Alle afleveringen
689 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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The psychology of anger
22 november 2024 · 28 min
It’s likely that even the most virtuous amongst us has experienced feelings of anger at some point in our lives. But is this simply a failing in our personal moral fabric or does it have more universal biological origins? Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Guy Leschziner, a professor of neurology and sleep medicine at King’s College Hospital in London to talk about his latest book Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human.
He tells us how activity in the emotional regions of our brains affects our behaviour, talks about the influence of testosterone on our aggressive tendencies and tells us how mutations in specific genes can predispose us to commit violent acts.
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How to beat the winter blues
18 november 2024 · 33 min
As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, many of us find ourselves feeling a little less jolly and a bit more sluggish than usual. But for some of us these feelings can become so severe that they are classed as a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder. This can have a significant impact on our daily habits, relationships and ability to perform at our best. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with the founder of The Sleep Scientist Dr Sophie Bostock.
She tells us how exposure to daylight affects our mood, why it’s natural to want to hunker down during the colder, darker months and how going on a daily morning walk can help us all to lift our spirits.
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Why being cynical is harming your health
15 november 2024 · 31 min
While being cynical can feel safe, and prepared for the worst outcome, it could actually be harming your health. We spoke to Jamil Zaki, author of the new book Hope for Cynics to better understand the dangers of cynicism and how to break out of it.
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How to Hack Your Sleep: How not getting enough sleep affects your health
11 november 2024 · 26 min
Lots of us will have at some points in our lives woken up feeling groggy after getting a poor night’s sleep. But what causes us to have trouble sleeping, what effect does it have on our health and what can we do about it? Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up Prof Matt Jones, a neuroscientist based at the University of Bristol.
He tells us how our sleep needs vary across our lifetimes, how not getting enough sleep can affect our ability to think straight and form memories, and why a lack of sleep can leave so many of us feeling cranky and impulsive.
This episode is presented in partnership with Lumie. https://www.lumie.com/
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The genetic evolution and future of humankind
8 november 2024 · 28 min
Understanding who we are and where we came from is one of the most fascinating questions in science. But it’s also one of the most difficult to answer. Putting all of the pieces together requires research across several different disciplines such as genetics, anthropology and medicine. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Professor of Human Genetics and Evolution at College de France in Paris Lluis Quintana-Murci to talk about his latest book Human Peoples: On the Genetic Traces of Human Evolution Migration and Adaptation.
He tells us how the characteristics of different human populations have been shaped by the environments they live in, how our genes can protect us against disease and what we learn can from all of this about our future health and wellbeing.
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How to Hack Your Sleep: The science of bizarre sleep phenomena
4 november 2024 · 27 min
Research over the past few decades has proven that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. But sometimes strange things can happen in our brains while we’re asleep. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Dr Dan Denis, a sleep researcher and lecturer at the University of York’s department of psychology.
He tells us what happens in our brains and bodies when we dream, why some of us are prone to sleepwalking and even sleep eating, and talks about the strange phenomenon of lucid dreaming.
This episode is presented in partnership with Lumie. https://www.lumie.com/
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The fascinating history of science
1 november 2024 · 27 min
We may pride ourselves on our intelligence, but humans perhaps actually have to thank our ability to process and communicate information for our species’ success. In this episode, we speak to ‘The History of Information’ author Chris Haughton about the evolutionary adaptations, technologies and moments in our history that propelled us forward – and what he thinks is coming next.
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How to Hack Your Sleep: What to eat to get better sleep
28 oktober 2024 · 25 min
We all know we should be eating a good diet to keep ourselves healthy, but did you know your diet can have a significant impact on how well you sleep? Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Dr Piril Hepsomali, a psychologist and sleep researcher based at the University of Reading.
She tells us how consuming caffeine affects our sleep, why we feel tired after eating a big Sunday lunch and what actually happens if you eat cheese before going to bed.
