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689 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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How personalised nutrition is transforming our understanding of diet and health
3 november 2025 · 29 min
Over the past several decades nutritional advice from doctors and expert researchers has largely relied on one-size-fits-all approach – eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, limit your intake of sugar and salt, stay away from overly fatty or processed foods as much as possible – but in recent times it has become clear that, while this is all good advice, the real-life picture is much more subtle. The latest research has revealed that the way we respond to the food we eat varies widely from person to person. Lees meer
As part of our four-part miniseries, Future of Food, we’re joined by Prof Sarah Berry, a nutritional scientist based at King’s College London and chef scientist at the ZOE.
She tells us how the gathering of large-scale datasets on dietary habits is changing the way we think about nutritional science, how some of us are more sensitive to the negative effects of certain foods than others, and the key role that advances in technology are playing in the future of dietary research.
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What we all need to know about menopause
31 oktober 2025 · 27 min
Throughout our lives we all go through several significant periods of change – puberty, young adulthood, middle age, retirement. Each comes with its own quirks and challenges, but perhaps one of the most underdiscussed of these stages is menopause. The lowering of hormone levels and eventual cessation of ovulation caused by menopause can affect women’s mental and physical health, performance in the workplace and even social life. So why is talking about it still considered so taboo? Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Saleyha Ashan, a journalist, emergency medicine doctor and researcher based at the University of Cambridge.
She tells us what she’s learned from her own life experiences as a woman and medical doctor, the many, varied ways that menopause affects women’s physical and mental health and gives us advice that can help us all navigate this natural period in life more successfully.
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Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on what AI and Elon Musk mean for the site's future
27 oktober 2025 · 39 min
Wikipedia. It needs almost no introduction. Few websites are more well-known, more commonly used and more foundational to the web as we know it than the online encyclopedia. This week, we’re joined by its founder, Jimmy Wales, to talk about how the platform has evolved over the past two decades, the challenges of maintaining trust and neutrality in an age of misinformation, and how AI could shape Wikipedia’s future. Jimmy also shares insights from his new book, The Seven Rules of Trust, exploring what it really takes to build credibility – and why it’s more important now than ever before.
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How psychedelics could kickstart the next mental health revolution
24 oktober 2025 · 38 min
Hippies, the Beatles, flower power, magic mushrooms, raves and festivals – that’s what most of us associate with psychedelics. But there is mounting evidence that these drugs could also be used medicinally, particularly to treat mental illnesses such as depression. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Prof David Nutt, a psychopharmacologist who has spent decades researching how drugs affect the brain. Now a professor at Imperial College London, David has published more than 500 research papers, eight government reports, and 40 books – including one called Psychedelics, in 2023.
In this conversation, he explains how psychedelics affect the brain, how they alter people’s sense of self and perception of reality, and why they could revolutionise the future of mental health treatments.
Please note that psychedelics are Class A drugs according to UK law. Anyone caught in possession of such substances can face up to seven years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. Information and support for those affected by substance abuse can be found at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
The following conversation specifically concerns psychedelics when used in a clinical context, given at low doses and under medical supervision. Please don’t try this at home.
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Don't miss the upcoming Future of Food miniseries!
22 oktober 2025 · 1 min
What will we all be eating in 2050? How will it be produced? And how can our diets keep us healthier for longer? If these are questions you'd like answered, why not check out the upcoming Future of Food mini-series. Lees meer
You'll discover how cutting-edge farming technology is helping us to produce food that's kinder to the environment, how overlooked foods such as algae and seaweed may soon become a common sight on our plates, and how new discoveries are uncovering the fascinating science of how our bodies all respond differently to the food we eat.
Tune in to the weekly four-part miniseries, starting Monday 3rd November.
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How our bodies are host to mysterious cells that came from other people
20 oktober 2025 · 27 min
The commonly held story goes that we all begin life as a single cell in our mother’s womb and go on from there to develop into fully formed adult human beings composed of cells of our own creation. However, recent research is showing that this isn’t quite the full picture. Not all of the cells in our bodies come from this single starting point. We are, in fact, all host to cells that have migrated from the bodies of other people – our mothers, grandmothers, siblings and even, in some cases, complete strangers. Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by science writer Lise Barnéoud to talk about her latest book Hidden Guests - Migrating Cells and How the New Science of Microchimerism Is Redefining Human Identity.
