The Infinite Monkey Cage

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by mathematicians Hannah Fry and Alex Bellos, psychologist Richard Wiseman and games enthusiast Helen Zaltzman, to get their top tips for winning games and solving puzzles. Do mathematicians make better Poker players, or is psychology the key to the ultimate poker face? Will a knowledge of probability give you the ultimate winning strategy for your next game of Monopoly? (the answer is yes!). How old are the oldest puzzles and why do they involve wolves and cabbages? And how have puzzles involving wolves, cabbages and bridges resulted in the development of whole new branches of mathematics.

PRODUCER: Alexandra Feachem.

Physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE take a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science.Former cosmologist DARA O'BRIAIN and Dr ALICE ROBERTS join physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE for a witty, irreverant and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science.

They'll be asking why so many comedians seem to start life as scientists, and begin their quest to put science at the heart of popular culture.

Robin visits the archives of one of his all-time science heroes and Brian tackles his personal mission to put science back at the heart of the political agenda.

Former cosmologist Dara O'Briain joins physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE for a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science.

Former cosmologist Dara O'Briain and Dr ALICE ROBERTS join physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE for a witty, irreverant and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science. They'll be asking why so many comedians seem to start life as scientists, and begin their quest to put science at the heart of popular culture.

Robin and Brian are joined by alien abduction expert JON RONSON and SETH SHOSTACK from the SETI Institute in California to discuss science conspiracies, UFOs and the search for ET.

Series in which physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE take a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science.

Physicist turned comedian BEN MILLER joins Brian and Robin to discuss quantum physics, and if astrology really shares its roots with more scientific pursuits.

They also discuss the largest scientific experiment ever undertaken, currently storming ahead in a large underground tunnel just outside Geneva.

Physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE take a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science.

Physicist turned comedian BEN MILLER joins Brian and Robin to discuss quantum physics, and if astrology really shares its roots with more scientific pursuits. They also discuss the largest scientific experiment ever undertaken, currently storming ahead in a large underground tunnel just outside Geneva.

Ben Miller joins Brian Cox and Robin Ince to talk physics, comedy and astrology.

Robin and Brian are joined by VICTOR STOCK, Dean of Guildford Cathedral, and science journalist ADAM RUTHERFORD for a special Christmas edition of the programme.

Adam explains why religion really could be good for your health, and can Victor convert Robin and Brian in time for the festive season?

Physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE take a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world accoring to science.

Robin and Brian are joined by VICTOR STOCK, Dean of Guildford Cathedral, and science journalist ADAM RUTHERFORD for a special Christmas edition of the programme. Adam explains why religion really could be good for your health, and can Victor convert Robin and Brian in time for the festive season?

Physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince take a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science.

Physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE return for a new series of Radio 4's witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science. In a special programme recorded as part of this year's Cheltenham Science Festival, Brian and Robin are joined by special guests BEN MILLER and ROBERT WINSTON to explore the choppy waters of science and fame. Are we are entering a golden age of science popularity? Is there a genuine interest in the wonder of science and is science the real star or is it simply being dumbed down as a result of our celebrity obsessed culture? They'll be asking whether science needs to be popular and whether this new wave of enthusiasm has any real impact on science policy, or the quality of science being done in this country. Has science finally found the S Factor?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE continue their witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science.

Brian and Robin are joined by special guests Ben Goldacre and comedian DAVE GORMAN to discuss the notion of trust in science. Why are people prepared to believe in magic and pseudoscience rather than empirical evidence, and does it matter? Science often appears open ended and evolving, a reason to mistrust it, especially when it can feel like we are bombarded with so much contradictory information. So is the scientific method the only way to truly test if something works, and why should we trust the scientists over alternative practitioners who many people would argue have helped them more than anything that comes out of a laboratory.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Trust me I'm a Scientist:

Physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE continue their witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science. Brian and Robin are joined by special guests Ben Goldacre and comedian DAVE GORMAN to discuss the notion of trust in science. Why are people prepared to believe in magic and pseudoscience rather than empirical evidence, and does it matter? Science often appears open ended and evolving, a reason to mistrust it, especially when it can feel like we are bombarded with so much contradictory information. So is the scientific method the only way to truly test if something works, and why should we trust the scientists over alternative practitioners who many people would argue have helped them more than anything that comes out of a laboratory.

In a special science fiction themed programme, recorded in front of an audience at London's Southbank Centre, Brian, Robin and guests discuss multiple dimensions, alternate universes and look at whether science fact is far more outrageous than anything Hollywood or science fiction authors could ever come up with.

JONATHAN ROSS, graphic novelist ALAN MOORE and string theorist Brian Greene on sci-fi.

Special guests JONATHAN ROSS, graphic novelist ALAN MOORE and string theorist Brian Greene, join BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE on stage for a special edition of the science show that boldly goes where no other science show has been before. In a special science fiction themed programme, recorded in front of an audience at London's Southbank Centre, Brian, Robin and guests discuss multiple dimensions, alternate universes and look at whether science fact is far more outrageous than anything Hollywood or science fiction authors could ever come up with.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

AKA Science Fact And Science Fiction

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Will the latest advances in biomedical sciences ever lead us to the perfect body?

In the first episode of the series, Brian and Robin are joined by comedian Andy Hamilton to discuss some of the wackier apocalyptic theories, as well as those more grounded in science fact. Did the Mayans know something that we didn't with their prediction of global annihilation in 2012, or should we be focusing our energies and scientific know-how on some of the more likely scenarios, from near earth asteroids, through to climate change and deadly pandemics, or even the more long term possibilities of our sun burning out....although we have got roughly another 5 billion years to ponder the challenge of that problem.

Recorded in front of an audience at the Drill Hall in London.

Physicist BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE return for the third series of the witty, irreverent science show. In the first episode of the series, Brian and Robin are joined by comedian ANDY HAMILTON to discuss some of the wackier apocalyptic theories, as well as those more grounded in science fact. Did the Mayans know something that we didn't with their prediction of global annihilation in 2012, or should we be focusing our energies and scientific know-how on some of the more likely scenarios, from near earth asteroids, through to climate change and deadly pandemics, or even the more long term possibilities of our sun burning out....although we have got roughly another 5 billion years to ponder the challenge of that problem. Recorded in front of an audience at the Drill Hall in London.

ANDY HAMILTON, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discus the science behind any future apocalypse.

Andy Hamilton, Brian Cox and Robin Ince discuss the science behind any future apocalypse.

Physicist BRIAN COX, comedian ROBIN INCE and guests return for more witty irreverent science chat. This week they are joined by comedian and former mathematician PAUL FOOT to discuss whether the modern world is a force for good or evil, and whether a simpler, more natural existence might be a better way forward.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX, ROBIN INCE and PAUL FOOT ask if the modern world is a force for good or evil.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian TIM MINCHIN to talk randomness and chance.

Physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince are joined by the Australian comedian and musician Tim Minchin and mathematician Alex Bellos to discuss randomness, probability and chance. They look at whether coincidences are far more common than one might think and how a mathematical approach can make even the most unpredictable situations... well, predictable.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by ALEXEI SAYLE when they ask Is Philosophy Dead?.

This week the Infinite Monkeys will be asking what don't we know, do we know what we don't know, does science know what it doesn't know, and are there some things that science will never be able to know? Joining them on stage for this brain twister and to discuss whether any of us actually know anything at all, are the comedian PAUL FOOT, biologist Professor STEVE JONES and cosmologist and science writer MARCUS CHOWN

Professor BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE return for a new series of the witty, irreverent science/comedy show. This week the Infinite Monkeys will be asking what don't we know, do we know what we don't know, does science know what it doesn't know, and are there some things that science will never be able to know? Joining them on stage for this brain twister and to discuss whether any of us actually know anything at all, are the comedian PAUL FOOT, biologist Professor STEVE JONES and cosmologist and science writer MARCUS CHOWN.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Brian and Robin look at how the concept of 6 degrees has influenced a whole new field of science and whether, in this age of social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook, we are in fact, far more connected than ever before.

We also find out what Robin's Bacon number is.

Whether Brian has an Erdos number, and whether, like RUSSELL CROWE, any of the panel have successfully managed to combine the two.

The Infinite Monkeys, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE, are joined on stage by special guest STEPHEN FRY and science writer SIMON SINGH to find out whether we really are only 6 degrees of separation from anyone else? What started as an interesting psychology experiment in connectedness, back in the 1960's, has not only taken on a life of its own in popular culture, but in the last 10 years has begun to influence everything from mathematics, to engineering and even biology. Brian and Robin look at how the concept of 6 degrees has influenced a whole new field of science and whether, in this age of social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook, we are in fact, far more connected than ever before. We also find out what Robin's Bacon number is. Whether Brian has an Erdos number, and whether, like RUSSELL CROWE, any of the panel have successfully managed to combine the two.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

STEPHEN FRY joins BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE to talk about six degrees of separation.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX are joined by comedian HELEN KEEN (It is Rocket Science) and space medicine expert Dr KEVIN FONG, to discuss the future of human space travel. As NASA's space shuttle program comes to a close, what does the future hold in terms of humans bid to leave the confines of earth, and what has human space travel provided in terms of scientific understanding back at home? BRIAN COX acknowledges the importance of the Apollo moon landings in inspiring him, and many like him, to take up careers in science - so what will the next big scientific inspiration be?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discuss the future of human space travel.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX are joined on stage by V for Vendetta author and legendary comic book writer ALAN MOORE, cosmologist Ed Copeland, and science broadcaster Dallas Campbell to ask whether Cosmology is really a science? Do scientific theories need to be testable to make them, well - scientific? And if so, where does that leave some of the more mind-bending theories that Cosmology has postulated over the last few years? From String Theory to the idea of multiple universes, the maths might work, but if there is no way of observing whether it is correct, is it science or science fiction? Does Cosmology have more in common with the fantastical stories dreamt up by fiction writers such as ALAN MOORE, and will science ever progress enough to really get to the bottom of some of the more weird and wonderful theories about the way our universe works? This programme was recorded as part of the Cheltenham Science Festival.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

Robin Ince, Brian Cox and guests debate whether Cosmology is really a science?

Radio 4's award winning science/comedy show hits Glastonbury to prove that science really is the new rock n roll. Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by musicians Billy Bragg and Graham Coxon, comedian Shappi Khorsandi, and scientist Professor Tony Ryan to bring their own brand of rationality and reason to Glastonbury's most hardened new-age followers.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX take the Infinite Monkey Cage to Glastonbury.

ROBIN INCE, BRIAN COX and guests put science up against the supernatural.

What's The North Ever Done For Us?

The Infinite Monkeys, ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX, return for a new series of irreverent science chatter with a host of special guests. In the first of the new series, they're on BRIAN COX's home territory for a recording at the University of Manchester. They're joined by impressionist JON CULSHAW, physicist Jeff Forshaw and biologist MATTHEW COBB to look at just a few of the amazing scientific achievements that Manchester has given the world, from Rutherford splitting the atom through to last year's Nobel Prize for Physics. And if you listen closely, a few other well known voices may also appear to have snuck onto the panel...who knew that even ALAN CARR has an opinion on the Higgs Boson.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Back for a new series, Robin Ince and Brian Cox are joined by impressionist Jon Culshaw.

The Infinite Monkeys, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE, are joined on stage by Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, and comedian and theology graduate KATY BRAND to look at how science is portrayed in the press and whether opinion is ever as valid as evidence. Occasionally accused of lack of balance by lovers of astrology and the supernatural, the unashamedly rational and evidence loving duo tackle the issue of balance head on. Does the media skew scientific debate by giving too much weight to public opinion over the scientific evidence? Do important science messages get lost because scientists don't engage enough with seemingly irrational concerns and beliefs? A witty irreverent look at some of the issues surrounding the public's perception of science and how it's reported in the media.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Presenters: ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX

Guests: KATY BRAND and Sir Paul Nurse.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX are joined inside the Infinite Monkey Cage by rationalist comedian and musician TIM MINCHIN, science broadcaster and biologist ADAM RUTHERFORD and biochemist Professor NICK LANE to discuss the science of creation and the latest theories about the origins of life.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Presenters: ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX head north for the second time this series, and take residence for one episode in the BBC Philharmonic's headquarters to talk about the science of sound.

They are joined by the University of Salford's acoustic expert Professor TREVOR COX, neuroscientist Professor CHRIS PLACK and comedian and former acoustics student TOM WRIGGLESWORTH to talk about all things noise related.

With some musical accompaniment, they'll be discussing why some sounds sound nice and some sound horrible.

Why certain sounds are noise and others are literally music to our ears, and whether specific sounds can trigger specific emotions.

But perhaps the biggest question of all is, are there any clues in the chord sequences to D:Ream's hit Things can only get better that made it the perfect soundscape for to a political leadership campaign?maybe that's something that even science can't answer!

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX head north for the second time this series, and take residence for one episode in the BBC Philharmonic's headquarters to talk about the science of sound. They are joined by the University of Salford's acoustic expert Professor TREVOR COX, neuroscientist Professor CHRIS PLACK and comedian and former acoustics student TOM WRIGGLESWORTH to talk about all things noise related. With some musical accompaniment, they'll be discussing why some sounds sound nice and some sound horrible. Why certain sounds are noise and others are literally music to our ears, and whether specific sounds can trigger specific emotions. But perhaps the biggest question of all is, are there any clues in the chord sequences to D:Ream's hit Things can only get better that made it the perfect soundscape for to a political leadership campaign?maybe that's something that even science can't answer!