This episode is presented in partnership with Lumie.
https://www.lumie.com/
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How the James Webb Space Telescope is peering deeper into the cosmos than ever before
25 oktober 2024 · 26 min
Since its launch on Christmas Day 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has delivered some of the most stunning images of space we’ve ever seen, peering deeper into the cosmos than ever before. But as awe-inspiring as these images are, data about the history of the Universe being collected by the telescope are perhaps even more mind-blowing. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Sky at Night Presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock to talk about her new book Webb’s Universe: The Space Telescope Images that Reveal our Cosmic History.
She tells us how the telescope is shedding new light on what we know about the birth of stars and galaxies, how it’s teaching us more about the structure and atmospheres of distant exoplanets and what she’s most excited about it discovering in the future.
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How to Hack Your Sleep: Optimising your body clock
21 oktober 2024 · 27 min
Our bodies have in-built clocks that allow us to sync our daily activities to a roughly 24-hour cycle. This determines everything from our sleep patterns to our appetites and even dictates the time of day we are most likely to perform at our best. Lees meer
However, not all of our body clocks keep the same time – some of us prefer early mornings while some of us prefer late nights. What’s more, alterations in external time, such as crossing time zones or changes to and from daylight saving time can play havoc with this finely tuned internal system.
In this episode, we catch up with Dr Beatriz Bano, a neuroscientist based at the University of Manchester.
She tells us the role exposure to daylight plays in setting our body clocks, how they change over our lifetimes and how we can set up our daily routines to ensure we are well rested and performing at our best.
This episode is presented in partnership with Lumie.
https://www.lumie.com/
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How the history of all life on Earth is written in DNA, with Richard Dawkins
18 oktober 2024 · 31 min
Since the discovery of the double helix by Francis Crick, James Watson and Rosalind Franklin in the 1950s, human knowledge of DNA and genetics has grown almost immeasurably. Lees meer
We now know that genes affect every aspect of our lives, from our appearance, our health and even our personality. But more than this, our genes are a living document of our evolutionary past, an ancient document that, if read properly, can reveal almost everything about how we came to be how we are.
In this episode, we’re joined by the evolutionary biologist and multi-million selling author Richard Dawkins to speak about his latest book The Genetic Book of the Dead: A Darwinian Reverie.
He tells us how different species of animals hit on the same evolutionary strategies despite being separated by multiple continents, how natural selection doesn’t necessarily always follow the perfect path and how a scientist of the future may one day be able to read the genetic code of any living animal like a book to uncover its entire evolutionary past.
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Don't miss the upcoming How to Hack Your Sleep miniseries!
16 oktober 2024 · 1 min
Do you find it hard to get out of bed first thing in the morning? Maybe you feel your energy levels starting to wane in the afternoon? Or perhaps you struggle to fall asleep in the first place? Lees meer
Why not tune into the Instant Genius How to Hack Your Sleep miniseries, brought to you from the team behind BBC Science Focus.
It's still the same show, with the same great guests. We’ll just be spending a little extra time to go deeper into the science of all things related to sleep.
Starting on Monday 21 October, this four-part special series will feature interviews with some of the leading figures in sleep research to give you everything you need to get the most out of your shuteye.
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How to keep your dog calm, safe and happy
14 oktober 2024 · 26 min
We all love our dogs and want to do what’s best for them but, unfortunately, they aren’t able to talk to us to let us know when something isn’t going well for them. So how can we make sure we’re doing our best to keep them safe and happy? Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up dog expert and author Zazie Todd to talk about her latest book, Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog.
She teaches us about some key body language cues to look out for to tell when your dog is feeling anxious, shares her top tips on buying a healthy puppy, and explains why it’s always a good idea to let your dog have a good old sniff.
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When we’ll actually move to Mars
11 oktober 2024 · 36 min
If you’re anything like Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, the idea of a mass human migration to space is exciting but, well, a little flawed. As they say in their new book, A City on Mars (shortlisted for this year's Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize): “An Earth with climate change and nuclear war and, like, zombies and werewolves is still a way better place than Mars.” Lees meer
In this episode, we speak to Kelly about why we’re not likely to see billionaires rocketing off to Mars-based bunkers, what we might eat when we live in space, and how close we really are to moving to Mars.
