Discovery

Discovery

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Chris Barratt

20231023

20231024 (WS)

Reproductive science has come a long way in recent years, but there's still plenty we don't understand - particularly around male fertility.

The reliability and availability of data in this field has become more of a concern in light of a study published this year, suggesting that sperm counts worldwide have dropped 62% in the past 50 years. As yet there is no clear answer as to why that is.

Professor Chris Barratt is one of the scientists working to change that. He's the Head of Reproductive Medicine at Ninewells Hospital and the University of Dundee Medical School, and has dedicated his career to better understanding male infertility; driving breakthroughs in how to study sperm dysfunctions – and most recently spearheading advances in developing a male contraceptive pill.

Chris talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about his academic struggles as a youngster, the lecture that changed his life, his research into 'head-banging sperm' and why he believes a new male contraceptive could be a game-changer.

Chris Barratt on head-banging sperm and a future male contraceptive pill.

Edward Witten

20240101

20240102 (WS)

The Life Scientific returns with a special episode from the USA; Princeton, New Jersey, to be precise. Here, the Institute for Advanced Study has hosted some of the greatest scientific minds of our time - Einstein was one of its first Professors, J. Robert Oppenheimer its longest-serving director - and today's guest counts among them. Edward Witten is Professor Emeritus at the Institute and the physicist behind M-Theory, a leading contender for what is commonly referred to as ‘the theory of everything', uniting quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of gravity. He talks to Jim Al-Khalili about a career that's spanned some of the most exciting periods in modern theoretical physics - and about one particular problem that's both obsessed and eluded him since his days as a student -

Physicist Edward Witten on M-Theory, the leading contender for a 'theory of everything'.

Gideon Henderson

20231016

20231017 (WS)

We're used to hearing the stories of scientists who study the world as it is now but what about the study of the past - what can this tell us about our future?

Gideon Henderson's research focuses on trying to understand climate change by looking at what was happening on our planet thousands of years ago.

His work has taken him all around the world - to the deepest oceans and the darkest caves - where he collects samples containing radioactive isotopes which he uses as “clocks ? to date past ice ages and other major climate events.

As a geochemist and Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford, his work deals with the biggest questions, like our impact on the carbon cycle and climate, the health of our oceans, and finding new ways to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

But in his role as Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, he also very much works on the present, at the intersection between the worlds of research and policy. He has overseen the decision to allow gene-edited food to be developed commercially in England and a UK surveillance programme to spot the Covid-19 virus in our waste-water.

(Photo: Gideon Henderson. Credit: Gideon Henderson)

Gideon Henderson on climate 'clocks' and dating ice ages.

Gideon Henderson on climate ‘clocks' and dating ice ages.

Obsessed With The Quest: Inside The Minds Of Chimpanzees

20240429

Primatologist Catherine Hobaiter has spent more of her adult life in the rain forests of Uganda, with family bands of chimpanzees, than she has with her own human family members. For more than 20 years now she has spent 6 months every year at a remote field station, getting up before dawn every day to observe and collect behavioural data on family bands of chimps as they wake up and go about their daily lives. What is she trying to find out, that has gripped her for so long?

It turns out that life in a chimpanzee troupe is every bit as gripping as a soap opera. But there are many more moments of beauty, revelation and the joy of discovery, as Catherine pursues her continuing, multi-decadal quest to understand what it means to be a chimpanzee.

And when Sara Dykman set out to bicycle with the monarch butterfly migration, from the mountains of central Mexico, across the USA to Canada, she didn't think about the 10,201 miles that she would cover. Coping with headwinds, heavy rain storms, and everything from dirt roads to busy highways were not the challenge for Sara though. It was seeing how little of the Monarch's only food plant, milkweed, was left for them to feed on during their amazing, multigenerational, multinational migration.

However, Sara found solace in the many conservationists and backyard butterfly gardeners she met along the way, and in the 9000 schoolchildren she gave talks to en route. The most emotional part of the journey for Sara was the last three miles - arriving successfully back at the monarch's overwintering site in Mexico.

Produced by Diane Hope.

Credits:

Monarch butterfly recordings - Robert Mackay

What does it mean to be a chimpanzee? And following the monarch butterfly migration.

Explorations in the world of science.

Catherine Hobaiter explains her quest to understand what it means to be a chimpanzee and Sara Dykman recounts her 10,201-mile journey following the monarch butterfly migration.

Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

20240108

20240109 (WS)

Our primate cousins fascinate us, with their uncanny similarities to us. And studying other apes and monkeys also helps us figure out the evolutionary puzzle of what makes us uniquely human. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's work brings a female perspective to this puzzle, correcting sexist stereotypes like the aggressive, philandering male and the coy, passive female. Sarah is Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the University of California, Davis, and studies female primate behaviour to create a richer picture of our evolutionary history, as well as what it means to be a woman or a parent today. Her overarching aim is to understand the human condition, a goal she initially planned to pursue by writing novels. Instead, she found her way into science: her groundbreaking study of infanticide among langur monkeys in northern India overturned assumptions about these monkeys' murderous motivations. Later in her career, she looked into reproductive and parenting strategies across species. We humans are primed by evolution, she believes, to need a lot of support raising our children. And that's a concern she found reflected in her own life, juggling family commitments with her career ambitions as a field researcher, teacher, and science writer.

Jim Al-Khalili discusses monkey infanticide and human parenting with Sarah Hrdy.

The Life Scientific: Alex Antonelli

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20231114 (WS)

With the world's biodiversity being lost at an alarming rate, Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has made it his life's mission to protect it. He is a bio-geographer revealing how changes to the Earth's landscape, such as the formation of mountain ranges and rainforests, leads to the evolution of new species and causes plants, fungi and animals to move around the world.

His work is a masterclass in joined-up thinking, bringing together different fields of research by starting conversations between scientists who would rarely talk to one another. Together, they paint a more holistic picture of how our planet's biodiversity has developed in the hope of informing how we can protect it in the future.

Alex tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili about a life spent in the wild, beginning with his earliest memories of growing up in Brazil cataloguing life in the Atlantic Rainforest. That passion is still with him today. We've only scratched the surface of understanding what lives here on Earth, he says, more than 4,000 new species are found every year. Alex is passionate that we need to speed up the rate at which we document the richness of life, arguing if we don't identify what there is we can't protect it.

Alex Antonelli on learning from nature's biodiversity to adapt to climate change

The Life Scientific: Bahija Jallal

20231030

20231031 (WS)

Some of the most complex medicines available today are made from living cells or organisms - these treatments are called bio-pharmaceuticals and in this episode of The Life Scientific Dr Bahija Jallal, CEO of Immunocore, shares her story of leaving her home in Casablanca, Morocco to become a world leader in developing bio-pharmaceutical cancer treatments.

She tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili that she has always found herself ahead of the curve. When she began in oncology, the study of cancer, the common treatment was chemotherapy which attacked all the cells in an affected area. Her first studies into cancer treatments were looking at how certain therapies could focus in on the cancerous cells and move away from what she describes as the 'sledgehammer' of traditional chemotherapy.

It was an early step in what became known as targeted cancer therapies, and it set Bahjia on course for a career dedicated to developing innovative drugs to improve cancer patients' lives. Through a deep understanding of the science and a resolute commitment to putting treatments in the hands of people who need them, she has produced astonishing results.

Bahija Jallal on the biotech revolution in cancer therapies

The Life Scientific: Cathie Sudlow

20240129

20240130 (WS)

“Big data ? and “data science ? are terms we hear more and more these days. The idea that we can use these vast amounts of information to understand and analyse phenomena, and find solutions to problems, is gaining prominence, both in business and academia. Cathie Sudlow, Professor of Neurology and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, has been at the forefront of enabling health-related research using ever-increasing datasets. She tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili why this type of research matters, how the COVID-19 pandemic changed attitudes towards data in healthcare, and why the NHS gives the UK a big advantage when it comes to population-wide studies. Over the course of her career, Cathie has held a variety of roles at different organisations, and she is currently Chief Scientist and Deputy Director at Health Data Research UK. She believes that there is no room for prima donnas in science, and wants her field to be open and collaborative, to have the most impact on patients' lives.

Jim Al-Khalili discusses population-wide health research with Professor Cathie Sudlow.

