Whether you’re curious about getting healthy, the Big Bang or the science of cooking, find out everything you need to know in under 30 minutes 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.Then when you’ve mastered the basics with Instant Genius. Dive deeper with Instant Genius Extra, where you’ll find longer, richer discussions about the most exciting ideas in the world of science and technology. Only available on Apple Podcasts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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The psychology of the sea shanty: Why work songs are such earworms
2021 has got off to a strange start, with a surprising trend sweeping the internet: sea shanties. This ancient genre of music has exploded in popularity in recent weeks, thanks to people on social media singing them, sharing them and adding their own twists.In fact, they’ve become so popular that Bristol-based shanty band The Longest Johns have entered the top 40 in the UK singles chart.Naturally, we here at BBC Science Focus wanted to know what it was about sea shanties that makes them so catchy. So this week, we spoke to Professor Catherine Loveday of the University of Westminster. She’s a neuropsychologist who specialises in music.Read more about the science of sea shantiesLet us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastRead the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Could these gloves be the future of music? – Imogen HeapThe neuroscience of happiness – Dean BurnettDr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)Phobias, paranoia and PTSD: Why virtual reality therapy is the frontier of mental health treatmentHow a scientist used viruses to save her husband’s life from a superbug See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Team talk: Beating pandemic burnout, the seasons of you and a daring giraffe rescue
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we chat through the January 2021 issue of the magazine, which is on sale now.Editor Dan Bennett opens the episode by talking about new research that suggests that rather than following a pattern of spring, summer, autumn and winter, our bodies may have their own seasonal fluctuations that don’t match the calendar.Next up is managing editor Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, who tells us about how we can beat the pandemic burnout.Finally, commissioning editor Jason Goodyer tells the story of a daring rescue of endangered giraffes from an island where food is slowly running out.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastRead the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:End of year roundup: The non-COVID science that brought us joy in 2020Inside the December issue with the BBC Science Focus teamThe Science Focus team: What’s inside November’s issue?Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)Prof John Drury: The psychology of lockdownsHow a scientist used viruses to save her husband’s life from a superbug See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Why you can’t multitask (and why that’s a good thing)
Humans' ability to turn thoughts into actions has enabled us to change the world. But we've never been great at getting two things done at once.Understanding how our brain helps us achieve our goals through something called executive function, or cognitive control, can explain why we're so bad at multitasking.According to neuroscientist Prof David Badre, when we're armed with this knowledge we can begin to work together to become a better society. Badre's new book, On Task (£25, Princeton University Press) explains the mechanisms behind cognitive control.In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast we speak to Badre to find out more about how our brains work.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastRead the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Dean Burnett: The neuroscience of happinessDaniel Freeman: How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and moreAnthony David: Why is there still such stigma around mental health?Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine?Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?Gordon Wallace: Is an implantable electronic device the future of medicine? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and more
In the New Year issue, we cover the biggest ideas that you need to understand in 2021, and in the past few episodes of the podcast we’ve been talking to the experts who will explain these ideas in their own words.For the next in the series, we speak to Daniel Freeman, a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford. Daniel has been working with VR technology since 2001 and is a founder of Oxford VR, a University of Oxford spinout company.He tells us about using virtual reality to treat mental health problems.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastRead the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Anthony David: Why is there still such stigma around mental health?Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine?Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?Gordon Wallace: Is an implantable electronic device the future of medicine?Dean Burnett: The neuroscience of happinessDr Lucy Rogers: What makes a robot a robot? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How a scientist used viruses to save her husband’s life from a superbug
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we're joined by AIDS researcher Professor Steffanie Strathdee.In 2015, Strathdee's husband was infected by superbug that was resistant to every antibiotic that the doctors could throw at it, but she was able to save his life with an experimental treatment made of viruses found in sewage.In the New Year issue of BBC Science Focus Magazine, we cover the biggest ideas that you need to understand in 2021. This episode is one of a series in which we talk to the experts who will explain these ideas in their own words.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastListen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Marcus Chown: Does the Big Bang really explain our Universe?Sonia Contera: How will nanotechnology revolutionise medicine?Professor Catharina Svanborg: Is the cure for cancer hiding in human breast milk?Brian Switek: How did bones evolve?Bill Bryson: What should we know about how our bodies work?Dr Monty Lyman: What does our skin tell us about ourselves? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Marcus Chown: Does the Big Bang really explain our Universe?