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Exploring the diversity of England’s distinctive habitats
7 oktober 2024 · 39 min
For a relatively small country, England is home to an astonishing variety of habitats. From the low-lying grasses, gorse and heather that make up the heathland to the many rivers that make their way across our countryside and cities, each landscape has its own individual characteristics and charms. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with farmer and best-selling nature writer John Lewis-Stempel to talk about his new book England: A Major Natural History in 12 Habitats.
He takes us on a tour of some of the country’s unique habitats, speaks about the flora and fauna we can enjoy there and tells us how the best way to interact with nature is to get your hands dirty.
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How listening to our animal minds can help us overcome stress and anxiety
4 oktober 2024 · 28 min
Did you know that according to some psychologists we have two minds, not one? The first of these is our regular, analytical mind – the part of us that processes language and is home to our ego – and the second is a more primitive, animal mind that responds to our environment in a more automatic, intuitive way. Lees meer
It is argued that learning how to listen more closely to our animal minds can help us to overcome stress, anxiety and trauma.
In this episode, we catch up with psychologist and author Steve Biddulph to talk about his latest book Wild Creature Mind.
He tells how our ‘gut feelings’ are a way of our animal minds trying to tell us something, talks us through some simple techniques we can use to help us be more in touch with our animal minds, and explains how simply being a bit kinder to ourselves is a great place to start.
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How to easily trigger your flow state
30 september 2024 · 33 min
A state of absolute focus, able to complete a single task or activity effortlessly, flow states are desirable. But how can you achieve one and can they be turned on and off? We spoke to Julia Christensen, author of the new book The Pathway to Flow to find out.
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Why smartphones really aren’t that bad for your kids
27 september 2024 · 37 min
Thanks to the advent of the smartphone, we now have in our pockets more computing power than NASA needed to put human beings on the Moon. With it comes access to vast amounts of information, both good and bad, and the ability to communicate like never before. But what impact is this having on our children’s lives and how should we approach their smartphone use? Lees meer
In this episode, we’re joined by neuroscientist, author and BBC Science Focus columnist Dr Dean Burnett to talk about his latest book Why Your Parents Are Hung Up On Your Phone And What To Do About It.
He tells us why screen time isn’t anywhere near as bad for your kids as people say, why using search engines isn’t rotting their brains and how, far from being antisocial, phones can actually help younger people to develop and maintain their social lives.
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How changes in our chromosomes could lead to the end of men
23 september 2024 · 23 min
The Y chromosome is responsible for making people male, but according to recent research, we could see it disappear in the future. So what will happen when the Y chromosome is gone? We spoke to Jenny Graves, a geneticist at La Trobe University to find out.
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How to think about uncertainty more scientifically
20 september 2024 · 31 min
Often, we’ll hear it said that we live in an uncertain world. Upon hearing this, most of us respond, well of course we do. But what does the term uncertainty actually mean when analysed under a scientific lens and how can we think about it more rationally. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, Chair of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge, to talk about his new book, The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck.
He tells us how uncertainty essentially comes from our personal relationships with the outside world, how to analyse and express probability more effectively and why philosophers argue that there are several different types of luck.
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Free will is an illusion. Here’s why
16 september 2024 · 40 min
Free will, as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica, is the “supposed power or capacity of humans to make decisions or perform actions independently of any prior event or state of the universe”. Lees meer
In a previous episode, neuroscientist Kevin Mitchell argued that human evolution has indeed equipped us with the capacity for genuine free will. Go and check it out if you haven’t already.
Now, we turn the spotlight on the opposing view.
In his latest book, Determined: Life Without Free Will, renowned neuroscientist and recipient of the prestigious MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’ Robert Sapolsky challenges the notion of free will, presenting a compelling case that our actions are largely determined by biological, environmental and chance factors.
In this episode, Sapolsky gets into the reasoning behind his controversial conclusions. But he also looks beyond just the lack of free will, exploring how this realisation might necessitate some fundamental changes to our society. And you know what? Even without the ability to truly choose, he still contends that life can hold real meaning.
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What is toxic positivity, and how can you avoid it?
13 september 2024 · 31 min
Being a positive person can be good for your health and social relationships. But can you take it too far? In this episode, we talk to psychologist Dr Linda Blair about what ‘toxic positivity’ is and why it’s bad, how to spot it, and how to stop.
