x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Why? with Emma Kennedy

The podcast for curious minds. Every Wednesday, Emma Kennedy delves into the science and psychology of why we are the way we are. Emma is joined by leading experts and some of science"s brightest minds to answer the big questions you never knew how to ask. Why do people join cults? Why do we need the moon? Why are we drawn to evil? Why do we have fetishes? Find out all of this and more on Why? from the makers of Oh God, What Now? and The Bunker . Follow us on social media: Threads Instagram Bluesky

science mental health

All Episodes

41:35

Why do we laugh?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/07/16

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. What is laughter? A joyful cackle, a nervous snort, a full-body wheeze. It’s how we react when life gets silly, or sometimes painful, or uncomfortable. We laugh to connect, to disarm and, sometimes, to survive. This week, Emma Kennedy is joined by Laura Lexx, professional comedian with an actual masters in stand up comedy and host of Lexx Education, to help us decode the giggle. Why do we laugh? Is it really contagious? WHY? is presented by Emma Kennedy

en

33:20

Why do we laugh?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/07/16

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. What is laughter? A joyful cackle, a nervous snort, a full-body wheeze. It’s how we react when life gets silly, or sometimes painful, or uncomfortable. We laugh to connect, to disarm and, sometimes, to survive. This week, Emma Kennedy is joined by Laura Lexx, professional comedian with an actual masters in stand up comedy and host of Lexx Education, to help us decode the giggle. Why do we laugh? Is it really contagious? WHY? is presented by Emma Kennedy

en

38:50

Why are some of us gay?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/07/09

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. Sex, attraction, identity all bring up strong debates. For years, scientists have tried to pin down why we fancy who we fancy. Genes? Brain chemistry? Vibes? There’s no tidy answer – but could we be on the cusp of a scientific explanation?This week, Emma Kennedy is joined by geneticist and neuroscientist Dr Kevin Mitchell, associate professor at Trinity College Dublin to talk about attraction, the ‘gay gene’, and the universal appeal of prime David Beckham

en

30:35

Why are some of us gay?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/07/09

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. Sex, attraction, identity all bring up strong debates. For years, scientists have tried to pin down why we fancy who we fancy. Genes? Brain chemistry? Vibes? There’s no tidy answer – but could we be on the cusp of a scientific explanation?This week, Emma Kennedy is joined by geneticist and neuroscientist Dr Kevin Mitchell, associate professor at Trinity College Dublin to talk about attraction, the ‘gay gene’, and the universal appeal of prime David Beckham

en

31:30

Could we make a real Jurassic Park?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/07/02

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. When Jurassic Park roared into cinemas in 1993, it wasn’t just the dinosaurs that captured our imaginations – it was the idea that science might one day bring the prehistoric creatures back to life. Three decades and seven blockbusters later, the science of resurrection is edging closer to reality. Could we really bring back the dinosaurs?This week, Emma Kennedy talks to Professor Andrew Pask, a geneticist at the University of Melbourne, about his mission to

en

39:45

Could we make a real Jurassic Park?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/07/02

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. When Jurassic Park roared into cinemas in 1993, it wasn’t just the dinosaurs that captured our imaginations – it was the idea that science might one day bring the prehistoric creatures back to life. Three decades and seven blockbusters later, the science of resurrection is edging closer to reality. Could we really bring back the dinosaurs?This week, Emma Kennedy talks to Professor Andrew Pask, a geneticist at the University of Melbourne, about his mission

en

34:19

Why are we obsessed with being special?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/06/25

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. Why are we so obsessed with being special?Today, we’re diving into the strange modern urge to define ourselves at all costs. Online, in politics and beyond identity has become our currency. But as the world tilts into climate collapse, A.I. dread, and whatever mess Donald Trump’s cooking up, maybe it’s time to ask: who are we without all the labels?Emma Kennedy is joined by Alexander Douglas, philosopher and author of Against Identity, to explore why clinging

en

42:34

Why are we obsessed with being special?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/06/25

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. Why are we so obsessed with being special?Today, we’re diving into the strange modern urge to define ourselves at all costs. Online, in politics and beyond identity has become our currency. But as the world tilts into climate collapse, A.I. dread, and whatever mess Donald Trump’s cooking up, maybe it’s time to ask: who are we without all the labels?Emma Kennedy is joined by Alexander Douglas, philosopher and author of Against Identity, to explore why

en

41:14

What happens if billionaires become immortal?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/06/18

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. Billionaires want to live forever – and they might just pull it off. From young blood transfusions to gene-hacking and basement labs chasing eternal youth, the ultra-rich are pouring fortunes into cheating death. But if Bezos, Thiel and co get to slow ageing, what happens to the rest of us? Emma Kennedy talks to Richard Faragher, Professor of Biological Gerontology at the University of Brighton, and Dr. Paul Root Wolpe, Director of the Center for Ethics

en

34:14

What happens if billionaires become immortal?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/06/18

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. Billionaires want to live forever – and they might just pull it off. From young blood transfusions to gene-hacking and basement labs chasing eternal youth, the ultra-rich are pouring fortunes into cheating death. But if Bezos, Thiel and co get to slow ageing, what happens to the rest of us? Emma Kennedy talks to Richard Faragher, Professor of Biological Gerontology at the University of Brighton, and Dr. Paul Root Wolpe, Director of the Center for Ethics at

en

29:17

What is scrolling doing to our brains?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/06/11

