BBC Radio Podcasts from Curious Cases
Invisibility Quest
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain search the universe for stuff we can't see
Liar, Liar
Listener Delphine wants to know why we lie. Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain investigate.
The Diamond Throwdown
Hannah Fry hates diamonds. Dara Ó Briain loves them. Can science bring them together?
Curious Cases is back!
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain return to tackle listener's questions with science!
13. The Fastest Fly
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain want to know what is the fastest fly?
12. Bored to Death
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain wonder whether you die of boredom?
11. Freeze Me When I Die
Can you freeze dead people and bring them back? Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain investigate
10. Night Walkers
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain investigate sleepwalking
9. A lemon-powered spaceship
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain investigate how many lemons it takes to power a spaceship?
8. Be More Athlete
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain investigate what makes a good athlete.
7. Invincible Moss Piglets
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain stress test tardigrades: would they survive an apocalypse?
6. The Shock Factor
Dara Ó Briain and Hannah Fry investigate the mystical power of lightning.
5. The Taste of Words
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain investigate why some people can literally taste words.
4. In the Groove
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain get in the groove as they investigate the science of rhythm.
3. Mirror, Mirror
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain apply their scientific super-powers to all things shiny.
2. The 5 Second Rule
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain investigate the science behind the 5 Second Rule.
1. Space Bubbles
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain investigate giant bubbles...
Introducing a brand new series of Curious Cases!
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain answer your quirkiest questions with SCIENCE.
The Impossible Number
What is the 'imaginary' number - and why is it so incredibly useful?
The Mind Numbing Medicine
'How do anaesthetics work?' asks Alicia.
The Resurrection Quest
Can we bring extinct species back from the dead?
The Puzzle of the Pyramids
Did aliens build the pyramids!?
The Magnetic Mystery
What is a magnetic field? wonders Lucas.
The Case of the Blind Mind's Eye
'Why can't I see images in my mind?' asks Jude from Australia.
Silly Studies: The Pre-Series Teaser
We’re almost back! As a cheeky aperitif, our sleuths review some surprising science.
The Puzzle of the Plasma Doughnut
“How does fusion work, and how can we do it safely on earth?” asks Les Walker
The Riddle of Red-Eyes and Runny-Noses
“Are allergies really on the increase?” wonders Ally
The Problem of Infinite Pi(e)
'How did we discover pi? How do we know that it’s infinite and never repeats?' asks Alex.
The Suspicious Smell
Why do our bodies smell? And does our smell influence how much we like each other?
The Wild and Windy Tale
“How do winds start and why do they stop?” asks Georgina from the Isle of Wight
The Case of The Missing Gorilla
'How can I be immersed in a book, and still notice my name?' asks Charlotte.
Silly Studies: The Pre-Series Tease
We’re back! Rutherford and Fry review the silliest studies sent in by Curios
The Colour Conundrum
'How do we see colour - and why are some people colour blind?’ asks Maya Crocombe.
The Turn of the Tide
Why are tide times and ranges so different around the UK, asks Lynn?
The Shocking White Hair
Can human hair turn white overnight from shock? Hannah and Adam investigate greying hair.
Surprising Symmetries
We’ve got two eyes, two arms, two legs - but only one heart. Why!? asks Joanne.
The Weird Waves of Wi-Fi
“How does Wi-Fi work - is it magic?” asks Abby
The Mystery of the Teenage Brain
Why do my teens struggle to get out of bed in the morning? asks Michelle.
We’re (almost) back!
Rutherford and Fry return for a new series of scientific sleuthing
Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: A Future for Humans
The science sleuths unwrap some of the biggest ideas in this year's BBC Reith Lectures.
Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: AI in the Economy
The science sleuths unwrap some of the biggest ideas in this year's BBC Reith Lectures.
Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: AI in Warfare
The science sleuths unwrap some of the biggest ideas in this year's BBC Reith Lectures.
Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: The Biggest Event in Human History
The science sleuths unwrap some of the biggest ideas in this year's BBC Reith Lectures.
