BBC Radio Podcasts from Discovery
Wild Inside: The Aphid
Explorations in the world of science.
Wild Inside: The Bearded Vulture
Explorations in the world of science.
Wild Inside: The Red Kangaroo
Explorations in the world of science.
Uncharted: Access denied
What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead?
The Evidence: The science of the menopause
How is the menopause viewed around the world? Claudia Hammond unpacks the latest science
Uncharted: The gossip mill
Gossip and rumour can affect morale but can the science of networks explain why?
Uncharted: The happiness curve
Do orangutans, or humans, experience a midlife crisis? And, why happiness is U shaped
Uncharted: The doctor will see you now
Two couples brought together by a tragedy and a tatty piece of paper with a serial number
Uncharted: The returning soldier
Uncharted with Hannah Fry
The Life Scientific: Michael Wooldridge
Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, talks AI
The Life Scientific: Mercedes Maroto-Valer
Mercedes Maroto-Valer on making carbon dioxide useful.
The Life Scientific: Sir Harry Bhadeshia
Sir Harry Bhadeshia on his work in metallurgy and choreographing crystalline structures.
The Life Scientific: Cathie Sudlow
Jim Al-Khalili discusses population-wide health research with Professor Cathie Sudlow.
The Life Scientific: Sir Michael Berry
Professor Jim Al-Khalili meets one of Britain's greatest physicists, Sir Michael Berry.
The Life Scientific: Sarah Harper
Jim Al-Khalili talks to Professor Sarah Harper about societal ageing and falling fertility
The Life Scientific: Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
Jim al-Khalili discusses monkey infanticide and human parenting with Sarah Hrdy
The Life Scientific: Edward Witten
Physicist Edward Witten on M-Theory, the leading contender for a 'theory of everything'
What's stopping us from exercising in older age?
James Gallagher tries to understand what holds us back from exercise as we age.
When does sitting become bad for health?
James Gallagher delves into the science to find out exactly how much sitting is too much?
Putting the Mouth Back into the Body
A look at the evidence that links the health of our mouths with the rest of our bodies.
Tooth and Claw: Cheetahs
The fastest land animal in the world – Adam Hart investigates the cheetah!
Tooth and Claw: Piranhas
Adam Hart investigates, do these South American fish deserve their frenzied reputation?
Tooth and Claw: Great White Sharks
Adam Hart investigates the most famous and feared predator in all the ocean!
Tooth and Claw: Wolverines
Adam Hart investigates, do wolverines deserve their reputation for gluttony and ferocity?
The Life Scientific: Alex Antonelli
Alex Antonelli on learning from nature's biodiversity to adapt to climate change
The Life Scientific: Paul Murdin
Paul Murdin on the first ever identification of a black hole
The Life Scientific: Bahija Jallal
Bahija Jallal on the biotech revolution in cancer therapies
The Life Scientific: Chris Barratt
Chris Barratt on head-banging sperm and a future male contraceptive pill.
The Life Scientific: Gideon Henderson
Gideon Henderson on climate ‘clocks’ and dating ice ages.
The Life Scientific: Deborah Greaves
Jim Al-Khalili speaks to Deborah Greaves about wave energy and her love of the sea.
Metamorphosis: Bee brains and the cockroach
Erica McAlister on the bee intellect, and the nervous system of the cockroach
The Evidence: Is the world becoming more allergic?
Exploring the effect science has on the world around us
Metamorphosis: Soldier fly and desert beetle
Erica McAlister on the innocuous black soldier fly and the Namib desert beetle
Metamorphosis: Blowflies and dazzling disguise
Blowflies may be reviled insects, but they are central to forensic entomology
Metamorphosis: Drosophila melanogaster, hoverfly
Insights from the insect world including the Drosophila melanogaster and metamorphosis
Metamorphosis: Jumping fleas and mighty mouthparts
Dr Erica McAlister uncovers a treasure trove of remarkable insects
The Life Scientific: Harald Haas
Harald Haas on making waves in light communication.
The Life Scientific: Anne-Marie Imafidon
Anne-Marie Imafidon on fighting for diversity and equality in science.
The Life Scientific: Anne Ferguson-Smith
Anne Ferguson-Smith on unravelling epigenetics.
The Life Scientific: Bruce Malamud
Bruce Malamud on modelling risk for natural hazards
The Life Scientific: Andre Geim
The Nobel prize-winning physicist talks about the world's strongest material, graphene
In search of stardust
A jazz musician becomes a cosmic dust hunter
Bodies, brains and computers
How technology is blurring the line between our bodies, our brains, and computers
Remote touch
Prof Ben Garrod investigates the technology trying to replicate human touch
The Evidence: Exploring the concept of solastalgia
The feeling of pain or distress associated with environmental change close to your home
Smelly people
Prof Ben Garrod uses new tech to sniff things out, and explores extending our senses
Sound solutions
Prof Ben Garrod meets conservationists with sound solutions to protect animal habitats
Seeing more
The new technologies pushing the boundaries of what we can see, hear, smell, and feel
Sperm counts
Are sperm counts falling?
Psychedelics
How psychedelics are shaking up psychiatry
Fungal pandemic threat
Why invasive fungal infections are on the rise and a potential pandemic could be a threat
Food Insecurity
Explorations in the world of science.
Maggots in medicine
The healthcare professionals who are turning to maggot therapy to help clean up wounds
Lazy guide to exercise
What is the least amount of exercise you can do to still stay healthy?
The impossible number
The Curious Cases team get to grips with the very real uses of imaginary numbers
The mind-numbing medicine
The Curious Cases team investigate the magical properties of anaesthetics.
The resurrection quest
The Curious Cases team ask if it's possible - or desirable - to bring back extinct species
The puzzle of the pyramids
The Curious Cases team discovers how Egypt's pyramids were really built.
The Case of The Blind Man's Eye
Why can't I see images in my mind?
Our Microbes and Our Health
The astonishing and mysterious world of the human microbiome.
Judith Bunbury: Unearthing the secrets of Ancient Egypt
Dr Judith Bunbury on enriching our knowledge of ancient Egypt and beyond
The Life Scientific: Clifford Johnson
New approaches to quantum questions and using science in films.
The Life Scientific: Rebecca Kilner
Jim al-Khalili hears how insects helped Rebecca Kilner solve evolutionary mysteries
The magnetic mystery
The Curious Cases team explore the strange world of magnetism
The Life Scientific: Tim Lamont
Jim Al-Khalili meets Tim Lamont, a young ecologist making waves restoring coral reefs.
Bad Blood: Newgenics
Could powerful genetic technologies usher in a new eugenic era?
Bad Blood: The curse of Mendel
How Gregor Mendel discovered the gene, an insight which inspired eugenics from the 1900s
Bad Blood: Rassenhygiene
The mass sterilisation of those deemed ‘unfit’ by the Nazis in the name of eugenics
Bad Blood: Birth controlled
The women forcibly sterilised against their will and the campaign for birth control
Bad Blood: You will not replace us
The rise of the idea that immigrants will out-breed and replace the dominant white 'race'
Bad Blood: You've got good genes
The origins of Eugenics and the idea that we could breed ourselves to a brighter future
Tooth and Claw: Cougar
Explorations in the world of science.
Tooth and Claw: Wasps
Explorations in the world of science.
Tooth and Claw: African Wild Dog
Explorations in the world of science.
Preparing for the next pandemic
Scientists warn it’s not if, but when, another pandemic will hit us
Tooth and Claw: Komodo dragon
Explorations in the world of science.
Wild Inside: The Alpaca
Ben Garrod and Jess French unravel the secrets to success of the alpaca.
Wild inside: The Harbour Porpoise
Ben Garrod and Jess French get under the skin of the enigmatic harbour porpoise
Wild inside: Great Grey Owl
Explorations in the world of science.
Wild inside: The Cheetah
The amazing internal anatomy of the cheetah and the secrets to survival
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
Why do things like pet hair, peanuts and pollen can get our immune systems so riled up?
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.
Chi Onwurah
Why politics needs more scientists and engineers.
The Evidence: How pandemics end
Is it premature to say the pandemic is over?
David Eagleman
Can we create new senses? Prof David Eagleman talks to Jim Al-Khalili.
Frances Arnold
Frances Arnold on turning microbes into living factories.
Sir Martin Landray
Jim al-Khalili speaks to Sir Martin Landray about the world's largest Covid-19 drug trial.
