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

Sep 6, 2024 · 28 min
What is the voice inside my head?
What’s the science behind the silent inner voice many of us experience?
Aug 30, 2024 · 31 min
Can my body regenerate?
Where do our healing powers begin and where do they end?
Aug 23, 2024 · 31 min
Why am I symmetrical?
Why is one side of the human body pretty much a mirror image of the other side?
Aug 16, 2024 · 32 min
Can we improve the shipping container?
This simple metal box enables so much global trade. But could we make it more efficient?
Aug 9, 2024 · 27 min
How do fish survive in the deep ocean?
What allows fish to cope with the immense water pressure of the ocean depths?
Aug 2, 2024 · 29 min
Why is my handwriting so messy?
Alex Lathbridge explores the genetics, culture and neuroscience of handwriting
Jul 26, 2024 · 30 min
Why is a ship a ‘she’?
Why are nouns coded as male or female in some languages but not others?
Jul 19, 2024 · 26 min
Why am I afraid of this building?
How do buildings affect our emotions – whether fear or sadness, wonder or joy?
Jul 12, 2024 · 37 min
What is the weight of the internet?
Simple question, tricky answer. To weigh the internet, what should we put on the scales?
Jul 5, 2024 · 27 min
How does a snake climb a tree?
What gives snakes their gravity-defying climbing skills?
Jun 28, 2024 · 30 min
How many flies have ever existed?
Flies are everywhere. But just how many have ever lived?
Jun 21, 2024 · 32 min
Is every atom unique?
Are atoms as individual as snowflakes – and if not, where does uniqueness begin?
Jun 14, 2024 · 31 min
Why are the seas salty?
How does salt get into the world's oceans, and is melting ice making them any fresher?
Jun 7, 2024 · 26 min
How fast can a raindrop cross the globe?
Could a raindrop from the UK travel all the way to New Zealand?
May 31, 2024 · 30 min
Why does wine taste better over time?
What chemistry makes some wines age well, while others turn to vinegar?
May 24, 2024 · 26 min
Will mountains shrink as sea levels rise?
Should we re-calculate the height of mountains to account for sea levels rising?
May 17, 2024 · 28 min
What does prayer do to my brain?
Can science explain the effects of prayer on our brains and wellbeing?
May 10, 2024 · 27 min
Why are people still dying from malaria?
We visit Malawi to discuss malaria, mosquitoes and a world-leading vaccination programme
May 3, 2024 · 30 min
Why am I bad at maths?
Why are some people better at mathematics than others?
Apr 26, 2024 · 26 min
How should we protect our coastlines?
What’s the best way to combat coastal erosion?