She tells us how mothers and babies share cells across the placenta during pregnancy, how these cells make their homes within our organs and persist for our entire lives, and how this mysterious process led to a woman giving birth to the genetic children of her unborn twin sister.
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How human consciousness emerged from the fundamental processes of nature
17 oktober 2025 · 38 min
Thanks to hundreds of years of scientific progress we now know, that like every other living thing on Earth, human beings are simply assemblages of atoms and molecules that evolved over eons through a series of complex, iterative processes. But somewhere along this long and meandering journey we developed consciousness – the deep sense of self-awareness that allows us to think, feel and even allows us to attempt to understand what’s going on in the Universe around us. Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by neuroscientist and author Dr Nikolay Kukushkin to talk about his latest book, One Hand Clapping – Unravelling the Mystery of the Human Mind.
He tells us how this entire process all started millions of years ago through the interactions of atoms such as carbon and oxygen, how taking a bottom-up approach to the development of consciousness can help to explain how human beings became such complicated entities and how the advent of artificial intelligence may, or may not, influence the future evolution of our species.
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The hunt for the first stars in the Universe
13 oktober 2025 · 29 min
Stars feel like a fundamental feature of the Universe – as essential as planets, galaxies and space itself. But since we know the Universe had a beginning (the Big Bang), there must also have been a first star. Before it, there was only darkness; after it, the cosmos as we know it began to take shape. Lees meer
Exactly what those first stars were like – and how they transformed everything that followed – remains one of astronomy’s great mysteries. It’s a mystery that astrophysicist Dr Emma Chapman has dedicated much of her career to solving.
In this episode, Emma joins us to talk about her book First Light: Switching on the Stars at the Dawn of Time, recently updated to include discoveries from groundbreaking telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.
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The weird and wonderful science behind why humans are different
10 oktober 2025 · 33 min
Humanity is beautifully diverse. Some of that diversity is visible, but hidden beneath the surface, there is also a hidden web of genetic variation that collectively tells a story about how people have adapted to their environments, sometimes in weird and wonderful ways. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Prof. Herman Pontzer, an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University, USA, and the author of Burn: the misunderstood science of metabolism, as well as his newest book, Adaptable: the surprising science of human diversity, which inspired this conversation.
Herman tells us about how our genes can evolve over generations, how specific groups of humans have adapted to survive and thrive in different environments, and why understanding the science of diversity is so important for society as a whole.
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The key role psychologists can play in the fight against ecological crime
6 oktober 2025 · 40 min
Chances are that when most of us think about the notion of crime our minds turn to acts committed against an individual – be it theft, fraud or even physical assault. But every day ecological crimes are committed against the planet we all live on that often fly under the radar despite the significant, far-reaching effects they have on all of us. Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by criminal psychologist and bestselling author, Dr Julia Shaw to talk about her latest book, Green Crime – Inside the Minds of the People Destroying the Planet, and How to Stop Them.
She breaks down the factors that drive individuals and organisations to commit acts that are damaging to the environment and explains how understanding the psychology that underpins these acts can help us to keep our planet healthy for generations to come.
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The psychology of paranormal experiences
3 oktober 2025 · 25 min
Be it a cold, drafty room in a creaky old country house or a still, quiet forest on a dark night, chances are that at one point or another we’ll all have entered an environment that for some reason made us feel uneasy. But what exactly makes a certain place or situation feel so creepy, and why do we get these feelings in the first place? Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by psychologist and magician Prof Richard Wiseman to talk about his work as a scientist who investigates the psychology behind paranormal phenomena.
He tells us how ghostly experiences may actually have evolved to help keep us away from dangerous environments, how our brains are primed to see faces that aren’t really there, and how the state of consciousness that exists between waking and sleeping can lead us to feel the presence of threatening entities lurking in our bedrooms.