How Covid Changed Science, part 3
Professor Devi Sridhar investigates the impact of Covid on the practice of science.
How Covid changed science, part 2
Professor Devi Sridhar investigates the impact of Covid on the practice of science
How Covid changed science, part 1
What has been the impact of Covid on the practice of science?
Satellites versus the stars
What are the benefits and unintended consequences of thousands more satellites in space?
Plant based promises, diet and health
Giles learns to cook a plant based Thai green curry.
Plant based promises and sustainability
Giles Yeo looks at the sustainability of plant based products
Plant based promises, rise of the plant based burger
Why do we need to eat more plant based foods? Giles Yeo looks at the alternatives.
The mysterious particles of physics, part 3
Roland Pease explores the 100-km atom smasher physicists are planning at CERN
The mysterious particles of physics, part 2
Dark matter's dark secrets. Researchers seeking the unseen stuff that fills the universe
The mysterious particles of physics, part 1
The machine that found the Higgs Boson 10 years ago is about to start digging deeper
The Life Scientific: Adam Hart
When does a waggle dance become a tremble dance?
The Life Scientific: Jacinta Tan
How does a person with anorexia nervosa think? Jacinta Tan sheds light on this illness
The Life Scientific: Pete Smith
Restore peat bogs to mitigate climate change and improve bio-diversity.
The colour conundrum
How do we see colour and why are some people colour blind?
The Turn of the Tide
Why are tide times and ranges so different around the UK, asks Lynn?
The Evidence: The nature of mental health
Plant power and mental health. Is a nature-cure a cure-all?
The Shocking White Hair
Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.
Surprising symmetries
Two eyes, two arms, two legs - we are roughly symmetrical on the outside. Why is that?
The weird waves of wi-fi
We use wi-fi every day, but do you know how it works?
The Mystery of the Teenage Brain
Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.
Wild Inside: The Ocean Sunfish
Ben Garrod and Jess French get under the skin of Mola mola the world's largest bony fish
Wild Inside: The Burmese Python
Ben Garrod and Jess French unravel the internal secrets to success of the Burmese Python
Wild Inside: Jungle royalty - the Jaguar
Ben Garrod and Jess French glimpse inside three animals from the big wild world.
The Evidence: War trauma and mental health
The psychological suffering caused by the toxic stress of war and conflict
The Life Scientific: Steve Brusatte on the fall of dinosaurs and the rise of mammals
How did mammals come to dominate our planet? Prof Steve Brusatte talks to Jim Al-Khalili
The Life Scientific: Shankar Balasubramanian on decoding DNA
The man who found a way to decode DNA at speed
Tooth and Claw: Wolves
Wolves play a dark role in our imaginations but how does the real animal compare?
Tooth and Claw: Army ant
Adam Hart explores the villain of many a jungle horror movie - the army ant.
Tooth and Claw: Venomous snakes
Adam Hart discovers why rattlesnakes make good mothers and how deadly their venom is.
The Evidence: Drug-resistant superbugs
The silent pandemic - drug resistant infections threaten the future of modern medicine
Tooth and claw: Spotted hyena
Professor Adam Hart resurrects the spotted hyena’s reputation, from scavenger to hunter
Deep sea exploration
The wonders and mysteries of the deep ocean, and the potential threats to it.
A new space age?
Could humans be on the Moon and Mars before this decade is out?
African science, African future
Professor Tom Kariuki examines the future of science in Africa
The Evidence: Africa, the pandemic and healthcare independence
The new momentum for vaccines, medicines and tests to be made for Africa in Africa
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 muscle not ache after exercise?
The weirdness of water, Part 2 of 2
Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry attempt to answer more questions on why water is weird
The weirdness of water, Part 1 of 2
‘Please explain the weirdness of water?’ asks Neil Morton in Stirling in Scotland.
The Evidence: When will the pandemic end?
Lessons from Omicron to end the pandemic
The guiding hound
How do guide dogs know where they're going?
The James Webb Space Telescope
A new giant space telescope that will show us the first stars that shone in the universe
Genetic Dreams, Genetic Nightmares
Gene edited babies and gene drives to eradicate pests
Genetic dreams, genetic nightmares
How genetic engineering became big business
The Evidence: Healthcare pushed out by the pandemic
The killer diseases ignored because of Covid-19
Genetic dreams, genetic nightmares
The story of the controversial birth of genetic engineering in the 1970s.
Listening to coral reefs
Conservationist Rory Crawford meets the scientists surveying coral reefs using sound
Geoengineering The Planet
How we cool the planet with the latest geoengineering technologies.
Geoengineering The Planet
Geoengineering: can it work?
The Evidence: When misinformation kills
Tackling the “infodemic” – misinformation and Covid-19
Chilean mummies
Jane Chambers learns about the world's oldest examples of mummification
Earthshot 3 - The prize winners
Five categories, a million pounds in each. Who has won the Earthshot prize?
Earthshot 2 – Tackling our energy crisis
Balancing our growing need for electricity while addressing climate change
Earthshot 1
Winning ideas to improve the world around us.
The Evidence: To boost or not to boost?
The science and the ethics of vaccine booster shots
China's great science leap
Will China’s ambitions in space, quantum & biotech lead it to science super-power status?
China's great science leap
Is China set to become the next science superpower?
Covid origins: The science
What the science says about the start of the pandemic
Future vaccines
How the pandemic will change the vaccine landscape
Tamsin Edwards on the uncertainty in climate science
All climate change models are wrong. Tamsin Edwards tells Jim Al Khalili why.
The Evidence: How will the pandemic end?
Keeping a lid on risks of new covid variants as vaccinated countries ease restrictions
The Life Scientific: Professor Martin Sweeting
How Martin Sweeting made a satellite on his kitchen table
The Life Scientific: Dr Nira Chamberlain
Nira Chamberlain on how mathematics can solve real-world problems.
Lost for words
David Shariatmadari explores the science of language, dementia and ageing
Introducing: Season 2 of 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter
How animals make us smarter – we thought you might like to hear our brand new episode
A sense of music
What happens when music meets the animal mind?
Whatever happened to…those Covid-19 stories
Claudia Hammond and panel study ideas that have disappeared
Dare to repair: Fixing the future
How does repair and repair-ability fit into our sustainable future?
Dare to repair: The fight for the right to repair
Exploring how citizens are fighting back for the right to repair their own stuff
Dare to Repair: How we broke the future
Why electronic gadgets dont last as long as they used to and why repairing them is hard.
Tooth and claw: Tigers
What's it like facing a charging tiger and how best can we protect their growing numbers?
Tooth and claw: Bears
Adam Hart explores our complex relationship with bears
The Evidence: How Covid damages the human body
Covid the chameleon - the multiple ways this virus attacks our bodies
Tooth and claw: Lions
Our complex relationship with Earth’s greatest predators by the people who know them best
Peter Goadsby on migraine
Peter Goadsby on migraine attacks and the new treatments his research has inspired.
The Evidence: Sharing Vaccines – what’s gone wrong?
The ethics of putting children in rich countries ahead in the global vaccine queue
Patient zero: Back from the brink
When polio returned to Asia Pacific
The noises that make us cringe
Why do some people find noises like a fork scraping a plate so terrible?
The Hamster Power Hypothesis
How many hamsters on wheels would it take to power London? asks Judah from Virginia, USA.
The Martian Mission
Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.
The equal rights stuff
When women and minorities first went into space
Lithium: Chile’s white gold
Why lithium makes such good batteries
The Evidence: Mental health and the pandemic
Mental health distress has risen around the world. How can people's suffering be eased?
The Life Scientific: Jane Hurst
Jane Hurst reveals how mice are ruled by their noses.
The Life Scientific: Cath Noakes
How good ventilation dramatically reduces the risk of inhaling tiny airborne pathogens.
The Evidence: Keeping out Covid-19
The virus knows no borders, so do international travel restrictions work for Covid-19?
The Life Scientific: Giles Yeo
Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work.
The power of night
Lucy Cooke examines why it pays to stir when the sun goes down
The power of one
Lucy Cooke explores why some species shirk company in favour of a solitary life
The power of celibacy
Lucy Cooke discovers why some species reproduce without sex or the need for males
The Evidence: The Shapeshifting Virus
Will new vaccines work against the more infectious versions of the coronavirus?