In the New Year issue of BBC Science Focus Magazine, we cover the biggest ideas that you need to understand in 2021. Over the next few episodes of the Science Focus Podcast, we’ll be talking to the experts who will explain these ideas in their own words.In this episode, we talk to science writer Marcus Chown, who tells us all about the major problems in our current understanding of cosmology. We discuss the Big Bang, dark matter, inflation, and what we still don't know about the formation of our Universe.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastListen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Katie Mack: How will the Universe end?Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?Dr Jacob Bleacher: Why do we need to go back to the Moon?Elisa Raffaella Ferrè: What happens to the brain in space?Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?Kathryn D. Sullivan: What is it really like to walk in space? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
End of year roundup: The non-COVID science that brought us joy in 2020
It’s been a long and strange year, and most of our attention has been focussed on the coronavirus. So, in this bonus episode of the Science Focus Podcast, the team talks about this year’s most interesting science that has nothing to do with COVID.We start off by talking about our favourite scientific developments of the year, and then we discuss the books and documentaries that we’ve loved.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastListen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Inside the December issue with the BBC Science Focus teamThe Science Focus team: What's inside November's issue?Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?Dr Jacob Bleacher: Why do we need to go back to the Moon?Andy Weir: Building a base on the Moon, and crafting believable sci-fiGretchen McCulloch: How has the internet affected how we communicate? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Prof John Drury: The psychology of lockdowns
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Prof John Drury, a behavioural psychologist based at the University of Sussex who specialises in studying crowds and collective behaviour.The UK recently came out of the second COVID-19 lockdown, and went into a new three-tier system, with much of the country still in in the strictest tier.John tells us about why people respond to the restrictions differently, how to ensure people follow the rules, and what the long-term effects the lockdowns will have on our psychology.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastListen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Hugo Zeberg: How could Neanderthal genes affect COVID-19?Dr Rachel Brown: Why are some COVID-19 patients suffering from neurological complications?Project Discovery: Could computer games help find a cure for COVID-19?David Halpern: Nudge theoryDr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?Dr Julia Shaw: Why do we do bad things? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Dr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?
This week on the Science Focus Podcast, we're joined by Dr Pete Etchells, a professor of psychology with a particular interest how video games affect our mood and behaviour.Pete is also the author of the book Lost in a Good Game which explores why we love video games, and what they do for us.Today we’re talking about the relationship between gambling and video games: what we know and what don’t. We want you to help us with the research, so if you want to get involved in a real-life scientific study that could shape the conversation around gaming and gambling, stayed tuned and listen in for details at the end.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastRead the full transcription [this will open in a new window]Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us?Project Discovery: Could computer games help find a cure for COVID-19?The neuroscience of happiness – Dean BurnettDr Julia Shaw: Why do we do bad things?Anthony David: Why is there still such stigma around mental health?Brendan Walker: Where is the best place to sit on a rollercoaster? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Christmas Lectures 2020: How can we look after our planet?
