CrowdScience
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CrowdScience
We take your questions about life, Earth and the universe to researchers hunting for answers at the frontiers of knowledge.
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462 episodi
Are atoms immortal?
Atoms are the building blocks of our world. Many have been around since right after the Big Bang created the universe nearly 14 billion years ago. And...
Why are some animals black and white?
Listener Jude in Canada wants to know why some animals are black and white. Why do zebras risk being so stripy? Why do pandas have such distinct marki...
Answers to even more questions
Sometimes in science, when you try to answer one question it sparks even more questions.
The CrowdScience inbox is a bulging example of that....
Do birds understand us?
CrowdScience listener David is a bird whisperer.
On his family farm in Guinea, he would mimic the call of the black-headed weaver. He could re...
Why am I so sentimental?
CrowdScience listener Kerry started thinking about his sentimental attachment to his possessions when he began sorting through an old trunk, full of o...
Will drinking milk help me live longer?
Milk: drink a lot of it and we’ll grow big and tall with strong bones. That’s what many people are told as children, but just how true is this accepte...
How long will traces of our civilisation last?
What will remain of us hundreds of millions of years from now? And how can we be so certain that we are the first technologically advanced species on...
How does camouflage work?
Camouflage isn't just for chameleons! Military forces around the world deck their soldiers out in those distinctive green and brown uniforms, to give...
How long does light last?
When listener Rob from Devon, UK, heard of a newly detected planet light years away, he was struck by the sheer scale the light must travel to reach u...
Can we stop the rain?
CrowdScience listener Rit, from Pune in India, is staring out of his window at the falling rain. It’s been pouring for four days now, and shows no sig...
How are teeth made?
CrowdScience listener Jon started wondering how our teeth are created while he was in the dentist’s chair. It took his mind off the drilling. He wants...
Trailer: 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle
The epic space story of a sci-fi dream that changed spaceflight forever. Told by the Nasa astronauts and team who made it happen. Our multi-award-win...
Could technology improve our brains?
What comes to mind when you imagine the future of humanity? Could a computer make your mind more efficient? Enhance your cognition? Or cure a disorder...
What if the Earth spun backwards?
Your whole life is governed by spin. The rotation of our planet tells you when to wake up, and Earth’s orbit around the Sun is the reason why some of...
Where did Earth’s water come from?
Here's a conundrum that has captivated scientists: when Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, our planet was essentially a ball of molten rock. Any wate...
Can we harness solar energy from other stars?
Listener Dickson Mukisa from Uganda has been gazing up at the stars. But he’s not making wishes. He wants to know whether we can harness their energy,...
Why are twins special?
No one really cares that CrowdScience listener Sam has a younger brother, but they do care about his sister. In fact, they’re fascinated by her. That’...
How can we persuade more people to cycle?
Cycling is good for our health, good for the planet, and it can be an efficient way of moving around busy cities. But despite all the rational argumen...
Was there an idyllic time before carnivores?
Was there ever a time when life on earth was peaceful? Free of violence? No predators, no prey, just... vibes? Or has nature always been 'Red in Tooth...
What’s that background hum I hear?
In the dead of night at his home in Machinjiri, Malawi, CrowdScience listener John can hear a small, but persistent, hum. Whenever it’s quiet enough,...
What on earth is quantum?
Listener Christine wants to understand one of the strangest phenomena in the universe. But to get to grips with it, she’ll need a crash course in the...
Can eating honey help save bees?
CrowdScience listener Saoirse is vegan and doesn’t eat honey. But she’s been wondering - might honey actually have environmental benefits, by giving b...
Is my yoghurt really alive?
Bulgaria is famous for its yoghurt, a fermented milk food full of ‘good’ bacteria that has kept hungry Bulgarians healthy for over 4000 years.
...
Is red sky at night really sailor’s delight?
You may have grown up hearing the saying “red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in morning, sailor’s warning” - or maybe a variation of it. Crow...
Why can't I fall asleep?
Some people fall asleep almost as soon as their head touches the pillow, while for others it can take hours of tossing and turning. CrowdScience liste...
Can we feed everyone?
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, 800 million people are going to bed hungry every night, but 2 billion people in the...
Why am I always late?
CrowdScience listener Sid is running late, and he’s turning to science to find an excuse. He and his partner Steffi in Singapore have very different a...
Why do animals swallow rocks?
What would you discover inside the stomach of a sea lion? CrowdScience listener Robyn found out first-hand when she volunteered at her local museum in...
How do you measure a mountain?
On the banks of the St Lawrence River in Quebec stands a 100-year-old lighthouse. While initially built to help boats navigate one of Canada’s most di...
Where in the world will I weigh least?
Host Anand Jagatia tackles gravity - a fundamental force of the universe yet also an everyday mystery that has baffled several listeners. Can you outr...
Are there global food allergy hotspots?
Are food allergies higher in the West than the East? UK-based listener Jude wants to know the answer. Her daughter-in-law Min didn’t know anyone with...
Are humans naturally monogamous?
CrowdScience listener Alina is in a relationship with a polyamorous partner and is very happy with this arrangement, which got her thinking – why is m...
Is water wet?
The wetness of water seems blindingly obvious - but dive into the science and things aren’t so clear.
CrowdScience listeners Rachel and Callum...
Whatever happened to tangerines?
It’s citrus season in the northern hemisphere, and fruit trees are bursting with oranges and lemons. But CrowdScience listener Jonathan wants to know...
Why isn't the sky green?
Vermillion red, vibrant orange, golden yellows, even violet – we're enchanted by the colours that make up a stunning sunset or sunrise. CrowdScience l...
Is anything truly random?
CrowdScience listener Dorit has a problem. She wants the tiles in her new bathroom to be arranged randomly but, no matter what she does, it still look...
Why can't I remember my early childhood?
Some of our biggest achievements happen in the first years of our lives. Taking our first steps, picking up a complex language from scratch, and formi...
Is my smartwatch good for my health?
Smartwatches are increasingly popular and many of us use these wearable devices to monitor our performance and improve our fitness. But how reliable i...
How high can birds fly?
While watching a feisty cockatoo chase after a hawk, CrowdScience listener Alison saw the hawk catch a thermal and rise effortlessly into the sky. The...
Which animal has the biggest carbon footprint?
Carbon footprints are a measure of how much we each contribute to the greenhouse gases that warm the Earth’s atmosphere. The global average of carbon...