Science Trumped
Let science speak, health expert Tony Fauci pleaded last week. So how was it sidelined?
Plant scientist Dale Sanders
Why the world needs more plant scientists. Prof Dale Sanders talks to Jim Al-Khalili.
Astrophysicist Andy Fabian
Professor Andy Fabian on supermassive black holes and their dramatic hold over galaxies
Marine conservationist Heather Koldewey
Saving seahorses and turning old fishing nets into luxury carpets.
Climate meltdown
Wildfires, floods, hurricanes made 2020 record breaking. What it says about climate change
Hopes and fears for Covid-19 vaccines
Vaccines and virus mutations
Evolutionary biologist Alice Roberts
What can we learn from human remains? Alice Roberts talks bones with Jim Al Khalili
Steve Haake
Steve Haake talks to Jim al-Khalili about how technology improves sporting ability
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 Evidence: Pandemic rules: follower or flouter?
Why a sense of “we” rather than “I” makes us more likely to follow pandemic rules
The end of everything
When and how is the universe going to end?
Broad spectrum
Helen Keen had a diagnosis of autism as an adult. She explores how it appears in women
Birds: singing for survival
Birds are changing their tunes
Digital touch
Can touch be replicated digitally?
The Evidence: Are national lockdowns evidence of policy failure?
Locked in the lockdown cycle – evidence for a more targeted response
Affectionate touch
How we experience gentle touch
Unwanted touch
How can we stop unwanted touch?
Touch hunger
Why we’re starved of touch
Megadrought in Chile
Why Chile has a megadrought
The sting in the tail
What’s the point of wasps?
The Evidence: Covid lessons for safe school reopening
Will schools and colleges reopening fuel Covid-19 spread?
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?
Return to Mars
How will NASA’s latest robot rover search for life on Mars?
Liz Seward
Jim Al-Khalili talks to Liz Seward, Senior Space Strategist for Airbus Defence and Space.
Professor Emma Bunce
Emma Bunce tells Jim Al-Khalili why she is intrigued by the gas giants Jupiter and Neptune
Frank Kelly
What difference has lockdown made to our air? Frank Kelly talks to Jim Al-Khalili.
On the menu
Adam Hart explores our relationship with some of the animal kingdom's deadliest predators
Human Genome Project's 20th Anniversary
Twenty years of the Human Genome Project
Brian Greene
Brian Greene studies the universe at the largest and smallest scales imaginable.
Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall describes her life with the wild chimpanzees of Gombe.
Bed
Katy Brand reveals how our attitudes to sleep, sex and status are played out in the bed.
Covid-19: Recovery
The latest on how people are recovering from Covid-19
Toilet
Katy Brand reveals how attitudes to the toilet have shaped it's place in history.
Wine glass
Katy Brand toasts the wine glass, learning why it became the gargantuan glass it is today
The Evidence: Covid 19: vaccines and after lockdown
The latest on vaccines and how people are behaving after lockdown
Fork
Katy Brand explores the life of the unsung hero of the cutlery world – the fork.
High heel
Katy Brand tracks the extraordinary life of the high heel, from past to the present.
The Evidence: Covid 19: Transmission and South America
How South America is handling the pandemic and a look at disease transmission.
Toothbrush
Katy Brand investigates the toothbrush from its humble start, as a stick, to the present.
Helium
Science and art of helium
The Evidence: Covid 19: Sub-Saharan Africa and Testing
How sub-Saharan Africa is handling the pandemic and the different kinds of tests
Aluminium and strontium
Science and art of aluminium and strontium
Gold and silver
Science and art of gold and silver
The Evidence: Covid 19: ending lockdowns
When and how to end lockdowns?
Science of Dad
Dr Oscar Duke discovers how pregnancy, birth and childcare affect the father
Ignaz Semmelweiss: The hand washer
Lindsey Fitzharris tells the story of Ignaz Semmelweiss, the hand washer
The Evidence: Mental health and Covid 19
How is our mental health during the pandemic?
Desert locust swarms
A second wave of locusts threatens crops in East Africa. Scientists lead the fightback
Anne Magurran
Anne Magurran on how to measure biodiversity.
The Evidence: Young people, lifting lockdowns, USA and Kenya updates
International experts take a look at the science surrounding Covid-19
Richard Wiseman
How to spot a liar. Professor Richard Wiseman tells Jim Al-Khalili
Professor Saiful Islam
Professor Saiful Islam on the materials that make renewable energy possible.
The Evidence: Taiwan, Vaccines, Africa Preparedness
International experts discuss the latest research into Covid-19
Elizabeth Fisher: Chromosomes in mice and men
Elizabeth Fisher on the role of chromosomes in conditions like Down and Turner syndrome
Adrian Owen
Adrian Owen tells Jim Al-Khalili about his search for awareness in brain-injured patients.
The Evidence: Coronavirus Special
International experts take a global look at the science surrounding Covid-19.
Professor Martha Clokie
Professor Martha Clokie tells how she found viruses that destroy antibiotic-resistant bugs
Demis Hassabis
Demis Hassabis, CEO of Deep Mind, tells Jim Al-Khalili why he wants to create AI
Isaac Newton and the story of the apple
Did Newton's theory of gravity really come to him after seeing an apple fall?
Science Stories - Sophia Jex-Blake
Naomi Alderman tells the story of Sophia Jex-Blake, first woman doctor in Scotland
Science Stories - Mary Somerville, pioneer of popular science writing
Naomi Alderman tells the story of Mary Somerville, pioneer of popular science writing
Stem cells: Hope and hype
USA and Australia battle the unregulated stem cell clinic boom
Stem cell hard sell
How risky are stem cell injections?
The road to Glasgow
Across 2020 Matt McGrath will be reporting on what is happening to save the planet
Ecological grief
How is climate change affecting people's mental health?
The misinformation virus
Why fake science spreads faster online than the truth
The silence of the genes
James Gallagher tells the story of new lifesaving drugs that interfere with genes.
Alexis Carrel and the immortal chicken heart
Philip Ball tells the tale of Alexis Carrel’s immortal chicken heart
Ramon Llull: Medieval prophet of computer science
Philip Ball tells the story of Ramon Llull, the medieval prophet of computer science
Ignaz Semmelweiss: The hand washer
Lindsey Fitzharris tells the story of Ignaz Semmelweiss, the hand washer
Madame Lavoisier's Translation of Oxygen
Explorations in the world of science.
Galileo's lost letter
Galileo's lost letter questions how he challenged the Church. With Philip Ball.
Robin Dunbar
Jim Al-Khalili talks to Professor Robin Dunbar about his work on maintaining friendships.
Katherine Joy
Jim Al-Khalili talks to Katherine Joy about her work with moon rock.
Sir Gregory Winter
Jim Al-Khalili speaks to the 2018 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner, Sir Gregory Winter.
Turi King: Solving the mystery of Richard III through DNA
DNA detective Turi King discusses her life scientific with Jim al-Khalili.
Plastic pollution with Richard Thompson
How Richard Thompson alerted the world to the micro-plastics in the ocean.
Protecting heads in sports
How science and technology could protect sportsmen and women from traumatic brain injury
Early diagnosis and research
Finding a cure for Parkinson’s. Jane Hill on early diagnosis and repurposing drugs
Exercise
Jane Hill visits a boxing club in the Netherlands to discover the benefits for PD
Living with Parkinson's
What is life like with Parkinson’s? Jane Hill, whose father lived with PD, investigates.
Preventing pesticide poisoning
How banning pesticides in Sri Lanka led to a massive drop in suicides
The power of peace
Lucy Cooke discovers whether it's better to fight or make peace in the animal kingdom
The power of petite
Lucy Cooke discovers why being small can give you a step up on the evolutionary ladder
The power of deceit
Lucy Cooke discovers why being a bit sneaky may be an excellent evolutionary strategy.
Patient Undone
Prof Deborah Bowman reveals how a cancer diagnosis transformed her view of medical ethics
The Great Science Publishing Scandal
Matthew Cobb asks who owns research. Scientists, publishers or the public?
Erica McAlister
Dr Erica McAlister talks to Jim Al-Khalili about the beautiful world of flies.
Richard Peto
Epidemiologist Richard Peto talks about his work on the links between tobacco and disease.
Lovelock at 100: Gaia on Gaia
James Lovelock on how he developed Gaia theory.
What next for the Moon?