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Inside the hunt for life-changing medicines
29 september 2025 · 34 min
Chances are when we’re treated with medicines in hospital or pick up our prescriptions at the pharmacy, we don’t give much thought about how the drugs that are so vital for our health and wellbeing came to be. The fact is the journey that a new medicine takes from its beginnings in the laboratory to finally being administered to patients can be long and arduous. It typically takes the work of countless scientists, researchers and technologists toiling away behind the scenes for decades and is often fraught with failure. So exactly how does a new drug make the grade? Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by oncologist and drug researcher Dr William Pao to talk about his latest book, Breakthrough – The Quest for Life-Changing Medicines.
He tells us how fundamental academic scientific lays down the bedrock for the development of a new drug, runs us through the vital importance that clinical trials play in the whole drug development process, and tells us the fascinating story of how the common everyday drug paracetamol was discovered by accident.
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From asteroids to aliens - how space is threatening our planet
26 september 2025 · 35 min
Is our planet under threat from the depths of space? In this episode, we talk to solar physicist Dr Ryan French. Normally, Ryan is busy unravelling the mysteries of our Sun, but today we’ll be delving into a slightly darker topic – the many risks posed to our delicate planet from space. In his recent book, "Space Hazards: Asteroids, solar flares and cosmic threats”, Ryan covers all the many dangers our planet faces from space rocks, the Sun and the farthest reaches of the Universe. We run through some of the most pressing threats and find out just how worried we should be.
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Why we treat our pets and possessions like human beings
22 september 2025 · 25 min
Many of us treat our pet dogs or cats with the same love and attention that with give to our human babies, some of us give our cars or other prized possessions human names and may even, at times, talk to them. This is known as anthropomorphism – the tendency within many of us to assign human qualities to non-human animals and even inanimate objects. Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Justin Gregg to talk about his latest book, Human-ish – How Anthropomorphism Makes Us Smart, Weird and Delusional.
He tells us how we’ve bred our pets to look and behave in more and more human-like ways, the benefits we can all gain from attributing human-like qualities to inanimate objects such as cars or musicalminstruments, and how AI chatbots are expanding the phenomenon of anthropomorphism further than ever before.
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How bats became one of the planet’s most successful animals
19 september 2025 · 30 min
It’s a little-known fact that bats are one of the most successful animals on Earth, with almost 1,500 different species currently identified. Their agility in flight and prowess as hunters, wide-ranging diversity in size and behaviour and ability to adapt to almost any environment have allowed them to conquer almost every corner of the globe. But despite their success, many species of bats are now under threat. Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by ecologist and neurobiologist Prof Yossi Yuval to talk about his latest book, The Genius Bat – Understanding our Most Mysterious Mammal.
He gives us a breakdown of bats’ sophisticated ability to ‘see’ the world using sound, tells us how despite their reputation as terrifying blood-thirsty predators, vampire bats have highly developed social networks and will even share their meals with other members of their roosts, and also explains how the loss of bats could have a huge effect on the ecosystems in which they live.
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Why penguins are one of the planet’s most unique bird species
15 september 2025 · 26 min
Thanks to their comical waddle-like way of walking, striking tuxedo-patterned plumage or graceful ability to seemingly ‘fly’ beneath the water, penguins are without doubt one of the planet’s most instantly recognisable animals. But the fact is that they are also one of its most endangered species of bird. Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Peter Fretwell, lead scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, to talk about his latest book The Penguin Book of Penguins – An Expert’s Guide to the World’s Most Beloved Bird.
He tells us how, despite popular belief, penguins are found all over the globe, not just in Antarctica, why exactly they have such a comical way of walking and the actions we need to take if we want to save these charismatic birds from extinction.
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Busting the biggest myths in neuroscience
12 september 2025 · 42 min
Relatively speaking neuroscience and psychology are young fields of scientific research that only really got going over the last hundred years or so. However, during this time several stubborn myths have arisen that, zombie-like, just don’t seem to go away. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to neuroscientist, best-selling author and long-time BBC Science Focus contributor Dr Dean Burnett.
He tells us how much of our brain we really use, explains whether polygraphs can really tell if we’re lying, and explains the real difference between our left and right brains.