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Presenters: ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX.

Robin Ince and Brian Cox discuss the science of sound with Tom Wrigglesworth.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX give the chemists a chance to fight back as they stage the ultimate battle of the sciences to find out, once and for all, whether all science is really just physics..and whether chemistry is, as Brian puts it the social science of molecules.

Joining Brian in the physics corner will be comedian and ex-physicist Dara O'Briain, and trading punches for the chemists will be Professor ANDREA SELLA and monkey cage regular Professor TONY RYAN.

Referee ROBIN INCE will be ringside to make sure its a clean fight and there's no hitting below the belt.

Ding ding

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX give the chemists a chance to fight back as they stage the ultimate battle of the sciences to find out, once and for all, whether all science is really just physics..and whether chemistry is, as Brian puts it the social science of molecules. Joining Brian in the physics corner will be comedian and ex-physicist Dara O'Briain, and trading punches for the chemists will be Professor ANDREA SELLA and monkey cage regular Professor TONY RYAN. Referee ROBIN INCE will be ringside to make sure its a clean fight and there's no hitting below the belt. Ding ding

The Infinite Monkeys ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX are in a festive mood as they discuss the science of Christmas with special guests biologist RICHARD DAWKINS, actor and writer MARK GATISS and science journalist Roger Highfield.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Robin Ince and Brian Cox discuss Christmas with Richard Dawkins and Mark Gatiss.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE return for a new series of the award-winning science/comedy show, as they take a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science. In today's programme they'll be looking down rather than up as they consider the great mysteries that still remain uncovered in the watery depths of our oceans and asking whether they are truly the last unexplored frontiers for science. It has often be said that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about much of what lies beneath the ocean waves, so how come we know so little about the vast majority of our own planet? They'll be joined on stage by comedian DAVE GORMAN, British Antarctic Survey scientist Lloyd Peck and Bramley Murton from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.

Future guests in upcoming programmes include MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE, AL MURRAY, ANDY HAMILTON and comic book legend ALAN MOORE.

Presenters: ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take to the stage at this year's Cheltenham Science Festival to discuss science mavericks. They are joined by comedian MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE, medic and broadcaster Dr KEVIN FONG, evolutionary biologist Aoife McLysaght and Nobel Laureate Professor Barry Marshall. Marshall, an Australian physician, famously experimented on himself to prove his theory that a bacterium was responsible for most peptic ulcers. He drank the bacterium he suspected was the cause, and as a result reversed decades of medical doctrine. He and the rest of the panel discuss the role of mavericks in science, how new theories get accepted and whether you have to go to such extreme lengths to truly push the frontiers of our scientific understanding.

Presenters: ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Marcus Brigstocke joins Brian Cox and Robin Ince to discuss the role of science mavericks.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Debating the advantages and disadvantages of being really huge, or extremely small.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

The Monkeys and guests discuss why symmetry seems such a pervasive phenomenon.

The Monkeys discuss symmetry with Marcus Du Sautoy, Alan Moore and Adam Rutherford.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE stretch the cage of infinite proportions this week to encompass not just our own universe, but any others that might be lurking out there as well. They'll be joined by QI creator JOHN LLOYD, the Astronomer Royal, Professor Sir Martin Rees, and solar scientist Dr Lucie Green to talk about one of the most tantalising ideas of cosmology, that of parallel universes. Are we inhabiting a universe that is just one of a possibly infinite number of others and how would we ever know? Is this an idea that is destined to remain one of the great scientific thought experiments, and a staple of science fiction, or will science ever progress enough to truly put the idea of multiverses to the test.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Brian Cox, Robin Ince and guests look at one of the most tantalising ideas of cosmology.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE transport the cage of infinite proportions, to the slightly more confined space of the Latitude Comedy Arena. They will be joined on stage by a panel of guests, including AL MURRAY, for a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science. Given Latitude's artistic, musical and literary credentials, they'll be taking a huge risk by staging the ultimate show down, as they pitch Art against Science and ask which has more to offer and whether the two cultures might ever make a happy union. To help them battle it out, and alongside comedian AL MURRAY, they'll be joined by cosmologist Andrew Pontzen, comedian and actor SARA PASCOE and CERN scientist Jonathan Butterworth. Let battle commence!

Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Presenters: Robin Ince and Brian Cox.

Brian and Robin are joined by Patrick Stewart, Ben Miller and Monica Grady.

Brian and Robin are joined by PATRICK STEWART, BEN MILLER and MONICA GRADY.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Presenters: ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discuss some of the more unlikely and odd avenues of research travelled down in the name of science. For example, the British physicist who calculated the optimal way to dunk a biscuit into a cup of tea without it disintegrating too quickly. Or the brain researchers who demonstrated that they could detect meaningful brain activity... in a dead salmon. All these academics share something in common, not just a slightly quirky application of the scientific method. They have also been a recipient of the now infamous Ig Nobel prizes, awarded each year as a parody of the Nobel Prize, to research that seems at first glance, entirely improbable, and possibly pointless. Robin and Brian are joined on stage by the organiser of the Ig Nobels, Marc Abrahams, comedian KATY BRAND and biologist Professor MATTHEW COBB, from the University of Manchester, to ask whether all scientific exploration is valid, no matter how ridiculous it may seem at first glance, or whether there is genuinely something to be learned from observations that to many, may seem pointless.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Presenters: ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX are joined on stage by comedian DAVE GORMAN, author and Enigma Machine owner SIMON SINGH and Bletchley Park expert Dr SUE BLACK as they discuss secret science, code-breaking and the extraordinary achievements of the team working at Bletchley during WW II.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX are joined on stage by comedian DAVE GORMAN, author and Enigma Machine owner SIMON SINGH and Bletchley Park enthusiast Dr SUE BLACK as they discuss secret science, code-breaking and the extraordinary achievements of the team working at Bletchley during WWII.

Will science ever understand the human mind?

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian and former psychiatric nurse, JO BRAND, and neuroscientists Sophie Scott and Brian Butterworth. With ever more sensitive brain scanning techniques and advances in brain science, how close are we to understanding the inner workings of the human mind - or is this a quest that still remains in the hands of the philosophers?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Presenters: ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX

Will science ever understand the human mind? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian and former psychiatric nurse, Jo Brand, and neuroscientists Sophie Scott and Brian Butterworth. With ever more sensitive brain scanning techniques and advances in brain science, how close are we to understanding the inner workings of the human mind - or is this a quest that still remains in the hands of the philosophers?

Unnatural.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by guests ED BYRNE, ADAM RUTHERFORD and PHILIP BALL to talk about science's quest to create life. From the medieval alchemists' recipe for creating an homunculus through to IVF, cloning and the current cutting edge science working on creating artificial DNA, the quest to create life is an age-old one, but with modern scientific techniques now a reality. Viewed by many as deeply suspicious, even heretical, creation of life is one of the key ideas that generates distrust in science, but is this fair and are we really entering a brave new world where life is no longer in nature's hands.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Presenters: BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE get into the Christmas spirit as they look at the science of christmas behaviour with Actor/writer MARK GATISS, geneticist STEVE JONES, psychologist RICHARD WISEMAN and emeritus Dean of Guildford Cathedral VICTOR STOCK.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince get into the Christmas spirit as they look at the science of Christmas behaviour with actor and writer Mark Gatiss, geneticist Steve Jones, psychologist Richard Wiseman and emeritus Dean of Guildford Cathedral Victor Stock.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince celebrate Christmas with Mark Gatiss and Steve Jones.

In the first of a new series of the award winning science/comedy series, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian KATY BRAND, biochemist NICK LANE and forensic anthropologist SUE BLACK to discuss why death is such an inevitable feature of a living planet. As well as revisiting such weighty scientific issues, such as when can a strawberry, be truly declared to be dead, they'll also explore the scientific process of death, its evolutionary purpose and whether it is scientifically possibly to avoid it all together.

'What Is Death?'

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE transport their cage of infinite proportions to the Glastonbury Festival as they take to the stage with their special brand of science and comedy. They are joined by singer KT Tunstall and physicists Fay Dowker and Jeff Forshaw to discuss all things Quantum, in the most unlikely of places!

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by actor and space enthusiast BRIAN BLESSED, Director of Virgin Galactic Stephen Attenborough and space medicine expert Dr KEVIN FONG to talk about the possibilities of space exploration for mere mortals. Is travel beyond our own planet the reserve of highly trained astronauts and cosmonauts, or are we about to see a new era of space travel, where a round trip to the moon is not beyond the grasp of many ordinary members of the public, and is it a good idea?

What Makes a Science a Science?

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by Bad Science' author Ben Goldacre, neuroscientist Sophie Scott and broadcaster EVAN DAVIS to ask what makes a science, a science. They'll be asking whether the scientific method can be applied to topics such as history and politics, and whether subjects like economics and social sciences qualify as science at all.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discuss the life and works of ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE, the lesser known co-founder of the theory of evolution by natural selection. They are joined on stage by biologists STEVE JONES and Aoife McLysaght and comedian TONY LAW to ask whether Wallace is the great unsung hero of biology and why it was Darwin who seems to have walked away with all the glory.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE transport their infinite cage to the more finite proportions of London's Science Museum to discuss wonder in science, and why children seem to have it, but too many of us lose it as adults. Joining them on stage are comedian JOSIE LONG, US astrophysicist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Science Museum Ian Blatchford and author and historian RICHARD HOLMES. There's also a special performance by comedian and rap artist DOC BROWN, in tribute to his childhood hero.

Professor BRIAN COX and comedian ROBIN INCE bring their witty and irreverent take on the world to a programme all about the science of risk. Together with Guests DAVID SPIEGELHALTER, SUE ION and former Goodie, GRAEME GARDEN, the team explores such questions as: why is seven the safest age to be? Should badgers wear bicycle helmets? How safe is nuclear power and how worried should we be by the threat of asteroid impact?

The Infinite Monkey Cage returns in the first of a new series and turns its gaze on the science of risk.

Professor Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince bring their witty and irreverent take on the world to a programme all about the science of risk. Together with guests David Spiegelhalter, Sue Ion and former Goodie, Graeme Garden, the team explores such questions as: why is seven the safest age to be? Should badgers wear bicycle helmets? How safe is nuclear power and how worried should we be by the threat of asteroid impact? Producer: Rami Tzabar.

A witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the science of perception.

This week, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE attempt to walk through the doors of perception. On the way, they'll encounter the nature of consciousness, the secret messages hidden in pop songs, the problem of objectivity (it's subjective) and how time appears to warp. This week's guests are psychologist and presenter of Radio 4's All in the Mind, CLAUDIA HAMMOND, Neuroscientist BEAU LOTTO and the writer ALAN MOORE. Producer: RAMI TZABAR.

Science Rocks! This week, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are travelling back in time, to discuss when and how geology became a science, what the dinosaurs ever did for us and why cryptids, creatures of popular mythology, hold such fascination for those on the fringes of science. Joining the panel are paleobiologist Dave Martill, geologist and BBC broadcaster HERMIONE COCKBURN and the comedian ROSS NOBLE. Producer: RAMI TZABAR.

A witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world of fossils and geology.

Science Rocks! This week, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are travelling back in time, to discuss when and how geology became a science, what the dinosaurs ever did for us and why cryptids, creatures of popular mythology, hold such fascination for those on the fringes of science. Joining the panel are paleobiologist Dave Martill, geologist and BBC broadcaster HERMIONE COCKBURN, the comedian ROSS NOBLE and legendary actor, writer and performer, ERIC IDLE. Producer: RAMI TZABAR.

This week on the Infinite Monkey Cage, BRIAN COX, ROBIN INCE and guests explore the nature of numbers, the power of logic and the mathematics of everyday life. Producer: RAMI TZABAR.

AKA To Infinity And Beyond

This week on the Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedy producer John Lloyd, mathematician Colva Roney Dougal and writer Simon Singh, to explore the universality of mathematics, the nature of infinity and the role of numbers in everyday life. Producer: Rami Tzabar.

Brian and Robin explore mathematics, infinity and the role of numbers in everyday life.

This week, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE wonder if the world would be better off without spending an undue amount of time and energy trying to get giant pandas to mate and instead concentrated on saving species which let's face it, are a lot less cute but probably more important for the planet. Should we make a distinction between the organisms we want to save as opposed to those we need to save? The science and politics of biodiversity and conservation, explored and explained (sort of) with the help of SANDY KNAPP, SIMON WATT and comedian SARA PASCOE

This week, BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE wonder if the world would be better off without spending an undue amount of time and energy trying to get giant pandas to mate and instead concentrated on saving species which let's face it, are a lot less cute but probably more important for the planet. Should we make a distinction between the organisms we want to save as opposed to those we need to save? The science and politics of biodiversity and conservation, explored and explained (sort of) with the help of SANDY KNAPP, SIMON WATT and comedian SARA PASCOE. Producer: RAMI TZABAR.

A witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world of science communication.

Numbers, Numbers everywhere...

The Infinite Monkey Cage is back for a new series of witty, irreverent science chat. Over the coming six weeks, presenters BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE will be joined on stage by scientists and some well known science enthusiasts including STEPHEN FRY, ROSS NOBLE, KATY BRAND and BEN MILLER to discuss a range of topics, from what makes us uniquely human, to whether irrationality is, in fact, genetic.