We’re back and we’ve got questions. Are you a doomscroller? Are you endlessly flicking through a feed of memes, photos of your coworker’s holidays and articles you’ll never read? It seems harmless at first – but what if it’s rewiring how we think? This week, Emma Kennedy talks to world leading cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Earl K. Miller, the Picower Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, to find out what scrolling is doing to our brains.WHY? is presented by Emma Kennedy. Produced by Liam Tait and

en

21:02

What is scrolling doing to our brains?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/06/11

We’re back and we’ve got questions. Are you a doomscroller? Are you endlessly flicking through a feed of memes, photos of your coworker’s holidays and articles you’ll never read? It seems harmless at first – but what if it’s rewiring how we think? This week, Emma Kennedy talks to world leading cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Earl K. Miller, the Picower Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, to find out what scrolling is doing to our brains.WHY? is presented by Emma Kennedy. Produced by Liam Tait and

en

27:14

Why does medicine ignore women? with Naga Munchetty

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/06/04

We’re back and we’ve got questions. From misdiagnosed heart attacks to the gaslighting of chronic pain, women’s health has been stuck in triage for far too long. Women are told to trust the system – but what if the system was never built for them in the first place?This week, Emma Kennedy talks to TV presenter and author of It’s Probably Nothing: Critical Conversations on the Women’s Health Crisis, Naga Munchetty, to ask: why does modern medicine keep failing women?Buy It’s Probably Nothing:

en

35:29

Why does medicine ignore women? with Naga Munchetty

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/06/04

We’re back and we’ve got questions. From misdiagnosed heart attacks to the gaslighting of chronic pain, women’s health has been stuck in triage for far too long. Women are told to trust the system – but what if the system was never built for them in the first place?This week, Emma Kennedy talks to TV presenter and author of It’s Probably Nothing: Critical Conversations on the Women’s Health Crisis, Naga Munchetty, to ask: why does modern medicine keep failing women? Buy It’s Probably Nothing:

en

25:39

How could we talk to space aliens?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/05/28

We’re back and we’ve got questions. We always imagine first contact with aliens as a conversation. But what if talking is the problem? How could we ever prepare for the awkward opening lines of interstellar diplomacy? Well, here on Earth, we might already have a clue: the octopus. They learn, play, and can even recognise human faces. So could our eight-tentacled friends help us understand intelligence beyond our own planet?Emma Kennedy talks to mollusc expert Dr. Tim Pearce, curator and the head of

en

33:54

How could we talk to space aliens?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/05/28

We’re back and we’ve got questions. We always imagine first contact with aliens as a conversation. But what if talking is the problem? How could we ever prepare for the awkward opening lines of interstellar diplomacy? Well, here on Earth, we might already have a clue: the octopus. They learn, play, and can even recognise human faces. So could our eight-tentacled friends help us understand intelligence beyond our own planet?Emma Kennedy talks to mollusc expert Dr. Tim Pearce, curator and the head

en

41:21

Why do swingers swing?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/05/21

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. The rules around sex are changing: what was once considered taboo is becoming the norm – and even The Guardian is dishing out kinky tips to their readers. Why are we now more honest about our sexual desires than ever before? Why are so many of us willing to engage in these non-traditional desires? Emma Kennedy talks to psychosexual therapist Dr Kate Moyle, author of The Science of Sex: Every Question About Your Sex Life Answered, to find out just why

en

33:06

Why do swingers swing?

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/05/21

We’re back and we’ve got some questions. The rules around sex are changing: what was once considered taboo is becoming the norm – and even The Guardian is dishing out kinky tips to their readers. Why are we now more honest about our sexual desires than ever before? Why are so many of us willing to engage in these non-traditional desires? Emma Kennedy talks to psychosexual therapist Dr Kate Moyle, author of The Science of Sex: Every Question About Your Sex Life Answered, to find out just why swingers

en

12:03

A taster of CRIME SCENE, our new podcast – Episode 1:...

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/05/06

There’s a new series of WHY? coming very soon… but in the meantime, try a bite-sized sample of our brand new CRIME SCENE. Every week ex-Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and former Mirror editor Alison Phillips lift the lid on how criminal investigations really work. In our debut episode: The horrific shooting of an innocent nine-year-old girl in Dalston in 2024 laid bare bitter rivalries between London’s armed gangs. Are police they fighting a losing battle against guns in the Capital?Want

en

12:03

A taster of CRIME SCENE, our new podcast – Episode 1:...

Why? with Emma Kennedy ·

2025/05/06

There’s a new series of WHY? coming very soon… but in the meantime, try a bite-sized sample of our brand new CRIME SCENE. Every week ex-Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and former Mirror editor Alison Phillips lift the lid on how criminal investigations really work. In our debut episode: The horrific shooting of an innocent nine-year-old girl in Dalston in 2024 laid bare bitter rivalries between London’s armed gangs. Are police they fighting a losing battle against guns in the

en

147 results

Similar Podcasts

X Minus 1 - Old Time Radio Show

Inception Point Ai

Science, Spoken

WIRED

This Week in Space (Audio)

TWiT

DarshanTalks Podcast

Darshan Kulkarni

The Best of Coast to Coast AM

iHeartPodcasts and Coast to Coast AM