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The positive tipping points that can help us solve the climate crisis
8 september 2025 · 28 min
When it comes to climate change, we often think of tipping points as having a huge negative effect. Be it the loss of ice sheets in the Arctic, the deforestation of the Amazon rain forest or the alteration of ocean currents, scientists have identified several key systems on the Earth that will be impossible to reverse if they cross a critical threshold. But if we look at the situation from the opposite side, there are also several positive tipping points that, given the correct momentum, can potentially halt the crisis the planet is facing. Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by Prof Tim Lenton, chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter, to talk about his latest book Positive Tipping Points – How to Fix the Climate Crisis.
He tells us how the pop group A-ha helped Norway to lead the way in the adoption of electric vehicles, how government mandates can act as powerful amplifiers to get us closer to these vital climate tipping points, and how each positive tipping point can feed into another to push us closer to a greener future.
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How cats became one of our most-loved domestic pets
5 september 2025 · 27 min
From Lewis Carrol’s mysterious grinning Cheshire Cat and Jim Davis’s lazy, lasagne-loving comic strip tabby Garfield to the depictions of big cats found in palaeolithic cave art and the ancient Egyptian’s practice of worshipping cat-like deities, it’s clear we humans have had a long-standing fascination with felines. But how did this obsession with these charismatic animals begin? Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by Jerry D Moore, a professor of anthropology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, to talk about his latest book Cat Tales: A History – How We Learned to Live with Them…
He tells us how ancient cultures feared and revered the big cats they shared their land with thanks to their prowess as apex predators, how human’s development of agriculture and the storage of grain gave wild cats a reliable hunting ground in which to catch rodents, and how the domestic house cats of today may have chosen to live with us and much as we chose to live with them.
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How the health of the oceans is vital for the health of the planet
1 september 2025 · 34 min
Despite being a land-based species, the fact is that we humans live on a planet that is largely covered by oceans. The oceans play a key role in regulating the Earth’s climate and provide us with many of the resources essential for our continued survival – even down to the oxygen we breathe. Lees meer
The sad truth is our oceans aren’t in good shape. But there is still hope. With directed effort we can all help to preserve this vital resource and improve the health of the planet and all who live on it.
In this episode, we catch up with oceanographer, environmentalist and grandson of the legendary ocean explorer and innovator Jacques Cousteau, Philippe Cousteau Jr.
He breaks down the huge importance the oceans have on the health of the planet, explains how taking positive environmental action can benefit us both culturally and economically and how educating the next generation is key to safeguarding the future of the planet.
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The tiny molecules tackling the planet’s biggest challenges
29 augustus 2025 · 35 min
In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Omar Yaghi – a pioneer of materials chemistry whose inventions are shaping the future of clean energy, clean air, and even clean water. He’s best known for creating metal–organic frameworks, or MOFs, and covalent organic frameworks, COFs – ultra-porous materials that can capture carbon, store hydrogen, and even pull drinking water out of desert air. His work has opened up an entirely new field of chemistry, and his breakthroughs are now being developed into technologies that could help us tackle some of the biggest challenges of the 21st century.
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How to build a healthier, longer-living society
25 augustus 2025 · 32 min
The most commonly held narrative states that we’re all ultimately responsible for our own health and wellbeing. While there’s undoubtedly truth in this idea, the bigger picture shows that the societies we live in and the policies shaped by our governments also play a huge role in our quality of life and longevity. Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health based at the University of Edinburgh, about her latest book, How Not to Die (Too Soon) – The Lies We’ve Been Sold and the Policies That Can Save Us.
She explains how the key to longevity begins with education, discusses the lessons we can learn from some of the world's longest-lived populations, and outlines the positive societal changes governments can implement to help us all live longer, healthier lives.
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The psychology of making the most of your time
22 augustus 2025 · 30 min
Be it due to an increasingly demanding workload or responsibilities that need fulfilling at home, these days many of feel that there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything we need to get done. For many of us this can have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing. So, what can we do to improve our relationship with time? Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Ian Taylor, a psychologist based at Loughborough University, to talk about his latest book Time Hacks – The Psychology of Time and How to Spend it.
He tells us how relying on willpower alone is never the best way to be more productive, why we should be getting the most important tasks on our to-do lists completed early in the day and how breaking larger intimidating goals down into smaller micro-goals can have a huge impact on our motivation.