Started by Michael Faraday in 1825, and now broadcast on national television, the Christmas lectures bring a science topic to our screens over three nights every year. The series of lectures has always been held within the Royal Institution in London, but this year, of course, is going to be slightly different.In this week's episode, editorial assistant Amy Barrett is joined today by three expert scientists, Tara Shine, Chris Jackson and Helen Czerski, who are going to be presenting the 2020 Christmas lectures, titled Planet Earth: A User's Guide.In lecture one, geologist Chris Jackson will reveal our Earth's climate story through the rocks and the fossil record. In lecture two, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski will talk about the part our oceans play in the climate crisis. And in lecture three, environmental scientist Tara Shine will talk about carbon emissions and what we're really breathing in.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastRead the full transcription [this will open in a new window]Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Hannah Fry: How much of our lives is secretly underpinned by maths?Royal Institution Christmas Lectures past and presentSir David Attenborough: How can we save our planet?Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac: Has climate change determined our future?Everything you ever wanted to know about... the deep sea with Dr Jon CopleyMark Miodownik: Are biodegradable plastics really better than traditional plastic? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Inside the December issue with the BBC Science Focus team
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we chat through the December 2020 issue of the magazine, which is on sale now.The issue is all about the search for extraterrestrial life, so managing editor Alice Lipscombe-Southwell starts us off by telling us about the most promising places in our Solar System to search for alien life.Commissioning editor Jason Goodyer tells us about a new drug delivery system that draws inspiration from parasitic hookworms, and then editorial assistant Amy Barrett brings us back around to ET by discussing why we want to believe in aliens.We close the podcast with details of our exciting new competition, judged by comedian and author Dara Ó Briain.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastListen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:The Science Focus team: What's inside November's issue?Finding the fun in science – Dara Ó BriainDr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?Bergur Finnbogason: Project Discovery and its search for exoplanetsRitu Raman: Can you build with biology?Robin Ince: Inside the mind of a comedian See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Genes and heredity - Everything you ever wanted to know about... the biology of life with Sir Paul Nurse
For this instalment in the Everything you ever wanted to know about... series, we’ve sourced questions from Google, our listeners and the Science Focus team to put to experts and help you understand key ideas in science, in short episodes.This week, we're joined by geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, the Director of the Francis Crick Institute in London and one of the recipients of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with Leland Hartwell and Timothy Hunt.Paul has recently published a book that helps readers understand biology, called What is Life? (£9.99, David Fickling Books). He shared some of the concepts from the books with us over two quick-fire episodes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Cells - Everything you ever wanted to know about... the biology of life with Sir Paul Nurse
For this instalment in the Everything you ever wanted to know about... series, we’ve sourced questions from Google, our listeners and the Science Focus team to put to experts and help you understand key ideas in science, in short episodes.This week, we're joined by geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, the Director of the Francis Crick Institute in London and one of the recipients of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with Leland Hartwell and Timothy Hunt.Paul has recently published a book that helps readers understand biology, called What is Life? (£9.99, David Fickling Books). He shared some of the concepts from the books with us over two quick-fire episodes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?
In this week’s episode, I’m talking to Dr Douglas Vakoch, President of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or METI.We talk about whether we should be broadcasting messages into space to signal our existence to intelligent alien species.We also discuss how we could create a message that an unknown species of alien could understand.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastRead the full transcription [this will open in a new window]Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?Bergur Finnbogason: Project Discovery and its search for exoplanetsWhat if the Earth’s magnetic field died? – Jim Al-KhaliliBuilding a base on the Moon, and crafting believable sci-fi – Andy WeirDr Becky Smethurst: How do you actually find a black hole?Kathryn D. Sullivan: What is it really like to walk in space? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Exploring the deep sea - Everything you ever wanted to know about... the deep sea with Dr Jon Copley
Our guest this week is Dr Jon Copley. Jon is a marine biologist, specialising in the deep sea. He went on the first mini sub dive to the world’s deepest hydrothermal vents, 5km down on the ocean floor, and also took part in the firs minisub dives to 1km deep in the Antarctic.Jon is also a science communicator and writer, who worked as a science advisor on the iconic BBC series Blue Planet II. He is also an associate professor of ocean exploration and public engagement at the University of Southampton. In 2019, he also published fantastic book called Ask an Ocean Explorer which tells you all about the ocean in 25 questions.Over three quick-fire episodes, Jon tells BBC Science Focus managing editor Alice Limpscombe-Southwell about the bizarre life found on the ocean floor, the habitats where they thrive, and what it's like to explore the deep sea in a submarine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.