In the first episode of the new series, Brian and Robin are joined by comedian and former maths undergraduate DAVE GORMAN, maths enthusiast and author ALEX BELLOS and number theorist Dr Vicky Neale to look at the joy to be found in numbers. Although many people fear maths and will admit to dreading any task that requires even basic skills of numeracy, the truth is that numbers really are everywhere and our relationship with them can, at times, be oddly emotional. Why do so many people have a favourite number, for example, and why is it most often the number 7? 7 is of course a prime number - a favourite amongst mathematicians and non-mathematicians alike, although seemingly for different reasons. Could it be however, as the panel discuss, that the reasons are not so very different, and that we are all closet mathematicians at heart?

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX are joined on stage by human and non-human ape experts Keith Jensen, Katie Slocombe and ROSS NOBLE to ask whether humans are truly unique amongst animal species. They'll be looking at why studying our nearest relative, the chimpanzee, could reveal clues as to how humans evolved some of the traits that make us stand out, such as language, culture and truly altruistic cooperation, or whether these are traits that are now being uncovered in our primate cousins. They'll also be revealing why a chimpanzee could be classified as far more rational than its human counterpart.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian KATY BRAND, science writer PHILIP BALL and medic, author and broadcaster KEVIN FONG. They'll be asking whether scientific progress needs the pressures and casualties of war to drive it, or whether some of our biggest scientific breakthroughs, that have resulted from periods of conflict, would have happened anyway? It's a serious topic, but never fear, on the way the intergalactic battles faced in Star Wars, and why only the French could come up with onions as a cure for burns, are all equally seriously investigated.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by STEPHEN FRY, ERIC IDLE, chemist and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield University, Professor TONY RYAN, and University of London solar scientist, Dr Lucie Green, as they ask: can science save us?' They'll be looking at some of the fantastic ideas at the very forefront of science and technology that are being looked at to help in tackling some of the biggest challenges facing our planet, from climate change, to feeding our ever expanding global population.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE transport the cage of infinite proportions, for the first of 2 programmes from the Edinburgh Festival. They are joined on stage by cosmologists Carlos Frenk and Faye Dowker and actor and comedian BEN MILLER and comedian and fellow physics PhD alumnus RICHARD VRANCH.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedians JOSIE LONG and PAUL FOOT, psychologist RICHARD WISEMAN and neuroscientist Stuart Ritchie to ask is irrationality genetic?'. The second of two programmes recorded at the Edinburgh Festival.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle the science of deception.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by naturalist Steve Backshall, zoologist Lucy Cooke and comedian ANDY HAMILTON as they battle it out to decide which creature wins the title of earth's most deadly. The panel reveal their own brave encounters with a host of venomous, toxic and just downright aggressive beasts, including the bullet ant, rated the most painful stinging insect on the planet, deadly tree frogs and snakes, sharks, scorpions and hippos. They ask whether our seemingly innate fear of snakes and spiders is justified, and whether the deadliest creature on the planet is in fact a human being.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian JO BRAND, planetary scientist Professor MONICA GRADY and NASA scientist Dr Carolyn Porco as they discuss some of the most exciting and technically ambitious explorations of our solar system. They'll be looking at the Rosetta mission that has, for the first time, landed a probe on a comet, and the Cassini-Huygens mission which is bringing us extraordinary information about Saturn and its moons, and what these explorations of the far reaches of our solar system might tell us about our own planet.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by Bad Science author, Ben Goldacre, Professor of Particle Physics at Manchester University, Jeff Forshaw, and comedian SARA PASCOE. They'll be looking at why quantum physics, in particular, seems to attract some of the more fringe elements of pseudoscience and alternative medicine, and whether there is anything about the frankly weird quantum behaviour of particles, like the ability to seemingly be in two places at once, that really can be applied to the human condition. When spiritual healers and gurus talk about our own quantum energy and the power of quantum healing, is it simply a metaphor, or is there more to this esoteric branch of science that we could all learn from?

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by botanist Professor Jane Langdale, physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili and comedian and former horticulture student ED BYRNE to ask, what's the point of plants?'. How would the evolution of life on our planet have differed without plants, and what would our planet look like today? Most crucially that seemingly dull but necessary process of photosynthesis that we all learned about in school, is in fact one of the most important processes in our universe, and as usual it seems, the physicists are trying to take credit for it. Could there be a quantum explanation for how this amazing reaction works, and if so, are plants in fact the perfect quantum computers?

BRIAN COX, ROBIN INCE and guests ask, 'What's the point of plants?'.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by plant biologist Professor Jane Langdale, physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili and comedian and former horticulture student Ed Byrne to ask, 'what's the point of plants?'. How would the evolution of life on our planet have differed without plants, and what would our planet look like today? Most crucially that seemingly dull but necessary process of photosynthesis that we all learned about in school, is in fact one of the most important processes in our universe, and as usual it seems, the physicists are trying to take credit for it. Could there be a quantum explanation for how this amazing reaction works, and if so, are plants in fact the perfect quantum computers?

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian Lee Mack, science author and journalist Simon Singh and chemist Professor Andrea Sella to look at how many of our biggest science discoveries seem to have come about by accident. From Viagra to Pyrex to the discovery of the Cosmic Background Microwave Radiation, the earliest remnant of the big bang, they all owe their discovery to a healthy dose of luck and accident as scientists stumbled across them in the course of looking for something else. So are these discoveries just luck, are they still deserving of Nobel prizes and scientific glory, or is serendipity and an open scientific mind key to exploring and understanding our universe?

Brian Cox and Robin Ince look at some of the most serendipitous discoveries in science.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian Lee Mack, science author and journalist Simon Singh and chemist Professor Andrea Sella to look at how many of our biggest science discoveries seem to have come about by accident. From Viagra to Pyrex to the discovery of the Cosmic Background Microwave Radiation, the earliest remnant of the big bang, they all owe their discovery to a healthy dose of luck and accident as scientists stumbled across them in the course of looking for something else. So are these discoveries just luck, are they still deserving of Nobel prizes and scientific glory, or is serendipity and an open scientific mind key to exploring and understanding our universe?

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE look at some of the most serendipitous discoveries in science.

The Infinite Monkeys return for a new series, the first of which will see them head to the USA for their first live tour. This week BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE can be found on stage in New York asking the question, Is Science a Force for Good Or Evil? They are joined on stage by Bill Nye the Science Guy, cosmologist Janna Levin, actor Tim Daly and comedian Lisa Lampanelli.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE continue their tour of the USA, as they take to the stage in LA. They are joined by cosmologist and science advisor on movies such as Thor and Tron Legacy, Sean Carroll, comedian Joe Rogan, The Simpsons' writer and Executive Producer of Futurama, David X Cohen, and ERIC IDLE. They ask why so many movies now seem to employ a science advisor, whether scientific accuracy is really important when you are watching a film about a mythical norse god and whether science fact can actually be far more interesting than science fiction.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take to the stage in LA, as they continue their tour of the USA.

Fossil Records and other Archaeological Hits.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take to the stage in Chicago, Illinois, to discuss fossil records and evolution. They are joined on stage by host of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me' Peter Sagal, comedian and Saturday Night Live alumnus Julia Sweeney, palaeontologist Paul Sereno and evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take to the stage in San Francisco for the last of their USA specials. They talk alien visitations, UFOs and other close encounters with astronomer Dr SETH SHOSTACK, NASA scientist Dr Carolyn Porco, and comedians GREG PROOPS and Paul Provenza.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

The Need for Speed

The Monkey Cage returns from its tour of the USA, as BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take to the stage of the BBC Radio Theatre to look at the science of speed. They are joined by comedian and former motoring correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, ALEXEI SAYLE, Land Speed Record Holder Andy Green and Professor Danielle George from the University of Manchester. They'll be looking at the engineering challenges of creating the fastest vehicle on the planet, and whether the limits to human speed are engineering or the laws of physics themselves.

BRIAN COX, ROBIN INCE and guests look at the science of speed.

No dead strawberries this week, but plenty of dead bodies, as BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take a gruesome look at the science of death and some of the more unusual ways that forensic scientists are able to look for and gather clues and evidence. From insects that can be used to give a precise time of death, to the unusual field of forensic botany, It's not just DNA evidence that can be used to pinpoint someone to the scene of a crime. They are joined on stage by Professor SUE BLACK from the University of Dundee, Dr Mark Spencer, a forensic botanist at the Natural History Museum and comedian RUFUS HOUND

BRIAN COX, ROBIN INCE and guests take a forensic look at forensic science.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series of their award winning science/comedy show. Tonight the infinite monkey's are joined on stage by comedian Jo Brand, neuroscientist Anil Seth, and robotics expert Alan Winfield to discuss Artificial Intelligence. How close are we to creating a truly intelligent machine, how do we define intelligence anyway, and what are the moral and ethical issues that the development of intelligent machines might bring?

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

Brian and Robin talk artificial intelligence with JO BRAND, Anil Seth and Alan Winfield.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by SHAPPI KHORSANDI and ask 'What is race?'.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE head to Mosi in Manchester and look at the invisible universe.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by US superstar neuroscientist David Eagleman, Professor Sophie Scott and comedian Bridget Christie to ask what is reality? Is our sense of the world around us a completely personal experience and a construct of our brains? How can we ever know whether what one person perceives is exactly the same as what another person perceives. Is your sense of the world around you an illusion constructed by this extraordinary organ, the brain, that has no direct access to the outside world that it is helping you to understand.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE ask, 'What is reality?'.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE get romantic as they discuss the mathematics of love.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by guests DARA O BRIAIN, Professor TONY RYAN and Dr GABRIELLE WALKER to discuss the ever-hot topic of climate change. They take a forensic look at the evidence that the climate is indeed changing, how we know that we are responsible, and what can be done to stop it. The scientific willing may be there, but is the political will finally catching up?

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Brian Cox and Robin Ince take to the stage at Glastonbury Music Festival. They are joined by comedian Matt Kirshen, musicians KT Tunstall and Nitin Sawhney and scientists Lucy Cooke and Trevor Cox. No Julie Andrews for this special edition of the long running science/comedy show, although music does take centre stage as the panel discuss the evolution and science of why and how humans are programmed to love everything from the Rolling Stones to Rap to Rachmaninoff. They'll also be looking at whether there are any examples of music in the animal kingdom and whether gorillas really hum.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE kick off the new series at the Glastonbury Music Festival.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince ask what ingredients you need to build a universe? They are joined on stage by comedian and former Science Museum explainer, Rufus Hound, chemist Andrea Sella and solar scientist Lucie Green, as they discuss the basis of all school chemistry lessons, the periodic table. They discover how the elements we learnt about at school are the building blocks that make up everything from humans to planet earth to the universe itself. They were formed in stars and during the big bang. The history of the discovery of the periodic table and the elements is a wonderful tale of genuine scientific exploration that has changed our understanding of where we come from and how life and the universe that we know came to be. The panel also ponder which element they might choose if they were building a universe from scratch and the audience suggest which elements they would remove from the periodic table if given the chance?

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE ask what ingredients it takes to build a universe.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by Professor RUSSELL FOSTER, Professor RICHARD WISEMAN and comedian KATY BRAND as they attempt to get to grips with the science behind Robin's insomnia. They'll be asking why we sleep, is 8 hours really enough, and why has every creature on the planet evolved with some period of inactivity? They'll also be investigating the purpose of dreams and whether analysing them has any useful purpose? Was Freud right with his symbolic interpretation of dreams, or if we dream about aggressive courgettes, does this reveal our inner most anxieties about.... aggressive courgettes?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by Professor Sophie Scott, Professor STEVE JONES and comedian SARA PASCOE. They will be tackling the age old battle of the sexes, and asking whether men really are from Mars, and women really are from Venus? Probably not, according to Brian as Venus is too hot! Moving on from the pedantry of physics, they'll be asking whether the divide between men and women is based on a fundamental difference in our genetics, in our brain function, or is it all down to our upbringing. Let the battle commence.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE mark the 200th anniversary of MARY SHELLEY's Frankenstein. They are joined on stage by NOEL FIELDING, evolutionary biologist NICK LANE and writer and expert in popular culture, Sir CHRISTOPHER FRAYLING. They'll be looking at the cultural impact of this epic novel, and the long lasting impact it has had on the perception of science and scientists. They'll also be looking at the real science behind some of the ideas about life and the creation of life that MARY SHELLEY explored.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take to the stage at the Blue Dot Festival, at the home of Radio Astronomy, Jodrell Bank. They are joined on stage by BEN MILLER, CHARLOTTE CHURCH, Dr Paul Abel and Professor Tim O'Brien to explore the big questions that are still to be answered about our Universe.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Robin Ince and Brian Cox return for a new series. They are joined on stage, at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, by comedian Russell Kane, physicist Helen Czerski and engineer Danielle George as they discuss the science to be discovered in everyday life. They discover how the humble cup of tea displays fundamental laws of nature that also govern our climate. How dropping raisins in a bottle of lemonade reveal how the Titanic sunk, and a robot orchestra, created from household objects, plays some familiar tunes.

PRODUCER: Alexandra Feachem.

ROBIN INCE and BRIAN COX look at the laws of nature that govern your everyday life.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by mathematicians HANNAH FRY and ALEX BELLOS, psychologist RICHARD WISEMAN and games enthusiast HELEN ZALTZMAN, to get their top tips for winning games and solving puzzles. Do mathematicians make better Poker players, or is psychology the key to the ultimate poker face? Will a knowledge of probability give you the ultimate winning strategy for your next game of Monopoly? (the answer is yes!). How old are the oldest puzzles and why do they involve wolves and cabbages? And how have puzzles involving wolves, cabbages and bridges resulted in the development of whole new branches of mathematics.

