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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

28:24

Peak Performance: How to get the most out of your...

Instant Genius ·

2024/07/21

Most of us know that we should probably be trying to get a bit more exercise, but fitting gym sessions into our busy work and homelives can often be tricky. And even then, we still have to decide what activities suit our needs best when faced with the intimidating number of options that are out there. In this episode, we catch up with Dr Sinead Roberts, a lecturer in sport and exercise nutrition at the University of Westminster. She tells us why the good news is that doing something, whatever it

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35:03

How gases shaped life on Earth and helped human...

Instant Genius ·

2024/07/18

From the oxygen in the air we breathe to the atmosphere that cloaks the Earth and protects us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet light, gases are essential for the existence of human beings.But did you know that we’ve also harnessed the properties of these elusive, largely invisible substances to impact almost every aspect of our lives? In this episode, we catch up with material scientist Prof Mark Miodownik to talk about his latest book, It’s a Gas: The Magnificent and Elusive Elements that

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0:47

Don’t miss the upcoming Peak Performance miniseries...

Instant Genius ·

2024/07/17

Looking to get the maximum possible benefits out of your gym time? Want to find out why what you do to recover outside of the gym is just as important what you do inside it? Or maybe you’d like to learn some of the secret psychological tricks pro athletes use to stay at their best?Why not tune into the Instant Genius Peak Performance 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

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35:57

How biology has shaped the history of the human race

Instant Genius ·

2024/07/14

There are currently more than eight billion human beings living on Earth, occupying nearly every corner of the planet. It’s a remarkable situation to find ourselves in, and there can be little doubt that the story of human progress has, by and large, been a successful one. But how did we reach this point? What sets us apart from other animals? And what is it about our biology that has allowed us to achieve this incredible feat? In this episode, we catch up with astrobiologist and author Prof Lewis

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28:35

How a heating planet is changing sports

Instant Genius ·

2024/07/11

We can see climate change in our food, holidays and even day-to-day life, but one area we rarely think about is our sports. And yet, climate change could completely change how we play and experience sports all together. We spoke to Madeleine Orr, the author of the new book Warming Up to learn a little bit more about how sports will be changed by a changing climate.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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30:32

How maths can help us to understand the human brain

Instant Genius ·

2024/07/07

It’s often said that the human brain is the most complex structure in the known Universe. So how do we go about studying it? You may think that we should leave this to biologists or neuroscientists, but approaching the brain as a mathematical object and investigating its geometry and structure is providing researchers with more and more new insights. In this episode we catch up with mathematician Alain Goriely, professor of geometry at Gresham College, London ahead of his series of free public

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33:44

Here’s why science says you do have free will

Instant Genius ·

2024/07/04

Did you really choose to listen to this podcast? Or was the decision just the product of neurons firing in your brain, used by biochemical reactions, governed by the laws of physics?Today, it’s become almost fashionable to chalk how we think and behave up to nothing more than the physical sum of our parts. But our guest in this episode is bucking that trend, arguing that we humans do have autonomy over our lives. Kevin Mitchell is an associate professor of genetics and neuroscience at Trinity

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32:52

How triangles are hiding everywhere

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/30

From tortilla chips and ham sandwiches to teepees and the Great Pyramid of Giza, the world is filled with triangles. But why is this seemingly simple shape so ubiquitous and how do we take advantage of its unique properties?In this episode we catch up with stand-up comedian, mathematician and best-selling author Matt Parker to talk about his latest book Love Triangle: The Life-Changing Magic of Trigonometry. He tells us how triangles can be used to erect the world’s tallest buildings, help

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30:00

The gene therapy future has arrived

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/27

Right now, in hospitals around the world, patients are being cured of diseases once thought untreatable.The reason? A gene therapy revolution means that what was once the stuff of science fiction is now becoming a reality. One person who’s been at the centre of this medical revolution is Dr Bobby Gaspar, a professor of paediatrics and immunology at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London, and CEO of Orchard Therapeutics. Bobby guides us through the complex world of gene

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33:23

How to form more meaningful relationships

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/23

It’s well established that human beings are social animals who thrive on making connections with others. But did you know that developing and maintaining nourishing relationships is just as vital to our health as eating a nutritious diet or taking regular exercise?In this episode, we catch up with science writer David Robson to talk about his new book The Laws of Connection: 13 Social Strategies That Will Transform Your Life. He tells us how human beings have evolved to crave shared experiences,

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30:13

Misophonia: Why some of us can’t bear the sound of...