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Life as a brain surgeon
9 september 2024 · 33 min
Thanks to the years and years spent poring over textbooks to study the inner workings of the brain, the high level of manual dexterity required to perform operations and the mental pressures that come with taking patients’ lives in your hands, there can be little doubt the journey to becoming a brain surgeon is one of the most challenging any of us can embark upon. Lees meer
So, what exactly does it take to become a successful brain surgeon and what does the day-to-work reality look like when the years of training are finally complete?
In this episode, we catch up Theodore H Schwartz, professor of neurosurgery based at Weill Cornell Medical Center, to talk about his new book Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery.
He tells us about his own personal journey to become an in-demand surgeon, what it’s like to work in one of New York’s busiest hospitals, and the surprising crossover between brain surgery and learning how to play an instrument.
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The healing power of nature
6 september 2024 · 31 min
Do you ever feel a bit stressed and think that taking a walk in the woods is just the thing to calm your mind? Maybe you take a moment to listen to the birdsong around you to lift your mood during your lunch hour. Or maybe you feel a deep sensation of relaxation when you hear the sound of a gently flowing brook. Lees meer
Over the past decade or so new evidence on what is going on in our bodies when we interact with nature has emerged leading to some fascinating discoveries showing how forming a deeper relationship with nature can help our mental and physical health.
In this episode, we catch up with Kathy Willis, professor of biodiversity at the University of Oxford to talk about her new book Good Nature: The New Science of How Nature Improves Our Health.
She tells us how smelling pine trees can slow our heart rates, how keeping houseplants can make our gut microbiomes healthier and how touching wooden furniture can help us feel calmer.
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How science is helping us restore the Earth’s atmosphere
2 september 2024 · 30 min
In his book, Into The Clear Blue Sky, Rob Jackson asks an important question, can we really restore the Earth’s atmosphere within our lifetime? He talks us through how this could be possible through technology and genuine effort from civilisation.
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Why you're probably not getting enough fibre – and how to fix it
30 augustus 2024 · 34 min
New, so-called ‘superfoods’ frequently find their own moment in the spotlight. But what if there was one type of food that really did help with everything?
Well, microbiome scientist, dietician and ex-chef Dr Emily Leeming thinks that the magic ingredient could be fibre. Following the release of her book Genius Gut, we spoke about how eating more fibre can not only improve your day-to-day life, but also lower your risk of death – from bettering your mood to helping you control your appetite, and even slowing your ageing.
Listen on for Emily’s cooking and meal prep tips for upping your intake!
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Surprising facts about weird animal abilities
26 augustus 2024 · 36 min
Animals can do some pretty cool things, but the world is full of bizarre adaptations you’ve probably never heard of or not given much thought to. In this episode, we speak to vet and TV presenter Dr Jess French, whose new book The Animal Body explains some of the everyday magic of animal anatomy to children.
From slug teeth to self-healing abilities, Jess gives us her most surprising facts and busts some common myths – and even does a special impression of a white-handed gibbon.
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How thinking more radically can help us see the bigger picture
23 augustus 2024 · 33 min
These days we’re constantly bombarded with information, be it from television, social media, friends and family or simply from the world around us. But how do we interpret this information, what role do our beliefs play and how can we harness the power of critical thinking in our daily lives. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Peter Lamont, a professor of history and theory of psychology at the University of Edinburgh to talk about his latest book Radical Thinking: How to see the bigger picture.
He tells us why we should constantly be questioning the foundation of our beliefs, why we should recognise and embrace our limitations and how thinking radically all begins with curiosity.
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Why your plants are more intelligent than you think
19 augustus 2024 · 36 min
Right now, in labs and lecture halls all around the world, there’s a war raging. Not a physical war of fists and gunfire, but a war of ideas, and of research and of fact. Lees meer
The battle ground is this: Could it be that we animals are not alone in our ability to make decisions, to feel the world around us, to listen and communicate, maybe even be conscious. In short, could it be that plants are intelligent too?
Today’s guest is Zoë Schlanger, a staff writer at The Atlantic covering the environment, and the author of The Light Eaters, a book exploring the fascinating science of plant intelligence and behaviour.