The Life Scientific: Edward Witten

20240101

20240102 (WS)

The Life Scientific returns with a special episode from the USA; Princeton, New Jersey, to be precise. Here, the Institute for Advanced Study has hosted some of the greatest scientific minds of our time - Einstein was one of its first professors, J. Robert Oppenheimer its longest-serving director - and today's guest counts among them. Edward Witten is professor emeritus at the institute and the physicist behind M-Theory, a leading contender for what is commonly referred to as ‘the theory of everything', uniting quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of gravity. He talks to Jim al-Khalili about a career that's spanned some of the most exciting periods in modern theoretical physics - and about one particular problem that has obsessed and eluded him since his days as a student.

Producer: Lucy Taylor

Physicist Edward Witten on M-Theory, the leading contender for a 'theory of everything

Physicist Edward Witten on M-Theory, the leading contender for a 'theory of everything'.

The Life Scientific: Mercedes Maroto-valer

20240212

20240213 (WS)

How do you solve a problem like CO2? As the curtain closes on the world's most important climate summit, we talk to a scientist who was at COP 28 and is working to solve our carbon dioxide problem. Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer thinks saving the planet is still Mission Possible - but key to success is turning the climate-busting gas, CO2, into something useful. And as Director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions at Heriot-Watt University and the UK's Decarbonisation Champion, she has lots of innovative ideas on how to do this.She also has a great climate-themed suggestion for what you should say when someone asks your age -

Mercedes Maroto-Valer on making carbon dioxide useful.

The Life Scientific: Michael Wooldridge

20240219

20240220 (WS)

Humans have a long-held fascination with the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a dystopian threat - from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, through to the Terminator movies. But somehow, we still often think of this technology as 'futuristic', whereas in fact, it's already woven into the fabric of our daily lives, from facial recognition software to translator apps.

And if we get too caught up in the entertaining sci-fi narrative around AI and the potential threat from machines, there is a more pressing danger that we overlook real and present concerns - from deep fakes to electoral disinformation.

Michael Wooldridge is determined to demystify AI and explain how it can improve our lives, in a whole host of different ways. A professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, and the director of Foundational AI Research at the Alan Turing Institute, Mike believes the most common fears around this technology are 'misplaced'.

In a special 300th edition of The Life Scientific, recorded in front of an audience at London's Royal Institution (RI), Mike tells Jim al-Khalili how he will use this year's prestigious RI Christmas Lectures to lift the lid on modern AI technology and discuss how far it could go in future. Mike also reminiscences about the days when sending an email was a thrilling novelty, discusses why people love talking to him about the Terminator at parties, and is even challenged to think up a novel future use of AI by ChatGPT.

Presenter: Jim al-Khalili

Producer: Lucy Taylor

Audio editor: Sophie Ormiston

Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, talks AI

Explorations in the world of science.

Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford talks about the future of AI and why people ask him about The Terminator at parties.

The Life Scientific: Michael Woolridge

20240219

20240220 (WS)

Presenter: Jim al-Khalili

Producer: Lucy Taylor

Audio editor: Sophie Ormiston

Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, talks AI

Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford talks about the future of AI and why people ask him about The Terminator at parties.

Humans have a long-held fascination with the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a dystopian threat: from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, through to the Terminator movies. But somehow, we still often think of this technology as 'futuristic': whereas in fact, it's already woven into the fabric of our daily lives, from facial recognition software to translator apps. And if we get too caught up in the entertaining sci-fi narrative around AI and the potential threat from machines, there's a more pressing danger that we overlook real and present concerns - from deep fakes to electoral disinformation. That's why Michael Wooldridge is determined to demystify AI and explain how it can improve our lives, in a whole host of different ways. A Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, and the Director of Foundational AI Research at the Alan Turing Institute, Mike believes the most common fears around this technology are 'misplaced'. In a special 300th edition of The Life Scientific, recorded in front of an audience at London's Royal Institution (RI), Mike tells Jim Al-Khalili how he will use this year's prestigious RI Christmas Lectures to lift the lid on modern AI technology and discuss how far it could go in future. Mike also reminiscences about the days when sending an email was a thrilling novelty, discusses why people love talking to him about the Terminator at parties, and is even challenged to think up a novel future use of AI by ChatGPT...

Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, talks AI.

In a special 300th show from the Royal Institution, Jim Al-Khalili talks to Michael Wooldridge about the future of AI and why people ask him about The Terminator at parties.

The Life Scientific: Paul Murdin

20231106

20231107 (WS)

Astronomer Paul Murdin believes a good imagination is vital for scientists, since they're so often dealing with subjects outside the visible realm.

Indeed, over a long and successful career his imagination has taken him on a journey through space, discovering various new and unusual celestial occurrences - notably the first successful identification of a black hole, Cygnus X-1.

Paul tells Jim Al-Khalili how he spent much of his career at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, working with astronomers around the world on some of the most advanced telescopes ever built. He headed up the Astronomy section of the UK's Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, was Director of Science for the British National Space Centre and even has an asteroid named after him.

This list of achievements is testament to the fact that Paul has never let his disability hold him back; a leg brace and walking sticks have been part of his life since contracting polio in childhood. But he maintains that as long as you have curiosity and a vibrant imagination, nothing should stand in your way.

(Photo: Paul Murdin in 1971 next to the Isaac Newton Telescope at the time of the discovery with that telescope of Cygnus X-1. Credit: Paul Murdin)

Paul Murdin on the first ever identification of a black hole

The Life Scientific: Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

20240108

20240109 (WS)

Our primate cousins fascinate us, with their uncanny similarities to us. Studying other apes and monkeys also helps us figure out the evolutionary puzzle of what makes us uniquely human. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's work brings a female perspective to this puzzle, correcting sexist stereotypes like the aggressive, philandering male and the coy, passive female.

Sarah is professor emerita of anthropology at the University of California, Davis, and studies female primate behaviour to create a richer picture of our evolutionary history, as well as what it means to be a woman or a parent today. Her overarching aim is to understand the human condition, a goal she initially planned to pursue by writing novels. Instead, she found her way into science: her ground-breaking study of infanticide among langur monkeys in northern India overturned assumptions about these monkeys' murderous motivations. Later in her career, she looked into reproductive and parenting strategies across species. We humans are primed by evolution, she believes, to need a lot of support raising our children. And that is a concern she found reflected in her own life, juggling family commitments with her career ambitions as a field researcher, teacher, and science writer.

Jim al-Khalili discusses monkey infanticide and human parenting with Sarah Hrdy

Jim al-Khalili discusses monkey infanticide and human parenting with Sarah Hrdy.

The Life Scientific: Sarah Harper

20240115

20240116 (WS)

People around the world are living longer and, on the whole, having fewer children. What does this mean for future populations? Sarah Harper CBE, Professor in Gerontology at the University of Oxford, tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili how it could affect pensions, why it might mean we work for longer, and discusses the ways modern life is changing global attitudes to when we have children, and whether we have them at all. Fertility and ageing have been Sarah's life's work and she tells her story of giving up a career in the media to carry out in-depth research, and going on to study population change in the UK and China, setting up the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing and later becoming a Scientific Advisor to UK Government.

Jim Al-Khalili talks to Professor Sarah Harper about societal ageing and falling fertility

The Life Scientific: Sir Harry Bhadeshia

20240205

20240206 (WS)

The Life Scientific zooms in to explore the intricate atomic make-up of metal alloys, with complex crystalline arrangements that can literally make or break structures integral to our everyday lives. Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia is Professor of Metallurgy at Queen Mary University of London and Emeritus Tata Steel Professor of Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge. He's been described as a ‘steel innovator' – developing multiple new alloys with a host of real-world applications, from rail tracks to military armour. Harry's prolific work in the field has earned him widespread recognition and a Knighthood; but it's not always been an easy ride... From his childhood in Kenya and an enforced move to the UK as a teenager, to the years standing up to those seeking to discredit the new path he was forging in steel research - Jim Al-Khalili discovers that Harry's achievements have required significant determination, as well as hard work.

Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili

Producer: Lucy Taylor

Audio editor: Sophie Ormiston

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Sir Harry Bhadeshia on his work in metallurgy and choreographing crystalline structures.

Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia tells Jim Al-Khalili about his career in metallurgy and creating the super steel that forms the high-endurance rail tracks in the Channel Tunnel.