PRODUCER: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by actor and comedian Rufus Hound, Professor Alice Roberts and Dr Adam Rutherford to discuss some of the great scientific failures, and mistakes made by some very well known scientists. They look at how some of the greatest scientific thinkers of all time, from Darwin to Einstein, got key elements of their own theories wrong, or in the case of others, followed a path of understanding that would later be completely disproved. They discuss why failure in science is no bad thing, and ask whether getting it wrong, is a fundamental part of the scientific method, and should in fact be applied to many other areas of life.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Andy Hamilton, Professor Jon Copley and marine biologist Helen Scales, as they look at the riches still remaining to be discovered deep within our oceans. The deep ocean remains the last great unexplored frontier of our planet, and as Brian and Robin discover, what we might find there could provide us with some extraordinary insights and applications. We've only just begun to touch the surface, literally, in terms of identifying and learning about the huge and varied life forms that live in our oceans -from the microbes that could inspire and generate new drugs to fight antibiotic resistant diseases, to the deep sea snails with iron clad shells, that may lead to the development of new super-strong materials. Even the humble limpet is providing inspiration to material scientists and engineers: the limpets' teeth, it turns out, are made from the strongest natural substance on the planet.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX, ROBIN INCE and guest RUFUS HOUND look at some of science's epic fails.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by ANDY HAMILTON, Professor Jon Copley and marine biologist Helen Scales, as they look at the riches still remaining to be discovered deep within our oceans. The deep ocean remains the last great unexplored frontier of our planet, and as Brian and Robin discover, what we might find there could provide us with some extraordinary insights and applications. We've only just begun to touch the surface, literally, in terms of identifying and learning about the huge and varied life forms that live in our oceans -from the microbes that could inspire and generate new drugs to fight antibiotic resistant diseases, to the deep sea snails with iron clad shells, that may lead to the development of new super-strong materials. Even the humble limpet is providing inspiration to material scientists and engineers: the limpets' teeth, it turns out, are made from the strongest natural substance on the planet.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Ross Noble, Professor Danielle Schreve and Professor Chris Stringer as they look at the tricky job of piecing together the history of modern humans and how we came to be here. They look back to the earliest known human ancestors and the fossils and tools that have allowed us to paint the picture of our journey out of Africa, to become the last surviving human species on the planet. They ask why we have gone from more than 5 or 6 species of humans some 200,000 years ago, to just 1 today. They also look at how discoveries made in just the last 5 years have completely transformed our understanding of human history and what new DNA technology has revealed about our ancient past. They also reveal what surprising tropical animal remains have been found buried deep under Trafalgar Square.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Katy Brand, Cosmologist Prof Carlos Frenk, and biologist Prof Matthew Cobb to discover how to make the seemingly invisible, visible. They look at how the history and development of the telescope and the microscope have allowed us to look at the impossibly big to the seemingly impossibly small, to gain insight into the history of our universe and the inner workings of the human body. They look at how radio and space telescopes have allowed us to look back in time and 'see' the big bang, and understand the age and content of the early universe, and how space telescopes have thrown light on the mysterious substance known as dark matter. They also look at the way microscopes and new biological techniques have allowed us to understand the seemingly invisible processes going on inside our cells. They also ask what, if anything, will always remain invisible to us - are there some processes or concepts that are impossible for us to 'see'.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian ROSS NOBLE, Professor Danielle Schreve and Professor Chris Stringer as they look at the tricky job of piecing together the history of modern humans and how we came to be here. They look back to the earliest known human ancestors and the fossils and tools that have allowed us to paint the picture of our journey out of Africa, to become the last surviving human species on the planet. They ask why we have gone from more than 5 or 6 species of humans some 200,000 years ago, to just 1 today. They also look at how discoveries made in just the last 5 years have completely transformed our understanding of human history and what new DNA technology has revealed about our ancient past. They also reveal what surprising tropical animal remains have been found buried deep under Trafalgar Square.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian KATY BRAND, Cosmologist Prof Carlos Frenk, and biologist Prof MATTHEW COBB to discover how to make the seemingly invisible, visible. They look at how the history and development of the telescope and the microscope have allowed us to look at the impossibly big to the seemingly impossibly small, to gain insight into the history of our universe and the inner workings of the human body. They look at how radio and space telescopes have allowed us to look back in time and see' the big bang, and understand the age and content of the early universe, and how space telescopes have thrown light on the mysterious substance known as dark matter. They also look at the way microscopes and new biological techniques have allowed us to understand the seemingly invisible processes going on inside our cells. They also ask what, if anything, will always remain invisible to us - are there some processes or concepts that are impossible for us to 'see'.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discover how science can make the invisible visible.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

What Particles Remain to be Discovered?

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE return for a new series of the hugely popular, multi-award winning science/comedy show. Over the series a variety of scientists and comedy science enthusiasts will take to the stage to discuss everything from the glory of insects to whether free will is just an illusion. They'll be joined by the usual eclectic selection of guests over the series, including comedian SARA PASCOE, DANE BAPTISTE, KATY BRAND and ERIC IDLE, as well as astronauts Sandra Magnus and Apollo astronaut and moon walker Charlie Duke, for a space traveller special.

The first show will see Python legend and Monkey Cage theme tune creator ERIC IDLE take to the stage alongside physicists Jonathan Butterworth and Catherine Heymans to ask what particles remain to be discovered?. They'll be looking at life beyond the Higgs Boson and asking whether a new, as yet undetected particle could answer arguably the greatest question in physics and finally uncover the mysterious unknown elements that make up the 95% of our Universe that are known as Dark Matter and Dark Energy.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE transport the cage to Trondheim Norway, host of this year's Starmus Festival, for an extraordinary gathering of astronauts. They are joined on stage by NASA astronauts Sandra Magnus and Terry Virts, ESA astronaut Claude Nicollier, and Apollo 16's Charlie Duke, one of the last people to have walked on the moon. They talk about their personal journeys to fulfill their long-held dreams, and literally reach for the stars. They hear from Charlie Duke about the extraordinary Apollo missions he was part of, including his role as Capsule Communicator for the very first moon landing, before taking his own first steps on the lunar surface as part of Apollo 16. They explore the different experience of astronauts from Charlie's era, and those who now become residents of space, spending months and months aboard the International Space Station, and the challenges each mission brings. And Claude Nicollier describes his epic spacewalk to repair the Hubble Telescope.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by chemist ANDREA SELLA, science broadcaster and writer GABRIELLE WALKER and comedian SARA PASCOE to look at the life and death properties of oxygen. It's the molecule we simply can't live without, but as fate would have it, oxygen is also the molecule that eventually leads to our death. Hailed as an elixir of life, and foundation of the atmosphere, oxygen is the revolutionary element that quickens life and hastens death through its ferocious reactivity. It's the molecule our cells need, but is actually highly toxic to them, and is in the end what causes us to age. Brian and Robin get to grips with the chemistry of this contradictory molecule, and ANDREA SELLA tries not to cause too big an explosion by demonstrating oxygen's reactive nature using a digestive biscuit.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian DAVE GORMAN, zoologist Tim Cockerill and forensic entomologist Amoret Whitaker. They'll be discovering the joy of creepy crawlies, why the flea is the ultimate master of Darwinian evolution, and whether those pesky cockroaches will really have the last laugh if we are unlucky enough to be wiped out by a nuclear explosion. They'll be discovering how and why insects have been by far the most successful group of organisms during the history of life on planet earth, and why we simply couldn't do without them.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Elon Musk thinks we definitely could be, and it seems he is not alone. The idea that we might simply be products of an advanced post-human civilisation, that are simply running a simulation of our universe and everything it contains, has taken hold over the last few years. BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian PHILL JUPITUS, Philosopher Professor NICK BOSTROM and Neuroscientist Professor Anil Seth to ask what the chances are that are living in some Matrix like, simulated world and more importantly, how would we ever know?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

It's one of the hardest problems in neuroscience. How do the chemical processes and electric signals produced by our brains result in the complex and varied experiences and sense of self that we might describe as our mind? BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian KATY BRAND, and neuroscientists Professor Uta Frith and Professor Sophie Scott to ask whether the mind is simply a product of the biology of our brain, or is there more to it than that? Can you have a brain without a mind, and is the mind simply an unexpected consequence, an emergent property, of our highly evolved and sophisticated brain. They'll also be tackling the question of free will, and whether we really have any, and if you could in theory simulate a fully working brain, with all its signals and complexity, would a mind naturally emerge?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian Dara O'Briain, Professor Sheila Rowan of Glasgow University and Professor Nils Andersson of Southampton University to look at last summer's spectacular discovery of gravitational waves from two colliding neutron stars. The observation of this huge cosmic event not only confirmed one of Einstein's great predictions, some 100 years ago, but also revealed the source of gold in our universe. Brian, Robin and guests look at how this momentous discovery brought together nearly 1/3 of the world's astronomers and astrophysicists as they raced to point their telescopes at the collision, but also confirmed the presence of gravitational waves, first predicted in Einstein's theory of general relativity back in 1915. They also discover why the source of our heavier elements such as gold and platinum has been so difficult to prove, until now.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

The Infinite Monkey Cage book How to Build A Universe (Part 1) is out now and available to buy from all the usual places.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by guests including KATY BRAND, Steve Backshall and Professor Tim Birkhead to uncover the secret life of birds. They'll be looking at some of the extraordinary and cunning behaviour exhibited by many species of birds, both male and female, in an effort to attract a mate. They also get a special visit from Brann the Raven, who takes to the stage to demonstrate just how intelligent some species of birds can be.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Chris Addison, Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, and Professor Martha Clokie to look at the history and future for antibiotics.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

The Teenage Brain

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by impressionist RORY BREMNER, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Professor of Zoology at Manchester University MATTHEW COBB to look at the working of the teenage brain, and why teenagers are so, well, teenagery. Stomping off to your bedroom, being embarrassed by your parents, wanting to fit in with your peers and a love of risky behaviour are all well known traits associated with our teenage years, exasperating parents through the ages. But new research into dynamic changes going on in the brain during these key years has revealed that it's not just hormones that are responsible for these behaviours. Could a better understanding of what is going on during these formative years not only help teenagers themselves, but inform our education system and even help prevent many of the mental health problems that often begin during adolescence?

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian RUFUS HOUND, Zoologist and broadcaster Lucy Cooke and Professor Rory Wilson to discover how we learn about what animals are up to when we are not looking, and some of the hilarious mistakes we've made in the process of discovery. They'll be hearing about why the sex life of eels has remained so enigmatic, how the mystery of the wandering albatross has been solved, and why making underwear for frogs finally solved the riddle of how babies are made.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian JO BRAND and Volcano experts Professor Tamsin Mather and Professor Clive Oppenheimer. They look at the very latest technology that is used to predict the next big volcanic eruption, as well as the history and importance of volcanoes and volcanic activity on our planet.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

Monkey Cage 100!

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE celebrate the 100th episode of the hit science/comedy show, by inviting some very well known monkey cage alumni to join them. BRIAN BLESSED, ERIC IDLE, KATY BRAND, DAVE GORMAN and ANDY HAMILTON (to name a few) take to the stage to consider what has been learnt since Episode 1, back in November 2009. Joining them on stage, will be science royalty, including ALICE ROBERTS, American Astrophysicist Neil De Grasse Tyson, Professor SUE BLACK and Prof Fay Dowker, to look at the big scientific discoveries that have happened in the time since Brian and Robin first hit the airwaves, from the Higgs Boson, to Gravitational Waves, to our understanding of how human evolved. What epic discoveries might be made over the course of the next 100 episodes?

For the first time, You can watch the 100th episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage, recorded live in the iconic BBC Radio Theatre, on BBC iPlayer for 30 days from Wednesday July 11th, and on the BBC Red Button at various times for 7 days from Monday 16th July.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Producer (Vision): Michael Gray.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by DANNY WALLACE, mathematician HANNAH FRY and science writer Timandra Harkness. They'll be going big on Big Data, and asking just how big is it? They'll be looking at where Big Data comes from, should we be worried about it, and what mysteries are hidden within the seemingly endless amounts of information that is collected about us as we go about our daily lives.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian PHILL JUPITUS, bat expert and ecologist Professor Kate Jones and forensic botanist Dr Mark Spencer to look at the problems caused by alien invasions, although not of the little green men kind. They look at why such innocent and innocuous sounding plants such as floating pennywort strike terror and fear in the heart of environmentalists up and down the country, and how clever microbes and diseases are able to jump from animals such as bats to humans causing devastating consequences.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

The Immune System

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian SHAPPI KHORSANDI, Prof Dan Davis and Prof STEVE JONES to look at our amazingly complex and clever immune system. They look at how the human body fights disease, and why it has been so little understood until now. Fear not though, a new revolution in understanding is underway, with some extraordinary insights into the cunning of our little white cells. The panel look at how this new understanding is already leading to some real breakthroughs in treatment for diseases such as cancer, and Shappi reveals the crucial role she played in one such discovery.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian and beatboxer Beardyman, acoustic engineer Prof TREVOR COX and neuroscientist Prof Sophie Scott to explore the amazing capabilities of the human voice. They chat about chatting, vocalise about voices and explore the extraordinary and unique way the human voice works from opera singing to laughter, and discovery why our voice has been so key to our success and survival as a species.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

The Code Breakers

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian KATY BRAND, as they transport the cage of infinite proportions to the home of modern day cryptography and codebreaking., GCHQ. They'll be discovering how far we've come from the days of the humble code book and the birth of machines like Enigma. and how the new digital era has turned us all into modern day code breakers and cryptographers, without us even realising it.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE return for a new series. This week ED BYRNE joins the panel.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by CHRIS ADDISON to discuss the future of humanity.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by mathematician Dr Hannah Fry, comedian Matt Parker and neuroscientist Prof Brian Butterworth to ask where numbers come from and can fish count? They'll be looking at the origin of numbers and whether counting is a uniquely human trait that actually started before the evolution of language.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Hannah Fry to look at the origin of numbers

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by mathematician Dr HANNAH FRY, comedian Matt Parker and neuroscientist Prof Brian Butterworth to ask where numbers come from and can fish count? They'll be looking at the origin of numbers and whether counting is a uniquely human trait that actually started before the evolution of language.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by HANNAH FRY to look at the origin of numbers

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE ask whether human beings are still evolving?

