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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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.
Deep sea habitats - 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.
Deep sea creatures - 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.
The Science Focus team: What's inside November's issue?
In this episode of the Science Focus Podcast we chat through the November 2020 issue of the magazine, which is on sale now.Editor Dan Bennett explains why, this month, we’re focusing on food myths. Scientist and writer Professor Tim Spector penned our cover feature to reveal the fact and the fiction surrounding diet and nutrition, and some of his research may have results that surprise you.Talking about the amazing variety of our ocean’s other-worldly sea slugs is managing editor Alice Lipscombe-Southwell. These small marine animals might sport cute faces and bright colours, but they’re armed with an array of deadly defences too.Commissioning editor Jason Goodyer digs into our piece about algorithms, which asks, what went wrong with the A Level results algorithm? And online assistant Sara Rigby scrutinises the stats around plug-in hybrid cars to find out if they’re as eco-friendly as marketed.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:Matt Parker, Helen Arney and Steve Mould: What links coffee, snowflakes and frogs?Andrew Hunter Murray and Dan Schreiber: Is there really no such thing as a fish?Matt Parker: What happens when maths goes horribly, horribly wrong?Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy?Robin Ince: What's inside the mind of a comedian?Dara Ó Briain: Can you find the fun in science?Ryan North: How do you invent everything? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Prof Linda Scott: Why is there still economic inequality between men and women?
In this week’s episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Professor Linda Scott, an expert in women’s economic development and Emeritus DP World Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Oxford.Her book, The Double X Economy, has been shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2020. In it, she argues that when we economically empower women, we all succeed.Linda tells us about her work in women's economics, why the number of women joining the workforce is slowing down, and her idea for an '80 per cent Christmas' to close the gender pay gap.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:Caroline Criado Perez: Does data discriminate against women?Pragya Agarwal: When does bias become prejudice?Why aren't there more women in science?Angela Saini: Is racism creeping into science?Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?Matt Parker: What happens when maths goes horribly, horribly wrong? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Everything you ever wanted to know about… cancer with Dr Kat Arney
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Dr Kat Arney about cancer. Kat is a science writer and broadcaster, and founder of the science communication consultancy First Create The Media. Her book, Rebel Cell is out now.She reveals how tissue becomes a tumour, how cells migrate to help cancer spread, and what scientists are doing right now to better understand the disease.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:Matt Parker, Helen Arney and Steve Mould: What links coffee, snowflakes and frogs?Professor Catharina Svanborg: Is the cure for cancer hiding in human breast milk?Is gene editing inspiring or terrifying? – Nessa CareyCan we slow down the ageing process? – Sue ArmstrongEating for your genes – Giles YeoHow to get a good night’s sleep – Alice Gregory See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Hugo Zeberg: How could Neanderthal genes affect COVID-19?
In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Hugo Zeberg, a geneticist working at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Hugo has just published a paper that suggests those of us with a certain set of genes inherited from Neanderthals may suffer from more severe effects of COVID-19.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]This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast: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?Elisa Raffaella Ferrè: What happens to the brain in space?Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine?Nessa Carey: Is gene editing inspiring or terrifying?Dean Burnett: What’s going on in the teenage brain? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Matt Parker, Helen Arney and Steve Mould: What links coffee, snowflakes and frogs?
Today‘s podcast episode is a special one, with not one, not two, but three fantastic guests. We’ve teamed up with the three spoken nerds – Matt Parker, Steve Mould and Helen Arney – to bring you an episode of unnecessary details all about… ice.Steve explains how instant coffee is made, Matt gets irate about eight-pointed 'snowfakes' and Helen talks cryonic freezing.To hear more from the three spoken nerds, check out their new Podcast Of Unnecessary Detail.The song was “You And Me And Walt Disney”, produced by Helen Arney and Olly the Octopus and you can download it for free along with all the songs from Unnecessary Detail podcasts at helenarney.bandcamp.comLet 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]This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Andrew Hunter Murray and Dan Schreiber: Is there really no such thing as a fish?Matt Parker: What happens when maths goes horribly, horribly wrong?Helen Russell: What does it mean to be happy? ?Robin Ince: What's inside the mind of a comedian?Dara Ó Briain: Can you Finding the fun in science?Ryan North: How do you invent everything? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Merlin Sheldrake: How have fungi shaped the world?
The fungal kingdom is vast, and yet much of it remains unknown to us – it’s estimated that only about 6 per cent of all fungal species have, so far, been described.But if fungi are all around us, why do we only know the names of a few? We might use yeast in baking, mushrooms in our cooking, or have been treated with penicillin, but biologist Merlin Sheldrake says there is much more wonder to be found in understanding our fungal friends better.His new book, Entangled Life, reveals the complexity of the fungal world. In it, he describes the fungal networks that connect trees and plants in something called the Wood Wide Web, and explains how fungi were crucial to the creation of the world we see around us today.We spoke to Merlin about this strange and wondrous lifeform.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]This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:The Urban Birder: What wildlife can city-dwellers see?Samantha Alger: What can we do to save the bees?Mark Miodownik: Are biodegradable plastics really better than traditional plastic?Neil Shubin: How do big changes in evolution happen?Mark Lynas: Could leaving nature to its own devices be the key to meeting the UK’s climate goals?Brad Lister: Are we facing an insect apocalypse?Neil Gemmell: The genetic hunt for the Loch Ness Monster See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Sue Black: What stories do our skeletons tell?
In today’s episode, we’re chatting to Professor Sue Black, an anatomist and forensic anthropologist. You might’ve seen characters doing her job on television, in shows like NCIS or Silent Witness – although, they’re not quite an accurate portrayal, as you’ll find out.Over the course of her career, Sue has worked with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the United Nations, helping to identify victims and perpetrators from only sections of their bodies – perhaps a finger found in a bin bag, or the back of an assaulter’s hand caught on film. Her work has taken her to places such as Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq.She talks to us about how science helps her piece together fragmented parts of a human jigsaw. This episode contains some graphic content, including descriptions of criminal acts and dissection, that some listeners might find upsetting.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]This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Brian Switek: How did bones evolve?Mark O'Connell: Transhumanism: using technology to live foreverBill Bryson: What should we know about how our bodies work?Nathan Lents: Everything that's wrong with the human bodyRitu Raman: Can you build with biology?Aleks Krotoski: What happens to your data when you die? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Professor Trevor Cox: Was Stonehenge an ancient acoustic chamber?
For decades, Stonehenge, the mysterious prehistoric circle of stones built on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, has left scientists scratching their heads. Who exactly built it and what was it used for?In the latest attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery, a team of engineers based at the University of Salford have 3D-printed a scale model of the ancient monument in order to investigate the effect its unique structure would’ve had on conversations, rituals, and even music.We spoke to Professor Trevor Cox, the acoustic engineer heading up the study, to find out more.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]This podcast was supported by brilliant.org, helping people build quantitative skills in maths, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations.Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Trevor Cox: To become Prime Minister, change your voiceNatalie Starkey: What asteroids can tell us about our Solar SystemMike Garrett: Is there anybody out there?Colin Stuart: The most mysterious objects in the UniverseDr Lucy Rogers: What makes a robot a robot?Pete Etchells: Are video games good for us? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.