The Life Scientific: Sir Michael Berry

20240122

20240123 (WS)

Professor Jim Al-Khalili meets one of Britain's greatest physicists, Sir Michael Berry. His work uncovers 'the arcane in the mundane', revealing the science that underpins phenomena in the world around us such as rainbows, and through his popular science lectures he joyfully explains the role of quantum mechanics in phones, computers and the technology that shapes the modern world. He is famed for the 'Berry phase' which is a key concept in quantum mechanics and one Sir Michael likes to explain through an analogy of holding a cat upside and dropping it, or parallel parking a car. Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili

Tooth And Claw: Cheetahs

20231211

20231212 (WS)

In this episode we're talking about the fastest land animal in the world – the cheetah! In Tooth and Claw, Adam Hart explores our complex and challenging relationships with Earth's greatest predators - through the people who have spent their lives studying, protecting and, at times, narrowly escaping them!

Built for high speed chases, these spotted cats are slender, with semi-retractable claws for good grip, and a flexible spine and long tail for balance and manoeuvrability. Cheetahs are able to make tight, quick turns to shift course in fast pursuit of their prey, as they rely on their speed over brute strength when hunting. But with a shrinking population cheetahs are classified as vulnerable – what is being done to conserve them and are the conservation projects having any success?

Presented by Adam Hart.

Produced by Jonathan Blackwell for BBC World Service.

Adam Hart investigates the fastest land animal in the world - the cheetah!

Adam Hart investigates the fastest land animal in the world – the cheetah! Built for high speed chases, the population of these spotted cats is shrinking and they are vulnerable.

Adam Hart investigates the fastest land animal in the world – the cheetah! Built for high-speed chases, these spotted cats are slender, with semi-retractable claws for good grip and a flexible spine plus a long tail for balance and manoeuvrability. Cheetahs rely on speed over brute strength when hunting – and can make tight, quick turns to shift course in fast pursuit of their prey. But with shrinking populations cheetahs are classified as vulnerable – so what's being done in terms of conservation and are these projects having any success?

Adam hears how cheetahs differ from lions and leopards and learns about their relationships with other predators. He looks at their unique adaptions and behaviours, as well as the different approaches that conservationists are undertaking to try and reverse the population decline. And we also hear about the re-introduction of cheetahs to India.

Contributors:

Professor Sarah Durant is from the Zoological Society of London and is project leader of the Africa Range-Wide Cheetah Conservation Initiative.

Vincent van der Merwe is director of The Metapopulation Initiative and is cheetah metapopulation coordinator for Southern Africa and India.

Presenter: Professor Adam Hart

Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Editor: Holly Squire

Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Manager: Andrew Garratt

(Photo: Cheetah, Credit: Paul & Paveena Mckenzie via Getty Images)

The fastest land animal in the world - Adam Hart investigates the cheetah!

Adam Hart investigates the fastest land animal in the world – the cheetah! Built for high-speed chases, the population of these spotted cats is shrinking and they are vulnerable.

Tooth And Claw: Great White Sharks

20231127

20231128 (WS)

Adam Hart investigates the most famous and feared predator in all the ocean – the great white shark! With rows of large, serrated teeth, it's often thought of as a ferocious man-eater and was the villain of the film Jaws – which frightened a generation of beachgoers. This star of the silver screen may be the subject of fascination and fright for many, but is it really the ultimate predator of the ocean as Hollywood has led us to believe?

Adam hears what it's like to see these sharks up-close and in person for the very first time. He learns more about how great whites detect and hunt their prey, as well as the challenges they've been facing due to another ocean predator.

Contributors:

Dr Alison Towner is a postdoctoral researcher at Rhodes University in South Africa. She has a PhD in white shark ecology and has been studying the displacement of great whites due to orcas (killer whales) in South Africa.

Professor Gavin Naylor is Director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. He is a biologist who has specialised in evolutionary and population genetics, focusing on sharks.

Presenter: Professor Adam Hart

Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Editor: Holly Squire

Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Manager: Jackie Margerum

(Photo: Great White Shark, Credit: Todd Winner/Stocktrek Images via Getty Images)

Adam Hart investigates the most famous and feared predator in all the ocean!

Adam Hart investigates the most famous and feared predator in all the ocean, the great white shark! But is it really the ultimate predator as we've been led to believe?

This week it's the turn of the most famous and feared predator in all of the ocean – the great white shark! In Tooth and Claw, Adam Hart explores our complex and challenging relationships with Earth's greatest predators - through the people who have spent their lives studying, protecting and, at times, narrowly escaping them!

With rows of large serrated teeth, it's often thought of as a ferocious man-eater and was the villain of a film that frightened a generation of beachgoers. This star of the silver screen may be the subject of fascination and fright for many, but is this animal really the ultimate apex predator of the ocean that films such as Jaws have led us to believe? Could it be that the great white is becoming prey to another super-predator?

Presented by Adam Hart

Produced by Jonathan Blackwell for BBC World Service

The most famous and feared predator in all of the ocean - the great white shark!

It's the turn of the most famous and feared predator in all of the ocean – the great white shark! But is it really the ultimate apex predator that we have been led to believe?

Tooth And Claw: Piranhas

20231204

20231205 (WS)

In this episode we're talking about a frenzied and voracious fish from South America – the piranha! In Tooth and Claw, Adam Hart explores our complex and challenging relationships with Earth's greatest predators - through the people who have spent their lives studying, protecting and, at times, narrowly escaping them!

Said to be able to strip their prey to the bone in mere minutes – what role did former United States President Theodore Roosevelt have in creating the piranha's reputation? From feeding frenzies to bubbling bloodbaths there are plenty of gruesome stories about shoals of these hardy fish in the freshwaters of South America – but are these tales true? Adam dispels myths with two piranha experts who work closely with these ferocious fish, including out in the Amazon!

Presented by Adam Hart.

Produced by Jonathan Blackwell for BBC World Service.

Adam Hart investigates a frenzied and voracious fish from South America - the piranha!

Adam Hart investigates a frenzied and voracious fish from South America – the piranha! But what role did a former United States President have in creating their reputation?

Adam Hart investigates a frenzied and voracious fish from South America – the piranha! Said to be able to strip their prey to the bone in mere minutes, there are plenty of gruesome tales about the bubbling bloodbaths that occur when shoals of these hardy fish feed in the freshwaters across South America - from up in Venezuela in the Orinoco River, to the Amazon and down to the Paraná River in Argentina. What role did former United States President Theodore Roosevelt have in creating the piranha's fearsome reputation? And is this reputation misguided?

Adam hears what piranhas are really like, both in the wild and in captivity. He learns about how these fish hunt, the impact that humans are having on them and tries to establish if they really are as bloodthirsty as we've been led to believe.

Contributors:

Marcelo Ândrade is a professor at the Federal University of Maranhão in Brazil. He researches the environments that piranha live in and their behaviour, as well as plastic ingestion by piranhas.

Hannah Thomas is the aquarium team manager at Chester Zoo in the UK where they care for 40 red-bellied piranhas.

Presenter: Professor Adam Hart

Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Editor: Holly Squire

Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Manager: Neva Missirian

(Photo: Red-Bellied Piranha, Credit: Ed Reschke via Getty Images)

Adam Hart investigates, do these South American fish deserve their frenzied reputation?

Tooth And Claw: Wolverines

20231120

20231121 (WS)

Adam Hart investigates the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family – the wolverine. They're far more than just a superhero played by Hugh Jackman! With a reputation for gluttony and ferocity, these solitary killers use snowstorms to hunt much larger prey. Found in the snowy tundra and boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere, their future looks uncertain – they've come into conflict with Scandinavian farmers by hunting their reindeer and are threatened by climate change in North America and Mongolia. But have we misunderstood wolverines? And can we learn to co-exist with them?

Contributors:

Rebecca Watters is founder and director of the Mongolian Wolverine Project, as well as the executive director of the Wolverine Foundation, a non-profit that's dedicated to advancing science-based conservation of wolverines.

Jenny Mattisson is a researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, who is involved in the monitoring of wolverines in Scandinavia. She has studied interactions between wolverines and Eurasian lynx, as well as their predation of reindeer.

Presenter: Professor Adam Hart

Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Editor: Holly Squire

Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Manager: Donald MacDonald

(Photo: Wolverine, Credit: Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Adam Hart investigates, do wolverines deserve their reputation for gluttony and ferocity?

