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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

31:22

The new science of music as medicine

Instant Genius ·

2025/06/26

Many of us listen to music or play an instrument for pleasure thanks to the unique effect it has on our emotions. But what exactly is going on in our bodies and brains when we listen to or play music, and can we harness the profound effects it has on us to improve our health and wellbeing?In this episode, we speak to neuroscientist, musician and author Stefan Koelsch about his latest book Good Vibrations: Unlocking the Healing Power of Music. He explains exactly what’s happening in our brains

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33:48

Better Sleep: How psychology can help you beat insomnia

Instant Genius ·

2025/06/22

Over the past several decades it’s become abundantly clear that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. However, currently around one in three of us often struggle to get enough shuteye thanks to the stress and anxiety caused by our hectic lifestyles. Thankfully, help is out there in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT. In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to founder of The Insomnia Clinic, Kathryn Pinkham. She

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33:40

How your brain builds your picture of reality

Instant Genius ·

2025/06/19

How do our brains help us build up a picture of the world around us? It’s a question that has both beguiled and fascinated scientists for centuries. The latest thinking suggests that the brain acts like a scientist that builds up a database of previous observations and experiences and uses this to make sense of the world around us.In this episode, we speak to Daniel Yon, an experimental psychologist based at Birkbeck, University of London to talk about his latest book A Trick of the Mind: How the

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33:56

Better Sleep: How snoring affects our health

Instant Genius ·

2025/06/15

More than four in ten of us in the UK are snorers. Far from being a trivial condition, snoring can have a significant impact on our ability to sleep, our partners’ ability to sleep and our health in general.In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, a consultant ear, nose and throat and sleep surgeon based at University College London Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic London. He tells us about the many factors that can lead to us snoring,

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41:16

The science behind Agatha Christie’s poisons

Instant Genius ·

2025/06/12

Humans are enthralled by stories about murder. And the mysteries we tell these days – like in the Glass Onion films or TV shows like The Residence – often follow a blueprint set by the iconic Agatha Christie. It turns out, Christie knew a whole lot about science. In this episode, we speak to Dr Kathryn Harkup, a chemist who writes about the science behind famous works of literature. Her newest book, V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death, is her sequel to A is for Arsenic: The Poisons

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28:07

Better Sleep: The deep connection between sleep and...

Instant Genius ·

2025/06/08

We humans spend roughly one third of our time sleeping. For the average person this adds up to around 26 years over our lifetimes. And though to the outside observer it may seem that there’s little going on, several processes are being carried out by our bodies and brains that are vital for our health and wellbeing.In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to Dr Alessio Delogu, a neurobiologist based at King’s College, London, about the intimate link between sleep

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42:44

How to harness the healing power of the body’s...

Instant Genius ·

2025/06/05

It’s a little-known fact that we all have two long networks of nerves that run down either side of our necks that pass signals from our brains to all of the organs in our bodies. This is known as the vagus nerve, and cutting-edge research is now uncovering how stimulating this vital part of our anatomy can help us combat a whole range of damaging health conditions.In this episode, we speak to neurosurgeon and researcher Dr Kevin J Tracey about his latest book The Great Nerve: The New Science of

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31:26

The evolution of music, its impact on human culture...

Instant Genius ·

2025/06/01

There’s little doubt that music is an integral part of what it means to be human. But how did it first arise, how did musical instruments and compositions become ever more sophisticated and why does listening to or playing music bring us so much joy?In this episode, we speak to science writer and music producer David Darling about his latest book A Perfect Harmony: Music, Mathematics and Science. He tells us how the oldest pitched musical instrument found so far is thought to be more than 40,000

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40:55

Why we should rethink our relationship with alcohol

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/29

The shocking fact is that alcohol is responsible for around three times more deaths globally than any other drug combined, save for tobacco. However, many of us still consume it. So how have we reached this point, and why is alcohol consumption still so deeply ingrained in human culture? In this episode, we speak to Professor David Nutt about the history of alcohol use and the many and varied effects it has on our health, lives and wellbeing. He tells us exactly what alcohol does to our bodies

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0:46

Don't miss the upcoming Better Sleep miniseries!

