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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

32:01

How psychology can help us see through propaganda

Instant Genius ·

2025/02/14

It can be hard to know what is true and false in a world of disinformation. But there are some tricks that people use to frame what they say and learning how to spot these can help you avoid them. We spoke to Mikael Klintman, author of the new book Framing: The Social Art of Influence to better understand how people frame situations and topics and how to not fall for it.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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36:24

How psychology can help us unlock the power of saying...

Instant Genius ·

2025/02/10

Whether it’s accepting a work assignment we know we don’t have time for, attending a social occasion even though we’d much rather hunker down at home with a cup of tea, or something more serious such as not speaking up when we witness an act of discrimination, many of us find it difficult to say ‘no’. But why is this?In this episode, we speak to psychologist Dr Sunita Sah about her latest book Defy, The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes. She tells us how we are wired to comply, even if

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28:16

How science is tackling one of the most common causes...

Instant Genius ·

2025/02/07

Dame Judi Dench has recently been in the news speaking about the long-term issue she’s been having with sight loss. The veteran actor has a condition known as age-related macular degeneration that currently affects around 700,000 people in the UK.In this episode, we catch up with Prof Richard Gale, an ophthalmologist based at Hull York Medical School. He tells us the early warning signs to look out for if you are starting to develop the condition, why it’s essential to regularly get your eyesight

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37:48

How our brains create our sense of self

Instant Genius ·

2025/02/03

Over the last century or so neuroscientists around the world have been uncovering more and more about how our very identities are formed by the different cognitive functions carried out by our brains. And we now know that our identities can even be transformed by brain disorders such as stroke, dementia of head injuries.In this episode, we catch up with neurologist Masud Husain to talk about his latest book – Our Brains, Our Selves, What a Neurologist’s Patients Taught Him about the Brain. He

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30:28

How body image pressures lead to steroid use

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/31

Be it a Marvel superhero, a fashion model or a professional athlete, we likely all have an image in our minds of what we wish our bodies looked like. But for some, the pressure of meeting these expectations can lead to the use of anabolic steroids in an attempt to get that Hollywood or magazine cover look.In this episode, we speak to Dr Orlanda Harvey, a senior lecturer in social work based at Bournemouth University. She tells us what steroids do to our bodies, the various motivations

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30:15

Healthy Start: How small behavioural changes help...

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/27

Whether it’s due to deadlines at work, an upcoming exam or a rocky personal relationship, we’ve no doubt all felt stress at some point in our lives. And while a certain amount of stress can help to motivate us and make us more productive, if things get too much, stress can have a significant effect on both our mental and physical health.In this episode, we speak to Despina Djama, a psychologist and stress researcher based at the University of Plymouth. She tells us what happens in our brains and

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36:21

How music therapy can heal our bodies and brains

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/24

Many of us listen to music every day, perhaps to help us relax in the evening after a hard day’s work, get us through a tough workout or maybe even to allow us to feel closer to absent loved ones. There can be no doubt that music plays a huge part in what it means to be human.In this episode, we catch up with neuroscientist and musician Daniel Levitin to talk about his latest book Music as Medicine: How We Can Harness Its Therapeutic Power. He tells us what happens in our bodies and brains when

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26:01

Healthy Start: How taking up new hobbies can boost...

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/20

Whether it’s a sport, painting or spending hours buried in puzzles, there is a clear link between our experience of hobbies and our mental health. Part of our Healthy Start series, we spoke to Karen Mak, a senior research fellow at UCL about how hobbies can bolster our mental health.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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44:58

How science can help us tackle racism

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/17

Most of us like to think we live in an equal society that offers the same opportunities to all. But unfortunately, hundreds of scientific studies say otherwise. Racial bias is essentially everywhere, often hiding in plain sight.For example, did you know that black people are as much as 50 per cent less likely to be called in for a job interview than a similarly qualified white person? Or that children of colour are more likely to be viewed as troublemakers at school? In this episode, we speak to

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30:44

Healthy Start: How to cut down your social media use

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/13

With a smartphone in our pockets at all times, social media is only ever a few clicks away. With this, problematic social media use is easy to fall into. As part of our Healthy Start series, we spoke to Niklas Ihssen, an associate professor at Durham University about what this means and how to avoid it.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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32:25

Why smell is our most underrated sense

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/10

It’s commonly thought that when compared to other members of the animal kingdom we humans have a particularly poor sense of smell. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Modern research has proven that human beings are surprisingly sophisticated sniffers, at least on par with the vast majority of other animals.In this episode, we catch up with Prof Jonas Olofsson, a psychologist based at Stockholm University, to talk about his latest book The Forgotten Sense – The New Science of Smell. He

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29:51

Healthy Start: How to make goals and stick to them

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/06

This time of the year lots of us will be setting new goals for the future. Be it getting fitter, reading more or even writing that novel we always suspected we had in us. But why do so many of us fail to see these plans through?In this episode, we catch up Dr Ian Taylor a reader in motivational science based at Loughborough University. He tells us why we are prone to setting goals that are too ambitious and why starting small is usually the best approach, why we shouldn’t worry if our routine

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32:33

The power of optimism

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/03

Be it the recent outbreak of wars around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic or the unfortunate personal events that will undoubtedly befall us at some points in our lives, it can sometimes be difficult to look on the bright side. But is doing so even helpful? Science writer Sumit Paul-Choudhury certainly thinks so. In this episode, we catch up with him to talk about his latest book The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World. He tells us how the term was coined based on the

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0:36

Don't miss the upcoming Healthy Start miniseries!

Instant Genius ·

2025/01/01

Would you like to learn how to set goals and stick to them? How about cutting down the time you spend on social media? Or how about learning to cope better with stress? Why not tune in to the Instant Genius Healthy Start 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 getting the new year off to the best possible start. Starting on Monday 6th

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32:25

What happens in your body when you eat

Instant Genius ·

2024/12/20

What’s your favourite food? A hamburger, a slice of cake, a pizza? Eating is something we all do every day but most of us rarely think about what actually happens in our bodies after we put food into our mouths.In this episode, we catch up with Dr Chris Van Tulleken to speak about his forthcoming Royal Institution Christmas Lecture series telling us everything we need to know about what’s happening in our bodies when we eat. He tells us what actually happens when we put food into our mouths,

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34:57

How to combat flooding

Instant Genius ·

2024/12/16

Anyone who has switched on the news even briefly this year will no doubt have seen scenes of extreme flooding occurring in all corners of the globe. But are these events getting more frequent and more severe or are we just becoming more aware of them?In this episode, we catch up with Prof Trevor Hoey, a hydrologist based at Brunel University, London. He tells us about the various climate mechanisms driving these extreme weather events, how counterintuitively severe droughts are being caused by

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45:30

How belonging to tribes shapes our culture

Instant Genius ·

2024/12/13

Be it down to our professions, taste in music or favourite sports teams we all belong to several different tribes. But what drives this instinct and what purpose does it serve?In this episode, we speak to cultural psychologist Prof Michael Morris about his latest book: Tribal – How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together. He breaks down the influence our peers have on us, explains why we look up to hero figures and why tradition has such a huge impact on our beliefs,

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33:17

The science of manipulation

Instant Genius ·

2024/12/09

Why do we humans seem to be so easily influenced or even fooled? On one hand this can be done for entertainment, in a Las Vegas stage magic show for example, but on another it can be used for more nefarious purposes such as con artists tricking people into sharing their bank account details.In this episode, we speak to science writer and BBC Science Focus contributor Brian Clegg to talk about his latest book: Brainjacking – The Science of Influence and Manipulation. He tells us how our emotions

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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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