Adam Hart investigates the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family - the wolverine! Do they deserve their reputation for gluttony and ferocity?

Uncharted With Hannah Fry 1-10

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Behind every line on a graph, there lies a human story. Mathematician Hannah Fry is here to tell us ten of them. This series will lead us through a collection of captivating mysteries to reveal the power of numbers behind each one. Along the way we discover the remarkable people who followed the data and unearthed something extraordinary.

Uncharted With Hannah Fry 2-10

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Uncharted With Hannah Fry 3-5

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Uncharted With Hannah Fry 4-5

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A manufacturing company is in trouble. The new science of networks might know why.

Uncharted: Access Denied

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Hannah Fry explores two tales of data and discovery.

A young researcher gains access to a secretive data set and discovers a system causing harm to the very people it is supposed to help.

One day a student makes a discovery which, if true, could shake the intellectual foundations of a global movement, and undermine politicians around the world.

Producer: Lauren Armstrong Carter

What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead?

Explorations in the world of science.

What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead? And, a PhD student discovers an anomaly which undermines a global movement.

Uncharted: The Doctor Will See You Now

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Hannah Fry explores two tales of data and discovery.

Two couples are brought together by a tragedy and a tatty piece of paper, which reveals a serial murderer hiding in plain sight.

And, across the world in Singapore, a metro system is misbehaving wildly. The rail engineers and company officials are flummoxed. Can data save the day?

Produced by: Ilan Goodman and Lauren Armstrong Carter

Two couples brought together by a tragedy and a tatty piece of paper with a serial number

Explorations in the world of science.

Uncharted: The Gossip Mill

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Hannah Fry explores two more tales of data and discovery.

Gossip and rumour are plaguing a tile manufacturing company. The chatter is pulling morale to new lows, and amid it all, a question hangs in the air: who is spreading it? Can the science of networks find out?

And, what is the secret to ageing well? One man believes he may have found the beginnings of an answer, and it is hiding in a convent.

Produced by: Ilan Goodman and Lauren Armstrong Carter

Gossip and rumour can affect morale but can the science of networks explain why?

Explorations in the world of science.

A manufacturing company is in trouble as gossip and rumour affects morale. Can the science of networks explain why? And, what a room full of nuns reveal about ageing with grace.

Uncharted: The Happiness Curve

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Hannah Fry explores two tales of data and discovery.

Do orangutans - or humans - experience a midlife crisis? Hidden deep in the data, two economists have found a surprising pattern: happiness is U shaped.

And, John Carter has a terrible choice to make. One path offers glory, the other to death. His decision hinges on one graph, but can it help him take the right road?

Produced by: Ilan Goodman and Lauren Armstrong Carter

Do orangutans, or humans, experience a midlife crisis? And, why happiness is U shaped

Explorations in the world of science.

Do orangutans, or humans, experience a midlife crisis? Hidden deep in the data, two economists have found a surprising pattern: happiness is U shaped.

Uncharted: The Returning Soldier

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20240227 (WS)

Hannah Fry explores two tales of data and discovery.

In a few specific years across the 20th Century, the proportion of boys born, mysteriously spiked. We follow one researcher's obsessive quest to find out why.

And next, a tale of science and skulduggery. Michael Mann was a respected climate scientist, unknown outside of a small academic circle, until he produced a graph that shocked the world and changed his life forever.

Producer: Ilan Goodman

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

Explorations in the world of science.

Hannah Fry follows one researcher's obsessive quest to discover why in one year more boys were being born than girls.

What's Stopping Us From Exercising In Older Age?

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Exercise in older age is high on the agenda, but the idea that with age comes bags of time and a desire to ‘get out there' isn't true for a lot of us. How do you juggle exercise around caring for partners, grandchildren or staying in work? What if you haven't exercised for years? What can your body take, and how has it changed with age? James Gallagher hears how octogenarian athlete ‘Irongran' keeps going, he explores the mental and physical barriers that stop us exercising and he finds out what he might feel like in 40 years as he pulls on an ageing suit.

(Photo: Elderly man going for a run. Credit: Charday Penn / Getty Images)

James Gallagher tries to understand what holds us back from exercise as we age.

When Does Sitting Become Bad For Health?

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How many hours do you spend sitting down per day? Six? Maybe eight? Or 10? Between commuting, working and relaxing, sitting can soon add up to hours and hours. James Gallagher delves into the science to find out exactly how much sitting is too much; when does it become worrying for our health? James visits a lab to explore what prolonged sitting does to the body and he'll find out whether there's anything you can do to offset the effects of sitting a lot. We'll hear about the origins of sitting research - and just because we like to explore every angle on a topic, we'll hear all about why standing too much can also be a worry.

James Gallagher delves into the science to find out exactly how much sitting is too much?

(Photo: Woman sitting at desk in office. Credit: Richard Drury / Getty Images)

Wild Inside: The Aphid

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The tiny sap-sucking aphid, at just a few millimetres long, is the scourge of many gardeners and crop-growers worldwide, spreading astonishingly rapidly and inflicting huge damage as it seeks to outwit many host plants' natural defences. With insights and guidance from aphid expert George Seddon-Roberts at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, some delicate dissecting tools, and a state of the art microscope, Professor Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French delve inside this herbivorous insect to unravel the anatomy and physiology that's secured its extraordinary reproductive success, whilst offering new clues as to how we could curtail its damaging impact in the future.

Co-Presenters: Ben Garrod and Jess French

Executive Producer: Adrian Washbourne

Producer: Ella Hubber

Editor: Martin Smith

Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Explorations in the world of science.

Wild Inside: The Bearded Vulture

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20240415 (WS)

Ominously called the lamb vulture, there are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the bearded vulture. Flying the mountainous ranges across central Asia and eastern Africa, with a wingspan of almost three meters, the bearded vulture is am impressive Old World vulture. Prof Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French are looking past the beautifully coloured plumage, and delving deep inside to learn what this bird of prey really eats and what keeps its great wings aloft.

Explorations in the world of science.

Wild Inside: The Red Kangaroo

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20240408 (WS)

Wild Inside returns for a new series to take a look at some of our planet's most exceptional and unusual creatures from an entirely new perspective: the inside. Whilst we can learn a lot from observing the outside, the secrets to the success of any animal – whether they swim, fly, or hop – lies in their complex internal anatomy. How do these wild animals survive and thrive in harsh and changing environments? To truly understand we need to delve inside.

Professor Ben Garrod, evolutionary biologist from the University of East Anglia, and expert veterinary surgeon Dr Jess French, open up and investigate what makes each of these animals unique, in terms of their extraordinary anatomy, behaviour and their evolutionary history. Along the way, they reveal some unique adaptations which give each species a leg (or claw) up in surviving in the big, wild world.

The series begins with an icon of the outback – known best for its hopping, boxing, and cosy pouch – the red kangaroo. Despite the immense heat and lack of water, these marsupials dominate Australia, with their evolutionary history driving them to success. From the powerful legs which allow them to hop up to 40km an hour, to an unexpected reproductive system that keeps their populations plentiful, Ben, Jess and marsupial expert Dr Jack Ashby reveal a mammalian anatomy which holds many surprises.

Explorations in the world of science.

Wild Inside: The Sea Lion

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Professor Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French get under the skin (and blubber) of the California sea lion, to crack the key to its success both on land and at sea. Its ability to dive hundreds of meters down, keep warm in icy waters, and run on land, can all be explained through its unique internal anatomy. They are joined by zookeeper and sea lion trainer Mae Betts, who adds insight into the intelligence of these sleek marine mammals.

Co-Presenters: Ben Garrod and Jess French

Executive Producer: Adrian Washbourne

Producer: Ella Hubber

Editor: Martin Smith

Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Ben Garrod and Jess French get under the skin (and blubber) of the California sea lion.

Explorations in the world of science.