The Venomous Vendetta
Will a venomous snake die if it bites itself? asks Janni in Amsterdam
The Slippery Situation
'What is the most slippy thing in the world?' asks 8 year old Evelyn from London
The Painless Heart
Why does my heart not ache after exercise? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate
The Weirdness of Water Part 2/2
Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry attempt to answer more questions on why water is weird
The Weirdness of Water Part 1/2
Please explain the weirdness of water? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate.
The Guiding Hound
How do guide dogs know where they're going?
We’re back!
The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry
More Frytful Scares
Why do people like to be scared?
Back to The Sinister Hand
What determines left or right handedness? asks Neal Shepperson
A Weighty Matter Part 2/2
Is dark matter a fudge to fit existing theories to inexplicable observations?
A Weighty Matter Part 1
How does gravity pull us? asks Emma
The Flying Clock and the Stopped Watch
Do individuals perceive time differently? asks Joe from North Yorkshire
The Mosquito Conundrum
What’s the point of mosquitoes? asks Cathy
The Scientific Exploration of Astrology
Could there be something to astrology? asks Dan in Australia
The Noises That Make Us Cringe
Why do some people find noises like a fork scraping a plate so terrible?
The Pizza Diet
Can I make a pizza that contains my recommended daily intake of everything? asks Paul
The Good and Bad in Fungi
"Why are some fungi helpful and others harmful?" asks Paul Glaister in Reading.
The Martian Mission
What would it take for humans to live on Mars? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate.
The Hamster Power Hypothesis
How many hamsters on wheels would it take to power London?
We’re back!
The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry
The Space Burrito
Is there a point in space where the Sun could heat a burrito perfectly? And other puzzles.
The Zedonk Problem
What are ligons and tigers? What is a species?
The End of Everything
When and how is the universe going to end?
The Sting in the Tail
What’s the point of wasps? Science sleuths Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate
The Seeded Cloud
Can we make it rain?
The Growling Stomach
Why do our tummies rumble - and when they do, does it always mean we are hungry?
We’re back!
A preview of series 16: Longer, louder and locked down.
The Exotic Wormhole
What are wormholes and do they really exist?
A Cold Case Part 2
From cold feet to cold water swimming, Rutherford and Fry answer your chilling questions
A Cold Case Part 1
Why do we get more colds in winter?
The ASMRnswer
What is ASMR and why does it only affect some people?
Adam's ASMR cocktail
Adam Rutherford concocts an Old Fashioned cocktail - listen after our episode on ASMR.
Hannah's ASMR cocktail
Hannah Fry mixes a mojito - listen after our episode on ASMR.
The Power of Love
How does love affect our brain?
The Golden Secret
How do you make gold?
We’re Back!
A preview of Series 15, plus more strange-but-true science papers
The End of the World
What would become the dominant species if, or when, humans go extinct?
The Trouble Sum Weather
Why is it so difficult to predict the weather?
The Heart of the Antimatter
How do you make antimatter? Science sleuths Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate.
Stephen Fry's Identity Crisis
Stephen Fry asks the duo to investigate why he struggles to remember faces.
A Frytful Scare Part 2
Rutherford and Fry board a rollercoaster to investigate why we enjoy being scared
A Frytful Scare Part 1
Why do we enjoy horror? Rutherford and Fry explore the thrill of fear
Curious Cases Returns
Rutherford and Fry are back with an extended podcast trailer to celebrate the new series
Jurassic Squawk
What sound did dinosaurs make?
The Lunar Land Pt2
What would life be like if we had two moons?
The Lunar Land Pt 1
Where did the Moon come from?
An Instrumental Case
Why do instruments sound different?
The Periodic Problem
How do you discover a new chemical element?
The Mesmerist
Is hypnotism real? Drs Rutherford and Fry find out by visiting a hypnotist
Coming Soon – More Curious Cases
Hannah and Adam return to crack open the Curious Cases they’ll be examining in Series 13
The Horrible Hangover
Why do we get hangovers and are some drinks worse than others?
The Good Bad Food
Why does bad food taste so good? Science sleuths Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate.
Two Infinities and Beyond - part 2
Is anything in the Universe infinite? Science sleuths Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate.
Two Infinities and Beyond - part 1
Does infinity exist? And why are some infinities bigger than others?
The Stressful Scone
Why do we have regional accents?
The Viking Code
How do ancestry DNA tests work?
A World of Pain
Why do we all have different pain thresholds?
The Random Request
Is anything really random?
The Running Joke
How fast can a human run?
The Alien Enterprise Part 2
Are intelligent aliens out there?
The Alien Enterprise Part 1
How do we look for alien life, and what are we expecting to find?
The Dawn Chorus
Why do birds sing? And why are some songs so complex?
The Lucky Number
How do I win the lottery?
The Déjà Vu
Why do we get déjà vu?
The Human Instrument
Why do our voices change as we get older?
The Fifth Dimension
Is there a fifth dimension? Hannah and Adam visit CERN to find out.
The Cosmic Egg
How do we measure the age of the universe?
The Atomic Blade
What makes things sharp?
The Tiniest Dinosaur
Which is the tiniest dinosaur?
The Enigma of Sex, Part 2
Why don't we have more than two sexes?
The Enigma of Sex, Part 1
Why does sex exist? And why aren't we all the same sex?
Goldfinger's Moon Laser
Could we shoot a laser to the moon?
The Curious Face Off
Are machines better than humans at identifying faces?
The Cosmic Speed Limit
Can anything travel faster than the speed of light? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate.
The Dreadful Vegetable
Why don't children like vegetables?
The Baffled Bat
How do bats echolocate? And why don't they get confused by neighbouring signals?
Adventures in Dreamland
Why do we dream? Drs Rutherford and Fry delve into the science of sleep.
The Shocking Surprise
Why do we get static shocks? Our science sleuths try to crack another case.
The Sticky Song
Why do tunes get stuck in our heads? And what makes some songs stickier than others?
The Polar Opposite
What would happen if the Earth's magnetic poles flipped?
The Curious Cake-Off
How to make the perfect sponge using the power of science.
Kate Bush's Sonic Weapon
Can sound kill? Inspired by a Kate Bush song, we ask whether sonic weapons could work.
Itchy and Scratchy
Why do we itch and should we scratch?
The Burning Question
What is fire? Is it a solid, liquid or a gas? Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry investigate.
The Dark Star
The science sleuths investigate the question 'What's inside a black hole?'.
The Cat Who Came Back
How do cats find their way back to their old home when they move house?
A Code in Blood
Why do we have different blood types? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate.
The Forgetful Child
Why don't we remember the first few years of our lives?
The Astronomical Balloon
'How far up can a helium balloon go? Could it go out to space?' asks Juliet Gok, aged 9.
The World That Turns
'Why does the Earth spin?' asks Joe Wills from Accra in Ghana.
The Broken Stool
How much does the bacteria inside my body weigh?
The Lost Producer
Why do some people have a terrible sense of direction?
The Bad Moon Rising
Does the full moon make us act strangely?
The Hunt for Nothing, Part 2
How zero was discovered and why it allows us to forecast the future.
The Hunt for Nothing, Part 1
Does nothing exist? Our scientific duo consider the nature of nothing.
The Melodic Mystery
'Why is my mother tone deaf?' asks listener Simon. The team investigates.
The Strongest Substance
What is the strongest thing in the universe?
The Space Pirate
Could we live on another planet?
The Portly Problem
What causes middle-aged spread?
The Sinister Hand Part 2
How being left-handed affects your brain and behaviour.
The Sinister Hand Part 1
What makes people left-handed?
The Counting Horse
Can horses count? And which animal is the best at maths?
The Hairy Hominid
How does leg hair know to grow back the same length? And why do we have body hair?
A Study in Spheres
Why is everything in space round? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate.
The Psychic Tear
Why do we cry, and does it makes us feel better?
The Tea Leaf Mystery
What's the optimum scientific method for making the perfect cup of tea?
The Stellar Dustbin
Can we send our waste into the sun? Drs Rutherford & Fry investigate.
The Squeamish Swoon
Why do we faint, and does it serve any useful purpose?
The Aural Voyeur
Why do people shout on their mobile phones?
The Phantom Jam
What makes traffic jam? Rutherford & Fry search for a solution.
The Scarlet Mark
Why are gingers ginger, and are redheads dying out?