Science Focus Podcast
The brightest names in science and technology talk to the BBC Focus team about the ideas and breakthroughs shaping our world in this weekly podcast.
Why the next gold rush is happening at the bottom of the ocean
Inside the race to mine underwater mountains.
Instant Genius Podcast | The race to bury nuclear waste in hidden bunkers, with Lewis Blackburn
No, we can’t just fire off our nuclear waste into space.
Instant Genius Podcast | The science and soul of music, with prof Susan Rogers
Why do you love the songs that you do? Why does music have such a powerful hold over us? Can you love music without being musical? We spoke to prof Susan Rogers to find out.
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Instant Genius Podcast | Faecal transplants with Dr Benjamin Mullish
Have you heard about faecal transplants? We spoke to Dr Benjamin Mullish, to find out about this surprising, but promising new science.
Instant Genius Podcast | The future of self-driving cars, with Jack Stilgoe
With self-driving cars making the headlines, we spoke to professor Jack Stilgoe to find out about the laws and ethical guidelines needed, and how we'll need to interact with these vehicles when they do hit the road.
Podcast: Why do humans make music?
Musicologist Michael Spitzer explains how humans evolved to make music and why it makes us want to dance.
Podcast | The future of human flight, with real-life Iron Man Richard Browning
Browning invented the 'Jet Suit', which can fly one person through the air at speeds of 135km/h.
Podcast | How AI and androids could shape the music of the future
Prof Nick Bryan-Kinns discusses whether artificial intelligence is the new frontier for the music industry.
Podcast: Why realistic humanoid robots need to learn to lip-sync
Dr Carl Strathearn tells us about how to get robots out of the Uncanny Valley and why Data from Star Trek is an inspiration for his work.
Podcast | Could 'counterfactuals' solve the biggest problems in physics?
Physicist Chiara Marletto, author of The Science of Can and Can't, explains what counterfactuals are and how they can show us the whole picture.
Podcast | What happens to you after 40 days with no natural light?
Fifteen volunteers spent 40 days in a cave with no natural light or clocks. Most of them want to go back.
Podcast: The bizarre biology of the mantis shrimp
We speak to Dr Martin How about the mantis shrimp's unique vision, deadly weaponry and curious communication.
Podcast | The creator of Bellingcat on using the internet to investigate global affairs
Eliot Higgins tells the story of how a group of amateur hobbyists ended up taking on Russian spies.
Podcast | Meet the computer scientist teaching an AI to play Dungeons and Dragons
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Lara Martin about her research into teaching artificial intelligence to tell stories.
Podcast | How to understand statistics in the news and when to trust them
Tom Chivers and David Chivers, authors of How to Read Numbers, explain how to make sense of the stats you see in the news about health and risk.
How to maximise your motivation, according to a neuroscientist
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, neuroscientist Dr Gabija Toleikyte explains where motivation comes from and how to make the most of it.
Podcast | Prof Avi Loeb on what 'Oumuamua tells us about the problem with modern physics
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, astrophysicist Prof Avi Loeb explains why he thinks 'Oumuamua was of alien origin.
Podcast | Mental health and your brain: What happens when it goes wrong
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, Dean Burnett explains the neuroscience of mental health problems.
Podcast | The ordinary women in science history
Science historians Anna Reser and Leila McNeill tell us about the women who engaged in science throughout history but don’t always get remembered.
Podcast | The psychology of the sea shanty and why work songs are such earworms
The psychology of a great sea shanty, the psychology of a great sea shanty, the psychology of a great sea shanty, earl-y in the morning.
Inside the February issue with the BBC Science Focus team
The team behind BBC Science Focus Magazine discuss artificial intelligence storytelling, a flying car airport and exciting new developments in the study of dark matter.
Podcast | Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)
Our brain's ability to work towards a goal has enabled us to achieve many great things, but we aren't very good at doing things in tandem. We speak to neuroscientist Prof David Badre to find out why.
Meet the scientist who defeated 'the world's worst bacteria' to save her husband’s life
As she told us on the Science Focus Podcast, Professor Steffanie Strathdee tackled a superbug as it threatened to kill her partner.
Science Focus Podcast | Why rewilding success stories make us hopeful for the future
Dr Andrea Perino tells us about the benefits of rewilding, whether it's acres of forest or just a tiny patch in your back garden.