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE learn how to build a bionic human.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian JO BRAND, and physicists Prof Jo Dunkley and Dr Adam Masters to look at how we go about measuring our universe, from measuring the contents of atmospheres of planets and moons at the outer edges of our solar system to looking far back in time to study the very earliest beginnings of the cosmos. Our ability to learn about phenomena and worlds that seem almost impossibly out of reach, now give us an incredible insight into the universe we occupy, and how we got here. Brian and Robin find out about some of the big new missions providing information into our own solar system and beyond, and find out what big questions in cosmology still remain a tantalising challenge?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE explore how we measure the universe.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian JO BRAND, and physicists Prof Jo Dunkley and Dr Adam Masters to look at how we go about measuring our universe: From measuring the contents of atmospheres of planets and moons at the outer edges of our solar system, to looking far back in time to study the very earliest beginnings of the cosmos. Our ability to learn about phenomena and worlds that seems almost impossibly out of reach, now give us an incredible insight into the universe we occupy, and how we got here. Brian and Robin find out about some of the big new missions providing information into our own solar system and beyond, and find out what big questions in cosmology still remain a tantalising challenge?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE return to chat dinosaurs with, amongst others, RUFUS HOUND.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian and author DANNY WALLACE, Ornithologist Professor Tim Birkhead and marine biologist Helen Scales to look at animal intelligence. We have all heard about clever chimps that can count, and the comparisons between the great apes and human intelligence - but have we underestimated many of the other animal species? It would seem so, with remarkable examples of cunning, smart behaviour from animals as diverse as birds, octopuses and even fish. So how do you test a guppies IQ and can a crow really outsmart a gorilla, or even a human...prepare to be amazed.

Producer ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discuss intelligent creatures from clever crows to cunning squid.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian and author DANNY WALLACE, ornithologist Professor Tim Birkhead and marine biologist Helen Scales to look at animal intelligence. We have all heard about clever chimps that can count, and about how we can compare the intelligence of humans and the great apes - but have we underestimated many of the other animal species? It would seem so, with remarkable examples of cunning, smart behaviour from animals as diverse as birds, octopuses and even fish. So how do you test a guppies IQ and can a crow really outsmart a gorilla, or even a human...prepare to be amazed.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE have a sleepy look at the science of dreaming.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

How well do you know your Fe from your Cu, and what the heck is Np?? BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian KATY BRAND, Prof Polly Arnold and Prof ANDREA SELLA to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Dmitri Mendeleev's great achievement. They find out how scientists first realised that the elements that form the ingredients that make up our planet , are able to be organised in such a logical and ordered way, and whether its still a useful tool today. They also discover why one of the guests has been called the Free Solo equivalent of chemists because of the skill and danger involved in their work.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX, ROBIN INCE and guests celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by astronauts Tim Peake and Helen Sharman and comedian MARK STEEL for a Brits in Space Special. Tim and Helen talk about their differing experiences of training to be an astronaut and the challenges of life in space. They also look to the future as the panel talk about the differing challenges being considered for long term space flight with planned future missions to the Moon and ultimately Mars.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by British Astronauts Tim Peake and Helen Sharman

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by astronaut and author of The Astronaut Selection Test Book, Tim Peake, first British astronaut Helen Sharman and comedian MARK STEEL for a Brits in Space Special. Tim and Helen talk about their different experiences of training to be an astronaut and the challenges of life in space. They also look to the future as the panel talk about the various options being considered for long term space flight with planned future missions to the Moon and ultimately Mars.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE return for a new series of science/comedy chat. They are joined on stage, appropriately enough, by comedian FRANK SKINNER, as they look at the science of what makes us laugh, why we laugh at all, and whether humour and laughter are uniquely human traits. Joining the panel are experts in what makes us chuckle, Prof Sophie Scott and Professor RICHARD WISEMAN. They look at why laughter is not only an ancient human trait that goes a long way to making us the social animal we are today, but that rats and apes also enjoy a good chuckle. They discover whether science can come up with the perfect joke and why a joke with the punchline quack is funnier than one with the punchline moo.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by FRANK SKINNER to discuss the science of laughter.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by SHAZIA MIRZA as they discuss Conspiracy Theories.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE and marine biologists Professor Callum Roberts and Dr Heather Koldewey as they look at the amazing creatures that create and colonise coral reefs. Just 2 microscopic organisms are responsible for the creation of these incredible structures, structures so huge that they can be seen from outer-space. Brian, Robin and the panel talk about the vital yet delicate relationship between the coral polyp and and its tiny plant lodger, how they evolved to be so co-dependent, and how this unique partnership has lead to some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They also look at the very real threat to our planets reefs as our oceans warm, and what, if anything can be done.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE to talk about the magic of Coral

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined on stage by comedian MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE and marine biologists Professor Callum Roberts and Dr Heather Koldewey as they look at the amazing creatures that create and colonise coral reefs. Just two microscopic organisms are responsible for the creation of these incredible structures, structures so huge that they can be seen from outer-space. Brian, Robin and the panel talk about the vital yet delicate relationship between the coral polyp and and its tiny plant lodger, how they evolved to be so co-dependent, and how this unique partnership has lead to some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They also look at the very real threat to our planet's reefs as our oceans warm, and what, if anything can be done.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian ED BYRNE, forensic chemist Niamh Nic Daeid and biologist ADAM RUTHERFORD, as they explore the science of fire and how it has impacted the evolution of life on earth. They also look at whether controlling fire is a uniquely human trait and how other species have evolved to use fire to their advantage.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by ED BYRNE to look at the science of fire.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE enter the bizarre world of Quantum Physics

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

This episode is also available to watch, so you can see our truly out of this world panel in full technicolour glory. Just look for The Infinite Monkey Cage UFO TV Special on BBC iplayer.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE investigate alien and UFO sightings.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Conan O'Brien to look at the amazing human brain.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince ask what is life?

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are back for new series, for now at least, as they take an upbeat look at all the different ways our Universe might end. They are joined by legendary comedians Steve Martin and ERIC IDLE, alongside astrophysicist Katie Mack and cosmologist Brian Greene, to find out which end the panel might prefer. Will we go with the Big Rip or possibly the Big Crunch, or even death by giant bubble that expands so rapidly it wipes out our universe almost instantly? On that cheery note the panel vote for their favourite apocalyptic ending and wonder what they might be doing and what they hope to have achieved when the final moment comes.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE look at the weird and wacky world of black holes as they ask a question that has been troubling scientists for years: What happens if you push MATT LUCAS into a black hole? They are joined by the very game MATT LUCAS, alongside cosmologist Sean Carroll and astrophysicist Janna Levin to discover just how strange things might get for our intrepid volunteer, as he ventures into the interior of a black hole. From holograms to spagettification. it turns out science fact is far more bizarre than anything that science fiction could possibly imagine.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE look at what science can reveal about human history, from space.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by 4 amazing space explorers in an astronaut special

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take a dazzling look at the science of the sun.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE look back at 60 years of chimpanzee research with Jane Goodall

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

A timely look at the question of time and hopefully just in time...

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE ask whether time is simply an illusion?

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by Conan O'Brien to look at the amazing human brain.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE ask what is life?

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discover why flies should be celebrated, not swatted.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discover the importance of the night sky to human history and how our relationship with the stars has changed over the centuries. They are joined by star-gazer JON CULSHAW, astronaut Tim Peake, astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith and astronomy writer Stuart Clark as they chart the changing nature of our relationship with the sky above us. They discuss ancient cave paintings depicting Orion's belt, the astronomical revolution that came with our understanding of how planets orbit the Sun, and how astronauts like Tim who have touched the sky have seen the stars in a totally unique way. Has our ever expanding knowledge about the stars twinkling above us removed some of the magic, or have modern missions and the incredible images of space we now see brought us closer, quite literally, to the sky above us?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discover how our relationship with the night sky has changed.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by hominids ALAN DAVIES, Neanderthal expert and author Rebecca Wragg Sykes, and Paleontologist and Woolly Mammoth expert Tori Herridge and learn just how misunderstood our ancestors have been. The image of the lumbering, ape like, simple, grunting neanderthal has been turned on its head with the discovery that we are far more related to Neanderthals then we ever thought possible. Nearly all Europeans will have around 2% Neanderthal DNA, and the revelation of widespread interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans has turned the idea of our exceptionalism on its head. It seems that what defines us, may have defined the Neanderthals as well, and we are not so different after all.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE explore the extraordinary lives of the Neanderthals.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE don chef's hats and aprons to look at the science of cooking.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE explore the fundamentals of reality.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by Nobel prize winning physicist Frank Wilczek, cosmologist Janna Levin, and comedians ERIC IDLE and SARA PASCOE to look at what physics has revealed about the reality of our universe. From Einstein's equations more than 100 years ago through to the amazing discoveries we've made in the last few years about black holes and gravitational waves, the universe we think we see is not necessarily the true fundamental reality that physics has uncovered. What is real and what is not? All will be revealed.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE look at the history of rock. Not Pink Floyd... actual rock.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Joining them for this unusual version of animal Top Trumps are a bat expert (Prof Kate Jones), a fly expert (Dr Erica McAlister) and Dave Gorman. Pitching arguably two of the least-lovable groups of creatures against each other, the battle for victory explores why we should favour flies or find bats beautiful. Although both are much maligned thanks to their association with some nasty diseases, Erica and Kate battle furiously to show why their respective species should be loved not loathed and how our planet would simply not be the same without them. Dave Gorman joins the panel in an attempt to help adjudicate.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series of the hit science/comedy show.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE kick of the new series by tackling one of the greatest questions ever posed by science: which are better, bats or flies? Joining them for this unusual version of animal top trumps are a bat expert (Prof Kate Jones) , a fly expert (Dr Erica Mcalister) and DAVE GORMAN. Pitching arguably two of the least lovable groups of creatures against each other, the battle for victory explores why we should favour flies or find bats beautiful. Although both are much maligned thanks to their association with some nasty diseases, Erica and Kate battle furiously to show why their respective species should be loved not loathed and how our planet would simply not be the same without them. DAVE GORMAN joins the panel in an attempt to help adjudicate.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE travel deep below the ocean waves to discover what lies beneath.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discover how trees talk to each other using the Wood Wide Web

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by Ted Lasso's Brendan Hunt, Professor of forest ecology and author of 'The Mother Tree', Suzanne Simard and botanist Mark Spencer to discover how trees and plants communicate and what they are saying. Suzanne's incredible discovery that trees form a wood wide web of communication has changed our entire understanding of forests and how they work. With the help of amazing fungi, this incredible network of communication allows the trees and plants in a forest to pass information backwards and forwards to help protect themselves against predators and optimize resource. Incredibly, this could even be viewed as a form of intelligence. Brian and Robin find out how this should change the way we look at all plants, and in particular how we manage our forests and discover some of the secrets of those whispering trees.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Suzanne Simard, Mark Spencer and Ted Lasso's Brendan Hunt to discover the incredible conversations going on deep in our forests.

BRIAN COX throws ROBIN INCE into a black hole to see what happens next.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE look back at Earth with some truly out of this world guests.

Joining them for this unusual version of animal Top Trumps are a bat expert (Prof Kate Jones), a fly expert (Dr Erica McAlister) and Dave Gorman. Pitching arguably two of the least-lovable groups of creatures against each other, the battle for victory explores why we should favour flies or find bats beautiful. Although both are much maligned thanks to their association with some nasty diseases, Erica and Kate battle furiously to show why their respective species should be loved not loathed and how our planet would simply not be the same without them. Dave Gorman joins the panel in an attempt to help adjudicate.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by ALAN DAVIES as they delve inside the human brain.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE are joined by comedian SARA PASCOE to get a unique maths lesson.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE wonder what we have learnt from Covid?

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE visit Nasa's JPL with comedian Conan O'Brien.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discuss the hunt for elusive planets outside our solar system.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discover whether ageing could really be cured?

Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle the thorny issue of their own differing experiences of ageing, as they find out why Robin seems to be doing it so much more quickly than Brian and whether science might have the answer. They are joined by comedian Sarah Kendall, Professor Dame Linda Partridge, world-renowned expert on the biology of ageing, and Dr Andrew Steele, author of 'Ageless: The new science of getting older without getting old.' Can the scientists answer the age-old monkey cage question of why Robin looks so much older than Brian despite being several years younger? Is it all the donuts he ate in his twenties or is down to his genes? Why do any of us age at all, and is there a biological limit to human lifespan. Most tantalisingly, they discover how the latest science into the biology of ageing could produce medicine that could slow down some of the ageing processes in the body, and in the process prevent many of the diseases, such as cancer and dementia, that can make old age so challenging. With these new advances comes the exciting prospect of not only living longer, but more importantly living healthier and happier and free of disease well into our hundreds.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discover if we are living in a golden-age for conspiracy theories

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian and author David Baddiel, psychologist Prof Karen Douglas, biologist Prof Matthew Cobb and philosopher Dr Timotheus Vermeulen to discover why conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists seem to be booming. From flat earthers to moon hoaxers and holocaust deniers, is there something about society today that encourages beliefs that seem to go against all evidence and reason? Or are conspiracies just part of the human condition, and each to their own? Why do some of these alarming theories seem to hold more truth for many than overwhelming data and evidence to the contrary, and how far should we go in accommodating views that seem to have no basis in reality?

