Instant Genius
Whether you’re curious about getting healthy, the Big Bang or the science of cooking, find out everything you need to know 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.
New episodes are released every Monday and Friday and you can subscribe to Instant Genius on Apple Podcasts to access all new episodes ad-free and all old episodes of Instant Genius Extra.
Watch full episodes of Instant Genius on BBC Science Focus Magazine's YouTube channel.
526
What can the father of Gaia theory tell us abou...
On the eve of the visionary scientist's 100th birthday, James Lovelock, creator of Gaia theory, reflects on his life and career.
28 min
527
Could leaving nature to its own devices be the ...
Rewilding Britain is calling for vast swathes of land to be restored to nature, we get the lowdown from environmental researcher Mark Lynas.
18 min
528
Is there really no such thing as a fish? – Andr...
We get meta and do a science podcast about doing science podcasts with two of the stars of the hugely popular, er, podcast, No Such Thing As A Fish.
36 min
529
Is racism creeping into science? – Angela Saini
According to Angela Saini’s new book, Superior, there is an ongoing revival of race science, which is being fuelled by a rise in extremism and right-wing views.
42 min
530
Can we really predict when doomsday will happen...
How long does the human species have left? William Poundstone explains the controversial formula that thinks it might be sooner than you think (or not).
36 min
531
Is body positivity the answer to body image iss...
We live in a society that values looks, but only if they fit into a restrictive set of ideals. Is loving your body the key to defeating body image issues?
26 min
532
Why is the Moon landing still relevant 50 years...
If you were to picture the Moon landing in your head right now, you could probably conjure up images of Neil Armstrong’s famous first steps, accompanied by his inspirational (and often misquoted) speech, despite it happening many years before most of u...
27 min
533
Can science explain everything? – Michael Blast...
Smoking kills - but it doesn't kill everyone. So why can't we predict which smokers will live? The answer is uncertainty in the data.
33 min
534
Is the cure for cancer hiding in human breast m...
Two decades ago a group of Swedish researchers chanced upon an intriguing compound with tumour-killing properties hidden within human breast milk. Dubbed HAMLET, short for Human α-lactalbumin, the substance has so far come through in vitro and animal t...
21 min
535
Why is Leonardo Da Vinci’s scientific legacy so...
We talk to Martin Clayton, Head of Prints and Drawings for Royal Collection Trust at Windsor Castle, about Da Vinci’s lasting scientific legacy,500 years after his death.
28 min
536
Is gene editing inspiring or terrifying? – Ness...
With gene editing we’re close to curing certain diseases, but at the same time, rogue scientists are experimenting in ways considered unethical by the wider medical community. What does the future look like for gene editing, and for the human race?
30 min
537
What if the Earth’s magnetic field died? – Jim ...
What if we lost the Earth’s magnetic field? That’s the question Professor Jim Al-Khalili tackles in his new novel, Sunfall. What threats from space does that leave us vulnerable to, and how might we protect ourselves?
37 min
538
Are video games good for us? - Pete Etchells
Psychologist Pete Etchells explores the benefits and dangers of playing computer games.
31 min
539
Do you believe in magic? – Gustav Kuhn
Seeing is all believing, but how do magicians fool our brains into thinking we have just witnessed the impossible?
29 min
540
How can we save our planet? - Sir David Attenbo...
We speak to Sir David Attenborough, naturalist and host of the new Netflix show Our Planet, and two of the show’s producers about the essential changes we need to make to save our home.
35 min
541
Can we slow down the ageing process? - Sue Arms...
As the size of the ageing population rises, the field of gerontology, the study of ageing, is bursting with discoveries. How and why do we age? What can be done to slow the ageing process, and how do we improve our health spans, rather than our life sp...
32 min
542
Matt Parker: What happens when maths goes horri...
Sums are hard, but imagine the consequences when getting the wrong answer leads to disaster. Comedian and maths whizz Matt Parker explains what happens when rounding errors and miscalculations get the better of our equations.
28 min
543
Why is the magnetic north pole moving? - Ciaran...
The Earth’s magnetic north pole is rocketing towards Siberia at 50 kilometres per year, making the maps of the magnetic field out of date faster than expected. Why is it moving, what does this mean for us, and what can we expect it to do in the future?
26 min
544
Are we facing an insect apocalypse? - Brad Lister
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. Wha...
34 min
545
Is religion compatible with science? - Professo...
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.
32 min
546
What does it mean to be happy? - Helen Russell
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.
30 min
547
How geology can influence elections - Lewis Dar...
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.
22 min
548
The mindset behind the Moon landing – Richard W...
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.
36 min
549
How technology is changing politics – Jamie Sus...
Jamie Susskind explains how the politics of the future will be shaped by the technology influencing our lives today.
35 min
550
There’s no such thing as Blue Monday - Sir Davi...
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.
21 min