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How to overcome fear, according to a neuroscientist
18 augustus 2025 · 34 min
We all know the feeling: thoughts racing through your mind, nervous flutters in your belly, your heart beating hard in your chest. When your whole body is screaming at you that you’re in danger, it can feel impossible to not listen. But fear doesn’t have to hold you back. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Professor Abby Marsh, a neuroscientist at Georgetown University, in the US, who recently starred in National Geographic’s new series, Limitless: Live Better Now. In this series, scientists – including Abby – teach actor Chris Hemsworth how to conquer fear, pain and cognitive decline.
Today, Abby tells us about what fear is, how it manifests in our bodies and brains, and techniques we can use to overcome or harness it, so we can live more emboldened lives.
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How connecting with nature can help neurodivergent lives
15 augustus 2025 · 37 min
It’s estimated that as many as one in five of the world’s population are neurodivergent. Be it ADHD, autism or dyslexia, these differences in brain function can make everyday life more difficult for many. But maybe the natural world can provide some much-needed relief. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to naturalist and author Joe Harkness about his latest book Neurodivergent by Nature – Why Biodiversity Needs Neurodiversity.
He tells us why many neurodivergent people don’t receive an accurate diagnosis until later in life, why many neurodivergent people are attracted to careers in conservation and how getting out in natural environments can help us all to relax and feel safe.
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The science behind PMS, and how to beat it
11 augustus 2025 · 37 min
The luteal phase of the menstrual cycle has a really bad reputation. It’s known for premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, when many menstruating people experience low mood, bloating, food cravings and sluggishness before their period arrives. In stark contrast, we think of earlier phases in the cycle as times when we feel energetic, motivated and self-confident. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Dr Sarah Hill, an evolutionary psychologist whose research focuses on women, relationships and health, and the author of This is Your Brain on Birth Control and her upcoming title, The Period Brain.
She tells us what happens to the body and brain during the luteal phase, why so many of us experience unpleasant symptoms, and some little things we can do to feel our best.
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How the world needs to adapt to a changing climate
8 augustus 2025 · 34 min
We’re no longer living in a world before climate change. Its impacts – from rising sea levels to more extreme weather – are already upon us, and will almost certainly get worse before they get better. But beyond cutting our emissions as fast as possible, what do we need to do to survive, and hopefully thrive, in this new world? Lees meer
Today’s guest, researcher and author Susannah Fisher, joins us to explore that question. In her new book Sink or Swim, she lays out two possible futures: one where we fail to adapt and face the mounting chaos, and another where we make the hard choices needed to live in a hotter world. Which one of these we end up with, she says, is up to us.
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How humans learned to speak and why
4 augustus 2025 · 35 min
Humans’ unique ability to communicate through complex systems of language is one of the key attributes that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. But how did this complex behaviour arise? Lees meer
In her latest book, The Origin of Language – How We Learned to Speak and Why, evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman argues that our ability to speak arose due to the need to take care of our children.
She tells us how early human’s anatomy changed dramatically when our ancestors came down from the tress and began walking on two legs, how a quirk of genetics allowed humans to develop such large brains that aided the development of language, and why human’s slow development from helpless infants to functioning members of society gave rise to the need for in-group cooperation and complex modes of communication.
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The biggest unsolved mysteries in cosmology
1 augustus 2025 · 38 min
For thousands of years humans have looked out into the night sky and pondered on the mysteries of the vast cosmos that we find ourselves part of. From Copernicus’ discovery that the Earth revolves around the Sun to Einstein’s revelation that gravity is the result of the curvature of spacetime, we’ve learned much about how the universe operates. Lees meer
But we’re still only scratching the surface.
In this episode, we speak to Marcus Chown, an award-winning science writer and broadcaster and long-time contributor to BBC Science Focus.
He explains why pinning down the nature of dark matter and dark energy has eluded us for so long, why we can’t get gravity to agree with the three other forces of nature, and discusses the possibility of the existence of multiple universes.
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The hidden ways money has shaped human civilisation
28 juli 2025 · 32 min
If most of us were asked what we thought was meant by the word ‘technology’ chances are the first thing that would come to mind are inventions such as cars, medicine and computers. Lees meer
But economist and author David McWilliams would argue these are all physical technologies and that there’s also a whole world of social technologies out there that have shaped human progress in a similarly profound way that most of us are largely unaware of. Chief amongst these, he says, is the invention of money.
