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PODCAST

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

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All Episodes

32:34

How the internet shaped how we speak

Instant Genius ·

2024/12/06

Through emojis, memes, acronyms and inside jokes, the internet has forever changed how we communicate. But what is the result of that and what does it mean for how we’ll speak in the future? We spoke to linguist and author of the book Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch, to find out.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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25:13

Feeding the world’s growing population

Instant Genius ·

2024/12/02

The Earth’s population currently stands at more than 8 billion and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. There’s little doubt that these staggering numbers are placing a huge strain on global food supplies, so what can be done for the human race to thrive and survive long into the future? In this episode, we catch up with multidisciplinary researcher and author Prof Vaclav Smil to talk about his latest book – How to Feed the World. He tells us how evolution has determined the staple foods

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34:13

How extinction can protect future animals

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/29

Living through a mass extinction means the end of a species’ existence inevitably collides with significant events in our personal lives. But what does that mean for the people working to protect them? And why are these extinctions actually bringing them hope? We spoke to science writer Tom Lathan, author of the new book ‘Lost Wonders’, who explains.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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37:30

How opening our eyes, ears and noses can help us...

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/25

From the distinctive caw of a crow to the musky scent of a beaver, the world around us is filled with the telltale signs of animals going about their daily business. But how can we teach ourselves to pick up on them more effectively and what can we learn from doing so?In this episode, we catch up with ecologist and author George Bumann to talk about his latest book, Eavesdropping on Animals: What We Can Learn from Wildlife Conversations. He tells us how by simply opening our eyes, ears and noses

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29:51

The psychology of anger

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/22

It’s likely that even the most virtuous amongst us has experienced feelings of anger at some point in our lives. But is this simply a failing in our personal moral fabric or does it have more universal biological origins?In this episode, we catch up with Guy Leschziner, a professor of neurology and sleep medicine at King’s College Hospital in London to talk about his latest book Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human. He tells us how activity in the emotional regions of our brains

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34:31

How to beat the winter blues

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/18

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, many of us find ourselves feeling a little less jolly and a bit more sluggish than usual. But for some of us these feelings can become so severe that they are classed as a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder. This can have a significant impact on our daily habits, relationships and ability to perform at our best.In this episode, we catch up with the founder of The Sleep Scientist Dr Sophie Bostock. She tells us how exposure to

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32:45

Why being cynical is harming your health

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/15

While being cynical can feel safe, and prepared for the worst outcome, it could actually be harming your health. We spoke to Jamil Zaki, author of the new book Hope for Cynics to better understand the dangers of cynicism and how to break out of it.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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28:11

How to Hack Your Sleep: How not getting enough sleep...

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/11

Lots of us will have at some points in our lives woken up feeling groggy after getting a poor night’s sleep. But what causes us to have trouble sleeping, what effect does it have on our health and what can we do about it?In this episode, we catch up Prof Matt Jones, a neuroscientist based at the University of Bristol. He tells us how our sleep needs vary across our lifetimes, how not getting enough sleep can affect our ability to think straight and form memories, and why a lack of sleep can leave

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30:07

The genetic evolution and future of humankind

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/08

Understanding who we are and where we came from is one of the most fascinating questions in science. But it’s also one of the most difficult to answer. Putting all of the pieces together requires research across several different disciplines such as genetics, anthropology and medicine. In this episode, we catch up with Professor of Human Genetics and Evolution at College de France in Paris Lluis Quintana-Murci to talk about his latest book Human Peoples: On the Genetic Traces of Human Evolution

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28:56

How to Hack Your Sleep: The science of bizarre sleep...

