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Whether you’re curious about getting healthy, the Big Bang or the science of cooking, find out everything you need to know in under 30 minutes 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 released every Monday and Friday and you can subscribe to Instant Genius on Apple Podcasts to access all new episodes ad-free and all old episodes of Instant Genius Extra.
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This time of the year lots of us will be setting new goals for the future. Be it getting fitter, reading more or even writing that novel we always suspected we had in us. But why do so many of us fail to see these plans through?
In this episode, we catch up Dr Ian Taylor a reader in motivational science based at Loughborough University.
He tells us why we are prone to setting goals that are too ambitious and why starting small is usually the best approach, why we shouldn’t worry if our routine drops off now and again, and why simply having willpower isn’t the be all and end all of reaching your targets, whatever they are.
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Be it the recent outbreak of wars around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic or the unfortunate personal events that will undoubtedly befall us at some points in our lives, it can sometimes be difficult to look on the bright side. But is doing so even helpful?
Science writer Sumit Paul-Choudhury certainly thinks so. In this episode, we catch up with him to talk about his latest book The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World.
He tells us how the term was coined based on the theory that we live in the best of all possible worlds, or the optimal world if you like, why far from being unique to humans, many animals such as chickens and bumblebees also show signs of optimism, and how optimistic thinking will play a crucial role in helping us overcome the problems of the 21st Century.
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Would you like to learn how to set goals and stick to them? How about cutting down the time you spend on social media? Or how about learning to cope better with stress?
Why not tune in to the Instant Genius Healthy Start miniseries, brought to you from the team behind BBC Science Focus.
It's still the same show, with the same great guests. We’ll just be spending a little extra time to go deeper into the science of getting the new year off to the best possible start.
Starting on Monday 6th January, this four-part special series will feature interviews with leading researchers, to give you everything you need to boost your health and wellbeing.
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What’s your favourite food? A hamburger, a slice of cake, a pizza? Eating is something we all do every day but most of us rarely think about what actually happens in our bodies after we put food into our mouths.
In this episode, we catch up with Dr Chris Van Tulleken to speak about his forthcoming Royal Institution Christmas Lecture series telling us everything we need to know about what’s happening in our bodies when we eat.
He tells us what actually happens when we put food into our mouths, what’s going on in our bodies once food is in there, and why farting is just part of the process.
BBC Four and iPlayer, 9pm, on 29, 30 and 31 December.
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Anyone who has switched on the news even briefly this year will no doubt have seen scenes of extreme flooding occurring in all corners of the globe. But are these events getting more frequent and more severe or are we just becoming more aware of them?
In this episode, we catch up with Prof Trevor Hoey, a hydrologist based at Brunel University, London.
He tells us about the various climate mechanisms driving these extreme weather events, how counterintuitively severe droughts are being caused by the same processes and he also details some of the measures we can take to minimise the damage these events cause.
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Be it down to our professions, taste in music or favourite sports teams we all belong to several different tribes. But what drives this instinct and what purpose does it serve?
In this episode, we speak to cultural psychologist Prof Michael Morris about his latest book: Tribal – How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together.
He breaks down the influence our peers have on us, explains why we look up to hero figures and why tradition has such a huge impact on our beliefs, lifestyles and identities.
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Why do we humans seem to be so easily influenced or even fooled? On one hand this can be done for entertainment, in a Las Vegas stage magic show for example, but on another it can be used for more nefarious purposes such as con artists tricking people into sharing their bank account details.
In this episode, we speak to science writer and BBC Science Focus contributor Brian Clegg to talk about his latest book: Brainjacking – The Science of Influence and Manipulation.
He tells us how our emotions can make us susceptible to being tricked, the role advances in technology such as AI are increasingly playing in our ability to manipulate others and how the whole phenomenon stems from our love of a good story.
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1Through emojis, memes, acronyms and inside jokes, the internet has forever changed how we communicate. But what is the result of that and what does it mean for how we’ll speak in the future? We spoke to linguist and author of the book Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch, to find out.
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The Earth’s population currently stands at more than 8 billion and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. There’s little doubt that these staggering numbers are placing a huge strain on global food supplies, so what can be done for the human race to thrive and survive long into the future?
In this episode, we catch up with multidisciplinary researcher and author Prof Vaclav Smil to talk about his latest book – How to Feed the World.
He tells us how evolution has determined the staple foods we now rely on for nourishment, how this influences our chances of continued survival and why technology is yet to find a viable solution to the urgent issue of feeding the world.
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Living through a mass extinction means the end of a species’ existence inevitably collides with significant events in our personal lives. But what does that mean for the people working to protect them? And why are these extinctions actually bringing them hope? We spoke to science writer Tom Lathan, author of the new book ‘Lost Wonders’, who explains.
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From the distinctive caw of a crow to the musky scent of a beaver, the world around us is filled with the telltale signs of animals going about their daily business. But how can we teach ourselves to pick up on them more effectively and what can we learn from doing so?
