CrowdScience

BBC World Service

We take your questions about life, Earth and the universe to researchers hunting for answers at the frontiers of knowledge.

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504 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes504

Newest first

March 13 · 26 min
Can I really manifest the future?
Can manifesting make your dreams come true?
March 6 · 31 min
What keeps the universe in balance?
What keeps the stars burning? And is the universe in balance?
February 27 · 26 min
How can we save the Great Barrier Reef?
Coral is under threat from climate change – can these Australian scientists save it?
February 20 · 26 min
Why don't more animals have opposable thumbs?
Thumbs are incredibly useful to humans, so why didn’t they evolve in more species?
February 13 · 26 min
Can we cancel light waves?
Noise cancelling headphones remove unwanted sound. Can we do the same with light?
February 6 · 29 min
Do multiple choice questions make us biased?
CrowdScience listener Griffith asks why a multiple choice quiz answer is rarely ‘a’.
January 30 · 26 min
Why do I tan more in the US?
Namrata tans more in Boston than in India, and she wants to know why
January 23 · 26 min
Do fish know what they look like?
Are there self-aware shoals of fish drifting through our oceans?
January 16 · 26 min
Why do I find silence unbearable?
Silence is either blood-curdling or blissful – but is it a sign of danger?
January 9 · 26 min
How do cicadas know what season it is?
How do these enigmatic insects know that the time is right to emerge into the light?
January 5 · 26 min
Did I inherit my laugh?
Can a laugh be passed down between generations? Caroline Steel has a giggle finding out.
Dec 26, 2025 · 35 min
The CrowdScience quiz of the year
The best of CrowdScience from 2025
Dec 19, 2025 · 26 min
How do we adapt to the cold?
Why do people react so differently to cold weather?
Dec 12, 2025 · 26 min
Can you play the guitar underwater?
We explore underwater acoustics in search of a new music sensation
Dec 5, 2025 · 33 min
Can we turn deserts green?
How desalination, fog capture and towing icebergs could bring water to the driest places
Nov 28, 2025 · 29 min
How big is a rainbow?
Are all rainbows the same size or are some larger than others?
Nov 21, 2025 · 30 min
Why do we cry?
Only humans cry emotional tears, whether it’s tears of sadness or tears of joy. But why?
Nov 14, 2025 · 26 min
Do tsunamis affect marine life?
Tsunamis cause huge destruction on land, but what’s it like for life under the waves?
Nov 7, 2025 · 26 min
Are near-death experiences real?
Are near-death experiences visions of an afterlife?
Nov 3, 2025 · 31 min
Why do people love horror films?
The scary science and terrifying truths behind people's love of horror films