She argues that plants are more than just a green blob in the ecosystem, but an active part of it; one with the agency to decide its own destiny, and, fundamentally, one which we humans should show respect and reverence towards.
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How science can help us predict the future
16 augustus 2024 · 28 min
The future can be scary, but what if there was a way for us to understand it a little better? Tom Chivers believes there is. His new book Everything Is Predictable explains how Bayes Theorem, a statistical model, can explain the world around us and, in some cases, help us predict the future.
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Why we form one-sided 'parasocial' relationships with celebrities
12 augustus 2024 · 32 min
It is easy to feel like we know celebrities, and even love them. But these people don’t know who we are, so is it healthy? We spoke to Karen Shackleford, a media psychologist to better understand the one-sided world of parasocial relationships.
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Superhumans and the end of ageing: Renowned futurist Ray Kurzweil's vision of 2050
9 augustus 2024 · 27 min
Ray Kurzweil has made many accurate predictions about AI in the past. Having worked in the area of AI research for 61 years, he is one of the longest standing experts in the field. Now, he’s back with a new book titled The Singularity Is Nearer, breaking down his expectations for our future.
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How fungi is vital to life on Earth
5 augustus 2024 · 28 min
Mention the word 'fungi' and it’s likely many of our minds will turn to the mushrooms we enjoy sliced on the top of our favourite pizza or bowl of pasta. But there’s more to these fascinating organisms than this. Without fungi we’d have no yeast to make bread or brew beer and no penicillin to treat infections. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up physician and immunology researcher Arturo Casadevall to talk about his latest book What if Fungi Win?
He tells us about the essential role fungi plays in the ecosystems and lifecycles of the Earth, how they pose a potential threat to our food supplies, the role climate change is playing in the evolution of fungi and the role they may possibly play in combatting it.
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Peak Performance: Have we reached peak human athletics performance?
2 augustus 2024 · 29 min
These days, top athletes are breaking fewer and fewer world records. But why is this occurring, and does it mean that we are close to reaching the limits of human sporting performance? Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Dr Jonathan Taylor, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise at Teesside University.
He tells us the role our genes play in our athletic performance, the limits our musculature and cardiovascular systems play, and why it’s unlikely to mean that we’ll lose interest in playing and watching sports anytime soon.
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Peak Performance: How to recover faster and come back stronger
29 juli 2024 · 30 min
Whether we’re lifting weights in the gym, going for an outdoor run or competing in sports, any kind of physical activity takes its toll on our bodies. So, what should we be doing when we’re not exercising to make sure our bodies stay in top condition? Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with James Betts, professor of metabolic physiology at the University of Bath.
He tells us how to refuel after a gruelling workout, why there’s little evidence on the effectiveness of ice baths and why muscle soreness is just part of the game.
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Peak Performance: The secret tricks athletes use to strengthen their willpower, according to a sports psychologist
26 juli 2024 · 26 min
When we watch professional sports people, we’re no doubt in awe of their physical prowess. But how are their performances affected by what’s going on in their minds, how do they get their headspace ready to perform at their best and what can us mere mortals learn from them? Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Tim Woodman, a professor of performance psychology based at Bangor University.
He tells us what role motivation plays in our ability to perform, how anyone can benefit from practising visualisation and breath work, and how we really all are performing in one way or another on a daily basis.
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Peak Performance: How to get the most out of your workout, whatever your level of fitness
22 juli 2024 · 28 min
Most of us know that we should probably be trying to get a bit more exercise, but fitting gym sessions into our busy work and homelives can often be tricky. And even then, we still have to decide what activities suit our needs best when faced with the intimidating number of options that are out there. Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with Dr Sinead Roberts, a lecturer in sport and exercise nutrition at the University of Westminster.
She tells us why the good news is that doing something, whatever it is, is nearly always better than doing nothing, why it’s a good idea to do strength training even if you don’t want to be a body builder and how to get through frustrating plateaus in progress.
The Peak Performance miniseries features interviews with some of the leading figures in sports research to give you everything you need for a science-packed summer of sport.
