Instant Genius

In this episode we speak to Alexandra Horowitz, professor of canine cognition at Barnard College, Columbia University and author of Inside of a Dog – What Dogs, See, Smell and Know. She tells us what your dog is trying to tell you when they stare at you, what causes them to tilt their heads from side to side and why so many of them seem to like rolling in poo. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

It goes without saying that breasts get a lot of attention. But less focus is given to the science behind them: why do we have them? Why are they all different, and does it matter? What happens when things go wrong? GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye is out to change that in her latest book, Breasts: An Owner’s Guide. In today’s podcast she tells us about the science of human breasts, the benefits – a...

From HG Well’s The Time Machine, to Doctor Who and Back to the Future, time travel has become a beloved staple of science fiction. But will humans ever actually be able to jump through time? According to physics, quite possibly. To explain this today, we’re joined by Lawrence Krauss, theoretical physicist and author of the new book The Known Unknowns: The Unsolved Mysteries of the Cosmos. He delve...

Want to get better at interpreting body language? Well, most books on the topic are unlikely to help you. At least, that’s the argument of Geoff Beattie, professor of psychology at Edge Hill University. He claims that most stereotypes of non-verbal communication, be it defensive arm-crossing or nervous hair twiddling, are vastly misunderstood. In this episode, Beattie unpacks these body language m...

Artificial intelligence has seeped into the art world, creating incredible paintings, winning art competitions, and turning amateurs into Picasso. But how does it work, and can it really replace artists? We spoke to Ahmed Elgammal, a professor of computer science at Rutgers University to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever had an ‘aha’ moment? The point where your thoughts somehow finally coalesce into a revelation? Or have you ever wondered where your creative impulses come from and how they’re formed? In this episode we speak to Hilde Ostby, author of the book The Key to Creativity, the Science Behind Ideas and How Day Dreaming Can Change the World. She tells us about nature of creativity, where it comes from...

Have you ever struggled to put that packet of biscuits back in the cupboard after opening them? Or found yourself dialling for your favourite takeaway more often than you’d really like to? If so, it sounds like you’ve been under the influence of ultra-processed food. But what exactly are they and what are they doing to our bodies when we consume them? In this episode I speak to Dr Chris van Tullek...

As space travel becomes more common, questions are being raised over laws in space, how it will be split up amongst countries and even the risk of potential star wars. We spoke to author Tim Marshall to find out about the future of space politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Out-of-body experiences have long fascinated humans, with accounts of people feeling as if they’ve floated above their own bodies going back thousands of years. But what causes them? Intriguing new findings by neuroscientists could provide some answers. One such researcher is Dr Jane Aspell, head of the Self and Body lab at Anglia Ruskin University. She joins us to explain what happens in the brai...

About 1 in 10 people in the UK have dyslexia, which is a neurological difference that can result in difficulties learning to read and write. But what exactly causes it? Scientists aren’t in full agreement, but our guest this episode – Professor Usha Goswami, a leading neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge – poses one intriguing theory. Her work so far suggests that dyslexia is not a visual...

In the not too distant future, we could all be wearing wearables that scan our brain waves, understanding how we feel, think and act. Before then, author Nita Farahany argues that we need to rethink our rules to privacy to include our brains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hay fever is something huge parts of the population deal with every year, but what actually causes it, is it genetic and is it something that is faced all over the world? We spoke to Dr Sam White, a senior lecturer of immunology and genetics at Nottingham Trent University to find out more about this common issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The idea of the multiverse, a hypothetical group of coexisting multiple universes, has long been a staple of science fiction books and movies but the theory is actually grounded in bona fide science. It has been gathering momentum amongst cosmologists for several decades but what exactly does the theory say and what evidence is there to back it up? In this episode, we’re joined by the Astronomer R...

Your body clock, or circadian rhythm, doesn’t just influence your energy levels throughout the day. Recent studies have revealed that your internal timekeeper also has a significant impact on your bodyweight, immune system, mental health, sleep quality and more. How can this be possible? And what are the simple things you can do to live more in sync with your biological timepiece? To answer these...

When the University of Leuven professor of theoretical physics Thomas Hertog first met famed cosmologist Stephen Hawking he found himself confronted with two questions: “Why is the Universe the way it is? Why are we here?”. The two would go onto to seek answers to these profound questions during a close collaboration that lasted for twenty years. In this episode, Prof Hertog tells us about his tim...

Over time, we have become infected with various viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms, which have had a huge impact on our evolution and history. In this episode, Dr Jonathan Kennedy, a reader in politics and global health, tells us about the close links between disease and colonialism, how infection shaped the migration of humans out of Africa, and what we can all learn from the COVID pandem...

At one time or another it’s likely that we’ve all experienced the profound effect that engaging with art can have on us. Be it listening to a favourite song, reading a moving poem or walking around a much-loved gallery. But is there more to these experiences than mere entertainment? We speak to Susan Magsamen the founder of the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab), at Johns Hopkins University S...

If you suffer from insomnia, you’ve probably heard the same old advice before: don’t drink caffeine in the afternoon, get plenty of exercise during the day, and don’t take your phone to bed. But what if you do all that and still can’t sleep? To get more insight into insomnia and the techniques shown to overcome it, we speak to Guy Leschziner, Professor of Neurology and Sleep Medicine at King's Col...

BBC’s Wild Isles, presented by Sir David Attenborough, is currently showing on Sunday evenings. The series showcases British wildlife, shining a light on some of the animals and plants we share our islands with. In this episode, we speak to Dr Philip Wheeler, a senior lecturer of ecology at the Open University. He is a consultant on Wild Isles, and here he tells us about some of the wildlife featu...

What happens when fearsome predators like tigers, lions and crocodiles live alongside humans? Ecologist Adam Hart explores how conservation works when the species we want to protect also happens to be deadly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are the most important, achievable things you can do to live a happier life? It’s a big question that’s been researched for many years by Robert Waldinger. He’s a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the man in charge of the world’s longest-running scientific study of happiness. Waldinger joins us to discuss the key findings of this research, the biggest happiness myths and a...

Research suggests that – unless you’re a psychopath – you’ve experienced anxiety about a social situation at some point. But why? What is it that makes humans afraid of others? And how can we manage these worries? To answer these questions and much more, we’re joined by psychologist Dr Ellen Hendriksen, a world-leading expert on social anxiety and author of How To Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Cri...

Will we soon see self-driving cars and fancy city automation? Or will existing transport finally improve? We spoke to Paris Marx, author of the book Road to Nowhere to find out what the future of transport will look like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A recent study carried out at Peking University has found that Earth’s inner core, a giant ball of iron located in the middle of the planet, is slowing down its rotation. But what exactly does this mean? We speak to Dr Jessica Irving, a seismologist based at the University of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences. She tells us how scientists study the goings on deep inside Earth, what we can learn ab...

Whether you love them or are frightened of them, you cannot deny that snakes are fascinating, adaptable creatures. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, and occupy all sorts of habitats, from deserts, to swamps, to forests, oceans and trees. In this episode, herpetologist Prof Mark O’Shea, reveals how snakes move, why we have so few species in the UK, and how venom works. Learn more...