The Moon rush is back. And everyone is a player. Roland Pease looks at the new space race
Irene Tracey on pain in the brain
Irene Tracey tells Jim Al-Khalili how imaging the brain reveals how and why we feel pain.
Paul Davies on the origin of life and the evolution of cancer
Paul Davies talks to Jim al-Khalili about the origin of life and the search for aliens.
Can psychology boost vaccination rates?
Is compulsory vaccination necessary or can gentle persuasion boost immunisation rates?
Global attitudes towards vaccines
From New York to Madagascar: attitudes to vaccines around the world
Why do birds sing?
6/6 And why does the human voice change as we age?
Does infinity exist?
Rutherford and Fry embark on a never-ending quest for infinite knowledge
Why do we get déjà vu?
4/6 Plus is anything really random?
Will we ever find alien life?
3/6 Where are we looking for alien life and what are the chances of finding it?
Why people have different pain thresholds
2/6 Plus, how fast can a human run?
How do instruments make music?
1/6 Why do different musical instruments sound unique?
A sense of time
Does a second feel the same for a fly, a bird, or a swordfish, as it does for me?
Cat Hobaiter on communication in apes
Jim al-Khalili talks chimp gestures with Dr Cat Hobaiter
Carlo Rovelli on rethinking the nature of time
Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli on why time is not what it seems
Corinne Le Quéré on carbon and climate
Corinne Le Quéré on carbon and the global climate
Ken Gabriel on why your smartphone is smart
Ken Gabriel on inventing micro devices found in smartphones
Donna Strickland and extremely powerful lasers
Donna Strickland on inventing extremely powerful lasers and winning a Nobel Prize
Unbottling the past
The discovery and recreation of an iconic perfume formula for Soir de Paris
California burning
Roland Pease investigates the growing fire hazard in California
ShakeAlertLA - California’s earthquake early warning system
The mobile app that will warn southern Californians if an earthquake is heading their way
From the Cold War to the present day
The role chemists have played in the development of chemical weapons
From the Crimean War to the end of World War Two
Andrea Sella looks at the role chemists have played in the development of weapons
Tracks across time
Scientists race to save a set of 95-million-year-old footprints
Trouble in paradise
How scientists are trying to eradicate rats and mosquitoes threatening French Polynesia
Back from the Dead
The hunt for the Night Parrot: a fat, dumpy, green parrot that lives in the desert
Eye in the Sky
SOFIA is a flying observatory setting out to study Titan, Saturn’s biggest moon
Kepler's Snowflake
Philip Ball tells the story of Johannes Kepler and the six cornered snowflake.
Lucretius, Sheep and Atoms
Two thousand years ago Lucretius composed about atoms and the natural world
Eddington's eclipse and Einstein's celebrity
Philip Ball tells the story of Arthur Eddington's confirmation of general relativity
Earthrise
The story of one of the most iconic photos of the last 50 years
The Supercalculators
Alex Bellos meets the supercalculators taking part in the Mental Calculation World Cup.
The China Syndrome
China's ban on importing other countries' waste plastic is having a big impact
How Much Plastic Can We Recycle?
Professor Mark Miodownik explores our love/hate relationship with plastic.
Why We Fell In Love with Plastic
Professor Mark Miodownik explores our love/hate relationship with plastic.
Finding the Coelacanths
A huge, four-limbed fish, was discovered 65 million years after its supposed extinction
The Big Bang and Jet Streams
Evidence for the big bang was initially thought to be a mistake in the data
Viagra and CRISPR
Viagra was first developed to treat heart disease, but it had some surprising side-effects
Tracking the First Animals on Earth
In search of the first animals on the Earth, more than half a billion years ago
Mary Anning and Fossil Hunting
How a poor woman became one of 19th-century Britain's most successful fossil finders
Cooling the City
How can we adapt and prepare our cities for extreme weather conditions?
Tourism and Transparency
Matthew Hill explores the Chinese approach to organ transplantation.
Who To Believe?
Matthew Hill explores the Chinese approach to organ transplantation.
The Long Hot Summer - Part Two
How did mild temperatures in the Arctic affect 2018's extreme weather?
The Long Hot Summer
Roland Pease asks why the Northern Hemisphere had unusually high temperatures this year.
Sodium
Why sodium powers everything we do
Iron
How iron has shaped human biology and culture
Fluorine
How the feared element ended up giving us better teeth, mood and health
Hypatia: The Murdered Mathematician
Naomi Alderman on the life and death of Hypatia, the ancient Greek mathematician
Descartes' "Daughter"
Philip Ball goes back to the 17th Century to talk about Descartes and his "daughter"
Making Natural Products in the Lab
How 19th century chemist Wohler made a natural product in the lab
The Real Cyrano de Bergerac
Philip Ball on the real Cyrano de Bergerac and his 17th century space ship.
The Nun’s Salamander
Why are Mexican nuns breeding a rare salamander? Could they save this remarkable species?
The Aztec Salamander
Saving a cultural icon and biomedical marvel from extinction.
Gateway to the Mind
Could our microbiome have an influence on our mood and behaviour?
Dirt and Development
How the microbes in us set us on a path of health or chronic disease
Manipulating Our Hidden Half
New research into manipulating our microbiome to stay healthy and beat chronic disease
Do Insects Feel Pain?
Do insects experience pain and suffering?
Killing Insects for Conservation
Killing insects in the name of research upsets some people. How do scientists justify it?
What’s the Tiniest Dinosaur?
And how do bats differentiate their own echolocation signals?
Can Anything Travel Faster Than Light?
Plus, how can we measure the age of the Universe?
Why Do We Dream?
And are machines better than humans when it comes to recognising faces?
Can We Use Chemistry to Bake the Perfect Cake?
And what makes something sharp?
Why Do Some Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?
And why do I get so many static shocks?
Behaving Better Online
Gaia Vince meets the scientists studying our built in human behaviour
The Cooperative Species
Why human cooperation fails online
Bringing Schrodinger's Cat to Life
Roland Pease meets the quantum scientists hoping to bring Schrodinger's cat to life
Barbara McLintock
Philip Ball tells the story of US geneticist and 1983 Nobel prize winner Barbara McLintock
D'Arcy Thompson
A man who put maths into biology and saw physics in shells, seeds and bees 100 years ago
The Far Future
What fragments of our civilisation will persist 10,000 years in the future?
Why We Cut Men
Across the world, 1 in 3 men are circumcised. Mary-Ann Ochota investigates why we cut men
Iodine
Why iodine is essential for our health?
Phosphorus
How a discovery in boiled urine led to the trade union movement and chemical weapons.
Lead
The impact of the use and abuse of lead on humanity.
The Power of Sloth
Lucy Cooke discovers the joy of sloth and sloths and the benefits of being really slow.
Pain of Torture
Does knowing that someone is inflicting pain on you deliberately make the pain worse?
Controlling Pain
How do brains control pain? Irene Tracey asks can we distance ourselves from agony
Knowing Pain
Phantom limb pain, babies’ pain, people without pain, help understand the nature of pain.
Seeing Pain
Why do some people feel more pain than others and what happens in the brain during surgery
Humphry Davy
The story of how Humphry Davy discovered laughing gas in 1799.
Lise Meitner
How physicist Lise Meitner unlocked the science of the atom bomb that cost Hitler dearly
The Day the Earth Moved
How scientists learned the earth’s crust is made up of shifting plates.
Maria Merian
How a 13-year old girl mapped metamorphosis in the 1600s. Naomi Alderman presents
Alcuin of York
Philip Ball dives into the Dark Ages to reveal the author of the river crossing riddle
Cheating the Atmosphere
Dodgy emissions data could fatally undermine the Paris Climate Agreement
Better Brains
New hope for incurable neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia
What would happen if you fell into a black hole?
Plus, could we make a sonic weapon?
What will happen when the Earth’s poles swap?
And why do planets spin?
Why can’t we remember being a baby?
Plus, could a party balloon reach space?
Why can’t we remember being a baby?
Plus, could a party balloon reach space?
How do cats find their way home?
Plus, why do we itch and should we scratch?
How much of my body is bacteria?
Plus, why do we have different blood types?
Sydney Brenner: A Revolutionary Biologist
Sydney Brenner talks about his part in the DNA revolution between the 1950s and 1980s
SOS Snail
Helen Scales reports on the international rescue mission to save the Partula snail
Indian Science – The Colonial Legacy
How did British imperialism affect India’s scientific development?