In this episode, we catch up with ecologist and author George Bumann to talk about his latest book, Eavesdropping on Animals: What We Can Learn from Wildlife Conversations.
He tells us how by simply opening our eyes, ears and noses when we’re out we can begin to tune into to our environment more closely and in turn learn more about the lives and behaviours of the animals we share it with.
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It’s likely that even the most virtuous amongst us has experienced feelings of anger at some point in our lives. But is this simply a failing in our personal moral fabric or does it have more universal biological origins?
In this episode, we catch up with Guy Leschziner, a professor of neurology and sleep medicine at King’s College Hospital in London to talk about his latest book Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human.
He tells us how activity in the emotional regions of our brains affects our behaviour, talks about the influence of testosterone on our aggressive tendencies and tells us how mutations in specific genes can predispose us to commit violent acts.
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As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, many of us find ourselves feeling a little less jolly and a bit more sluggish than usual. But for some of us these feelings can become so severe that they are classed as a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder. This can have a significant impact on our daily habits, relationships and ability to perform at our best.
In this episode, we catch up with the founder of The Sleep Scientist Dr Sophie Bostock.
She tells us how exposure to daylight affects our mood, why it’s natural to want to hunker down during the colder, darker months and how going on a daily morning walk can help us all to lift our spirits.
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While being cynical can feel safe, and prepared for the worst outcome, it could actually be harming your health. We spoke to Jamil Zaki, author of the new book Hope for Cynics to better understand the dangers of cynicism and how to break out of it.
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Lots of us will have at some points in our lives woken up feeling groggy after getting a poor night’s sleep. But what causes us to have trouble sleeping, what effect does it have on our health and what can we do about it?
In this episode, we catch up Prof Matt Jones, a neuroscientist based at the University of Bristol.
He tells us how our sleep needs vary across our lifetimes, how not getting enough sleep can affect our ability to think straight and form memories, and why a lack of sleep can leave so many of us feeling cranky and impulsive.
This episode is presented in partnership with Lumie. https://www.lumie.com/
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Understanding who we are and where we came from is one of the most fascinating questions in science. But it’s also one of the most difficult to answer. Putting all of the pieces together requires research across several different disciplines such as genetics, anthropology and medicine.
In this episode, we catch up with Professor of Human Genetics and Evolution at College de France in Paris Lluis Quintana-Murci to talk about his latest book Human Peoples: On the Genetic Traces of Human Evolution Migration and Adaptation.
He tells us how the characteristics of different human populations have been shaped by the environments they live in, how our genes can protect us against disease and what we learn can from all of this about our future health and wellbeing.
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Research over the past few decades has proven that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. But sometimes strange things can happen in our brains while we’re asleep.
In this episode, we catch up with Dr Dan Denis, a sleep researcher and lecturer at the University of York’s department of psychology.
He tells us what happens in our brains and bodies when we dream, why some of us are prone to sleepwalking and even sleep eating, and talks about the strange phenomenon of lucid dreaming.
This episode is presented in partnership with Lumie. https://www.lumie.com/
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We may pride ourselves on our intelligence, but humans perhaps actually have to thank our ability to process and communicate information for our species’ success. In this episode, we speak to ‘The History of Information’ author Chris Haughton about the evolutionary adaptations, technologies and moments in our history that propelled us forward – and what he thinks is coming next.
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We all know we should be eating a good diet to keep ourselves healthy, but did you know your diet can have a significant impact on how well you sleep?
In this episode, we speak to Dr Piril Hepsomali, a psychologist and sleep researcher based at the University of Reading.
She tells us how consuming caffeine affects our sleep, why we feel tired after eating a big Sunday lunch and what actually happens if you eat cheese before going to bed.
This episode is presented in partnership with Lumie.
https://www.lumie.com/
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Since its launch on Christmas Day 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has delivered some of the most stunning images of space we’ve ever seen, peering deeper into the cosmos than ever before. But as awe-inspiring as these images are, data about the history of the Universe being collected by the telescope are perhaps even more mind-blowing.
In this episode, we catch up with Sky at Night Presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock to talk about her new book Webb’s Universe: The Space Telescope Images that Reveal our Cosmic History.
She tells us how the telescope is shedding new light on what we know about the birth of stars and galaxies, how it’s teaching us more about the structure and atmospheres of distant exoplanets and what she’s most excited about it discovering in the future.
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This podcast's guest, who I think is @kwdetal, said that dogs can't feel guilt. Please search YouTube for "Denver the guilty dog" because that video clearly proves that statement is not true!
lol when i heard the chime in this podcast i thought i got an email through the outlook app
I found Gretchen McCulloch to be intensely annoying for two main reasons: 1. She speaks at the speed of a machine gun 2. Whilst I appreciate passion, "over passionate" would be level 11, and she's a solid 20.
great podcast, but if one 100 light bulb is twice as far away as another, then the closer one will appear to be four times brighter not twice as bright (38 mins)
Excellent podcast! Five stars- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
isaac asimov. the last question !
excellent work, thank you!
Brilliant