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/04

Research over the past few decades has proven that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. But sometimes strange things can happen in our brains while we’re asleep.In this episode, we catch up with Dr Dan Denis, a sleep researcher and lecturer at the University of York’s department of psychology. He tells us what happens in our brains and bodies when we dream, why some of us are prone to sleepwalking and even sleep eating, and talks about the strange phenomenon of

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28:34

The fascinating history of science

Instant Genius ·

2024/11/01

We may pride ourselves on our intelligence, but humans perhaps actually have to thank our ability to process and communicate information for our species’ success. In this episode, we speak to ‘The History of Information’ author Chris Haughton about the evolutionary adaptations, technologies and moments in our history that propelled us forward – and what he thinks is coming next.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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27:29

How to Hack Your Sleep: What to Eat to Get Better Sleep

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/28

We all know we should be eating a good diet to keep ourselves healthy, but did you know your diet can have a significant impact on how well you sleep?In this episode, we speak to Dr Piril Hepsomali, a psychologist and sleep researcher based at the University of Reading. She tells us how consuming caffeine affects our sleep, why we feel tired after eating a big Sunday lunch and what actually happens if you eat cheese before going to bed. This episode is presented in partnership with

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27:33

How the James Webb Space Telescope is peering deeper...

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/24

Since its launch on Christmas Day 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has delivered some of the most stunning images of space we’ve ever seen, peering deeper into the cosmos than ever before. But as awe-inspiring as these images are, data about the history of the Universe being collected by the telescope are perhaps even more mind-blowing. In this episode, we catch up with Sky at Night Presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock to talk about her new book Webb’s Universe: The Space Telescope Images that

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29:15

How to Hack Your Sleep: Optimising Your Body Clock

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/20

Our bodies have in-built clocks that allow us to sync our daily activities to a roughly 24-hour cycle. This determines everything from our sleep patterns to our appetites and even dictates the time of day we are most likely to perform at our best.However, not all of our body clocks keep the same time – some of us prefer early mornings while some of us prefer late nights. What’s more, alterations in external time, such as crossing time zones or changes to and from daylight saving time can play

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32:55

How the history of all life on Earth is written in...

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/17

Since the discovery of the double helix by Francis Crick, James Watson and Rosalind Franklin in the 1950s, human knowledge of DNA and genetics has grown almost immeasurably. We now know that genes affect every aspect of our lives, from our appearance, our health and even our personality. But more than this, our genes are a living document of our evolutionary past, an ancient document that, if read properly, can reveal almost everything about how we came to be how we are. In this episode, we’re

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0:41

Don't miss the upcoming How to Hack Your Sleep...

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/15

Do you find it hard to get out of bed first thing in the morning? Maybe you feel your energy levels starting to wane in the afternoon? Or perhaps you struggle to fall asleep in the first place?Why not tune into the Instant Genius How to Hack Your Sleep 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 all things related to sleep. Starting on Monday 21

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28:04

How to keep your dog calm, safe and happy

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/13

We all love our dogs and want to do what’s best for them but, unfortunately, they aren’t able to talk to us to let us know when something isn’t going well for them. So how can we make sure we’re doing our best to keep them safe and happy? In this episode, we catch up dog expert and author Zazie Todd to talk about her latest book, Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. She teaches us about some key body language cues to look out for to tell when your dog is feeling

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38:13

When we’ll actually move to Mars

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/10

If you’re anything like Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, the idea of a mass human migration to space is exciting but, well, a little flawed. As they say in their new book, A City on Mars: “An Earth with climate change and nuclear war and, like, zombies and werewolves is still a way better place than Mars.” In this episode, we speak to Kelly about why we’re not likely to see billionaires rocketing off to Mars-based bunkers, what we might eat when we live in space, and how close we really are to moving to

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41:08

Exploring the diversity of England’s distinctive...

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/06

For a relatively small country, England is home to an astonishing variety of habitats. From the low-lying grasses, gorse and heather that make up the heathland to the many rivers that make their way across our countryside and cities, each landscape has its own individual characteristics and charms. In this episode, we catch up with farmer and best-selling nature writer John Lewis-Stempel to talk about his new book England: A Major Natural History in 12 Habitats. He takes us on a tour of some of

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30:25

How listening to our animal minds can help us...

Instant Genius ·

2024/10/03

Did you know that according to some psychologists we have two minds, not one? The first of these is our regular, analytical mind – the part of us that processes language and is home to our ego – and the second is a more primitive, animal mind that responds to our environment in a more automatic, intuitive way.It is argued that learning how to listen more closely to our animal minds can help us to overcome stress, anxiety and trauma. In this episode, we catch up with psychologist and author Steve

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