Uncharted With Hannah Fry

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

The Returning Soldier

20230925

20231119 (R4)
20240403 (R4)
20241122 (R4)

It's 1973 and the UK is in crisis: runaway inflation, industrial strike action and political turmoil. Unnoticed at the time - in hospitals and front rooms around the country - something odd is happening with the country's newborns. A higher proportion of boys are being born than ever before in the 20th Century. What was behind this puzzling trend?

Hannah Fry follows one researcher's obsessive mission to unravel the mystery.

Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman

Why are more boys born in certain years? One researcher is on a quest to find out why.

In a few specific years across the 20th century, the proportion of boys born mysteriously spiked. Hannah Fry follows one researcher's obsessive quest to find out why.

Sound Design: Jon Nicholls

Story Editor: John Yorke

Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery.

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	The Returning Soldier	20230925	20231119 (R4) 20240403 (R4) 20241122 (R4)	It's 1973 and the UK is in crisis: runaway inflation, industrial strike action and political turmoil. Unnoticed at the time - in hospitals and front rooms around the country - something odd is happening with the country's newborns. A higher proportion of boys are being born than ever before in the 20th Century. What was behind this puzzling trend? Hannah Fry follows one researcher's obsessive mission to unravel the mystery. Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman Why are more boys born in certain years? One researcher is on a quest to find out why. In a few specific years across the 20th century, the proportion of boys born mysteriously spiked. Hannah Fry follows one researcher's obsessive quest to find out why. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
02	The Hockey Stick	20230926	20240410 (R4) 20241124 (R4)	In 1998, the climate scientist Michael Mann published a simple graph shaped like an ice hockey stick: a long straight line which curves suddenly upward at the end. It was based on decades of intrepid work by scientists around the world. But the line held a stark warning. For Michael, notoriety, abuse and a global battle over the reality of climate change followed. Hannah Fry tells the remarkable story of the people behind the hockey stick: the scientists who scaled mountains and braved oceans in search of evidence, and the dramatic fallout when the world saw what they had found. Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman A climate scientist who shocked the world and provoked a scandal. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Michael Mann was a respected climate scientist, unknown outside of a small academic circle, until he produced a graph that shocked the world and changed his life forever. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
03	The Doctor Will See You Now	20230927	20240417 (R4) 20241129 (R4)	It's a hot summer's day in 1998. Two couples stand side by side in a small courtyard. Brought together by chance, they may never have met if not for one thing. A tatty piece of paper, the contents of which will change their lives, and the lives of thousands across the country, forever. Hannah Fry tells the tale of this single sheet of A4 uncovered a dark pattern and a serial murderer hiding in plain sight. A warning for sensitive listeners, that this episode contains references to murder. Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter A single piece of paper leads to a horrifying discovery. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Hannah Fry tells how a single sheet of A4 uncovered a dark pattern and a serial murderer hiding in plain sight. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
04	This Train Has Been Delayed	20230928	20240424 (R4)	Singapore, 2016. A high-tech driverless train system starts glitching in wild and unpredictable ways. The train company, the government, even the military are at a loss: no-one can figure out what is causing the problem. Until Jason Bay and his team of data scientists assemble an old-fashioned timetabling graph, first developed in 19th century France, which exposes an invisible culprit. Behind every line on a graph, there lies an extraordinary human story. And mathematician Hannah Fry is here to tell us ten of them. Hannah Fry tells a tale of data detectives and very naughty trains. Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman It's 2016 and Singapore's metro system is misbehaving wildly. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke It's 2016 and Singapore's metro system is misbehaving wildly. The rail engineers and company officials are flummoxed. Can data save the day?
05	The Choice	20230929	20240501 (R4)	How well do you make decisions? It's never easy, but today John Carter is faced with an agonising choice and has just 60 minutes to make the right call. One path could lead to glory, while the other might result in death. Hannah Fry tells a tale of risk, decision making, and the single graph that changed it all. Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter John Carter must make a momentous decision. Can a data set guide him to the right choice? Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke John Carter has a terrible choice to make. One path offers glory, the other to death. His decision hinges on one graph, but can it help him take the right road?