In this episode, we speak to David about his latest book Money – A Story of Humanity. He tells us how the very reason that money has any value at all is based on our collective belief and trust in it as a concept, how money was much more deeply involved in turning points in human history than first meets the eye, and we need to see our relationship with money as an evolutionary process that progresses much like natural selection.
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A neuroscientist’s guide to living with dementia
25 juli 2025 · 33 min
Dementia doesn’t have to be terrifying. We tend to think of neurocognitive decline as something to be feared and avoided, but as the population ages, more and more of us are being diagnosed with dementia – so it might be helpful to know more about it. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Dr Sabina Brennan, a neuroscientist, psychologist, bestselling author and host of the Super Brain podcast. Her new book, Still Me: a neuroscientist’s guide to caring for someone with dementia, offers practical advice for approaching dementia care in a loving and brain-healthy way.
Sabina tells us about her own experiences caring for her mother, the different ways neurocognitive decline can manifest itself, and how to find joy and fulfilment alongside dementia.
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The hidden life in the air we breathe
21 juli 2025 · 34 min
Every day we all breathe in thousands of litres of air, it is, of course essential for our continued existence. But did you know that the air that surrounds us is filled with a thriving colony of life itself? This is known as the aerobiome – a population of thousands of species of bacteria, fungi and even potentially lethal viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to science journalist and author Carl Zimmer about his latest book Air-Borne – The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe.
He runs us through the fascinating history of aerobiology, outlines the key role the field played in developing the germ theory of disease, and explains how even clouds are filled with life.
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How future tech will help you stay healthier for longer
18 juli 2025 · 32 min
Rapid advances in technology over the past several decades have impacted almost every area of our lives. It could be argued that innovations in medicine and healthcare are one of technology’s biggest success stories. However, many of us are still living in poor health, particularly in our later years. Can technology once again come to our rescue and help us to not only live longer lives but to help us to stay healthier for longer? Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to technology journalist and author Lara Lewington about her latest book Hacking Humanity: How Technology Can Save Your Health and Your Life.
She tells us how me may soon all have a ‘digital twin’ containing all of the data about our bodies and health that can be used to test the efficacy of drugs before we take them, the increasing role robotics can play in the operating theatre and the huge impact that the AI revolution can have on the future of healthcare.
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Why your brain might be wired for extremism
14 juli 2025 · 38 min
Why do some people become radicalised, while others remain resistant to extreme ideas? What makes one mind more vulnerable to harsh doctrines than another? In a world saturated with competing ideologies, it’s tempting to blame it on chance or circumstance. But in her compelling new book, The Ideological Brain, political neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod uncovers a deeper truth: our susceptibility to extremism is shaped by the very architecture of our minds, down to the cellular and genetic level. She explores how our cognitive traits influence ideological thinking, and crucially, why we’re not locked into any one path. Lees meer
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How working too hard is damaging your health and productivity
11 juli 2025 · 28 min
Be it at school or in the workplace, many of us are under more and more pressure to work harder for longer to ensure that we’re performing at our best. But the latest neuroscience research is discovering that we may all have this idea entirely the wrong way around. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to neuroscientist Dr Joseph Jebelli to talk about his latest book The Brain at Rest: Why Doing Nothing Can Change Your Life.
He tells us how overwork is leading to almost 750,000 deaths a year globally, how taking a few minutes to pause and do nothing every now and then can switch on the powerful effect of our brains’ default network, and how simply allowing our minds to wander from time to time can help us to be more creative and more productive.
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How the maths of sameness and difference can change the way you view the world
7 juli 2025 · 30 min
Anyone who has studied maths even briefly will no doubt be familiar with the ‘equals’ sign. But there’s much more to this seemingly simple symbol and the concepts that it represents than may first meet the eye. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to mathematician and author Dr Eugenia Cheng about her latest book Unequal – The Maths of When Things Do (and Don’t) Add Up.
She tells us why maths doesn’t have to be intimidating, the importance of recognising different viewpoints in maths, and how a gaining a deeper understanding of maths can help us live our daily lives more effectively.