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How gases shaped life on Earth and helped human beings to prosper
19 juli 2024 · 35 min
From the oxygen in the air we breathe to the atmosphere that cloaks the Earth and protects us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet light, gases are essential for the existence of human beings. Lees meer
But did you know that we’ve also harnessed the properties of these elusive, largely invisible substances to impact almost every aspect of our lives?
In this episode, we catch up with material scientist Prof Mark Miodownik to talk about his latest book, It’s a Gas: The Magnificent and Elusive Elements that Expand Our World.
He tells us how gases helped us to make our cities safer and more prosperous, how Nobel Prize-winning chemistry led to the invention of neon lights and how we owe our very existence to gases influence in shaping the chemical makeup of the Earth.
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Don’t miss the upcoming Peak Performance miniseries special!
17 juli 2024 · 1 min
Looking to get the maximum possible benefits out of your gym time? Want to find out why what you do to recover outside of the gym is just as important what you do inside it? Or maybe you’d like to learn some of the secret psychological tricks pro athletes use to stay at their best? Lees meer
Why not tune into the Instant Genius Peak Performance miniseries, brought to you from the team behind BBC Science Focus.
It's still the same show, with the same great guests. We’ll just be spending a little extra time to go deeper into the science of all things related to sports and fitness.
Starting on Monday 22 July, this four-part special series will feature interviews with some of the leading figures in sports research to give you everything you need for a science-packed summer of sport.
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How biology has shaped the history of the human race
15 juli 2024 · 36 min
There are currently more than eight billion human beings living on Earth, occupying nearly every corner of the planet. It’s a remarkable situation to find ourselves in, and there can be little doubt that the story of human progress has, by and large, been a successful one. But how did we reach this point? What sets us apart from other animals? And what is it about our biology that has allowed us to achieve this incredible feat? Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with astrobiologist and author Prof Lewis Dartnell to talk about his latest book Being Human: How Biology Shaped World History.
He takes us on a trip through the evolution of the human race. We talk about how human beings’ ability to form harmonious societies has helped us prosper, why we’re so prone to making errors in judgment despite our great success as a species and how the world we’ve built has ended up influencing our biology back in return.
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How a heating planet is changing sports
12 juli 2024 · 29 min
We can see climate change in our food, holidays and even day-to-day life, but one area we rarely think about is our sports. And yet, climate change could completely change how we play and experience sports all together. We spoke to Madeleine Orr, the author of the new book Warming Up to learn a little bit more about how sports will be changed by a changing climate.
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How maths can help us to understand the human brain
8 juli 2024 · 31 min
It’s often said that the human brain is the most complex structure in the known Universe. So how do we go about studying it? You may think that we should leave this to biologists or neuroscientists, but approaching the brain as a mathematical object and investigating its geometry and structure is providing researchers with more and more new insights. Lees meer
In this episode we catch up with mathematician Alain Goriely, professor of geometry at Gresham College, London ahead of his series of free public lectures entitled Mathematics and the Brain.
He tells us how the brain’s shape, structure and size relate to intelligence, how mathematical models can help us deepen our understanding of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and how advances in scanning technology have helped us begin to uncover its many mysteries.
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Here’s why science says you do have free will
5 juli 2024 · 34 min
Did you really choose to listen to this podcast? Or was the decision just the product of neurons firing in your brain, used by biochemical reactions, governed by the laws of physics? Lees meer
Today, it’s become almost fashionable to chalk how we think and behave up to nothing more than the physical sum of our parts. But our guest in this episode is bucking that trend, arguing that we humans do have autonomy over our lives.
Kevin Mitchell is an associate professor of genetics and neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin and author of Free Agents – How Evolution Gave Us Free Will. He argues that free will isn’t just an illusion, and that evolution proves that we’re more than mere machines simply responding to the world around us.
Will you choose to believe him?
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How triangles are hiding everywhere
1 juli 2024 · 33 min
From tortilla chips and ham sandwiches to teepees and the Great Pyramid of Giza, the world is filled with triangles. But why is this seemingly simple shape so ubiquitous and how do we take advantage of its unique properties? Lees meer
In this episode we catch up with stand-up comedian, mathematician and best-selling author Matt Parker to talk about his latest book Love Triangle: The Life-Changing Magic of Trigonometry.