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
Chris Barratt	20231023	20231024 (WS)	Reproductive science has come a long way in recent years, but there's still plenty we don't understand - particularly around male fertility. The reliability and availability of data in this field has become more of a concern in light of a study published this year, suggesting that sperm counts worldwide have dropped 62% in the past 50 years. As yet there is no clear answer as to why that is. Professor Chris Barratt is one of the scientists working to change that. He's the Head of Reproductive Medicine at Ninewells Hospital and the University of Dundee Medical School, and has dedicated his career to better understanding male infertility; driving breakthroughs in how to study sperm dysfunctions – and most recently spearheading advances in developing a male contraceptive pill. Chris talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about his academic struggles as a youngster, the lecture that changed his life, his research into 'head-banging sperm' and why he believes a new male contraceptive could be a game-changer. Chris Barratt on head-banging sperm and a future male contraceptive pill.
Edward Witten	20240101	20240102 (WS)	The Life Scientific returns with a special episode from the USA; Princeton, New Jersey, to be precise. Here, the Institute for Advanced Study has hosted some of the greatest scientific minds of our time - Einstein was one of its first Professors, J. Robert Oppenheimer its longest-serving director - and today's guest counts among them. Edward Witten is Professor Emeritus at the Institute and the physicist behind M-Theory, a leading contender for what is commonly referred to as ‘the theory of everything', uniting quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of gravity. He talks to Jim Al-Khalili about a career that's spanned some of the most exciting periods in modern theoretical physics - and about one particular problem that's both obsessed and eluded him since his days as a student - Physicist Edward Witten on M-Theory, the leading contender for a 'theory of everything'.
Gideon Henderson	20231016	20231017 (WS)	We're used to hearing the stories of scientists who study the world as it is now but what about the study of the past - what can this tell us about our future? Gideon Henderson's research focuses on trying to understand climate change by looking at what was happening on our planet thousands of years ago. His work has taken him all around the world - to the deepest oceans and the darkest caves - where he collects samples containing radioactive isotopes which he uses as “clocks ? to date past ice ages and other major climate events. As a geochemist and Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford, his work deals with the biggest questions, like our impact on the carbon cycle and climate, the health of our oceans, and finding new ways to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. But in his role as Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, he also very much works on the present, at the intersection between the worlds of research and policy. He has overseen the decision to allow gene-edited food to be developed commercially in England and a UK surveillance programme to spot the Covid-19 virus in our waste-water. (Photo: Gideon Henderson. Credit: Gideon Henderson) Gideon Henderson on climate 'clocks' and dating ice ages. Gideon Henderson on climate ‘clocks' and dating ice ages.
Obsessed With The Quest: Inside The Minds Of Chimpanzees	20240429		Primatologist Catherine Hobaiter has spent more of her adult life in the rain forests of Uganda, with family bands of chimpanzees, than she has with her own human family members. For more than 20 years now she has spent 6 months every year at a remote field station, getting up before dawn every day to observe and collect behavioural data on family bands of chimps as they wake up and go about their daily lives. What is she trying to find out, that has gripped her for so long? It turns out that life in a chimpanzee troupe is every bit as gripping as a soap opera. But there are many more moments of beauty, revelation and the joy of discovery, as Catherine pursues her continuing, multi-decadal quest to understand what it means to be a chimpanzee. And when Sara Dykman set out to bicycle with the monarch butterfly migration, from the mountains of central Mexico, across the USA to Canada, she didn't think about the 10,201 miles that she would cover. Coping with headwinds, heavy rain storms, and everything from dirt roads to busy highways were not the challenge for Sara though. It was seeing how little of the Monarch's only food plant, milkweed, was left for them to feed on during their amazing, multigenerational, multinational migration. However, Sara found solace in the many conservationists and backyard butterfly gardeners she met along the way, and in the 9000 schoolchildren she gave talks to en route. The most emotional part of the journey for Sara was the last three miles - arriving successfully back at the monarch's overwintering site in Mexico. Produced by Diane Hope. Credits: Monarch butterfly recordings - Robert Mackay What does it mean to be a chimpanzee? And following the monarch butterfly migration. Explorations in the world of science. Catherine Hobaiter explains her quest to understand what it means to be a chimpanzee and Sara Dykman recounts her 10,201-mile journey following the monarch butterfly migration.
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy	20240108	20240109 (WS)	Our primate cousins fascinate us, with their uncanny similarities to us. And studying other apes and monkeys also helps us figure out the evolutionary puzzle of what makes us uniquely human. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's work brings a female perspective to this puzzle, correcting sexist stereotypes like the aggressive, philandering male and the coy, passive female. Sarah is Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the University of California, Davis, and studies female primate behaviour to create a richer picture of our evolutionary history, as well as what it means to be a woman or a parent today. Her overarching aim is to understand the human condition, a goal she initially planned to pursue by writing novels. Instead, she found her way into science: her groundbreaking study of infanticide among langur monkeys in northern India overturned assumptions about these monkeys' murderous motivations. Later in her career, she looked into reproductive and parenting strategies across species. We humans are primed by evolution, she believes, to need a lot of support raising our children. And that's a concern she found reflected in her own life, juggling family commitments with her career ambitions as a field researcher, teacher, and science writer. Jim Al-Khalili discusses monkey infanticide and human parenting with Sarah Hrdy.
The Life Scientific: Alex Antonelli	20231113	20231114 (WS)	With the world's biodiversity being lost at an alarming rate, Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has made it his life's mission to protect it. He is a bio-geographer revealing how changes to the Earth's landscape, such as the formation of mountain ranges and rainforests, leads to the evolution of new species and causes plants, fungi and animals to move around the world. His work is a masterclass in joined-up thinking, bringing together different fields of research by starting conversations between scientists who would rarely talk to one another. Together, they paint a more holistic picture of how our planet's biodiversity has developed in the hope of informing how we can protect it in the future. Alex tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili about a life spent in the wild, beginning with his earliest memories of growing up in Brazil cataloguing life in the Atlantic Rainforest. That passion is still with him today. We've only scratched the surface of understanding what lives here on Earth, he says, more than 4,000 new species are found every year. Alex is passionate that we need to speed up the rate at which we document the richness of life, arguing if we don't identify what there is we can't protect it. Alex Antonelli on learning from nature's biodiversity to adapt to climate change
The Life Scientific: Bahija Jallal	20231030	20231031 (WS)	Some of the most complex medicines available today are made from living cells or organisms - these treatments are called bio-pharmaceuticals and in this episode of The Life Scientific Dr Bahija Jallal, CEO of Immunocore, shares her story of leaving her home in Casablanca, Morocco to become a world leader in developing bio-pharmaceutical cancer treatments. She tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili that she has always found herself ahead of the curve. When she began in oncology, the study of cancer, the common treatment was chemotherapy which attacked all the cells in an affected area. Her first studies into cancer treatments were looking at how certain therapies could focus in on the cancerous cells and move away from what she describes as the 'sledgehammer' of traditional chemotherapy. It was an early step in what became known as targeted cancer therapies, and it set Bahjia on course for a career dedicated to developing innovative drugs to improve cancer patients' lives. Through a deep understanding of the science and a resolute commitment to putting treatments in the hands of people who need them, she has produced astonishing results. Bahija Jallal on the biotech revolution in cancer therapies
The Life Scientific: Cathie Sudlow	20240129	20240130 (WS)	“Big data ? and “data science ? are terms we hear more and more these days. The idea that we can use these vast amounts of information to understand and analyse phenomena, and find solutions to problems, is gaining prominence, both in business and academia. Cathie Sudlow, Professor of Neurology and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, has been at the forefront of enabling health-related research using ever-increasing datasets. She tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili why this type of research matters, how the COVID-19 pandemic changed attitudes towards data in healthcare, and why the NHS gives the UK a big advantage when it comes to population-wide studies. Over the course of her career, Cathie has held a variety of roles at different organisations, and she is currently Chief Scientist and Deputy Director at Health Data Research UK. She believes that there is no room for prima donnas in science, and wants her field to be open and collaborative, to have the most impact on patients' lives. Jim Al-Khalili discusses population-wide health research with Professor Cathie Sudlow.