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Busting the biggest weight loss myths
4 juli 2025 · 45 min
Currently, 60 per cent of people in the UK are overweight or obese. It’s likely that many of us would like to drop a few pounds if possible but with so much information on diet and weight loss available separating facts from myths can be something of a minefield. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Prof Giles Yeo, a geneticist and obesity expert based at the University of Cambridge.
He tells us exactly how our bodies extract calories from the food we eat, the real effect that exercise has on our weight, and how the reward pathways in our brains are linked to our appetites.
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Better Sleep: The hidden power of napping
1 juli 2025 · 22 min
Be it a brief power nap to help perk us up, a Sunday afternoon kip after a big lunch, or a traditional daily Spanish siesta, many of us put our heads down for a short period during the day. But where does this habit come from and is it actually good for our health? Lees meer
In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to Valentina Paz, a psychologist based at the Universidad de la República in Uruguay and University College London.
She tells us how taking naps can help to boost our attention and energy, what the ideal time for a nap actually is, and speaks about her research on the long-term protective effects that napping can have on our brains.
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The new science of music as medicine
27 juni 2025 · 29 min
Many of us listen to music or play an instrument for pleasure thanks to the unique effect it has on our emotions. But what exactly is going on in our bodies and brains when we listen to or play music, and can we harness the profound effects it has on us to improve our health and wellbeing? Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to neuroscientist, musician and author Stefan Koelsch about his latest book Good Vibrations: Unlocking the Healing Power of Music.
He explains exactly what’s happening in our brains when we listen to music, how playing music can help to keep our brains young, and how new research is uncovering the powerful ways in which music can help stroke patients regain their speech and mobility, reduce the amount of anaesthetics needed during surgeries and how music’s ability to bring us together can help us to lead happier, more fulfilling lives.
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Better Sleep: How psychology can help you beat insomnia
23 juni 2025 · 32 min
Over the past several decades it’s become abundantly clear that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. However, currently around one in three of us often struggle to get enough shuteye thanks to the stress and anxiety caused by our hectic lifestyles. Thankfully, help is out there in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT. Lees meer
In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to founder of The Insomnia Clinic and Silentnight sleep expert, Kathryn Pinkham.
She tells us exactly what a good night’s sleep looks like, how developing a healthy sleep appetite is vital if we want to wake up feeling fresh and renewed in the morning and shares some psychological techniques we can use to help us sleep more restfully.
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How your brain builds your picture of reality
20 juni 2025 · 32 min
How do our brains help us build up a picture of the world around us? It’s a question that has both beguiled and fascinated scientists for centuries. The latest thinking suggests that the brain acts like a scientist that builds up a database of previous observations and experiences and uses this to make sense of the world around us. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Daniel Yon, an experimental psychologist based at Birkbeck, University of London to talk about his latest book A Trick of the Mind: How the Brain Invents Your Reality.
He tells us about the intimate link between our brains and senses, how our brains create our sense of self and make judgements about others, and how our brains come up with new theories and ideas.
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Better Sleep: How snoring affects our health
16 juni 2025 · 32 min
More than four in ten of us in the UK are snorers. Far from being a trivial condition, snoring can have a significant impact on our ability to sleep, our partners’ ability to sleep and our health in general. Lees meer
In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, a consultant ear, nose and throat and sleep surgeon based at University College London Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic London.
He tells us about the many factors that can lead to us snoring, the difference between regular snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, and why we shouldn’t be embarrassed to seek medical help if breathing problems during sleep are affecting our lives.
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The science behind Agatha Christie’s poisons
13 juni 2025 · 39 min
Humans are enthralled by stories about murder. And the mysteries we tell these days – like in the Glass Onion films or TV shows like The Residence – often follow a blueprint set by the iconic Agatha Christie. It turns out, Christie knew a whole lot about science. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Dr Kathryn Harkup, a chemist who writes about the science behind famous works of literature. Her newest book, V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death, is her sequel to A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, exploring Christie’s expert use of dark chemistry.
She tells us about some of the poisons Christie used in her books – the brutal, the medicinal and the obscure – revealing Christie’s extensive chemical knowledge.
But be warned: this conversation gets quite dark. Listener discretion is advised.
