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.Then when you’ve mastered the basics with Instant Genius. Dive deeper with Instant Genius Extra, where you’ll find longer, richer discussions about the most exciting ideas in the world of science and technology. Only available on Apple Podcasts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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Are we facing an insect apocalypse? - Brad Lister

February 27, 2019 34:36 33.23 MB Downloads: 0

When Professor Brad Lister returned to Puerto Rico to track insect populations, he found he was only catching a fraction of the amount he’d seen 40 years ago. When he analysed what he’d caught, he saw a 98 per cent decline in insects on the ground. What’s causing this huge loss, and what does it mean for the future of our planet? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is religion compatible with science? - Professor John Lennox

February 20, 2019 32:51 31.54 MB Downloads: 0

This week, we delve into the complex relationship between science and religion. Why invoke a god to explain the world, the argument goes, when science does a perfectly good job? Professor John Lennox, however, begs to differ. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What does it mean to be happy? - Helen Russell

February 13, 2019 30:14 29.04 MB Downloads: 0

What does it mean to be happy? The pleasure of doing nothing, the sense of community from performing a haka, or drinking in your pants? Helen Russell, author of The Atlas of Happiness, explains what happiness means to different people around the world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How geology can influence elections - Lewis Dartnell

February 06, 2019 22:45 21.84 MB Downloads: 0

Astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell is here to talk about how the Earth's ancient geography has influenced the development of human civilisations, and how it still affects our behaviour today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The mindset behind the Moon landing – Richard Wiseman

January 30, 2019 36:07 34.68 MB Downloads: 0

The men and women of the Apollo program needed a particular mindset to land astronauts on the Moon – Richard Wiseman explains how you can harness this mentality to achieve your own Moon shots. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How technology is changing politics – Jamie Susskind

January 23, 2019 35:04 33.66 MB Downloads: 0

Jamie Susskind explains how the politics of the future will be shaped by the technology influencing our lives today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There’s no such thing as Blue Monday - Sir David Spiegelhalter

January 16, 2019 21:03 20.21 MB Downloads: 0

Statistician and Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk in the Statistical Laboratory at the University of Cambridge Sir David Spiegelhalter explains the pseudoscience behind Blue Monday, the power of numbers, and how to spot a dodgy stat. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The most mysterious objects in the Universe - Colin Stuart

January 09, 2019 20:34 19.75 MB Downloads: 0

From 'Oumuamua to Planet Nine, astronomy writer and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society Colin Stuart counts down the five strangest cosmic enigmas. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eating for your genes - Giles Yeo

January 03, 2019 38:02 36.52 MB Downloads: 0

Dr Giles Yeo studies the relationship between our genetic make-up and how we’re eating, and knows that poor self-control isn’t entirely to blame for the obesity epidemic. He’s here to talk about how our genes influence how hungry we feel and how much we eat, and what we should do about it.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What makes me 'me'? - Aoife McLysaght

December 26, 2018 27:41 26.58 MB Downloads: 0

Evolutionary geneticist Aoife McLysaght is joining Alice Roberts as a guest at this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. Together, they’re exploring where we come from, what makes us human, and what makes each of us unique. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why ASMR gives you tingles – Emma WhispersRed

December 19, 2018 18:03 17.33 MB Downloads: 0

We chat to YouTuber Emma WhispersRed ASMR about how she got into making the videos, why she thinks people find them so soothing, and why she wants to get the phenomenom officially recognised as a form of therapy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Air pollution is killing us, here’s how you can stop it – Gary Fuller

December 12, 2018 53:04 50.95 MB Downloads: 0

Pollution scientist Gary Fuller explains how bad our air is, what causes it, and how we can stop this invisible killer. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Should we be worried about sex robots? – Kate Devlin

December 05, 2018 29:09 27.99 MB Downloads: 0

AI ethicist Dr Kate Devlin has done a deep dive into intimacy with machines for her new book Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots. She’s looked into society’s gradually changing attitudes towards sex tech and visited the companies making the world’s most advanced sex robots, and she’s here to tell us what it all means. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Filming a Dynasty - Nick Lyon

November 28, 2018 42:12 40.52 MB Downloads: 0

The latest Sir David Attenborough-narrated BBC Natural History Unit Landmark Series is called Dynasties, and it tracks power struggles within animal groups. We talk to Nick Lyon, the producer of an episode about Zimbabwe’s Painted Wolves, to see how he captured an incredible fight for dominance in the wild.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There is no Plan B for planet Earth – Lord Martin Rees

November 21, 2018 30:15 29.05 MB Downloads: 0

Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees explains how unless we make significant changes now, the prospects for the human species are beginning to look bleak. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.