The Life Scientific: Edward Witten	20240101	20240102 (WS)	The Life Scientific returns with a special episode from the USA; Princeton, New Jersey, to be precise. Here, the Institute for Advanced Study has hosted some of the greatest scientific minds of our time - Einstein was one of its first professors, J. Robert Oppenheimer its longest-serving director - and today's guest counts among them. Edward Witten is professor emeritus at the institute and the physicist behind M-Theory, a leading contender for what is commonly referred to as ‘the theory of everything', uniting quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of gravity. He talks to Jim al-Khalili about a career that's spanned some of the most exciting periods in modern theoretical physics - and about one particular problem that has obsessed and eluded him since his days as a student. Producer: Lucy Taylor Physicist Edward Witten on M-Theory, the leading contender for a 'theory of everything Physicist Edward Witten on M-Theory, the leading contender for a 'theory of everything'.
The Life Scientific: Mercedes Maroto-valer	20240212	20240213 (WS)	How do you solve a problem like CO2? As the curtain closes on the world's most important climate summit, we talk to a scientist who was at COP 28 and is working to solve our carbon dioxide problem. Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer thinks saving the planet is still Mission Possible - but key to success is turning the climate-busting gas, CO2, into something useful. And as Director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions at Heriot-Watt University and the UK's Decarbonisation Champion, she has lots of innovative ideas on how to do this.She also has a great climate-themed suggestion for what you should say when someone asks your age - Mercedes Maroto-Valer on making carbon dioxide useful.
The Life Scientific: Michael Wooldridge	20240219	20240220 (WS)	Humans have a long-held fascination with the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a dystopian threat - from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, through to the Terminator movies. But somehow, we still often think of this technology as 'futuristic', whereas in fact, it's already woven into the fabric of our daily lives, from facial recognition software to translator apps. And if we get too caught up in the entertaining sci-fi narrative around AI and the potential threat from machines, there is a more pressing danger that we overlook real and present concerns - from deep fakes to electoral disinformation. Michael Wooldridge is determined to demystify AI and explain how it can improve our lives, in a whole host of different ways. A professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, and the director of Foundational AI Research at the Alan Turing Institute, Mike believes the most common fears around this technology are 'misplaced'. In a special 300th edition of The Life Scientific, recorded in front of an audience at London's Royal Institution (RI), Mike tells Jim al-Khalili how he will use this year's prestigious RI Christmas Lectures to lift the lid on modern AI technology and discuss how far it could go in future. Mike also reminiscences about the days when sending an email was a thrilling novelty, discusses why people love talking to him about the Terminator at parties, and is even challenged to think up a novel future use of AI by ChatGPT. Presenter: Jim al-Khalili Producer: Lucy Taylor Audio editor: Sophie Ormiston Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, talks AI Explorations in the world of science. Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford talks about the future of AI and why people ask him about The Terminator at parties.
The Life Scientific: Michael Woolridge	20240219	20240220 (WS)	Humans have a long-held fascination with the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a dystopian threat - from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, through to the Terminator movies. But somehow, we still often think of this technology as 'futuristic', whereas in fact, it's already woven into the fabric of our daily lives, from facial recognition software to translator apps. And if we get too caught up in the entertaining sci-fi narrative around AI and the potential threat from machines, there is a more pressing danger that we overlook real and present concerns - from deep fakes to electoral disinformation. Michael Wooldridge is determined to demystify AI and explain how it can improve our lives, in a whole host of different ways. A professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, and the director of Foundational AI Research at the Alan Turing Institute, Mike believes the most common fears around this technology are 'misplaced'. In a special 300th edition of The Life Scientific, recorded in front of an audience at London's Royal Institution (RI), Mike tells Jim al-Khalili how he will use this year's prestigious RI Christmas Lectures to lift the lid on modern AI technology and discuss how far it could go in future. Mike also reminiscences about the days when sending an email was a thrilling novelty, discusses why people love talking to him about the Terminator at parties, and is even challenged to think up a novel future use of AI by ChatGPT. Presenter: Jim al-Khalili Producer: Lucy Taylor Audio editor: Sophie Ormiston Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, talks AI Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford talks about the future of AI and why people ask him about The Terminator at parties. Humans have a long-held fascination with the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a dystopian threat: from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, through to the Terminator movies. But somehow, we still often think of this technology as 'futuristic': whereas in fact, it's already woven into the fabric of our daily lives, from facial recognition software to translator apps. And if we get too caught up in the entertaining sci-fi narrative around AI and the potential threat from machines, there's a more pressing danger that we overlook real and present concerns - from deep fakes to electoral disinformation. That's why Michael Wooldridge is determined to demystify AI and explain how it can improve our lives, in a whole host of different ways. A Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, and the Director of Foundational AI Research at the Alan Turing Institute, Mike believes the most common fears around this technology are 'misplaced'. In a special 300th edition of The Life Scientific, recorded in front of an audience at London's Royal Institution (RI), Mike tells Jim Al-Khalili how he will use this year's prestigious RI Christmas Lectures to lift the lid on modern AI technology and discuss how far it could go in future. Mike also reminiscences about the days when sending an email was a thrilling novelty, discusses why people love talking to him about the Terminator at parties, and is even challenged to think up a novel future use of AI by ChatGPT... Michael Wooldridge, professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, talks AI. In a special 300th show from the Royal Institution, Jim Al-Khalili talks to Michael Wooldridge about the future of AI and why people ask him about The Terminator at parties.
The Life Scientific: Paul Murdin	20231106	20231107 (WS)	Astronomer Paul Murdin believes a good imagination is vital for scientists, since they're so often dealing with subjects outside the visible realm. Indeed, over a long and successful career his imagination has taken him on a journey through space, discovering various new and unusual celestial occurrences - notably the first successful identification of a black hole, Cygnus X-1. Paul tells Jim Al-Khalili how he spent much of his career at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, working with astronomers around the world on some of the most advanced telescopes ever built. He headed up the Astronomy section of the UK's Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, was Director of Science for the British National Space Centre and even has an asteroid named after him. This list of achievements is testament to the fact that Paul has never let his disability hold him back; a leg brace and walking sticks have been part of his life since contracting polio in childhood. But he maintains that as long as you have curiosity and a vibrant imagination, nothing should stand in your way. (Photo: Paul Murdin in 1971 next to the Isaac Newton Telescope at the time of the discovery with that telescope of Cygnus X-1. Credit: Paul Murdin) Paul Murdin on the first ever identification of a black hole
The Life Scientific: Sarah Blaffer Hrdy	20240108	20240109 (WS)	Our primate cousins fascinate us, with their uncanny similarities to us. Studying other apes and monkeys also helps us figure out the evolutionary puzzle of what makes us uniquely human. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's work brings a female perspective to this puzzle, correcting sexist stereotypes like the aggressive, philandering male and the coy, passive female. Sarah is professor emerita of anthropology at the University of California, Davis, and studies female primate behaviour to create a richer picture of our evolutionary history, as well as what it means to be a woman or a parent today. Her overarching aim is to understand the human condition, a goal she initially planned to pursue by writing novels. Instead, she found her way into science: her ground-breaking study of infanticide among langur monkeys in northern India overturned assumptions about these monkeys' murderous motivations. Later in her career, she looked into reproductive and parenting strategies across species. We humans are primed by evolution, she believes, to need a lot of support raising our children. And that is a concern she found reflected in her own life, juggling family commitments with her career ambitions as a field researcher, teacher, and science writer. Jim al-Khalili discusses monkey infanticide and human parenting with Sarah Hrdy Jim al-Khalili discusses monkey infanticide and human parenting with Sarah Hrdy.
The Life Scientific: Sarah Harper	20240115	20240116 (WS)	People around the world are living longer and, on the whole, having fewer children. What does this mean for future populations? Sarah Harper CBE, Professor in Gerontology at the University of Oxford, tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili how it could affect pensions, why it might mean we work for longer, and discusses the ways modern life is changing global attitudes to when we have children, and whether we have them at all. Fertility and ageing have been Sarah's life's work and she tells her story of giving up a career in the media to carry out in-depth research, and going on to study population change in the UK and China, setting up the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing and later becoming a Scientific Advisor to UK Government. Jim Al-Khalili talks to Professor Sarah Harper about societal ageing and falling fertility
