Episodes

  • Healthy Start: How to cut down your social media use

    Healthy Start: How to cut down your social media use
    Jan 13 2025
    With a smartphone in our pockets at all times, social media is only ever a few clicks away. With this, problematic social media use is easy to fall into. As part of our Healthy Start series, we spoke to Niklas Ihssen, an associate professor at Durham University about what this means and how to avoid it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • Why smell is our most underrated sense

    Why smell is our most underrated sense
    Jan 10 2025
    It’s commonly thought that when compared to other members of the animal kingdom we humans have a particularly poor sense of smell. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Modern research has proven that human beings are surprisingly sophisticated sniffers, at least on par with the vast majority of other animals. In this episode, we catch up with Prof Jonas Olofsson, a psychologist based at Stockholm University, to talk about his latest book The Forgotten Sense – The New Science of Smell. He explains what happens when odour molecules enter our nasal passages and are processed by our brains, tells us how our sense of smell is intimately linked to our memories and emotions and answers the question that has been debated across countless dinner tables all over the world: can some people really identify wines just by smelling them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • Healthy Start: How to make goals and stick to them

    Healthy Start: How to make goals and stick to them
    Jan 6 2025
    This time of the year lots of us will be setting new goals for the future. Be it getting fitter, reading more or even writing that novel we always suspected we had in us. But why do so many of us fail to see these plans through? In this episode, we catch up Dr Ian Taylor a reader in motivational science based at Loughborough University. He tells us why we are prone to setting goals that are too ambitious and why starting small is usually the best approach, why we shouldn’t worry if our routine drops off now and again, and why simply having willpower isn’t the be all and end all of reaching your targets, whatever they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • The power of optimism

    The power of optimism
    Jan 3 2025
    Be it the recent outbreak of wars around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic or the unfortunate personal events that will undoubtedly befall us at some points in our lives, it can sometimes be difficult to look on the bright side. But is doing so even helpful? Science writer Sumit Paul-Choudhury certainly thinks so. In this episode, we catch up with him to talk about his latest book The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World. He tells us how the term was coined based on the theory that we live in the best of all possible worlds, or the optimal world if you like, why far from being unique to humans, many animals such as chickens and bumblebees also show signs of optimism, and how optimistic thinking will play a crucial role in helping us overcome the problems of the 21st Century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • Don't miss the upcoming Healthy Start miniseries!

    Don't miss the upcoming Healthy Start miniseries!
    Jan 1 2025
    Would you like to learn how to set goals and stick to them? How about cutting down the time you spend on social media? Or how about learning to cope better with stress? Why not tune in to the Instant Genius Healthy Start miniseries, brought to you from the team behind BBC Science Focus. It's still the same show, with the same great guests. We’ll just be spending a little extra time to go deeper into the science of getting the new year off to the best possible start. Starting on Monday 6th January, this four-part special series will feature interviews with leading researchers, to give you everything you need to boost your health and wellbeing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 min
  • What happens in your body when you eat

    What happens in your body when you eat
    Dec 20 2024
    What’s your favourite food? A hamburger, a slice of cake, a pizza? Eating is something we all do every day but most of us rarely think about what actually happens in our bodies after we put food into our mouths. In this episode, we catch up with Dr Chris Van Tulleken to speak about his forthcoming Royal Institution Christmas Lecture series telling us everything we need to know about what’s happening in our bodies when we eat. He tells us what actually happens when we put food into our mouths, what’s going on in our bodies once food is in there, and why farting is just part of the process. BBC Four and iPlayer, 9pm, on 29, 30 and 31 December. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • How to combat flooding

    How to combat flooding
    Dec 16 2024
    Anyone who has switched on the news even briefly this year will no doubt have seen scenes of extreme flooding occurring in all corners of the globe. But are these events getting more frequent and more severe or are we just becoming more aware of them? In this episode, we catch up with Prof Trevor Hoey, a hydrologist based at Brunel University, London. He tells us about the various climate mechanisms driving these extreme weather events, how counterintuitively severe droughts are being caused by the same processes and he also details some of the measures we can take to minimise the damage these events cause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • How belonging to tribes shapes our culture

    How belonging to tribes shapes our culture
    Dec 13 2024
    Be it down to our professions, taste in music or favourite sports teams we all belong to several different tribes. But what drives this instinct and what purpose does it serve? In this episode, we speak to cultural psychologist Prof Michael Morris about his latest book: Tribal – How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together. He breaks down the influence our peers have on us, explains why we look up to hero figures and why tradition has such a huge impact on our beliefs, lifestyles and identities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins