BBC Radio Podcasts from The Big Idea

The Big Idea

Fighting pandemics

The 2020 pandemic has transformed our world, but it won’t be the last to do so

The science of addiction

Why drug addicts want drugs – even when they don’t

The new normal

How Donald Trump is reshaping our ideas of normal behaviour

Do cities need rules?

How does the way a city is run change its inhabitants' lives?

The science of sleep

What does sleep do for us, and what can go wrong if we don't get enough?

The importance of fairness

Why it pays to be fair, and why people are less selfish than you think

How do we spot rogue cops?

Within every police force there are bad cops, but could there be a trick to spotting them

Understanding emotions: Should we follow our hearts?

How noticing things in our bodies can help us read our feelings

Ubernomics

Does behaviour tracking help tech companies become better at saying sorry?

Why living in the city could make you happier

What makes some cities more successful than others?

Why do we find things disgusting?

Meet a ‘disgustologist’ who has been uncovering answers to our uneasy feelings

The fragility of choice

Where do our opinions come from, and how easy is it for people to change them?

The truth about marriage

And how your relationship may be less stable than you think

How to topple a dictator

Is violent or non-violent protest more effective?

Why do we laugh?

And why a cognitive neuroscientist says laughter deserves more research.

The Afterlife

Suppose you knew that after your natural death the human race would die out…

Why Are Some Nations Rich?

Why are some nations richer than others?

How does language work?

Neuroscientist Cathy Price examines the workings of language

A Future Without Doctors?

Can you imagine a future without doctors?

The Intelligent Tree

Are trees intelligent?

Consciousness: A Strange Theory

Is consciousness everywhere?

The Teenage Brain

Why can’t teenagers get out of bed in the morning?

How To Stop Murder

How can we reduce murder rates?

Democracy and Famine

What is the cause of famine? It’s not the obvious answer

Dimensions of Discrimination

Do black women face more prejudice than black men or white women?

Inequality Makes Us Anxious

Inequality makes people anxious. How?

Are We All Racist?

Are we all racist?

The New Distrust

Are we living through a crisis in trust?

Contact Theory

How do you stop different groups from hating each other?

Economics and Mosquito Nets

What can economics tell us about the use of mosquito nets?

Memory Wars

Should you trust your memory?

A World Without Livestock?

The meat burger with no meat

Outrage and Moral Conscience

Why is there so much outrage on social media?

Friends

Is there a limit to the number of friends we can have?

Baby Boffins

Babies are much smarter than their parents might realise

Super-Intelligence

Will we be able to control computers of the future?

Social Physics

What can data tell us about the success of cities?

The Growth Mindset

Why do some kids do better at school than others?

Epigenetics

Can our experiences be passed down biologically to our children and grandchildren?

Future Gazing

Can political experts predict the future?

Monkey Money

What can monkeys tell us about the stock market?

The Big Preview: The Big Idea

The search for the most interesting ideas around.