India's Ancient Science
Rediscovering influential Indian ideas on mathematics, metallurgy and engineering
Africa’s Great Green Wall
Transforming the Sahal into the next wonder of the world through Africa’s Great Green Wall
Internet of Things
Can we Control the Dark Side of the Internet?
Dark Side of the World Wide Web
Did the World Wide Web's Utopian ideals spread crime and obscenity?
The Origin of the Internet
The origins of the internet, and why nobody thought of making it secure
Silicon - The World's Building Block
The key component of rocks, sand and materials from glass and concrete to microelectronics
The Day the Sun Went Dark
For the first time in almost 100 years the USA is experiencing a full solar eclipse
Carbon - the backbone of life
Why is all known life built on carbon?
And then there was Li
The element that links the formation of the universe with the functioning of our brains
Oxygen: The breath of Life
Trevor Cox takes a deep breath and tells the story of oxygen on earth and in space
Mercury - Chemistry's Jekyll and Hyde
The most beautiful and shimmering of the elements, the weirdest, and yet the most reviled
Eating Well in Lyon: Healthy Diets to prevent Bowel Cancer
Anu Anand is in Lyon, looking at what we eat and drink and the risk of bowel cancer
Catching Prostate Cancer Early in Trinidad
Anu Anand on detecting and treating prostate cancer in Trinidad and Tobago.
The USA’s Deadly Racial Divide: Black Women & Breast Cancer
Anu Anand explores why more black women are more likely to die of breast cancer in the US
Screening and Treating Cervical Cancer in Tanzania
Anu Anand on how vinegar and a head torch are used to tackle cervical cancer in Tanzania
Taking On Tobacco - Lung Cancer in Uruguay
Uruguay takes on Big Tobacco in crusade to save its citizens
Dying in Comfort in Mongolia
The Mongolian matriarch who is helping people with terminal liver cancer die in comfort
Can Robots be Truly Intelligent?
Adam Rutherford asks if we are ready for artificial intelligences making decisions for us
Robots - More Human than Human?
Adam Rutherford explores our relationship with contemporary humanoid robots
History of the Rise of the Robots
From the Ancient Greeks to Maria in Metropolis, Adam Rutherford explores robots in culture
Quantum Supremacy
With IBM, Google and Microsoft all making bold claims for quantum computing, what's up?
Re-engineering Life
Roland Pease meets the engineers and biologists hacking life's circuits
Hunting for Life on Mars
Professor Monica Grady searches for signs of life on Mars
Lifechangers: Charles Bolden
Explorations in the world of science.
Lifechangers: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Kevin Fong talks to astrophysicist and populariser of science, Neil deGrasse Tyson
Lifechangers: George Takei
Kevin Fong talks to Star Trek actor and activist George Takei.
The Bee All and End All
Bees pollinate plants, can detect bombs and compose music. What would we do without them?
Extending Embryo Research
Explorations in the world of science.
The Split Second Decision
Dr Kevin Fong asks how vulnerable is our high end decision making
Human Hibernation
Could humans pull off the trick of hibernation to conquer long term space travel?
Delivering Clean Air
More delivery vans means more air pollution in our cities. What are the alternatives?
Make Me a Cyborg
Are human cyborgs set to become a reality? Frank Swain investigates.
Why do some people have no sense of direction?
Plus, why is my mum tone deaf?
Why am I left-handed?
What determines left or right handedness and why are lefties in the minority?
Does the full Moon make us act oddly?
And could we live on another planet?
Why do we get middle-aged spread?
Plus, what’s the strongest substance in the world?
Does nothing exist?
Does nothing really exist, and where can we find it?
Sesame Open
The new science facility, SESAME, that aims to promote peace in the middle east
The Future of the Climate Deal
What will President Trump mean for international deals to avert climate change?
Science Stories: Series 3 - Mesmerism and Parapsychology
The showmanship of Anton Mesmer and the rise and fall of animal magnetism
Science Stories: Series 3 - The Woman Who Tamed Lightning
Hertha Ayrton was the first woman admitted to the Institution of Electrical Engineers
Science Stories: Series 3 - Testosterone: Elixir of Masculinity
How testosterone has been used and abused in history
Science Stories: Series 3 - Making the Earth Move
How a dying man's book demoted the earth and reconstructed the universe.
Origins of Human Culture
What’s special about human culture
Mind Reading
Gaia Vince explores how scientists are trying to read others' minds.
Custom of Cutting
An investigation into female genital mutilation in East and West Africa
The Inflamed Mind
Can your immune system make you psychotic or depressed?
The City that Fell into the Earth
How do you move a city? Lesley Riddoch travels to Arctic Sweden to find out
The Sun King of China
Meet the undisputed leader of China's booming solar industry
The Mars of the Mid-Atlantic
Peter Gibbs explores Ascension Island, a barren Atlantic rock made fertile by man
Creating the Crick
Creating the Francis Crick Institute
Black Holes: A Tale of Cosmic Death and Rebirth
LIGO, Gravitational Waves, and the new astronomy of nature’s ultimate state of matter
The Whale Menopause
What do killer whales tell us about the human menopause?
Reversing Parkinson's
Cell therapies for Parkinson’s disease
Could we send our litter into space?
Plus, why is everything in space round?
Why do we faint?
And can animals count?
Why do people shout on their cellphones?
And what causes traffic jams?
How do you make the perfect cup of tea?
Plus, why do we cry? Is there any useful purpose?
What makes gingers ginger?
Plus, what is the point of body hair?
China Science Rising
Rebecca Morelle reports on China's science ambitions.
The Power of Cute
Lucy Cooke explores our seeming obsession with all things cute.
Failing Gracefully
Dr Kevin Fong explores the role technology plays in high-risk systems
Going Lean: Health and the Toyota Way
Kevin Fong discovers how a car maker is helping to improve healthcare
“Faster, Better, Cheaper”
Kevin Fong explores the success and failure of NASA’s missions to Mars
The Business of Failure
Dr Kevin Fong explores the problems with the US air ambulance industry.
Cleaning Up the Oceans
Roland Pease asks what damage plastic waste is doing in the oceans
Life on the East Asian Flyway - Part 4: The Arctic
New life, new dangers and new hopes for the endangered shorebirds on the tundra
Life on the East Asian Flyway - Part Three: Yellow Sea North
Can China’s birdwatchers and North Korea’s economy save migratory birds from extinction?
Life on the East Asian Flyway – Part Two: Yellow Sea South
Hear the calls of the Chinese bird hunter turned conservationist
Life on the East Asian Flyway
The world’s greatest migration - countless birds fly north from Australia to the Arctic
The Neglected Sense
Kathy Clugston is anosmic - she has no sense of smell and sets out to discover why
After Ebola
Rebuilding Sierra Leone’s healthcare system
Benefits of Bilingualism - Part Two
The benefits of bilingualism: keeping our minds healthy
Benefits of Bilingualism - Part One
Gaia Vince explores the benefits of bilingualism for children
Our Unnatural Selection
How humans are inadvertently driving the evolution of other species
Science Stories: Series 2 - Margaret Cavendish
Aristocrat writer and thinker Margaret Cavendish and the birth of the scientific method
Science Stories: Series 2 - Orgueil Meteorite
The riddle of the 19th century French meteorite that carried a secret for 100 years.
The Horn Dilemma
Will the sale of harvested rhino horn help to stop poaching?
African Einsteins
Will Einstein’s successors be African? It’s very likely - and some of them will be women
Feeding the World - Part Two
How to future proof our crops above and below ground, to endure climate change
Feeding the World - Part One
Kathy Willis meets scientists seeking the genetic diversity to future-proof our crops
Editing the Genome - Part Two
Should we try to wipe out mosquitoes? With CRISPR, it may now be possible.
Editing the Genome
We have a powerful new tool to alter DNA. What medical uses should be off limits?
Science Stories: Series 1 - Einstein’s Ice Box
What happened when Einstein decided to fix the fridge?
Science Stories: Series 1 - Eels and Human Electricity
How an eel sparked our interest in electricity
Science Stories: Series 1 - Cornelis Drebbel
The magical world of Cornelis Drebbel, inventor of the first submarine in 1621
El Nino
El Nino in the Pacific is in full swing, threatening with flood, fire and famine
An Infinite Monkey's Guide to General Relativity
Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the legacy of Einstein's great theory.