Producer: Caroline Steel

Executiver Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE take the monkey cage to Australia to visit the Deep Space Network

Producer: Caroline Steel

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE find out what science tells us about wine.

Producer: Caroline Steel

Brian Cox and Robin Ince look up at the stars of the southern hemisphere.

Producer: Caroline Steel

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about Australia's scariest creatures: spiders.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince end their Australian science adventure with an episode all about spiders. They are joined by ecologists Dieter Hochuli and Mariella Herberstein and comedian Claire Hooper. They learn about the strange physiology of spiders, including skin shedding, weaving sperm webs and having hundreds of babies at once. They find out exactly how spiders copulate - a process full of surprises - from males having two penises to females cannibalizing the males once the deed is done. Dieter comes to the defence of spiders: despite their deadly venom, they haven't killed anyone in Australia in over fifty years. Perhaps they aren't deserving of their fierce reputation after all.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince apply mathematical thinking to everyday problems.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Jo Brand, mathematicians Prof Hannah Fry and Dr Eugenia Cheng, and xkcd webcomic creator Randall Munroe to discover how thinking like a mathematician could solve some tricky everyday conundrums. From the optimal strategy to finding your true love, to how to fix a wonky table in the pub, thinking like a mathematician can help you in some very unlikely situations. They discover how mathematical thinking can help answer some truly out of this world questions as well: how much soup would it take to fill the solar system? What would happen if you shrank Jupiter to the size of a house? Not problems we'd encounter in everyday life maybe, but all questions sent to Randall Munroe for his 'What If?' series of books. At first glance the questions may seem impossible, but, as it turns out, maths and physics can provide an answer to these headscratchers, as the panel discover.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince invent Infinite Monkey Cluedo and try to plot the perfect crime.

Producer: Caroline Steel

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE discover the limits of human endurance.

Producer: Caroline Steel

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the materials that we couldn't live without.

You might think materials are a bit boring and inconsequential but without them we would still be living in the stone age. Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by material scientists Mark Miadownik and Anna Ploszajski and comedian Ed Byrne to discover the life changing materials that are hidden in plain sight. Which materials have made us human? Which materials do we completely depend on? And how will materials shape our future?

If you're in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Producer: Adrian Washbourne

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Harry Hill to look at diet and nutrition.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince examine their own diets and the diet fads of the past to ask what we should actually be eating. They are joined by Dr Chris van Tulleken, Professor Janet Cade and comedian Harry Hill to discuss the nutritional merits, or lack thereof, of everything from sausages to strawberries, and discover whether our obsession with low fat, low sugar or low carb diets have any scientific basis. They discuss our increased dependence on ultra-processed foods and what this means for our health, and whether eating one calorie of a chocolate bar is really the same as eating one calorie of a stick of celery.

New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

If you're in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Producer: Caroline Steel

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out if we should be worried about supervolcanoes

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out if supervolcanoes are worth worrying about. They are joined by volcanologist Tamsin Mather, geologist Chris Jackson and comedian Rachel Parris. They learn about the worst eruptions of all time, including the eruption that may have sparked the French Revolution. They find out what volcanologists like Tamsin are doing to monitor supervolcanoes and if volcanologists do predict an impending eruption, is there anything we can do about it?

New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Producer: Caroline Steel

Which species is 'better': bees or wasps? Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out.

New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Producer: Caroline Steel

Brian Cox and Robin Ince discover the magic of mushrooms.

New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Producer: Caroline Steel

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the surprising behaviour of sharks.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the apex predators of the ocean. They are joined by physiological ecologist Lucy Hawkes, shark scientist Isla Hodgson and naturalist Steve Backshall. They learn about the surprising social behaviours of sharks, how they reproduce and exactly how long they have been around for - they're even older than dinosaurs! Brian and Robin hear about Steve's experience of diving with over 100 species of shark. Is their reputation as cold blooded killers accurate?

New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Brian Cox and Robin Ince look at the amazing story of the discovery of King Richard III.

New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Producer: Caroline Steel

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about mysterious dust from space.

New episodes released Wednesdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the magical world of the octopus.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince uncover the mysterious and alien-like lives of octopuses with the help of comedian Russel Kane and octopus experts Dr Tim Lamont and Dr Amy Courtney.

If Aliens really are amongst us, the most likely candidates may not be little green men, but living in plain sight, just below our ocean waves, in the form of the mysterious and awe-inspiringly clever Octopus. Scientists are only just discovering the amazing intelligence of these elegant and highly unusual creatures that seem to have evolved in a completely different way to nearly any other creature on the planet. Brian and Robin are joined by marine biologist Dr Tim Lamont, Neuroscientist Dr Amy Courtney and comedian Russel Kane to uncover just how clever these mysterious creatures are, how they've evolved intelligence in an entirely unique way and whether 8 brains, as well as 8 legs are really better than 1. The panel also discover the alarming truth about the unique sex lives of the octopus - lets just say it doesn't end well for at least one of the participants.

New episodes released Wednesdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the science of coincidence and being lucky.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince reveal the maths behind luck and coincidence with comedian Sophie Duker, and mathematicians Marcus Du Sautoy and David Speigelhalter.

New episodes released Wednesdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Brian Cox and Robin Ince worry about how worried we should be about AI.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Rufus Hound, Hannah Fry and Kate Devlin to discuss the new world of AI and our changing relationship with the digital world.

Brian and Robin (the real ones) are joined by mathematician Prof Hannah Fry, compute scientist Dr Kate Devlin and comedian Rufus Hound to discuss the pros and cons of AI. Just how intelligent is the most intelligent AI? Will our phones soon be smarter than us – will we fail a Turing test while our phone passes it? Will we have AI therapists, doctors, lawyers, carers or even politicians? How will the increasing ubiquity of AI systems change our society and our relationships with each other? Could radio presenters of hit science/comedy shows soon be replaced with wittier, smarter AI versions that know more about particle physics... surely not!

New episodes released Wednesdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage first on BBC Sounds: BBC.in/3K3JzyF

Brian Cox and Robin Ince discover why size really matters if you want to avoid extinction.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Dave Gorman, Susie Maidment and Tori Herridge as they pitch big creatures v small creatures in the battle for survival.

Brian and Robin are joined by palaeontologist Dr Susie Maidment, evolutionary biologist Dr Tori Herridge and comedian Dave Gorman to pitch giant creatures against tiny creatures in their bid to avoid extinction. They explore the scale of life and ask why some organisms are large and some small and what the optimum size for successful survival is. From the prokaryotic cell to the grandest dinosaur, how does the modern synthesis explain the huge variation in scale, form and function? What are the advantages and disadvantages to being huge like the dinosaurs, or was it their size that really did them in, in the end?

Brian Cox and Robin Ince peer review Hollywood movies set in space.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by art director Paul Franklin and astronauts Tim Peake, Nicole Stott and Susan Kilrain to check the fiction v reality of some great space films.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are challenged by Jo Brand to explain Quantum physics.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince hand over control of monkey cage to comedian Jo Brand, who challenges the panel to help her understand the bizarre world of Quantum Physics.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are subject to a non-hostile takeover by comedian and non-physicist Jo Brand, as she challenges the panel to help her understand the almost unbelievable world of cheeky particles who may or may not be in several places at once. To help Jo get to grips with the bizarre and strange world of our quantum universe, Brian and Robin are joined by theoretical physicist Prof Ben Allanach from the University of Cambridge and cosmologist Prof Fay Dowker from Imperial College London, who introduce Jo to the weird and wonderful ways of quantum theory, dead and alive cats and multiverses.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince hand over control of the monkey cage to comedian Jo Brand, who challenges the panel to help her understand the bizarre world of quantum physics.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince team up with the Sky at Night team for some backyard astronomy.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Dara O Briain and the Sky at Night team for the ultimate science show mash-up and to discover all about astronomy from your own back garden.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince peel back the layers to explore mummification and the science of Ancient Egypt. They are joined by comedians Russel Kane, Lucy Porter and bio-medical Egyptologists Rosalie David and Lidija as they learn about the scientific techniques that are helping to uncover the lives of Ancient Egyptians, including that of a woman who died running away from an axe murderer. They find out that much of modern western medicine was built on the Ancient Egyptians sophisticated pharmacology, though they should probably avoid the treatment for migraines which involves being slapped in the head by a fish.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Brian Cox and Robin Ince unwrap the science of Egyptian mummies.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince unwrap the science of Egyptian mummies with comedians Russel Kane and Lucy Porter together and Egyptologists Rosalie David and Lidija McKnight.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince peel back the layers to explore mummification and the science of Ancient Egypt. They are joined by comedians Russel Kane, Lucy Porter and bio-medical Egyptologists Rosalie David and Lidija McKnight from the University of Manchester, as they learn about the scientific techniques that are helping to uncover the lives of Ancient Egyptians, including that of a woman who died running away from an axe murderer. They find out that much of modern western medicine was built on the Ancient Egyptians sophisticated pharmacology, though they should probably avoid the treatment for migraines which involves being slapped in the head by a fish.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince unwrap the science of Egyptian mummies with comedians Russel Kane and Lucy Porter as well as bio-medical Egyptologists Rosalie David and Lidija McKnight.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Brian Cox and Robin Ince conjure up scientific explanations for magical goings on.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the science of magic with comedian Alan Davies alongside 3 members of the magic circle: Richard Wiseman, Laura London and Gustav Kuhn.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Brian Cox and Robin Ince journey through the asteroid belt and beyond to chat space rocks.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince journey through the asteroid belt to discuss space rocks with comedian John Bishop, planetary scientist Sara Russell and astrophysicist Alan Fitzsimmons.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Brian Cox and Robin Ince unbottle the history of poison.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince unbottle the history of poison with comedian Hugh Dennis, chemist Andrea Sella and Agatha Christie aficionado and former chemist Kathryn Harkup.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Brian Cox and Robin Ince claw through the science to find out if cats are better than dogs

Brian Cox and Robin Ince battle it out in cats v dogs, joined by TV dragon Deborah Meaden, comedian David Baddiel and canine and feline experts Ben Garrod and Jess French.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Brian Cox and Robin Ince go to the Large Hadron Collider in search of the Higgs Boson

Brian Cox and Robin Ince search for the Higgs Boson with comedian Katy Brand, actor Ben Miller and physicists Tevong You and Clara Nellist.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince leaf through the latest tree science with Dame Judi Dench, Tony Kirkham and Tristan Gooley. Dame Judi Dench shares her great love for treekind and describes how over time she has come to create a small woodland in her garden and how meaningful that is for her. Tony Kirkham, former head of Kew Arboretum and Gardens, shares some of the amazing journeys he's been on to find unusual and rare trees around the world. Navigator Tristan Gooley has spent a lifetime learning how to read trees, he explains how nearly everything on a tree can provide clues into the environment around it and how elements like leaf shape and colour can help us to use trees as a compass to navigate our way.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince discuss the Wonder of Trees with Dame Judi Dench and guests.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince leaf through the latest tree science, shedding light on the wondrousness of trees, joined by guests Dame Judi Dench, Tony Kirkham and Tristan Gooley.

Dame Judi Dench, Tony Kirkham, Tristan Gooley

Brian Cox and Robin Ince, go past jail, climb a ladder and build a civilisation as they explore the science behind our favourite board games. Joining them in the library (or was it the conservatory?) is mathematician, Marcus du Sautoy who discusses the global history of games as well as his tips for winning at Monopoly. Joining him is games designer and play researcher Dave Neale who explains how key games are to developing a theory of mind alongside Jessica Fostekew, comedian and gaming enthusiast who admits to becoming a more ruthless gamer as time goes by.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince reveal the hidden science behind our favourite board games.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince throw the dice as they explore the maths and psychology behind our favourite board games with guests Marcus du Sautoy, Dave Neale and Jessica Fostekew.

Jess Fostekew, Marcus Du Sautoy, Dave Neale

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by special guests and put to the test by curious kids.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by special guests; Steve Backshall, Jess French and Adam Kay as their wits are put to the test by curious kids with questions about bodies.

