The Curiosity Vault

There are more than 200 different types of cancer, and despite new drugs and treatments making incredible progress over the years, according to Cancer Research UK, cancer still causes around 167,000 lives a year. The fight is far from over.  This is partly because our bodies are complex with around 20,000 genes in every cell, and although research has made huge advances in pinpointing which of the...

In 2015 a striped dress went viral. It took the world by storm, even appearing on national news – but why?  Some people swore it was blue with black stripes, and others that it was white with gold stripes. How? It’s all down to perception. This week on The Curiosity Vault we’re exploring how perception can, quite literally in some cases, colour our world, as we ask the question,  how can experienc...

We live in a watery world - over 70% of the earth’s surface is covered in it. And, we need it – and not just to drink. It’s key to health, sanitation, agriculture, food, the ecosystem, transportation - the list goes on. But with so many pressures on this precious resource, the tiniest of changes can have far-reaching consequences, sometimes with devastating effects.  Join Dr Alice Roberts, Profess...

Videos, photos, memes, DMs - social media is where many of us go to express ourselves, connect with others, and share our stories. Most of us use it every day and out of 4.8 billion internet users worldwide, over 20% use TikTok. But, along with the viral cat videos and endless holiday snaps has come the rise of cancel culture, cyberbullying, and isolation - despite an increasingly connected world....

Stories are everywhere. They can unite us, they can enrage us, they’re part of what makes us human. But why? Why are they so fundamental to the way we communicate? What do stories illicit in us that make them universally understood?  Join Dr Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham, this week on The Curiosity Vault as she dissects the science of stor...

Space is really big. Infinite even. When you look up and peer into our cosmic neighbourhood, you’ll find moons, asteroids, planets, and galaxies, alongside a few thousand satellites and spacecrafts that have embarked on a journey into the vast expanse.  But how do these spacecrafts get up there? How do they know where to go? And how do we not lose them in space? Join Dr Alice Roberts, Professor of...

Ever wondered how you’d plan a mission to Space? Or how we can make social media a force for good? Have you thought about how we can make water safe for all, or how our experiences can change our reality? What about the power of storytelling? And whether there will ever be a cure for cancer?  Join Dr. Alice Roberts from the University of Birmingham, as she opens the doors to The Curiosity Vault in...