An Infinite Monkey's Guide to General Relativity
Brian Cox and Robin Ince celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein's great theory
Scotland’s Dolphins
How photo-ID techniques are tracking protected bottlenose dolphins
Nature's Numbers
What can babies and an Amazonian tribe tell us about the origins of mathematics?
Nature's Numbers
What can animals tell us about the origins of our numerical abilities?
Future of Energy
Jack Stewart looks at the future of the supply, demand, and viability of energy sources
The Power of Equations
Jim al-Khalili and fellow physicists on the beauty and power of equations
Enceladus: A second genesis of life at Saturn?
The best place to search for extra-terrestrial life among the planets.
Humboldt - the Inventor of Nature
Retracing the footsteps Alexander Von Humboldt - the forgotten father of environmentalism
Unbreathable: The Modern Problem of Air Pollution
Roland Pease looks into the 3.3 million people killed each year by polluted air
Future of Biodiversity
Kathy Willis, Director of Science Kew Gardens, discusses biodiversity with Jim al-Khalili
Problems of Developing Drugs
Jim al-Khalili meets Patrick Vallance heading drug development at a pharmaceutical company
The Genetics of Intelligence
Professor Robert Plomin talks to Jim al-Khalili about the genetics of intelligence
How to Make an Awesome Surf Wave
Surfer Helen Scales goes in search of the perfect man-made wave
Lion Hunting in Africa
Can trophy hunting lions be good for conservation?
The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: San Francisco
Brian Cox and Robin Ince take to the stage in San Francisco to talk alien visitations
The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: Chicago
Brian Cox and Robin Ince take to the stage in Chicago, to discuss fossils and evolution
The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: Los Angeles
What happens when science meets Hollywood?
The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: New York
Is science a force for good or evil? Professor Brian Cox, Robin Ince and guests discuss
Life Changers - Didier Queloz
Kevin Fong talks to astrophysicist and planet hunter Didier Queloz.
Life Changers - Anita Sengupta
Nasa engineer Anita Sengupta on landing a rover on Mars
Life Changers - Venki Ramakrishnan
Kevin Fong talks to the Indian-born Nobel Laureate Professor Venki Ramakrishnan
Life Changers - Kathryn Maitland
Kathryn Maitland has a burning passion to transform clinical research across Africa.
Women on the ‘Problem with Science’
A global perspective on the barriers to women in science.
Truth about the Body Mass Index
As Dr Mark Porter's waistline increases he puts his body mass index, or BMI, to the test.
The Great Telescopes and Evolution
Simon Schaffer tells of the astronomers who grappled with evolution long before Darwin.
The Colour Purple
How William Perkin brought purple to the people in Victorian London
Maurice Wilkins
The third man behind the unravelling of DNA's double helix Maurice Wilkins
James Watt and Steam Power
How the engine that powered the industrial revolution nearly ran out of steam
Sounds Of Space: Deep Space
Voyaging further into deep space, with astronomer, Dr Lucie Green.
Sounds of Space: The Solar System
Take a sonic journey through the Solar System with astronomer, Dr Lucie Green
Future of European Science
The European Research Council’s policy of backing high risk, high gain basic science
The Bone Wars
The tale of dinosaur hunters Edward Cope and Othniel Marsh and their legendary feud
Stephanie Shirley: Software Pioneer
Dame Stephanie Shirley made a fortune selling computer programmes to companies
Origins of War
Is war a uniquely human act or can its origins be found in our evolutionary past?
What the Songbird Said
The science of birdsong and its relationship to human language
Shedding Light on the Brain
Biologists use light to explore the brain - and to alter it
Future of Solar Energy
Roland Pease explores Perovskite, the new material experts say will transform solar power
Scotland's Forgotten Einstein, James Clerk Maxwell
How the Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell paved the way for today's technology
Science of Stammering
Exploring the condition of stammering, widely misunderstood and occurs in all cultures
Jane Francis
The director of the British Antarctic Survey, Jane Francis talks to Jim Al-Khalili.
The Teenage Brain: Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
A cognitive neuroscientist unlocks the mysteries of the teenage brain
Matt Taylor
The Rosetta comet mission and the man in charge of landing the robot Philae on comet 67P
John O'Keefe
Nobel Prize 2014 winner John O'Keefe on his work on spatial ability and basketball
Does Money Make you Mean?
Hong Kong psychologists test the effects of money from our generosity to agression
Does Money Make you Mean?
Does becoming rich make you less kind to those around you?
Finding Your Voice
The impact of selective mutism, a condition often described as a phobia of speaking
Placebo Problem
The medical phenomenon of the nocebo effect, the fear that something is harmful
Throwaway Society 2/2
Can the world’s companies manufacture four times more stuff without gutting the planet?
Throwaway Society
What is swelling the world’s mountain of electrical and electronic waste?
The Science of Smell
Why understanding how we smell has led to a paralysed man walking again
The Life Scientific: Richard Fortey
Palaeontologist and naturalist Richard Fortey on the evoloution of the Earth
The Life Scientific: Margaret Boden on Artificial Intelligence
Jim Al-Khalili meets a world authority on Artificial Intelligence, Maggie Boden
Hot Gossip - Part Two
Geoff Watts continues his exploration of the science and culture of gossip
Hot Gossip - Part One
Geoff Watts explores the origins and the science behind our love and loathing of gossip
Virtual Therapy
Quentin Cooper looks at the therapeutic possibilities of Virtual Reality
Animal Personality
From bold crabs to neurotic chimps, animals have different personalities, like us. Why?
Can Maths Combat Terrorism?
Can maths reveal hidden patterns in global terrorist activity? Dr Hannah Fry investigates
New Space to Fly
The modernisation of air traffic control which could allow pilots to choose their routes
Vagus Nerve
Can stimulating the vagus nerve, which connects the brain with the organs improve health?
Elspeth Garman
Oxford crystallographer Elspeth Garman on the study of the internal structure of matter
Painful Medicine
The hidden problem of addiction to over-the-counter painkillers
Chris Toumazou
European Inventor of the Year, Chris Toumazou, on the science of invention
The Making of the Moon
The past, the present and the future of the Moon
Trauma at War
Exploring trauma medicine on the frontline in Afghanistan
Trauma: The Fight for Life
How modern trauma medicine evolved from conflict and catastrophe to help save lives
Brian Cox
Physicist and media star Brian Cox on fame and quantum mechanics
Urine Trouble: What’s in our Water
What happens to the medicines we take after they leave our body?
Patients Doing It for Themselves
How patients are taking control of their own treatment and their own clinical trials
Preventing Disease in Animals
The pioneering genetic techniques to combat disease in our livestock
Beyond the Abyss
Exploring the ocean's deepest realm - the Hadal zone, 6,000 to 11,000 metres down
Power Transmission
Could super grids supplying DC electricity be the solution to rising demand for energy?
Biosafety
As mistakes involving deadly pathogens come to light, what lessons will be learnt?
Mum and Dad and Mum
Meet the girl with DNA from three people
Antibiotic Resistance Crisis - Part Two
The world needs new antibiotics: drug companies don’t want to make them. What next?
Antibiotic Resistance Crisis - Part One
Why our antibiotics are failing. Is this the end of modern medicine?
Cosmology
Have astronomers really found gravitational waves from the Big Bang?
Rosetta Mission Arriving At Comet
Orbiting and landing on a comet. The most daring science space mission ever?
Professor Sir Michael Rutter
Child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter influenced understanding of autism and behaviour
What has Happened to El Nino?
What is making this year’s predicted El Nino so hard to forecast?
Swarming Robots
Adam Hart on how insect and cell structure research is helping develop swarming robots
Anaesthesia
How do general anaesthetics work in the body?
Janet Hemingway
Janet Hemingway on malaria and the coming of insecticide resistance with Jim al-Khalili
Ageing and the Brain
Do our mental powers really decline in old age?
Driverless Cars
The engineers inventing vehicles that drive themselves
Driverless Cars
The future cars with sensors that can send messages to other cars, trucks and pedestrians
Taming the Sun
ITER, the world's effort to harness nuclear fusion, and the most complex experiment ever
Beauty and the Brain
Dr Tiffany Jenkins explores what neuroscience knows about art
Alf Adams
Alf Adams remembers his small idea that changed the world, with Jim Al-Khalili.