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/20

It’s a scene many of us will have experienced: we’re at the cinema, the lights go down, the film begins and then suddenly the person behind us starts rustling a packet of sweets or noisily chomping on popcorn. For most of us this is merely an annoyance and after a while we’re able to tune the sounds out and concentrate on enjoying the cinematic experience. But for some, it can be unbearable and engender feelings of distress, anger and even panic. These people are experiencing misophonia. In this

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36:19

How close are we to discovering aliens?

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/16

Finding alien life could be just around the corner. At least, that’s if the James Webb Space Telescope and other techniques help us discover their extraterrestrial homes. In this episode, astrophysicist Lisa Kaltenegger and author of new book Alien Earths: Planet Hunting in the Cosmos talks us through the ways she and her team are looking for these planets and the kinds of life they might hold.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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33:43

The story of human evolution, from the Big Bang to...

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/13

Why are we here? Where did we come from? What are we even made from? These must be some of deepest questions humans can ever ask. But that has never stopped scientists throughout the ages asking them. In this episode we catch up with Professor Tim Coulson, a zoologist based at the University of Oxford to talk about his new book, The Universal History of Us: The science of why we exist. He helps us trace the origins of human beings right back to the Big Bang and the beginning of the Universe itself

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33:44

How thinking about addiction differently can help us...

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/09

Addiction can be devastating not only for the addict themselves, but also for their loved ones and anyone around them. But what causes it, and how should we treat it?According to Dr Elias Dakwar, a psychologist based at Colombia University, New York, we should be looking beyond the commonly held brain disease model of addiction and deeper into its philosophical or existential underpinnings. In this episode, we speak to Dr Dakwar about the years of clinical research he outlines in his latest book

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32:04

Why we shouldn’t be afraid of personal data collection

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/06

These days, pretty much every move we make online is tracked in one way or another. Whether it’s through our social media accounts or online shopping habits, algorithms are getting better at painting a picture of who we are and how we think. But why do we let this happen? In this episode we catch up with science broadcaster and writer Timandra Harkness to talk about her new book, Technology is not the Problem. She tells us how various online agencies keep tabs on us, whether we should be worried

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29:42

The story of black holes, with Marcus Chown

Instant Genius ·

2024/06/02

Black holes are surely one of the most fascinating and mysterious phenomena in the known Universe. But few people know that the story behind their discovery, and the cast of dogged, often ignored scientists behind it, is just as interesting. In this episode we catch up with the award-winning science writer and long-time BBC Science Focus contributor Marcus Chown. We talk about his new book A Crack in Everything: How black holes came in from the cold and took cosmic centre stage. He takes us

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30:46

The surprising ways the microbiome affects our brain...

Instant Genius ·

2024/05/30

We humans are never truly alone. This is because our bodies are colonised by vast numbers of microscopic organisms that can be found living everywhere from the surface of our skin to deep within our guts.Collectively, this population of microbes is known as the human microbiome, and they play a key role in maintaining our health and wellbeing. In this episode we catch up with Dr James Kinross, a colorectal surgeon and researcher based and Imperial College London and author of the new book Dark

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30:14

How animals took to the air and conquered the skies

Instant Genius ·

2024/05/26

The existence of flight in the animal kingdom is something that many of us take for granted. But on closer inspection, it can perhaps be thought of as one of the miracles of nature.In this episode we catch up with the writer Lev Parikian about his book Taking Flight: How animals learned to fly and transformed life on Earth, which was shortlisted for Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize. He tells us about how flight has evolved independently in four separate groups of animals, how bats became

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27:17

How to spot and fight misinformation

Instant Genius ·

2024/05/23

The internet is full of false facts and misinformation, but how can you tell what is real or fake? We spoke to Alex Edmans, author of May Contain Lies, who gives us tips on how to separate the real from the false.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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26:38

How the James Webb Space Telescope is helping us...

Instant Genius ·

2024/05/19

In the short time since its launch in 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has produced some absolutely breathtaking images of the cosmos. And there’s much more to come. In this episode I speak to the head of Space Science at the UK Space Agency Dr Caroline Harper about her new book Unseen Universe: New secrets of the cosmos revealed by the James Webb Space Telescope. We talk about some of the highlights of the telescope has delivered so far, including incredibly detailed images of Jupiter, its

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