Instant Genius

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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 two bite-sized masterclasses 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 Genius on BBC Science Focus Magazine's YouTube channel.

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665 episodes
Updated Sunday

Episodes665

Newest first

Sep 7, 2020 · 45 min
Dr Julia Shaw: Why do we do bad things?
Criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw says we should ditch the idea of ‘evil’ and instead try to understand people who do bad things.
Aug 31, 2020 · 38 min
James Hamblin: Should we all stop showering?
Five years ago, Dr James Hamblin stopped showering. He says most ‘skincare’ might actually be harming us, and wants to challenge what it means to be clean.
Aug 24, 2020 · 42 min
Katie Mack: How will the Universe end?
Astrophysicist Dr Katie Mack explains five possible apocalypses, from the Universe gradually fading out to a ‘quantum bubble of death’.
Aug 17, 2020 · 37 min
Rana el Kaliouby: What if computers could read our emotions?
Rana el Kaliouby believes that software needs to be able to detect our emotions and cognitive states. She explains how she’s teaching AI to do just that.
Aug 10, 2020 · 27 min
Dr Rachel Brown: Why are some COVID-19 patients suffering from neurological complications?
A recent study has found that some COVID-19 patients can suffer from neurological complications, including delirium, brain inflammation, stroke and nerve damage.
Aug 3, 2020 · 48 min
The Urban Birder: What wildlife can city-dwellers see?
Having always been fascinated by birds, David Lindo, known as the Urban Birder, turned a hobby into a career to encourage everyone to look to the skies.
Jul 27, 2020 · 36 min
Dr Michael Mosley: Why is sleep so important?
BBC presenter and Science Focus columnist Dr Michael Mosley talks sleep: what it is, why we need it and how to get more of it.
Jul 20, 2020 · 31 min
Ritu Raman: Can you build with biology?
Mechanical engineer Ritu Raman explains how to integrate biology into engineering and what these remarkable devices can do.
Jul 13, 2020 · 46 min
Project Discovery: Could computer games help find a cure for COVID-19?
Find out how players of the online game Eve Online are using their gaming time to help unlock the mysteries of the coronavirus.
Jul 6, 2020 · 35 min
Dr Jacob Bleacher: Why do we need to go back to the Moon?
NASA's Chief Exploration Scientist for human exploration explains how deep space will affect astronauts and why now is the time to go back to the Moon.
Jun 29, 2020 · 33 min
Subhadra Das: What part has science played in racism?
Historian and museum curator Subhadra Das explains how science history played a part in fuelling the racism seen in society today.
Jun 22, 2020 · 49 min
Brendan Walker: Where is the best place to sit on a rollercoaster?
We say our feelings can be like a rollercoaster, but as it turns out, the psychology of our emotions has influenced rollercoaster design from the beginning.
Jun 15, 2020 · 28 min
Leonard Mlodinow: How did Stephen Hawking make science accessible?
In this republished episode of the Science Focus Podcast we discuss the life of the great physicist Professor Stephen Hawking with one of his co-authors.
Jun 8, 2020 · 43 min
Pragya Agarwal: When does bias become prejudice?
Dr Pragya Agarwal explains where our biases come from and why it’s important to recognise and unlearn them to help make the world a better, fairer place.
Jun 1, 2020 · 39 min
Anthony David: Why is there still such stigma around mental health?
Neuropsychiatrist Professor Anthony David talks about why mental health stigma exists and whether it’s getting any better.
May 28, 2020 · 30 min
Luck, the paranormal and the Moon landings - Everything you ever wanted to know about…. illusions, magic and the paranormal
Richard Wiseman reveals what studying illusions can tell us about the human mind, why magicians make great psychologists and how you can make your own luck.
May 26, 2020 · 45 min
Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac: Has climate change determined our future?
Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac were major figures in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and say we must meet net-zero carbon emissions targets.
May 21, 2020 · 26 min
Illusions and Magic - Everything you ever wanted to know about... illusions, magic and the paranormal, episode 1
Richard Wiseman reveals what studying illusions can tell us about the human mind, why magicians make great psychologists and how you can make your own luck.
May 18, 2020 · 34 min
Elisa Raffaella Ferrè: What happens to the brain in space?
Psychologist Dr Elisa Raffaella Ferrè explains how a lack of gravity might change the way we think.
May 11, 2020 · 38 min
Sonia Contera: How will nanotechnology revolutionise medicine?
One of the world’s leading nanotech pioneers explains how it could help us target cancer cells, deliver drugs and fight antibiotic resistance.