Stranger Than Sci-fi

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

Each programme starts with imagined futures and ends with today's latest scientific research, exploring along the way how each impacts the other. This episode dives into the science behind Anne Charnock's book, Dreams Before The Start Of Time, which imagines a future where babies can be grown in artificial wombs. How close is modern technology to making this a reality?

Jen and Alice talk to Anne Charnock, Science Fiction historian Lisa Yaszek, research scientist Matt Kemp and investigative journalist Jenny Kleeman.

Produced by Joe Sykes and Rich Ward

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Astro-physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the parallel worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

Each programme starts with imagined futures and ends with today's latest scientific research, exploring along the way how each impacts the other. This episode dives into the science behind Anne Charnock's book, Dreams Before The Start Of Time, which imagines a future where babies can be grown in artificial wombs. How close is modern technology to making this a reality?

Jen and Alice talk to Anne Charnock, Science Fiction historian Lisa Yaszek, research scientist Matt Kemp and investigative journalist Jenny Kleeman.

Produced by Joe Sykes and Rich Ward

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode they dive into the science behind Claire Denis's film High Life, which is about a group of criminals travelling towards a black hole. They explore the mysteries of the void, a strange scientific theory called The Penrose Process and try to find out if one day black holes might provide us with limitless resources of energy.

Produced by Joe Sykes

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Astrophysicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the parallel worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode they dive into the science behind Claire Denis's film High Life, which is about a group of criminals travelling towards a black hole. They explore the mysteries of the void, a strange scientific theory called The Penrose Process and try to find out if one day black holes might provide us with limitless resources of energy.

Produced by Joe Sykes

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode, they tackle the question everyone wants to know the answer to - can we bring the dinosaurs back to life? They talk to the journalist Britt Wray about the surprising origin story for the book Jurassic Park. Then they dive into the world of de-extinction research and find out why there is a group of scientists who focus all their time on reviving extinct species.

They ask if we might soon see woolly mammoths roaming the Siberian steppe once again. What are the potential pitfalls of resurrecting the dead?

Produced by Joe Sykes

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Astro-physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the parallel worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode, they tackle the question everyone wants to know the answer to - can we bring the dinosaurs back to life? They talk to the journalist Britt Wray about the surprising origin story for the book Jurassic Park. Then they dive into the world of de-extinction research and find out why there is a group of scientists who focus all their time on reviving extinct species.

They ask if we might soon see woolly mammoths roaming the Siberian steppe once again. What are the potential pitfalls of resurrecting the dead?

Produced by Joe Sykes

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode, Jen and Alice explore one of the oldest questions in science and science fiction - why should we travel into space? At a time when Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are promising space colonies in the next fifty years, is it time to rethink our relationship with space? They talk to the astro-biologist Dr. Louisa Preston about whether there is life out there on other planets.

Then they find out how we might already be endangering that potential life. The space archeologist Dr Alice Gorman explains how we are polluting our solar system, why we should worry about space junk and what a manifesto for sustainable space travel might look like.

Produced by Joe Sykes

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Astro-physicist Dr. Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the parallel worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode, Jen and Alice explore one of the oldest questions in science and science fiction - why should we travel into space? At a time when Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are promising space colonies in the next fifty years, is it time to rethink our relationship with space? They talk to the astro-biologist Dr. Louisa Preston about whether there is life out there on other planets.

Then they find out how we might already be endangering that potential life. The space archeologist Dr Alice Gorman explains how we are polluting our solar system, why we should worry about space junk and what a manifesto for sustainable space travel might look like.

Produced by Joe Sykes

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode, Jen and Alice investigate the science behind Sue Burke's book, Semiosis, about a mysterious breed of intelligent plants. They talk to Sue about how watching her houseplants formed the inspiration for the book. Then they ask the linguist Dr Hannah Little if we could ever learn the language of something that has a completely different understanding of what communication means. Finally, Professor Lilach Hadany explains how a radical new study might show plants are listening to each other - and maybe even to us.

Produced by Joe Sykes and Rich Ward

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Astro-physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the parallel worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode, Jen and Alice investigate the science behind Sue Burke's book, Semiosis, about a mysterious breed of intelligent plants. They talk to Sue about how watching her houseplants formed the inspiration for the book. Then they ask the linguist Dr Hannah Little if we could ever learn the language of something that has a completely different understanding of what communication means. Finally, Professor Lilach Hadany explains how a radical new study might show plants are listening to each other - and maybe even to us.

Produced by Joe Sykes and Rich Ward

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode, Jen and Alice try to work out the truth behind telekinesis - moving things with your mind. They look at the real history behind the hit show Stranger Things. It turns out the CIA spent a long time investigating the truth behind paranormal phenomena as part of their efforts to out-think the Russians during the Cold War. But it's the actual science that is much more interesting than the sci-fi.

They talk to the Brazilian scientist Miguel Nicolelis about inventing the brain-machine interface and how he got a monkey in America to move a robot in Japan with its mind. What will the consequences be for human beings now we can link our brains to machines?

Produced by Joe Sykes

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Astro-physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the parallel worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

In this episode, Jen and Alice try to work out the truth behind telekinesis - moving things with your mind. They look at the real history behind the hit show Stranger Things. It turns out the CIA spent a long time investigating the truth behind paranormal phenomena as part of their efforts to out-think the Russians during the Cold War. But it's the actual science that is much more interesting than the sci-fi.

They talk to the Brazilian scientist Miguel Nicolelis about inventing the brain-machine interface and how he got a monkey in America to move a robot in Japan with its mind. What will the consequences be for human beings now we can link our brains to machines?

Produced by Joe Sykes

Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.

Physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the worlds of science and sci-fi.