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Better Sleep: The deep connection between sleep and memory
9 juni 2025 · 26 min
We humans spend roughly one third of our time sleeping. For the average person this adds up to around 26 years over our lifetimes. And though to the outside observer it may seem that there’s little going on, several processes are being carried out by our bodies and brains that are vital for our health and wellbeing. Lees meer
In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to Dr Alessio Delogu, a neurobiologist based at King’s College, London, about the intimate link between sleep our memory.
He tells how memories are encoded in our brains during sleep, how sleep deprivation hampers our ability to learn new skills, and shares some tips to help us keep our memory systems working in tiptop condition.
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How to harness the healing power of the body’s largest nerve
6 juni 2025 · 41 min
It’s a little-known fact that we all have two long networks of nerves that run down either side of our necks that pass signals from our brains to all of the organs in our bodies. This is known as the vagus nerve, and cutting-edge research is now uncovering how stimulating this vital part of our anatomy can help us combat a whole range of damaging health conditions. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to neurosurgeon and researcher Dr Kevin J Tracey about his latest book The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness its Healing Reflexes.
He tells us how this nerve network acts as a vital conduit for communication between our brains and organs, talks us through the exciting new therapies being developed using electronic implants that stimulate the vagus nerve, and why we’re only just scratching the surface of the therapeutic potential of this understudied part of our bodies.
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The evolution of music, its impact on human culture and its future
2 juni 2025 · 29 min
There’s little doubt that music is an integral part of what it means to be human. But how did it first arise, how did musical instruments and compositions become ever more sophisticated and why does listening to or playing music bring us so much joy? Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to science writer and music producer David Darling about his latest book A Perfect Harmony: Music, Mathematics and Science.
He tells us how the oldest pitched musical instrument found so far is thought to be more than 40,000 years old, the role music has played in the evolution of human culture, and what the impact AI-generated music may have on the work of human musicians and composers in the near future.
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Why we should rethink our relationship with alcohol
30 mei 2025 · 39 min
The shocking fact is that alcohol is responsible for around three times more deaths globally than any other drug combined, save for tobacco. However, many of us still consume it. So how have we reached this point, and why is alcohol consumption still so deeply ingrained in human culture? Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Professor David Nutt about the history of alcohol use and the many and varied effects it has on our health, lives and wellbeing.
He tells us exactly what alcohol does to our bodies and brains, why some of us find it so difficult to stop drinking once we’ve started, and why education is vital if we are to limit the damage alcohol causes to public health.
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Don't miss the upcoming Better Sleep miniseries!
28 mei 2025 · 1 min
Studies show that around one in three of us aren't getting enough sleep, and this is having a huge impact on our ability to perform at our best, both at work and in our home lives. If you're someone who often wakes up in the morning feeling out of sorts, why not tune into the Instant Genius Better Sleep miniseries brought to you from the team behind BBC Science Focus. Lees meer
It's still the same show with the same great guests. We'll just be spending a little extra time to go deeper into how to sleep more soundly and how to reap the many health benefits that this brings. This four part special series will feature interviews with leading researchers to give you everything you need to know to get a better night's sleep.
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How humans may soon become an interplanetary species
26 mei 2025 · 36 min
It’s now been more than 50 years since any human being has set foot on the Moon, but the ambition to do so again has been gathering pace over the last decade or so. But some scientists and researchers are looking further ahead and planning to establish a human presence on distant planets such as Mars. Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to physicist and director of the Foundation for Space Development Africa Dr Adriana Marais about her book Out of This World and Into the Next: Notes from a Physicist on Space Exploration.
She tells us what plans to establish a Moon base in the coming years can teach us about living on other planets, how we’ll select the crew to take on this bold journey, and how the technology being developed can help us to live more economically and environmentally here on Earth.
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The listening hacks that can transform your health
23 mei 2025 · 35 min
Our everyday lives are filled with sounds of all kinds – birdsong, traffic noise, the music we choose to listen to or is played in shops and restaurants, the list is practically endless. But what impact are these sounds having on our individual health and wellbeing and the world at large? Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to author and founder of The Listening Society Julian Treasure about his latest book Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing and Our Planet.
He tells us how hearing is the first sense we develop, how ambient sounds impact our health and wellbeing, and how listening more closely to what’s going on around us, rather than simply hearing, can enhance almost every aspect of our lives.
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