Mark Miodownik
Mark Miodownik talks nuclear weapons, 3D printers and smart materials with Jim Al-Khalili.
Sue Black
Forensic scientist Sue Black on the clues she uses to identify human bodies
Whatever Happened to Biofuels - Part Two
Gaia Vince asks if we can ever run our vehicles on biofuels from algae or bacteria.
Whatever Happened to Biofuels?
Can we make biofuels from the sugars in the inedible parts of plants?
Peter Higgs
Peter Higgs opens up to Jim Al-Khalili about the Higgs boson.
Vikram Patel
Jim al-Khalili discusses global mental health with psychiatrist Professor Vikram Patel
Inside the Shark's Mind
Can science stop sharks attacking humans?
The Biology of Freedom
Is free will unique to humans or a biological trait that evolved over time?
Fructose: the Bittersweet Sugar
Is fructose a 'toxic additive' or a healthy fruit sugar?
Hack my Hearing
Can hacking hearing aids create a new super sense for people with hearing loss?
Show me the Way to Go Home
How animals navigate, from homing instincts to smell maps and astronomy
Saving the Oceans - Part Four
Aboriginal knowledge and modern science helps to preserve Australia’s marine ecology
Saving the Oceans - Part Three
Commercial fishing’s impact on bird evolution, and the threat of coral eating starfish
Saving the Oceans - Part Two
Saving sharks and snails in the Pacific using modern technology and traditional practice
Saving the Oceans - Part One
Tackling the problems of population and rising seas for the Pacific islands of Kirabati
Fixing Nitrogen
What are alternatives to the process that takes nitrogen from the air to make fertilizer?
Chronotypes
Why are some people 'early birds' while others are 'night owls'?
Geoengineering
Can putting chemicals in the stratosphere to block the sun stop global warming?
The Return To Mawson's Antarctica - Part Four
The mission to rescue the Australian Antarctic Expedition trapped in ice for 10 days
The Return to Mawson's Antarctica - Part Three
Penguins, seals and a stranded vessel - join the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013
The Return to Mawson's Antarctica - Part Two
Could changes in the water underneath the ice have consequences for the world's oceans?
The Return to Mawson's Antarctica - Part One
Join polar scientists on an expedition to part of Antarctica last explored 100 years ago
Self-Healing Materials
The new materials that can self-mend, from concrete cracks to car paint scratches
The Power of the Unconscious
The crucial role of our unconscious, and how scientists are harnessing its powers
Gut Microbiota
The important relationship between microbes that live in our gut and our health
Nirvana by Numbers
Did the number zero come out of religious culture in ancient India?
Jenny Graves
Prof Jenny Graves on the evolution of sex genes from fauna to the male Y chromosome
Mike Benton
Jim al-Khalili discusses digging up dinosaurs in remote places with Professor Mike Benton
Joanna Haigh
The professor who studies the sun and the impact of its radiation on the Earth's climate
Russell Foster
Professor of circadian neuroscience Russell Foster on how light controls our wellbeing
Ashes to Ashes
Could an emerald coloured beetle wipe out ash trees in Europe?
Ashes to Ashes
Can ash trees be saved from the deadly ash dieback fungus?
Fracking for Shale Gas
What does fracking involve and what impact does it have on the environment?
The Future of Navigation
How robust is GPS and what are the consequences of the system's weaknesses?
Deep Down Inside
How deep brain stimulation is treating Parkinson's and depression
E-cigarettes
Do e-cigarettes really help smokers quit and are they safe?
Raising Allosaurus
Can scientists bring extinct animals back from the dead?
CERN and Science in Africa
The impact of the search for the Higgs boson on science teaching in Africa
The Story of SARS, Part Two
Kevin Fong explores the personal and medical impact of SARS ten years on
The Story of SARS, Part One
Meet the medical staff who fought to contain the spread of this pandemic
Crossrail: Tunnelling under London
How 26 miles of precision engineered tunnels are created through London's erratic geology
Oxytocin
Can taking the hormone oxytocin make people more sociable, trusting and loving?
Forecasting Earthquakes
Can we ever reliably predict earthquakes to justify the cost of forecasting them?
Plate Tectonics and Life
Plate tectonics: the force that shaped the Earth - and shaped the life on it
Quorum Sensing
Can we beat bacteria by stopping the bugs from talking to each other?
Build Me a Brain
Scientists connect cultures of living human neurons to robots to see how the brain works
Solar Max
Astronomer Lucie Green looks at the dangers a solar superstorm could pose to us on Earth
Amoret Whitaker
Forensic entomologist Amoret Whitaker on insects and their role in solving crimes
Alan Watson
Around a million cosmic rays pass through us every night but where do they come from?
On The Trail of the American Honeybee
Dr Adam Hart explores the impact of migratory bee-keeping in the United States
On the Trail of the American Honeybee 1/2
How honeybees and their keepers travel vast distances pollinating America's crops
Deep Sea Vents
Are newly discovered deep ocean ecosystems threatened by deep sea mining?
After Sandy
How can science protect New York from future super storms?
The Crying Game
Why do we cry and why are emotional tears a uniquely human trait?
A Trip Around Mars - Part Two
Canyons, craters and mountains: The spectacular Martian terrain carved by swathes of water
A Trip Around Mars with Kevin Fong - Part One
The alien mountains, canyons and craters that inspire scientists and writers
Noel Sharkey
Jim Al-Khalili talks to roboticist and psychologist, Noel Sharkey.
Annette Karmiloff-Smith on toddlers and TV
Should babies under two watch TV? Jim talks to psychologist Annette Karmiloff-Smith.
Premiership Science
Like football, science is an international endeavour complete with its own stars.
What If... We could stay young forever? 3/3
Peter Bowes concludes his exploration of the drive to live longer by looking at diet.
What If... We could stay young forever? 2/3
Peter Bowes asks if exercise and lifestyle changes hold the key to staying young.
What If... We could stay young forever? 1/3
Peter Bowes explores how science and lifestyle could hold the promise to staying young.
What If... We could all become cyborgs?
Dr Andrew Holding meets some of the people straddling the line between man and machine.
Sexual Nature 3/3
Life’s many paths to being female or male: in humans, komodo dragons and transexual fish
Sexual Nature 2/3
How did sex begin and why do some many species keep doing it?
Sexual Nature 1/3
Frolicking fossils and suggestive theories - the evolutionary history of sex
Quantum Biology
What is quantum biology and why is it important?
The ENCODE Project
Adam Rutherford reports on the recent discovery that much of our DNA is not useless junk.
John Gurdon
2012 Nobel Prize winner, John Gurdon, on cloning a frog decades before Dolly the Sheep
Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond on gall bladders, global history and the birds of Papua New Guinea
The Life Scientific: Andrea Sella - Chemist
Jim Al-Khalili meets chemist and science showman Andrea Sella.
Why do women outlive men
Why do women live longer than men? Dr Yan Wong explores new theories on gender and ageing
Piltdown Man
Piltdown Man – could such a shocking case of scientific fraud happen again?
Particle Physics
What are particle physicists doing after finding the Higgs boson?
Last Man, First Scientist on the Moon
An interview with the only geologist to explore the moon's surface, Harrison Schmitt
Hallucination 2/2
Geoff Watts explores the science of hallucination.
Hallucination 1/2
Understanding hallucination may provide new treatments for psychosis and schizophrenia
The Age We Made
How might cities, mobile phones and humans become fossilised in years to come?
The Age We Made - Part 3
Are humans launching a new geological epoch through species extinction and farming?
The Age We Made - Part 2
Are humans creating a new geological epoch through climate change and fossil fuels?
The Age We Made - Part 1
Is humanity launching a new geological age on the Earth?
End of Drug Discovery
Speeding up the drug development process to treat the major diseases facing us
End of Drug Discovery
The long and expensive struggle to get medicines to market
The sound of deafness
The science of hearing; cochlear implants; the sound of deafness
Darwin's Tunes
Can you apply Darwin's theory of natural selection to music and create the perfect tune?
Frankenstein's Moon
Lunar and stellar insights on Hamlet and Frankenstein. Astronomy and literature collide.
Episode 3
Why do we need to send people to explore Mars – and who is likely to take them there?
The Life Scientific : Lloyd Peck - Antarctic Scientist
Jim Al-Khalili meets Antarctic scientist Lloyd Peck and discovers giant sea spiders.