Steve Bakshall, Jess French, Adam Kaye

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by special guests; Steve Bakshall, Jess French and Adam Kaye as their wits are put to the test by curious kids with questions about bodies.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by adventurer and naturalist Steve Backshall, veterinarian Jess French, and comedian and former doctor Adam Kay, as they are put to the test by an audience of curious children at Cheltenham Science Festival. We find out who would win in a battle between a shark and a crocodile (the answer involves a tennis court), why dogs don't sweat like humans, whether macrophages might help us overcome antibiotic resistance and if AI might one day enable us to understand and directly communicate with animals.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince venture to the home place of exploration in Porto, Portugal at the Explorers Club as they discuss science at the extremes of exploration. Joining them is volcanologist Jess Phoenix, astronaut Mike Massimino, astrobiologist and oceanographer Britney Schmidt as well as adventurer and broadcaster Anneka Rice. They discuss breaking robots under the Antarctic ice shelf, chasing after narco-traffickers to retrieve a rock hammer and how viewing the earth from the vantage point of space can profoundly influence how you feel about humanity.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by scientists working at the extremes of exploration.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by a volcanologist, an astrobiologist, an astronaut and a treasure hunter to discuss the frontiers of science exploration.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince talk hot air as they explore the pivotal role of gasses in our lives. Joining them to add some Co2 to the mix is material scientist Mark Miodownik, chemist Lucy Carpenter and comedian Dave Gorman. They discuss how humans came to even understand it existed in the first place as well as how many of the innovations in modern society have been underpinned by this mostly invisible and odourless substance. We laud the humble (or is it noble) gas and its key role in technological innovation - from using laughing gas in anaesthesia to the combustion engine and of course the most important of all, the power source behind squirty cream.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince diffuse themselves into the intriguing world of gasses

Brian Cox and Robin Ince talk hot air with special guests as they explore the pivotal role of gasses in our lives, from powering squirty cream to forming the protective ozone layer

Brian Cox and Robin Ince raid the archives of the Royal Society to reveal an unexpected history of science with guests Rufus Hound, Tori Herridge, Matthew Cobb and Keith Moore. Together they explore some of the surprising and wackiest scientific endeavours undertaken by early members of the Royal Society from the discovery of sperm to testing the insect repelling properties of unicorn horn. They hear how a beautiful book on fish almost scuppered Newton's Principia Mathematica and why a guide to the fauna of Switzerland ended up including depictions of dragons.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince raid the Royal Society's archives with Rufus Hound and guests.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince search for alien life at Glastonbury with Russell Kane and guests

Brian Cox and Robin Ince venture to Glastonbury Festival with Russell Kane, Lisa Kaltenegger and Chris Lintott to discuss the search for alien life and what it might be like.

As computers have shrunk from the size of rooms to fitting in our jacket pockets, our cyber sleuths explore the changing nature of cyber-attacks and defence. They decipher the fancy jargon abounding in cyber land, from trojan horses to phishing scams and reveal how prolific these attacks are on nation states, businesses and the public. From digital army battalions to teenage freelance hackers, the cyber-villains are multiple and varied. Our panel discusses the aims of these malevolent forces; from extorting money and holding valuable commercial data hostage to influencing people's electoral intent.

The panel explores how AI and quantum computing are supercharging cyberwarfare – but in good news, also cyber-defence. Alan Davies shares his susceptibility to being tricked online whilst our experts give some tips for staying safe online, and finally, Alan comes up with his surprising alter-ego hacking name.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince venture to Bletchley Park to decode cyberwarfare with Alan Davies

Brian Cox and Robin Ince mission to Bletchley Park with Alan Davies, Victoria Baines and Richard Benham to decode cyberwarfare and discuss its future.

Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem

[LISTEN NOW]

Producer: Melanie Brown

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince forage into the prickly lives of hedgehogs with Pam Ayres.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by hedgehog experts Hugh Warwick and Sophie Lund Rasmussen, and poet Pam Ayres to discuss perhaps the most beloved mammal of all - the hedgehog!

Exec Producer: Sasha Feachem

[LISTEN NOW]

Every culture has looked up at the night sky, but why are we so drawn to the pin pricks of light in the sky above us all and how have they helped shape human civilisation? Roberto Trotta takes us back to the origins of astronomy, to women who he believes were the first astronomers, linking the orbital period of the moon with the length of the menstrual cycle. We continue the historical journey, through the astronomical greats, Galileo, Copernicus and Kepler who all in part owe their scientific discoveries to the stars. Our panel marvel at how we, an infinitesimally small part of the universe, are able to look up at the stars and comprehend what is beyond and how this star-gazing has profoundly shaped our sense of selves as well as underpinned science as we know it.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince illuminate the story of the stars with John Bishop.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by John Bishop, Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Roberto Trotta, as they look up to consider a world with starless skies.

[LISTEN NOW]

Producer: Melanie Brown

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince investigate where babies come from!

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Sara Pascoe, and go back to basics to consider our cellular beginnings in the science of embryology.

[LISTEN NOW]

What makes stretchy things stretch? Together our panel journey through different applications of elastic materials and examine, at the molecular level, what happens when we stretch a material and crucially what causes it to return to its original shape. This is especially pertinent to our guest Olympic and British champion trampolinist Bryony Page who has capitalised on elasticity in her 24 year long career. We discover that the bounce of a trampoline mainly comes from the elasticity of steel and how dependent this is on temperature. Cold temperatures are not only treacherous for trampolines; we explore how the cold proved fatal to the elastic components of both the Titanic and the Challenger space shuttle.

Plus we hear how scientists sometimes just can't beat nature; natural rubber and spiders silk are two such cases. Anna Ploszajski takes us through some of the more inventive techniques scientists have engineered to produced more of these natural materials, including genetically engineering goats to be milked for silk.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince stretch into the science of elasticity with Olympian Bryony Page.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince expand their knowledge of elasticity with Olympic trampolinist Bryony Page, comedian Jessica Fostekew and experts Anna Ploszajski and James Busfield.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince expand their knowledge of elasticity with Olympian Bryony Page, comedian Jessica Fostekew & experts Dr Anna Ploszajski and Prof James Busfield from Queen Mary University of London.

[LISTEN NOW]

Extinction has played a significant role in shaping the life we see on Earth today. It is estimated around 95% of species to have ever existed are already extinct - but could any of these extinctions be reversed? Our panel explore the different methods being pursued in these resurrection quests, including back-breeding, cloning and genetic engineering. They take a close look at the case of the woolly mammoth and the suggestion they could be returned to the Arctic tundra. Some claim the mammoth is the key to ecosystem restoration, but our panel have some punchy opinions on whether this Jurassic Park fantasy is even ethical.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the mammoth topic of de-extinction.

[LISTEN NOW]

Producer: Melanie Brown

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince dissect the Royal society archives with Ed Byrne and guests.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince delve in the Royal Society archives unearthing the Unexpected History of the Body with Sir Mark Walport, Prof Helen King, Ed Byrne and Keith Moore.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince delve into the Royal Society archives unearthing the unexpected history of the body with Sir Mark Walport, Prof Helen King, Ed Byrne and Keith Moore.

[LISTEN NOW]

School children learn about the makeup of the earth with an image depicting the earth's core, mantle and crust layered neatly on top of each other, but is this an oversimplification? Our experts reveal that the earths innards are less uniform than we might think and mysteries still abound, including the makeup of some continental sized blobs deep inside the earth. We learn about the incredible heat and pressure as we descend and why that has limited how far humans have been able to explore these deep realms first-hand. We explore the chemistry of the interactions between the earth layers and how they influence the formation of continental plates and volcanoes. Phil has an existential crisis about falling inside gaps between the plates but is reassured his worries are unfounded as Ana explains the latest techniques being used to understand the world deep beneath us.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince dig deep to unveil the high-pressured world beneath our feet.

[LISTEN NOW]

Starting with the animal kingdom we probe the biological underpinnings of why organisms might act to help others at an energetic cost to themselves and where this fits alongside the theory of evolution. We explore how the development of human societies has necessitated altruistic behaviours and how these manifest in our modern lives. Matti introduces the idea of moral circles as we ask why are we more generous to some people than others. We explore how children feel about being kind to those close and far away with some surprising recent findings and finally consider what can encourage more altruistic behaviour.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are on their best behaviour as they explore altruism.

[LISTEN NOW]

From beautifully formed snowflakes to ice shelves in Antarctica, our guests discuss the fascinating science suspended in solid water and how much is still to be discovered. With the help of a gin and tonic they explore the properties of ice - like why it floats and how there are 20 phases of ice, three of which were accidentally discovered by our guest Christoph. Darren shares his respect and fear for ice having learnt to dance and ice-skate on it. Liz discusses how analysing deep ice can provide a window into our past climate whilst also helping us understand our present one and why penguins can be problematic. Polar explorer Felicity explains how being able to read the colours, shapes and sounds of the ice have helped to keep her alive as she's traversed the highly inhospitable (but also incredibly beautiful) polar regions.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince glide their way across the ice to crack into solid water.

Robin Ince and Brian Cox venture into the captivating and surprisingly mysterious realm of ice. Joining them on this cool adventure is former ice dancer Darren Harriot, glaciologist Liz Morris, polar explorer Felicity Aton and ice chemist Christoph Salzmann.

[LISTEN NOW]

It is not all about looks of course, but it is a significant factor in a first impression. Both Saturn and Jupiter score highly in this department, boasting magnificent icy rings and colourful stripes respectively. But what lies beneath their aesthetically pleasing exteriors? How do the planets compare on the inside?

The gas giants have been subjects of investigation for many years, with historic missions like Galileo and Cassini uncovering their secrets. But they aren't alone, each planet is surrounded by its own mini solar system of moons, which get space scientists just as excited as their parent planets do. Both Jupiter and Saturn have moons which are hot contenders in the search for extra-terrestrial life and our panel discuss the future plans to explore them.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Sasha Feachem

Researcher: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince referee the battle of the gas giants as Saturn takes on Jupiter.

[LISTEN NOW]

Plus, we run an audio experiment with our live audience who turn themselves into our in-house digital orchestra, with the help of their mobile phones. Now that lots of people have several devices that can play sound, new technology is harnessing this to create a more immersive experience – which (kind of) worked in our experiment!

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince play through the history of music recording and composition.

[LISTEN NOW]

The panel marvel at how evolution so often beats mathematicians to finding the most elegant solutions, after all, it's had millennia to experiment. How do trees achieve the optimal distribution of leaves and why are tortoise shells so geometrically exciting?

Plus we learn why the cheetah got its spots, thanks to the work of Thomas Woolley's mathematical hero, Alan Turing, how numbers can be more or less irrational, and why Dave Gorman has a vendetta against oblongs.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Exec Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Brian Cox and Robin Ince reveal the hidden codes behind the shapes we see in nature.

The panel marvel at how evolution so often beats mathematicians to finding the most elegant solutions, after all, it's had millennia to experiment. How do trees achieve the optimal distribution of leaves and why tortoise shells are so geometrically exciting?

Plus we learn why the cheetah got its spots, thanks to the work of Thomas Wolley's mathematical hero, Alan Turing, how numbers can be more or less irrational, and why Dave Gorman has a vendetta against oblongs.

[LISTEN NOW]

Mel Giedroyc is tunnelling into the world of engineering, asking how we build and operate trains under some of the world's busiest cities? Mel has found a new best friend in, Isabel Coman, Director of Engineering at Transport for London who is here to guide her through the particulars of subterranean transport systems.

Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and investor, is delving into the emotional lives of animals - do our furry, feathered, and scaly companions have feelings like grief in the way we do? Helping her to sniff out the science of animal emotions is Dr Liz Paul, a comparative psychologist from the University of Bristol.

Comedian Nish Kumar wants to know - are we totally screwed when it comes to climate change, or is there still hope? Helping him unpack tipping points, rising temperatures, and how we might turn the tide is climate scientist Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading.

Get ready for a landmark episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage celebrating our 201st show!

[LISTEN NOW]

Mel Giedroyc is tunnelling into the world of engineering, asking how we build and operate trains under some of the world's busiest cities? Mel has found a new best friend in, Isabel Coman, Director of Engineering at Transport for London, who is here to guide her through the particulars of subterranean transport systems.

Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and investor, is delving into the emotional lives of animals - do our furry, feathered, and scaly companions have feelings like grief in the way we do? Helping her to sniff out the science of animal emotions is Dr Liz Paul, a comparative psychologist from the University of Bristol.

Comedian Nish Kumar wants to know - are we totally screwed when it comes to climate change, or is there still hope? Helping him unpack tipping points, rising temperatures, and how we might turn the tide is climate scientist Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading.

Series Producer: Melanie Brown

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Get ready for a landmark episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage celebrating our 201st show!

[LISTEN NOW]

Joining them on the track are physiologist Dr Emma Ross, sports engineer Professor Steve Haake, Olympic rowing legend Helen Glover, and comedian Hugh Dennis - who's getting into gear and reliving his cycling adventures in the Pyrenees.

From muscle power and mental grit to high-tech training tools, the team dives into the science of champions. Can we engineer the ultimate competitor? And how do you get back to peak performance after becoming a parent? Helen Glover shares her inspiring story, while Hugh Dennis wonders if he's still got what it takes to get to the top.

Producer: Olivia Jani

Series Producer: Melanie Brown

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

BBC Studios Audio Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince jump into the science behind sporting greatness.

[LISTEN NOW]

In this illuminating episode Brian Cox and Robin Ince shine a spotlight on the fascinating science and history of light. From sun and circadian rhythms to the dazzling complexity of quantum, they explore how humans have understood and been influenced by light across time.

Joining them to shed light on the subject are physicist Dr Jess Wade, Neuroscientist Professor Russell Foster and comedian Bridget Christie. Together, they trace the story of light from early scientific theories to the cutting-edge research of today. Expect tales of light emitting eyes, the mystery of wave-particle duality and why Bridget thinks that if we had understood light better, we'd never have believed in ghosts!

Series Producer: Melanie Brown

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

BBC Studios Audio Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince illuminate the science and history of light.

[LISTEN NOW]

Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince flap into the fabulous world of Lepidoptera with Professor Jane Hill, Professor Chris Jiggins, and comedian Katy Brand. Together, they chase colourful wings through science and storytelling, uncovering epic insect migrations, the secrets behind dazzling wing patterns, and most importantly, why Katy has a butterfly tattoo on her arm!

