can we slow down the ageing process?
Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?
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Katie Mack: How will the Universe end?
24 augustus 2020 · 43 min
The end of the Universe may be a common feature in science fiction, but this one isn’t a crisis that can be averted by a team of superheroes. The Universe really will come to an end one way or another, and we have an idea how – five ideas, actually.
In this week’s episode of the Science Focus Podcast, astrophysicist Dr Katie Mack talks to us about the future of the cosmos. She dives into these five possible apocalypses, from the Universe gradually fading out to the ‘quantum bubble of death’.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
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This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Dr Jacob Bleacher: Why do we need to go back to the Moon?
Colin Stuart: The most mysterious objects in the Universe
Professor Fay Dowker: What is the problem of quantum gravity?
Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
Dr Becky Smethurst: How do you actually find a black hole?
Mark McCaughrean: How do you launch a successful space mission?
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Rana el Kaliouby: What if computers could read our emotions?
17 augustus 2020 · 38 min
For many, the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions has isolated us from the people we love, reducing our social life to screens and Zoom meetings. But even with the added visual, communicating online still isn’t as straightforward as being in-person. It can feel like jokes fall flat when everyone has their microphone off, and the jittering of poor signal can make anyone’s face hard to read.
But what if our computers could read and respond to our emotions? If the engagement of a virtual meeting could be shown on-screen to generate a buzz like the one of a live audience?
That’s just one possibility of a future with emotionally intelligent machines. Researcher and CEO Rana el Kaliouby believes that by teaching computers to read facial expressions, they could detect early signs of Parkinson’s, prevent drivers from getting behind the wheel when tired, or help teachers design educational programmes that keep kids engaged.
Rana speaks to us about making machines empathetic, being named by Forbes as one of America's top 50 women in tech, and how her research into human emotions has affected her personal life. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
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This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Jim Al-Khalili: Why AI is not the enemy
Lisa Feldman Barrett: How emotions are made
Aleks Krotoski: What happens to your data when you die?
Jim Davies: How do you use your imagination?
Caroline Criado Perez: Does data discriminate against women?
Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?
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Dr Rachel Brown: Why are some COVID-19 patients suffering from neurological complications?
10 augustus 2020 · 27 min
A recent study carried out at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, UCLH, on confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients has found neurological complications of the virus can, in some rare cases include delirium, brain inflammation, stroke and nerve damage.
We spoke to Dr Rachel Brown, an MRC Clinical Research Training Fellow involved with the study to find out more. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read an edited version of the interview below
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Project Discovery: Could computer games help find a cure for COVID-19?
Elisa Raffaella Ferrè: What happens to the brain in space?
Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine?
Nessa Carey: Is gene editing inspiring or terrifying?
Dean Burnett: What’s going on in the teenage brain?
Bill Bryson: What should we know about how our bodies work?
COVID-19 could cause delirium, brain inflammation and stroke
A study carried out on a small number of confirmed or suspected Covid-19 patients at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery has linked the coronavirus to a number of neurological conditions.
Can you tell us about your research?
COVID-19 is still predominantly a respiratory illness, but in a small subset of patients we’ve been seeing neurological symptoms and syndromes.
Some of the early studies from Wuhan showed that around a third of patients were having neurological symptoms. In those early descriptions a lot of the symptoms that people were describing included things like headache and dizziness, loss of smell and things that could just really be attributed to viral illness.
As we gained more experience, we noticed other cases appearing that looked a little bit different. We have in… -
The Urban Birder: What wildlife can city-dwellers see?
3 augustus 2020 · 49 min
Many of us have found solace in nature over the last few months, relishing our time outdoors, especially when it was limited to one form of exercise a day. A recent report by the RSPB found that people see access to nature as being important for health and wellbeing during and in recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
One man who has always been connected to the natural world is David Lindo. Known by most as the Urban Birder, David is a champion for the wellbeing benefits of wildlife, encouraging us all to get outside and see what we can find, be it in the garden, the city, or the countryside.
In this week’s episode of the Science Focus Podcast, David tells us about the human benefits of biodiversity, the need for conservation education, and diversity within the birding community.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Lees meerSubscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Samantha Alger: What can we do to save the bees?
Mark Miodownik: Are biodegradable plastics really better than traditional plastic?
Neil Shubin: How do big changes in evolution happen?
Mark Lynas: Could leaving nature to its own devices be the key to meeting the UK’s climate goals?
Andrew Hunter Murray and Dan Schreiber: Is there really no such thing as a fish?
Brad Lister: Are we facing an insect apocalypse?
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