Episode 2
Can the heroic age of Antarctic exploration show the way back to the moon?
The Life Scientific : Barbara Sahakian - Neuroscientist
Jim Al-Khalili talks to neuroscientist Barbara Sahakian about her Life Scientific.
Episode 1
Amundsen may have beaten Scott to the South Pole but science was the real winner
Saving the Ganges River Dolphin
On the Brahmaputra, counting and saving the Ganges River Dolphin.
Nasa's Curiosity robot lands on Mars
Nasa's Curiosity robot lands on Mars – the search for extraterrestrial life steps up.
Future Flight: Prog 2 of 2
Gareth Mitchell meets the engineers who are designing flying cars and green aircraft.
Future Flight: Prog 1 of 2
Gareth Mitchell meets the engineers who will transform the way we fly around the world.
Artificial Photosynthesis
Prof Andrea Sella reports on the race to better nature at harnessing the sun's energy.
Artificial Blood
Vivienne Parry meets scientists hoping to create artificial blood.
Gene Therapy
Geoff Watts explores new techniques in gene therapy for cystic fibrosis
Legacy Of Alan Turing - Episode Two
Mathematician and code-breaker Alan Turing, and his role in the invention of the computer.
Legacy Of Alan Turing - Episode One
Mathematician and code-breaker Alan Turing, and his role in the invention of the computer
Flu
Suppressed research into how bird flu could become more infectious has now been released.
Transit of Venus 2012
Marek Kukula explores the science behind the Transit of Venus 2012.
28/05/2012 GMT
Physicist Tejinder Virdee on the search for the elusive Higgs boson at Cern.
Hurricane Rash
Kevin Fong looks at the birth of plastic surgery and its links to the air battles of WWII.
The Science of Morality
Carinne Piekema explores the science of moral behaviour and the ethical issues this raises
1000 Days: A Legacy of Life
Could health depend on what happens in the womb? Mark Porter reports on this new idea.
Scott's Legacy: Programme 3 - Mars
Why do we need to send people to explore Mars – and who is likely to take them there?
Scott's Legacy: Programme 2 - Moon
Can the heroic age of Antarctic exploration show the way back to the Moon?
Scott's Legacy: Programme 1 - Antarctica
Amundsen may have beaten Scott to the South Pole but science was the real winner.
Titanic - In Her Own Words
Extended Special re-creating the Titanic Morse code conversation 100 years later.
The Human Race: Global Body - Sydney
Lynne Malcolm discusses what the future holds for the health of the human body.
The Human Race: Global Body - Los Angeles
Lynne Malcolm discovers if the Hollywood dream is true for the million of LA immigrants.
The Human Race: The Global Body - Manila
In Global Body, Lynne Malcolm explores moving to the big city.
The Human Race: The Global Body - Sri Lanka
Lynne Malcolm looks into how the modern world is affecting our biology in Sri Lanka.
Fukushima nuclear accident
The scientific legacy of the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Episode 2
Rebecca Morelle reports on scientists' discoveries in the deepest parts of the oceans.
Episode 1
Rebecca Morelle reports on submersibles to travel to the deepest point of the ocean.
Time
Science writer Zeeya Merali joins physicists discussing the nature of time.
Smart Streets
Angela Saini explores the revolution taking place in the streets beneath our feet.
Depression
Geoff Watts meets researchers trying to find a new way to fight depression.
Depression
Geoff Watts meets researchers asking the question: why do we get depressed?
Seti, the past, present and future
Documentary series exploring the past, present and future of Seti.
Seti, the past, present and future
Documentary series exploring the past, present and future of Seti
Hypersonic Flight
Gareth Mitchell asks how near we are to achieving hypersonic flight.
Spooklights
Chemist Andrea Sella investigates things that go flash in the dark.
19/12/2011 GMT
Higgs particles at CERN. Roland Pease visits the world’s biggest atom smasher.
Antivirals
Kevin Fong looks at new techniques aiming to cure all viral infections.
05/12/2011 GMT
Vivienne Parry explores the crucial role the hormone leptin plays in the body.
Antarctic subglacial lake exploration
Exploring Antarctica's subglacial lakes for lifeforms new to science.
Neutrinos
Roland Pease investigates if neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light.
14/11/2011 GMT
Jon Stewart examines how scientists are trying to bridge the gap between robots and humans
Robots that Care
In the first of two programmes, Jon Stewart investigates the rise of social robots.
India's e-governance project
Angela Saini reports from India on the country’s vast e-governance project
24/10/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
17/10/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
10/10/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
03/10/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
26/09/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
19/09/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
12/09/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
05/09/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
29/08/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
22/08/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
15/08/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
08/08/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
01/08/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
25/07/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
18/07/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
11/07/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
04/07/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
27/06/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
20/06/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
13/06/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
06/06/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
30/05/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
23/05/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
16/05/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
09/05/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
02/05/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
25/04/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
18/04/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
The Gagarin Legacy
In a special edition, the BBC's Discovery programme marks the 50th anniversary of the world's first manned space flight
04/04/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
28/03/2011 GMT
Explorations in the world of science.
Caught In The Web
Vera Frankl investigates 'Internet Addiction', talking to web users and experts from the UK, USA and China.
Memristors
Memristors - the next stage in computer technology, offering faster computing and vastly increased memory.
Artificial Meat
Would you eat artificial meat, grown in a lab? Geoff Watts investigates.
Fixing the Nitrogen Fix
Chemistry's reputation is not always good. Roland Pease asks if chemistry can change its profile and be seen to be green.
Episode 1
Chemistry's reputation is not always good. Roland Pease asks if chemistry can change its profile and be seen to be green.
Last Chance To Fly The Space Shuttle
As NASA prepares for the final flight of the Space Shuttle program, astronaut Jeff Hoffman looks back on its 30 year history.
Honey - The Golden Treasure
Dr Adam Hart explores the remarkable properties of honey, from its basic chemistry to the biological processes that create it.
Episode 3
We not only live in the atmosphere, we live because of it. It is a transformer and a protector, though ultimately also a poison.
Episode 2
We not only live in the atmosphere, we live because of it. It is a transformer and a protector, though ultimately also a poison.
Episode 1
We not only live in the atmosphere, we live because of it. It is a transformer and a protector, though ultimately also a poison.
Episode 3
Professor of Acoustic Engineering Trevor Cox talks to musicians and scientists to look at the acoustics of musical instruments.
Episode 2
Professor of Acoustic Engineering Trevor Cox talks to musicians and scientists to look at the acoustics of musical instruments.
Episode 1
Professor of Acoustic Engineering Trevor Cox talks to musicians and scientists to look at the acoustics of musical instruments.
21/12/2010 GMT
Nanoparticles are all around us. What effect could they be having on our environment?
14/12/2010 GMT
Nanoparticles are all around us. What effect could they be having on our environment?
Science And Libel
Ben Goldacre explores the battle to protect science writers from the threat of libel action.
Episode 5 - Morten Kringelbach
A second series of public events on the role of science in society, from the BBC World Service with the Wellcome Collection.
Episode 4 - Gwen Adshead
A second series of public events on the role of science in society, from the BBC World Service with the Wellcome Collection.
Episode 3 - Brian Greene
A second series of public events on the role of science in society, from the BBC World Service with the Wellcome Collection.
Episode 2 - Kevin Marsh
A second series of public events on the role of science in society, from the BBC World Service with the Wellcome Collection.
Episode 1 - Cynthia Kenyon
A second series of public events on the role of science in society, from the BBC World Service with the Wellcome Collection.
The Heart Has Its Reasons
Does the head really rule the heart as modern science would tell us? Tim Healey asks if the heart plays a role in our emotions.
12/10/2010 GMT
Medical sleuths in West Africa make startling discoveries that could change child health care worldwide.
05/10/2010 GMT
Medical sleuths in West Africa make startling discoveries that could change child health care worldwide.
Richard Feynman, Physicist
Brian Cox presents a tribute to Richard Feynman, widely regarded as the most influential physicist since Einstein.
The Alien Equation
Kevin Fong examines the equation that seeks to answer one of the most profound questions in science: Are we alone in the cosmos?
Graphene
Roland Pease reports on graphene, an atomically thin form of carbon that looks set to transform technology.
Muscles
Vivienne Parry hears how new research into muscle wastage is turning the accepted view of "use it or lose it" on its head.