The Life Scientific: Sir Harry Bhadeshia	20240205	20240206 (WS)	The Life Scientific zooms in to explore the intricate atomic make-up of metal alloys, with complex crystalline arrangements that can literally make or break structures integral to our everyday lives. Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia is Professor of Metallurgy at Queen Mary University of London and Emeritus Tata Steel Professor of Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge. He's been described as a ‘steel innovator' – developing multiple new alloys with a host of real-world applications, from rail tracks to military armour. Harry's prolific work in the field has earned him widespread recognition and a Knighthood; but it's not always been an easy ride... From his childhood in Kenya and an enforced move to the UK as a teenager, to the years standing up to those seeking to discredit the new path he was forging in steel research - Jim Al-Khalili discovers that Harry's achievements have required significant determination, as well as hard work. Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili Producer: Lucy Taylor Audio editor: Sophie Ormiston Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Sir Harry Bhadeshia on his work in metallurgy and choreographing crystalline structures. Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia tells Jim Al-Khalili about his career in metallurgy and creating the super steel that forms the high-endurance rail tracks in the Channel Tunnel.
The Life Scientific: Sir Michael Berry	20240122	20240123 (WS)	Professor Jim Al-Khalili meets one of Britain's greatest physicists, Sir Michael Berry. His work uncovers 'the arcane in the mundane', revealing the science that underpins phenomena in the world around us such as rainbows, and through his popular science lectures he joyfully explains the role of quantum mechanics in phones, computers and the technology that shapes the modern world. He is famed for the 'Berry phase' which is a key concept in quantum mechanics and one Sir Michael likes to explain through an analogy of holding a cat upside and dropping it, or parallel parking a car. Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili
Tooth And Claw: Cheetahs	20231211	20231212 (WS)	In this episode we're talking about the fastest land animal in the world – the cheetah! In Tooth and Claw, Adam Hart explores our complex and challenging relationships with Earth's greatest predators - through the people who have spent their lives studying, protecting and, at times, narrowly escaping them! Built for high speed chases, these spotted cats are slender, with semi-retractable claws for good grip, and a flexible spine and long tail for balance and manoeuvrability. Cheetahs are able to make tight, quick turns to shift course in fast pursuit of their prey, as they rely on their speed over brute strength when hunting. But with a shrinking population cheetahs are classified as vulnerable – what is being done to conserve them and are the conservation projects having any success? Presented by Adam Hart. Produced by Jonathan Blackwell for BBC World Service. Adam Hart investigates the fastest land animal in the world - the cheetah! Adam Hart investigates the fastest land animal in the world – the cheetah! Built for high speed chases, the population of these spotted cats is shrinking and they are vulnerable. Adam Hart investigates the fastest land animal in the world – the cheetah! Built for high-speed chases, these spotted cats are slender, with semi-retractable claws for good grip and a flexible spine plus a long tail for balance and manoeuvrability. Cheetahs rely on speed over brute strength when hunting – and can make tight, quick turns to shift course in fast pursuit of their prey. But with shrinking populations cheetahs are classified as vulnerable – so what's being done in terms of conservation and are these projects having any success? Adam hears how cheetahs differ from lions and leopards and learns about their relationships with other predators. He looks at their unique adaptions and behaviours, as well as the different approaches that conservationists are undertaking to try and reverse the population decline. And we also hear about the re-introduction of cheetahs to India. Contributors: Professor Sarah Durant is from the Zoological Society of London and is project leader of the Africa Range-Wide Cheetah Conservation Initiative. Vincent van der Merwe is director of The Metapopulation Initiative and is cheetah metapopulation coordinator for Southern Africa and India. Presenter: Professor Adam Hart Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Manager: Andrew Garratt (Photo: Cheetah, Credit: Paul & Paveena Mckenzie via Getty Images) The fastest land animal in the world - Adam Hart investigates the cheetah! Adam Hart investigates the fastest land animal in the world – the cheetah! Built for high-speed chases, the population of these spotted cats is shrinking and they are vulnerable.
Tooth And Claw: Great White Sharks	20231127	20231128 (WS)	Adam Hart investigates the most famous and feared predator in all the ocean – the great white shark! With rows of large, serrated teeth, it's often thought of as a ferocious man-eater and was the villain of the film Jaws – which frightened a generation of beachgoers. This star of the silver screen may be the subject of fascination and fright for many, but is it really the ultimate predator of the ocean as Hollywood has led us to believe? Adam hears what it's like to see these sharks up-close and in person for the very first time. He learns more about how great whites detect and hunt their prey, as well as the challenges they've been facing due to another ocean predator. Contributors: Dr Alison Towner is a postdoctoral researcher at Rhodes University in South Africa. She has a PhD in white shark ecology and has been studying the displacement of great whites due to orcas (killer whales) in South Africa. Professor Gavin Naylor is Director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. He is a biologist who has specialised in evolutionary and population genetics, focusing on sharks. Presenter: Professor Adam Hart Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Manager: Jackie Margerum (Photo: Great White Shark, Credit: Todd Winner/Stocktrek Images via Getty Images) Adam Hart investigates the most famous and feared predator in all the ocean! Adam Hart investigates the most famous and feared predator in all the ocean, the great white shark! But is it really the ultimate predator as we've been led to believe? This week it's the turn of the most famous and feared predator in all of the ocean – the great white shark! In Tooth and Claw, Adam Hart explores our complex and challenging relationships with Earth's greatest predators - through the people who have spent their lives studying, protecting and, at times, narrowly escaping them! With rows of large serrated teeth, it's often thought of as a ferocious man-eater and was the villain of a film that frightened a generation of beachgoers. This star of the silver screen may be the subject of fascination and fright for many, but is this animal really the ultimate apex predator of the ocean that films such as Jaws have led us to believe? Could it be that the great white is becoming prey to another super-predator? Presented by Adam Hart Produced by Jonathan Blackwell for BBC World Service The most famous and feared predator in all of the ocean - the great white shark! It's the turn of the most famous and feared predator in all of the ocean – the great white shark! But is it really the ultimate apex predator that we have been led to believe?
Tooth And Claw: Piranhas	20231204	20231205 (WS)	In this episode we're talking about a frenzied and voracious fish from South America – the piranha! In Tooth and Claw, Adam Hart explores our complex and challenging relationships with Earth's greatest predators - through the people who have spent their lives studying, protecting and, at times, narrowly escaping them! Said to be able to strip their prey to the bone in mere minutes – what role did former United States President Theodore Roosevelt have in creating the piranha's reputation? From feeding frenzies to bubbling bloodbaths there are plenty of gruesome stories about shoals of these hardy fish in the freshwaters of South America – but are these tales true? Adam dispels myths with two piranha experts who work closely with these ferocious fish, including out in the Amazon! Presented by Adam Hart. Produced by Jonathan Blackwell for BBC World Service. Adam Hart investigates a frenzied and voracious fish from South America - the piranha! Adam Hart investigates a frenzied and voracious fish from South America – the piranha! But what role did a former United States President have in creating their reputation? Adam Hart investigates a frenzied and voracious fish from South America – the piranha! Said to be able to strip their prey to the bone in mere minutes, there are plenty of gruesome tales about the bubbling bloodbaths that occur when shoals of these hardy fish feed in the freshwaters across South America - from up in Venezuela in the Orinoco River, to the Amazon and down to the Paraná River in Argentina. What role did former United States President Theodore Roosevelt have in creating the piranha's fearsome reputation? And is this reputation misguided? Adam hears what piranhas are really like, both in the wild and in captivity. He learns about how these fish hunt, the impact that humans are having on them and tries to establish if they really are as bloodthirsty as we've been led to believe. Contributors: Marcelo Ândrade is a professor at the Federal University of Maranhão in Brazil. He researches the environments that piranha live in and their behaviour, as well as plastic ingestion by piranhas. Hannah Thomas is the aquarium team manager at Chester Zoo in the UK where they care for 40 red-bellied piranhas. Presenter: Professor Adam Hart Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Manager: Neva Missirian (Photo: Red-Bellied Piranha, Credit: Ed Reschke via Getty Images) Adam Hart investigates, do these South American fish deserve their frenzied reputation?
