RTÉ

RTÉ Brainstorm

Society EN ↓ 187 episodes

New ideas and insights about the world around us. From RTÉ in co-operation with Irish universities and Research Ireland.

Author

RTÉ

Category

Society

Podcast website

www.rte.ie

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

Why women prefer male bosses 06.12.2022

The queen bee syndrome may be why women usually find it more stressful to work for female bosses than for male bosses

How we unearthed a medieval town in Co Kilkenny 29.11.2022

New technologies have allowed researchers to retrace Newtown without having to take a spade to the site

All you need to know about employment contracts 22.11.2022

as there is no one-size-fits-all employment contract, here's a guide to the various contracts which employees may be offered

How surfing can improve your mental health 15.11.2022

Surf therapy has been shown to boost those factors that help protect young people against the development of mental illness

Will a latte levy stop us dumping 200 million coffee cups a year? 08.11.2022

The proposed charge on disposable coffee cups may not be popular, but levies really are effective in changing consumer behaviour

Is it time for a woolly jumper revival? 02.11.2022

Cheaper and handier than retrofitting your house, wearing a woolly jumper out is one individual action to counter climate change. By Kevin Berwick ,TU Dublin

All you need to know about bank holidays in Ireland 25.10.2022

We love our "bank holidays" in Ireland. But where did they come from and who gets to decide when they are?

Why workers don’t like their HR departments 18.10.2022

HR departments are often criticised by employees, but do they really deserve this bad rep?

A history of the GAA in 100 objects (Special) 11.10.2022

Marie Crowe and Siobhán Doyle discuss the book "A history of the GAA in 100 objects".

Where did the term ‘west Brit’ come from? 04.10.2022

A short history of a term which has been long employed in a derogatory way in Irish politics since the days of O'Connell and Parnell

How to save cash on your energy bills 27.09.2022

Reducing energy use is the most immediate measure we can do to reduce our exposure to high energy bills

Why sea levels are rising higher than expected in Dublin and Cork 20.09.2022

Aside from climate change, local exacerbating factors are behind rising sea levels in Irish coastal cities. By Gerard McCarthy, Katherine Dooley, Amin Shoari Nejad, Andrew Parnell, Maynooth University and Zoe Roseby, Trinity College Dublin.

How the Civil War split an Irish republican family in two (repeat) 13.09.2022

No family rivalled the prominence of the Ryans during the War of Independence, but few were as bitterly divided by the aftermath. By Michael Loughman, DCU.

You're not singing any more: where do soccer chants come from? 06.09.2022

The chants sung by fans have their origins in hymns, opera, folksong, advertising jingles and nursery rhymes

All you need to know about how heat pumps work 31.08.2022

Here's a look at the engineering that underpins this technology and its potential for heating our homes

Can I delete myself from the internet? 23.08.2022

People usually do not realise how much information is out there about them - and the work required to remove it

The good and bad news about workplace gossip 16.08.2022

Rumours, gossip and the "he said/she said" grapevine are an inevitable part of almost all organisations

What First Dates tells us about dating in Ireland 09.08.2022

We have found a number of linguistic clues that may point to the reasons why people choose to meet one another again – or not

What can you do with used wind turbine blades? 02.08.2022

One way to deal with the estimated 200,000 tonnes of blade waste per year is to use them for other products like bridges

10 commemoration ideas you won't forget in a hurry 26.07.2022

From cakes marking the 1916 Rising to a Scent of War candle, some historical merchandise has been colourful to say the least

Why are legal costs in Ireland so high? 19.07.2022

Lack of competition, cumbersome procedures and a reluctance to change combine to keep costs high

The life and times of Dublin’s first O’Connell Bridge 12.07.2022

Carlisle Bridge was at the heart of new commercial and social life in Dublin and quickly became a pivotal feature in the city

Why the reign of SUVs on Irish roads should end 05.07.2022

There are many solutions to tackle the problem of heavy, fuel-hungry SUVs, but all require bold action from policymakers

The summer Garth Brooks didn't come to town (repeat) 28.06.2022

The infamous five in a row fiasco at Croke Park in 2014 was a turning point in the megastar's complex relationship with Irish music fans

What happens to the waste that goes down the drain in your home (repeat) 21.06.2022

In this extract from the 2020 Brainstorm Radio programme, we go on a journey beyond the sink and the drain to find out what happens next. With presenter Ella McSweeney and guests Jean O'Dwyer (UCC and Irish Research Council) and Tom Curran (UCD).

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