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/27

Studies show that around one in three of us aren't getting enough sleep, and this is having a huge impact on our ability to perform at our best, both at work and in our home lives. If you're someone who often wakes up in the morning feeling out of sorts, why not tune into the Instant Genius Better 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 how to sleep

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38:28

How humans may soon become an interplanetary species

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/25

It’s now been more than 50 years since any human being has set foot on the Moon, but the ambition to do so again has been gathering pace over the last decade or so. But some scientists and researchers are looking further ahead and planning to establish a human presence on distant planets such as Mars. In this episode, we speak to physicist and director of the Foundation for Space Development Africa Dr Adriana Marais about her book Out of This World and Into the Next: Notes from a Physicist on Space

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36:48

The listening hacks that can transform your health

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/22

Our everyday lives are filled with sounds of all kinds – birdsong, traffic noise, the music we choose to listen to or is played in shops and restaurants, the list is practically endless. But what impact are these sounds having on our individual health and wellbeing and the world at large? In this episode, we speak to author and founder of The Listening Society Julian Treasure about his latest book Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing and Our Planet. He tells us how hearing is

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35:23

How new research is combatting Alzheimer’s disease

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/18

One in three people born today will develop dementia of some form in their lifetimes. Of these, around 60 per cent will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Currently, there is no cure for this debilitating condition but by raising awareness we can help to reduce its impact until the many researchers working around the world develop more effective treatments.In this episode, which coincides with this year’s Dementia Action Week, we speak to Dr Richard Oakley, Head of

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29:06

How microbes are vital for life on Earth, and may...

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/15

Although we can’t see them with the naked eye, the Earth is populated by vast numbers of tiny living organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Collectively, these organisms are known as microbes, and they have existed on the planet for billions of years.But what role did they play in the origin of complex life, how have they stuck around for so long and how can they help us shape a healthier future for the planet? In this episode, we speak to science writer and author Peter Forbes about his

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33:43

How climate change is disrupting nature’s ancient...

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/11

Be it a pair of wolves that mate for life, a pod of female dolphins that hunt together, or a large colony of honeybees all working together in a hive, the natural world is filled with relationships of all kinds. But some relationships run deeper than others, even to the extent that certain species literally make their homes inside the bodies of others. This is an example of a symbiotic relationship – a long-term bond that exists between organisms of different species.In this episode, we speak to

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38:23

How catastrophes have shaped the world as we know it

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/08

The history of the Earth is littered with dramatic events that have shaped the planet itself and the lives of the human beings who live on it in profound ways. Be it floods, famine or disease pandemics. Human beings have so far survived. But what in modern times can we learn from these past catastrophes? In this episode, we speak to author Lizzie Wade about her latest book Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures. She tells us how even though Neanderthals died

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35:11

How mathematics shapes human creativity

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/04

It’s commonly believed that the arts and the sciences have little in common with each other. The distinction that’s most frequently made is that the arts are creative in nature whereas the sciences are logical. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. In this episode, we catch up with mathematician and author Marcus du Sautoy to talk about his latest book Blueprints: How mathematics shapes creativity. He tells us how, fundamentally, mathematics is the study of patterns, structure and

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32:24

How climate change impacts the world’s most...

Instant Genius ·

2025/05/01

When think about climate change, we may think about global temperatures escalating, extreme weather events occurring more and more and sea levels rising. But what effect is all of this actually having on the everyday lives of the world’s population, especially those that are most vulnerable?In this episode, we speak to Dr Friederike Otto about her latest book Climate Injustice: Why We Need to Fight Global Inequality to Combat Climate Change. She tells us how facts and evidence and are vital if we

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37:35

How future materials will help save the planet

Instant Genius ·

2025/04/27

Everywhere we look we’re surrounded by materials of all kinds – from the fabrics we use to make our clothing, to the bricks and mortar we use to build our homes and places of work, to the complex transistors and circuits we use to build our digital devices. Life as we known it simply wouldn’t be possible without them. But what will the materials of the future look like?In this episode, we catch up with Mark Miodownik, professor of materials and society based at University College London,

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38:08

How we can engineer humans for life beyond Earth

Instant Genius ·

2025/04/24

Like it or not, Earth won’t be our home forever. Whether it’s climate collapse, nuclear war, or the slow death of the Sun, life on this planet is on borrowed time. So, what happens next? If we’re serious about avoiding extinction, we’ll need to look not just beyond Earth – but far beyond our Solar System.Our guest today believes we not only can do that, but that we must. Christopher Mason is a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine and author of The Next 500 Years:

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