Instant Genius
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Instant Genius
Whether you’re curious about getting healthy, the Big Bang or the science of cooking, find out everything you need to know with Instant Genius. The team behind BBC Science Focus Magazine talk to world-leading experts to bring you a bite-sized masterclass on a new subject each week. New episodes are...
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582 episodi
The hunt for the first stars in the Universe
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 begin...
The weird and wonderful science behind why humans are different
Humanity is beautifully diverse. Some of that diversity is visible, but hidden beneath the surface, there is also a hidden web of genetic variation th...
The key role psychologists can play in the fight against ecological crime
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 p...
The psychology of paranormal experiences
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 h...
Inside the hunt for life-changing medicines
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...
From asteroids to aliens - how space is threatening our planet
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 th...
Why we treat our pets and possessions like human beings
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 po...
How bats became one of the planet’s most successful animals
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 ag...
Why penguins are one of the planet’s most unique bird species
Thanks to their comical waddle-like way of walking, striking tuxedo-patterned plumage or graceful ability to seemingly ‘fly’ beneath the water, pengui...
Busting the biggest myths in neuroscience
Relatively speaking neuroscience and psychology are young fields of scientific research that only really got going over the last hundred years or so....
The positive tipping points that can help us solve the climate crisis
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 de...
How cats became one of our most-loved domestic pets
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 fou...
How the health of the oceans is vital for the health of the planet
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 regul...
The tiny molecules tackling the planet’s biggest challenges
In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Omar Yaghi – a pioneer of materials chemistry whose inventions are shaping the future of clean energy, clea...
How to build a healthier, longer-living society
The most commonly held narrative states that we’re all ultimately responsible for our own health and wellbeing. While there’s undoubtedly truth in thi...
The psychology of making the most of your time
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...
How to overcome fear, according to a neuroscientist
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 bod...
How connecting with nature can help neurodivergent lives
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 fu...
The science behind PMS, and how to beat it
The luteal phase of the menstrual cycle has a really bad reputation. It’s known for premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, when many menstruating people exper...
How the world needs to adapt to a changing climate
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...
How humans learned to speak and why
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 k...
The biggest unsolved mysteries in cosmology
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...
The hidden ways money has shaped human civilisation
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...
A neuroscientist’s guide to living with dementia
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,...
The hidden life in the air we breathe
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 sur...
How future tech will help you stay healthier for longer
Rapid advances in technology over the past several decades have impacted almost every area of our lives. It could be argued that innovations in medici...
Why your brain might be wired for extremism
Why do some people become radicalised, while others remain resistant to extreme ideas? What makes one mind more vulnerable to harsh doctrines than ano...
How working too hard is damaging your health and productivity
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...
How the maths of sameness and difference can change the way you view the world
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...
Busting the biggest weight loss myths
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 s...
Better Sleep: The hidden power of napping
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...
The new science of music as medicine
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...
Better Sleep: How psychology can help you beat insomnia
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, curre...
How your brain builds your picture of reality
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. T...
Better Sleep: How snoring affects our health
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,...
The science behind Agatha Christie’s poisons
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 – o...
Better Sleep: The deep connection between sleep and memory
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 o...
How to harness the healing power of the body’s largest nerve
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...
The evolution of music, its impact on human culture and its future
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 composit...
Why we should rethink our relationship with alcohol
The shocking fact is that alcohol is responsible for around three times more deaths globally than any other drug combined, save for tobacco. However,...