Producer: Olivia Jani

Series Producer: Melanie Brown

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

BBC Studios Audio Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince adjudicate a fluttery face off!

[LISTEN NOW]

Are we bold pioneers venturing into the unknown, or just reckless tenants abandoning Earth in search of a new abode? Our panel discuss whether space settlement is inevitable in humanity's near future and how pushing the boundaries of space exploration could make extra-terrestrial travel more accessible to the masses. From sourcing materials, to surviving radiation, and even growing potatoes from poo, they tackle what it really would take to live a life beyond Earth!

Series Producer: Melanie Brown

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

BBC Studios Audio Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince launch into a cosmic controversy - should we settle in space?

[LISTEN NOW]

Together, the panel investigates how these modern artifacts could degrade over time to become the fossils of the future. From old smartphones buried in bedside drawers to sprawling landfill sites, they imagine how these remnants of the Anthropocene might puzzle future archaeologists—and speculate on what these researchers might infer about our technology, customs, and way of life.

Series Producer: Melanie Brown

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

BBC Studios Audio Production

Brian Cox & Robin Ince dig deep into the curious concept of technofossils.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince dig deep into the curious concept of technofossils.

[LISTEN NOW]

Chipping into the conversation are botanist Sandy Knapp, geneticist Glenn Bryan and potato passionate comedian Susan Calman.

Susan is astonished to learn that the potatoes lining our supermarket shelves all belong to a single species and once she discovered the rich diversity of wild potato species in South America, she's already planning her next holiday to visit them! Plus we end the episode on a tuber-powered musical note as Helen Anahita-Wilson plays the monkey cage theme song on none other than a potato keyboard!

Producer: Melanie Brown

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

BBC Studios Audio Production

Robin Ince & Brian Cox boil down the truth about one of the most beloved foods - potatoes.

Robin Ince and Brian Cox boil down the truth about one of the most beloved foods - potatoes.

[LISTEN NOW]

For once, Brian Cox and Robin Ince are on the same wavelength – with thinking caps firmly on, they plug into the science of brain-computer interfaces. Helping them decode the tech are neuroscientist Luke Bashford, biomedical engineer Anne Vanhoestenberghe, and comedian Phil Wang.

Together the panel switches on to the possibilities of using implanted and wearable devices to restore movement, speech, sight - or even to decode thoughts themselves. From the ethics of cognitive enhancement to the future of mind-reading and immersive gaming, strap in for this electrifyingly thought-provoking episode.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince plug into the science of brain-computer interfaces.

[LISTEN NOW]

In perhaps the monkiest Infinite Monkey Cage episode there's ever been, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to uncover the secrets of love, lust and friendship in primates. Swinging by to offer a hand (or tail) are evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, anthropologist Jo Setchell, and comedian Dave Gorman.

Together the panel explores Dunbar's number in monkeys – the idea that the number of friendships an individual can maintain correlates with brain size – with the very creator of the theory! They ask whether monkeys feel love the way we do, why some species remain strictly monogamous but others don't, and what we could learn about ourselves through studying them. Robin goes bananas for bonobo fashion, while Dave couldn't give a monkey's about finding an aftershave to complement his natural smell.

Series Producer: Mel Brown

Researcher: Alex Rodway

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Robin Ince and Brian Cox go bananas for our monkiest episode yet, all about primate love.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince host an irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes.

[LISTEN NOW]

In this Christmas episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian Cox and Robin Ince head to the North Pole to explore the dazzling science behind the northern lights, the extreme adaptations that help animals - and even Santa Claus - survive the Arctic cold, and how the Earth's magnetic field might just guide him home. Joining the monkeys are comedian Russell Kane, Arctic explorer Felicity Aston and Polar biologist Lloyd Peck, as they brave the chill to uncover the wonders of one of Earth's most remote and magical frontiers.

Series Producer: Mel Brown

Researcher: Alex Rodway

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince venture north to unearth (or un-snow) the secrets of the Arctic.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince host an irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes.

[LISTEN NOW]

In this Christmas episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian Cox and Robin Ince head to the North Pole to explore the dazzling science behind the northern lights, the extreme adaptations that help animals - and even Santa Claus - survive the Arctic cold, and how the Earth's magnetic field might just guide him home. Joining the monkeys are comedian Russell Kane, Arctic explorer Felicity Aston and Polar biologist Lloyd Peck, as they brave the chill to uncover the wonders of one of Earth's most remote and magical frontiers.

Series Producer: Mel Brown

Researcher: Alex Rodway

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince venture north to unearth (or un-snow) the secrets of the Arctic.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince host an irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes.

[LISTEN NOW]

Robin Ince and Brian Cox wind up at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich – arguably the centre of time – to uncoil the mysteries of what time is and how on Earth ( - and on moon) we keep track of it. Taking the time to join them are comedian Marcus Brigstocke, curator of the Royal Observatory Louise Devoy, and Head of the National Timing Centre Leon Lobo.

From ancient Egyptian knuckle counting to sun dials, quartz oscillators and atomic clocks, the panel turns back time to discover how we measured and kept it throughout history. Together, they dial into why Greenwich has become such an important place for time and how time is synchronised and sold across the globe. They explore the flaws and future of accurate astronomical and atomic timekeeping, and Marcus blames the ‘leap second' for his fry-up failures.

Producer: Olivia Jani

Series Producer: Melanie Brown

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince turn back the clock to look at how we kept time throughout time.

[LISTEN NOW]

For once, Brian Cox and Robin Ince are on the same wavelength – with thinking caps firmly on, they plug into the science of brain-computer interfaces. Helping them decode the tech are neuroscientist Luke Bashford, biomedical engineer Anne Vanhoestenberghe, and comedian Phil Wang.

Together the panel switches on to the possibilities of using implanted and wearable devices to restore movement, speech, sight - or even to decode thoughts themselves. From the ethics of cognitive enhancement to the future of mind-reading and immersive gaming, strap in for this electrifyingly thought-provoking episode.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince plug into the science of brain-computer interfaces.

[LISTEN NOW]

Fishing rods at the ready, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to reel in a creature that has baffled scientists since Aristotle: the eel. Wriggling in to help them uncover the mysteries of one of nature's slimiest subjects are marine scientists David Righton and Caroline Durif, and comedian Lucy Porter.

How do eels navigate such vast distances so deep under water? Why has no one ever seen them reproduce? And WHY would anyone eat them jellied with pie and mash?! The panel discovers that Spanish eels are always late and that eels from all different countries are thought to meet up somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean for a huge annual orgy.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince dive into the slippery science of the elusive eel.

[LISTEN NOW]

Robin Ince and Brian Cox wind up at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich – arguably the centre of time – to uncoil the mysteries of what time is and how on Earth ( - and on moon) we keep track of it. Taking the time to join them are comedian Marcus Brigstocke, curator of the Royal Observatory Louise Devoy, and Head of the National Timing Centre Leon Lobo.

From ancient Egyptian knuckle counting to sun dials, quartz oscillators and atomic clocks, the panel turns back time to discover how we measured and kept it throughout history. Together, they dial into why Greenwich has become such an important place for time and how time is synchronised and sold across the globe. They explore the flaws and future of accurate astronomical and atomic timekeeping, and Marcus blames the ‘leap second' for his fry-up failures.

Producer: Olivia Jani

Series Producer: Melanie Brown

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince turn back the clock to look at how we kept time throughout time.

[LISTEN NOW]

Robin Ince and Brian Cox get all fired up, overcome their natural repulsion and come together for this stellar episode on nuclear fusion. They're joined by plasma physicist Yasmin Andrew, fusion scientist Howard Wilson and comedian Ria Lina to uncover the secrets of star-making here on our planet.

Together the panel discovers how the sun fuses atoms to release energy and why misbehaving, jiggling plasma makes this tricky to recreate on Earth. They explore the competing technological approaches — from giant magnets to the world's biggest lasers — and find out that the hottest place in the solar system is, in fact, in Oxfordshire. Finally, they ask whether fusion could really provide an unlimited source of clean energy, or whether the technology will forever be “just 20 years away ?.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince join forces to tackle the hot topic of nuclear fusion.

[LISTEN NOW]

Fishing rods at the ready, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to reel in a creature that has baffled scientists since Aristotle: the eel. Wriggling in to help them uncover the mysteries of one of nature's slimiest subjects are marine scientists David Righton and Caroline Durif, and comedian Lucy Porter.

How do eels navigate such vast distances so deep under water? Why has no one ever seen them reproduce? And WHY would anyone eat them jellied with pie and mash?! The panel discovers that Spanish eels are always late and that eels from all different countries are thought to meet up somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean for a huge annual orgy.

Producer: Melanie Brown

Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince dive into the slippery science of the elusive eel.

[LISTEN NOW]

Robin Ince and Brian Cox look up to the heavens as they try to ‘de-mistify' the foggy science of clouds. They're joined by Cloud Appreciation Society founder Gavin Pretor-Pinney, climate scientist Amanda Maycock, and former weather presenter and drummer Owain Wyn Evans, for a whirlwind tour of our too often-overlooked aerial realm.

The panel explores how clouds form, why they take such extraordinary shapes, and how satellites and weather balloons help us keep track of them. They discover why low clouds cool the planet but high clouds warm it and why a cloud that weighs as much as a jumbo jet manages to stay up in the sky. From the physics of a crisp packet balancing on a cumulonimbus to the shimmering beauty of noctilucent clouds, tune in for this cirrus-ly fascinating episode.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince cut through the haze of cloud science.

Series Producer: Mel Brown

Researcher: Alex Rodway

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince host an irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes.

[LISTEN NOW]

Robin Ince and Brian Cox look up to the heavens as they try to ‘de-mistify' the foggy science of clouds. They're joined by Cloud Appreciation Society founder Gavin Pretor-Pinney, climate scientist Amanda Maycock, and former weather presenter and drummer Owain Wyn Evans, for a whirlwind tour of our too often-overlooked aerial realm.

The panel explores how clouds form, why they take such extraordinary shapes, and how satellites and weather balloons help us keep track of them. They discover why low clouds cool the planet but high clouds warm it and why a cloud that weighs as much as a jumbo jet manages to stay up in the sky. From the physics of a crisp packet balancing on a cumulonimbus to the shimmering beauty of noctilucent clouds, tune in for this cirrus-ly fascinating episode.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince cut through the haze of cloud science.

[LISTEN NOW]

In perhaps the monkiest Infinite Monkey Cage episode there's ever been, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to uncover the secrets of love, lust and friendship in primates. Swinging by to offer a hand (or tail) are evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, anthropologist Jo Setchell, and comedian Dave Gorman.

Together the panel explores Dunbar's number in monkeys – the idea that the number of friendships an individual can maintain correlates with brain size – with the very creator of the theory! They ask whether monkeys feel love the way we do, why some species remain strictly monogamous but others don't, and what we could learn about ourselves through studying them. Robin goes bananas for bonobo fashion, while Dave couldn't give a monkey's about finding an aftershave to complement his natural smell.

Robin Ince and Brian Cox go bananas for our monkiest episode yet, all about primate love.

Series Producer: Mel Brown

Researcher: Alex Rodway

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

A BBC Studios Production

Brian Cox and Robin Ince host an irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes.

[LISTEN NOW]

In this Christmas episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian Cox and Robin Ince head to the North Pole to explore the dazzling science behind the northern lights, the extreme adaptations that help animals - and even Santa Claus - survive the Arctic cold, and how the Earth's magnetic field might just guide him home. Joining the monkeys are comedian Russell Kane, Arctic explorer Felicity Aston and Polar biologist Lloyd Peck, as they brave the chill to uncover the wonders of one of Earth's most remote and magical frontiers.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince venture north to unearth (or un-snow) the secrets of the Arctic.

[LISTEN NOW]

Following their recent series of The Infinite Monkey Cage on Radio 4, Robin and Brian thought it was high time they answered some questions from you, the audience, which have poured in from around the UK and abroad. Penned by listeners as young as 10 and as old as 77, subjects include the nature of black holes, the mathematical abilities of chimpanzees, the suicidal tendencies of robots and complaints about infinity that will run and run.

But will they be able to answer perhaps the greatest question of all - is a strawberry dead?

Producer: Rami Tzabar.

Infinite Monkeys BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE attempt to answer some questions from listeners.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince answer The Infinite Monkey Cage listeners' questions.

Presenters: BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo moon landings.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.

Producer : ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Brian Cox and Robin Ince bring their blend of science and comedy to the festive season.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince present a very special festive edition.

They'll be taking their own unique look at the Christmas story and the history of the bible and asking whether the christmas story and your view of humanity changes once you've looked back at earth from the heavens themselves.

With:

Actor, Brian Blessed

Presenter, Reverend Richard Coles

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Brian Blessed, Chris Hadfield, Francesca Stavrakopoulou and Richard Coles. From 2014.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince and special guests look at the science in Doctor Who.

BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE return for a very special Christmas edition of the show. They are joined on stage by Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, actor and writer MARK GATISS, cultural anthropologist Deborah Hyde and the Bishop of Leeds. They'll be discussing the joys of the Christmas ghost story, and looking at the Victorian obsession with the supernatural. They'll be asking when studying paranormal phenomenon went from a genuine scientific endeavour, to the realms of pseudoscience.

Producer: ALEXANDRA FEACHEM

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE

Producer: Alexandra Feachem.

BRIAN COX, ROBIN INCE and special guests explore the science of magic.

Irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. With BRIAN COX and ROBIN INCE.