Tooth And Claw: Wolverines	20231120	20231121 (WS)	Adam Hart investigates the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family – the wolverine. They're far more than just a superhero played by Hugh Jackman! With a reputation for gluttony and ferocity, these solitary killers use snowstorms to hunt much larger prey. Found in the snowy tundra and boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere, their future looks uncertain – they've come into conflict with Scandinavian farmers by hunting their reindeer and are threatened by climate change in North America and Mongolia. But have we misunderstood wolverines? And can we learn to co-exist with them? Contributors: Rebecca Watters is founder and director of the Mongolian Wolverine Project, as well as the executive director of the Wolverine Foundation, a non-profit that's dedicated to advancing science-based conservation of wolverines. Jenny Mattisson is a researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, who is involved in the monitoring of wolverines in Scandinavia. She has studied interactions between wolverines and Eurasian lynx, as well as their predation of reindeer. Presenter: Professor Adam Hart Producer: Jonathan Blackwell Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Manager: Donald MacDonald (Photo: Wolverine, Credit: Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Adam Hart investigates, do wolverines deserve their reputation for gluttony and ferocity? Adam Hart investigates the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family - the wolverine! Do they deserve their reputation for gluttony and ferocity?
Uncharted With Hannah Fry 1-10	20240226	20240227 (WS)	Behind every line on a graph, there lies a human story. Mathematician Hannah Fry is here to tell us ten of them. This series will lead us through a collection of captivating mysteries to reveal the power of numbers behind each one. Along the way we discover the remarkable people who followed the data and unearthed something extraordinary.
Uncharted With Hannah Fry 2-10	20240304	20240305 (WS)
Uncharted With Hannah Fry 3-5	20240311	20240312 (WS)
Uncharted With Hannah Fry 4-5	20240318	20240319 (WS)	A manufacturing company is in trouble. The new science of networks might know why.
Uncharted: Access Denied	20240325	20240326 (WS) 20240401 (WS)	Hannah Fry explores two tales of data and discovery. A young researcher gains access to a secretive data set and discovers a system causing harm to the very people it is supposed to help. One day a student makes a discovery which, if true, could shake the intellectual foundations of a global movement, and undermine politicians around the world. Producer: Lauren Armstrong Carter What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead? Explorations in the world of science. What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead? And, a PhD student discovers an anomaly which undermines a global movement.
Uncharted: The Doctor Will See You Now	20240304	20240305 (WS)	Hannah Fry explores two tales of data and discovery. Two couples are brought together by a tragedy and a tatty piece of paper, which reveals a serial murderer hiding in plain sight. And, across the world in Singapore, a metro system is misbehaving wildly. The rail engineers and company officials are flummoxed. Can data save the day? Produced by: Ilan Goodman and Lauren Armstrong Carter Two couples brought together by a tragedy and a tatty piece of paper with a serial number Explorations in the world of science.
Uncharted: The Gossip Mill	20240318	20240319 (WS)	Hannah Fry explores two more tales of data and discovery. Gossip and rumour are plaguing a tile manufacturing company. The chatter is pulling morale to new lows, and amid it all, a question hangs in the air: who is spreading it? Can the science of networks find out? And, what is the secret to ageing well? One man believes he may have found the beginnings of an answer, and it is hiding in a convent. Produced by: Ilan Goodman and Lauren Armstrong Carter Gossip and rumour can affect morale but can the science of networks explain why? Explorations in the world of science. A manufacturing company is in trouble as gossip and rumour affects morale. Can the science of networks explain why? And, what a room full of nuns reveal about ageing with grace.
Uncharted: The Happiness Curve	20240311	20240312 (WS)	Hannah Fry explores two tales of data and discovery. Do orangutans - or humans - experience a midlife crisis? Hidden deep in the data, two economists have found a surprising pattern: happiness is U shaped. And, John Carter has a terrible choice to make. One path offers glory, the other to death. His decision hinges on one graph, but can it help him take the right road? Produced by: Ilan Goodman and Lauren Armstrong Carter Do orangutans, or humans, experience a midlife crisis? And, why happiness is U shaped Explorations in the world of science. Do orangutans, or humans, experience a midlife crisis? Hidden deep in the data, two economists have found a surprising pattern: happiness is U shaped.
Uncharted: The Returning Soldier	20240226	20240227 (WS)	Hannah Fry explores two tales of data and discovery. In a few specific years across the 20th Century, the proportion of boys born, mysteriously spiked. We follow one researcher's obsessive quest to find out why. And next, a tale of science and skulduggery. Michael Mann was a respected climate scientist, unknown outside of a small academic circle, until he produced a graph that shocked the world and changed his life forever. Producer: Ilan Goodman Uncharted with Hannah Fry Explorations in the world of science. Hannah Fry follows one researcher's obsessive quest to discover why in one year more boys were being born than girls.
What's Stopping Us From Exercising In Older Age?	20231225	20231226 (WS)	Exercise in older age is high on the agenda, but the idea that with age comes bags of time and a desire to ‘get out there' isn't true for a lot of us. How do you juggle exercise around caring for partners, grandchildren or staying in work? What if you haven't exercised for years? What can your body take, and how has it changed with age? James Gallagher hears how octogenarian athlete ‘Irongran' keeps going, he explores the mental and physical barriers that stop us exercising and he finds out what he might feel like in 40 years as he pulls on an ageing suit. (Photo: Elderly man going for a run. Credit: Charday Penn / Getty Images) James Gallagher tries to understand what holds us back from exercise as we age.
When Does Sitting Become Bad For Health?	20231218	20231219 (WS)	How many hours do you spend sitting down per day? Six? Maybe eight? Or 10? Between commuting, working and relaxing, sitting can soon add up to hours and hours. James Gallagher delves into the science to find out exactly how much sitting is too much; when does it become worrying for our health? James visits a lab to explore what prolonged sitting does to the body and he'll find out whether there's anything you can do to offset the effects of sitting a lot. We'll hear about the origins of sitting research - and just because we like to explore every angle on a topic, we'll hear all about why standing too much can also be a worry. James Gallagher delves into the science to find out exactly how much sitting is too much? (Photo: Woman sitting at desk in office. Credit: Richard Drury / Getty Images)
Wild Inside: The Aphid	20240415	20240422 (WS)	The tiny sap-sucking aphid, at just a few millimetres long, is the scourge of many gardeners and crop-growers worldwide, spreading astonishingly rapidly and inflicting huge damage as it seeks to outwit many host plants' natural defences. With insights and guidance from aphid expert George Seddon-Roberts at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, some delicate dissecting tools, and a state of the art microscope, Professor Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French delve inside this herbivorous insect to unravel the anatomy and physiology that's secured its extraordinary reproductive success, whilst offering new clues as to how we could curtail its damaging impact in the future. Co-Presenters: Ben Garrod and Jess French Executive Producer: Adrian Washbourne Producer: Ella Hubber Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Explorations in the world of science.
Wild Inside: The Bearded Vulture	20240408	20240415 (WS)	Ominously called the lamb vulture, there are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the bearded vulture. Flying the mountainous ranges across central Asia and eastern Africa, with a wingspan of almost three meters, the bearded vulture is am impressive Old World vulture. Prof Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French are looking past the beautifully coloured plumage, and delving deep inside to learn what this bird of prey really eats and what keeps its great wings aloft. Explorations in the world of science.
Wild Inside: The Red Kangaroo	20240401	20240408 (WS)	Wild Inside returns for a new series to take a look at some of our planet's most exceptional and unusual creatures from an entirely new perspective: the inside. Whilst we can learn a lot from observing the outside, the secrets to the success of any animal – whether they swim, fly, or hop – lies in their complex internal anatomy. How do these wild animals survive and thrive in harsh and changing environments? To truly understand we need to delve inside. Professor Ben Garrod, evolutionary biologist from the University of East Anglia, and expert veterinary surgeon Dr Jess French, open up and investigate what makes each of these animals unique, in terms of their extraordinary anatomy, behaviour and their evolutionary history. Along the way, they reveal some unique adaptations which give each species a leg (or claw) up in surviving in the big, wild world. The series begins with an icon of the outback – known best for its hopping, boxing, and cosy pouch – the red kangaroo. Despite the immense heat and lack of water, these marsupials dominate Australia, with their evolutionary history driving them to success. From the powerful legs which allow them to hop up to 40km an hour, to an unexpected reproductive system that keeps their populations plentiful, Ben, Jess and marsupial expert Dr Jack Ashby reveal a mammalian anatomy which holds many surprises. Explorations in the world of science.
Wild Inside: The Sea Lion	20240422	20240429 (WS)	Professor Ben Garrod and Dr Jess French get under the skin (and blubber) of the California sea lion, to crack the key to its success both on land and at sea. Its ability to dive hundreds of meters down, keep warm in icy waters, and run on land, can all be explained through its unique internal anatomy. They are joined by zookeeper and sea lion trainer Mae Betts, who adds insight into the intelligence of these sleek marine mammals. Co-Presenters: Ben Garrod and Jess French Executive Producer: Adrian Washbourne Producer: Ella Hubber Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Ben Garrod and Jess French get under the skin (and blubber) of the California sea lion. Explorations in the world of science.