He tells us how triangles can be used to erect the world’s tallest buildings, help spacecraft land on distant planets and create realistic CGI images, and explains how we should all fall back in love with the trigonometry we learned in high school.
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The gene therapy future has arrived
28 juni 2024 · 30 min
Right now, in hospitals around the world, patients are being cured of diseases once thought untreatable. Lees meer
The reason? A gene therapy revolution means that what was once the stuff of science fiction is now becoming a reality.
One person who’s been at the centre of this medical revolution is Dr Bobby Gaspar, a professor of paediatrics and immunology at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London, and CEO of Orchard Therapeutics.
Bobby guides us through the complex world of gene therapy, explaining what it is, what it can do and where it’s going.
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How to form more meaningful relationships
24 juni 2024 · 33 min
It’s well established that human beings are social animals who thrive on making connections with others. But did you know that developing and maintaining nourishing relationships is just as vital to our health as eating a nutritious diet or taking regular exercise? Lees meer
In this episode, we catch up with science writer David Robson to talk about his new book The Laws of Connection: 13 Social Strategies That Will Transform Your Life.
He tells us how human beings have evolved to crave shared experiences, how lending a helping hand to someone in need can improve our wellbeing and why we shouldn’t be so afraid of speaking to strangers.
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Misophonia: Why some of us can’t bear the sound of chewing
21 juni 2024 · 30 min
It’s a scene many of us will have experienced: we’re at the cinema, the lights go down, the film begins and then suddenly the person behind us starts rustling a packet of sweets or noisily chomping on popcorn. Lees meer
For most of us this is merely an annoyance and after a while we’re able to tune the sounds out and concentrate on enjoying the cinematic experience. But for some, it can be unbearable and engender feelings of distress, anger and even panic. These people are experiencing misophonia.
In this episode, we catch up with Dr Jane Gregory, a clinical psychologist and author of the book Sounds Like Misophonia: How to Stop Small Noises from Causing Extreme Reactions.
She tells us what’s going on in our brains when we experience a misophonic reaction, how it can trigger our fight or flight response and why it’s surprisingly common.
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How close are we to discovering aliens?
17 juni 2024 · 36 min
Finding alien life could be just around the corner. At least, that’s if the James Webb Space Telescope and other techniques help us discover their extraterrestrial homes. In this episode, astrophysicist Lisa Kaltenegger and author of new book Alien Earths: Planet Hunting in the Cosmos talks us through the ways she and her team are looking for these planets and the kinds of life they might hold.
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The story of human evolution, from the Big Bang to the advent of consciousness and beyond
14 juni 2024 · 34 min
Why are we here? Where did we come from? What are we even made from? These must be some of deepest questions humans can ever ask. But that has never stopped scientists throughout the ages asking them. Lees meer
In this episode we catch up with Professor Tim Coulson, a zoologist based at the University of Oxford to talk about his new book, The Universal History of Us: The science of why we exist.
He helps us trace the origins of human beings right back to the Big Bang and the beginning of the Universe itself and goes on to investigate whether our existence was inevitable thanks to the underpinning laws of nature or whether we were just extremely lucky.
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How thinking about addiction differently can help us find better treatments
10 juni 2024 · 34 min
Addiction can be devastating not only for the addict themselves, but also for their loved ones and anyone around them. But what causes it, and how should we treat it? Lees meer
According to Dr Elias Dakwar, a psychologist based at Colombia University, New York, we should be looking beyond the commonly held brain disease model of addiction and deeper into its philosophical or existential underpinnings.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Dakwar about the years of clinical research he outlines in his latest book The Captive Imagination: Addiction, reality and our search for meaning.
He tells us about his thinking on how addiction stems from our desire for happiness and feelings of meaningless, how it fits in with the notion of personal freedom, and details some of his work with clinical patients in treating addiction in new ways.
Warning: Recreational drug use can be dangerous to your health and possession of certain controlled substances in the UK can result in an unlimited fine, prison sentence or both. For more information visit talktofrank.com
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