06	The Happiness Curve	20231002	20231126 (R4) 20240508 (R4)	Life has its ups and downs, its sudden successes and unexpected obstacles. But amongst all the unpredictable variation, two economists believe they have identified a deep and powerful influence on our happiness: age. Happiness, it turns out, is U shaped. Hannah Fry tells a tale of orangutans, joy and misery - ¦and joy! Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman Do orangutans - and humans - experience a midlife crisis? What makes you happy? Life's ups and downs can be pretty unpredictable. But hidden deep in the data, two economists have found a surprising pattern: happiness is U shaped. ~Uncharted With Hannah Fry
07	The Gossip Mill	20231003	20240515 (R4)	2008, Hungary: a researcher stands on a factory floor quizzing a bemused employee. The tile manufacturing company is in trouble, and the researcher is there to help. But his questions seem silly: Who do you go to for advice? Who do you chat to? What use is the science of networks to a company producing floor tiles? Hannah Fry tells a tale about the precarious power of networks. Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman A manufacturing company is in trouble. The new science of networks might know why\u2026 Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke A Hungarian tile manufacturing company is plagued by false gossip and poor morale. Can the emerging science of networks come to the rescue?
08	In The Habit	20231004	20240522 (R4)	What is the secret to ageing well? Humankind has been in search of an answer for millions of years. But one man believes he may have found the beginnings of an answer, and it's hiding in a convent. Hannah Fry tells a tale of a single scatter graph which might reveal the key to longevity. Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter What does a room full of nuns reveal about ageing with grace? Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke How do you age with grace? Hannah Fry follows a researcher whose search takes him to the most unlikely of places: a convent.
09	Access Denied	20231005	20240529 (R4)	A young researcher gains access to a secretive data set and discovers something shocking. What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead? Hannah Fry tells a tale about the mysterious realm of artificial intelligence. Episode Producers: Lauren Armstrong-Carter and Clem Hitchcock Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke A young researcher gains access to a secretive data set and discovers something shocking. What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead? Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Sound Design: Clem Hitchcock
10	Devil In The Detail	20231006	20240605 (R4)	Thomas Herndon was happily studying economics at the University of Massachusetts, when one day is punctured by a discovery. It appears to be an anomaly which, if true, will shake the intellectual foundations of a global movement, and could undermine politicians around the world. Hannah Fry tells the extraordinary story of a student who will go head to head with two of the greatest economic minds in modern times. But can he win? Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter A PhD student discovers an anomaly which undermines a global movement. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Thomas Herndon was a student when he discovered an anomaly which, if true, will shake the intellectual foundations of a global movement and undermine politicians around the world.
11	Love Bytes	20240909	20250718 (R4) 20250719 (R4)	A mathematician struggles to find love. What could be messing with his odds? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW]
12	Scandal In The Air	20240909	20240910 (R4) 20250725 (R4) 20250726 (R4)	At a niche engineering conference, a young researcher shares some data that looks like an embarrassing mistake. Little does he know, his simple bar chart is the first pebble in an avalanche exposing a scandal of epic proportions. Producer: Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke With one bar chart, three students help expose a global corporate scandal Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. As three young researchers cruise around the freeways of LA in a bizarrely modified vehicle, they have no idea they will end up exposing a global corporate scandal. [LISTEN NOW]
13	The Grain Of Truth	20240909	20240911 (R4) 20250801 (R4) 20250802 (R4)	Amid the desperation of war-starved Netherlands a doctor finds a way of curing a group of gravely ill children. His finding challenges accepted medical wisdom, and provokes opposition from Catholics. But why had the rest of the world missed this miracle treatment? Producer: Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke In war-starved Netherlands, a doctor discovers a life-saving cure for a common disease. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. It takes a world war and one dogged doctor in the Netherlands to finally reveal the true cause of one common disease. [LISTEN NOW]
14	Whispers From The Cosmos	20240909	20240912 (R4) 20250808 (R4) 20250809 (R4)	In a shabby brick hut in 1967, a young researcher spots a bizarre, pulsing signal: a cosmic whisper picked up a huge receiver she helped to build. Is it just mundane interference - or could it be alien life? Hannah Fry shares a tale of one woman's journey through the male-dominated halls of 1960s academia, to a groundbreaking discovery that transformed our understanding of the universe. Producer: Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke A few odd squiggles on a graph lead to a Nobel prize-winning discovery. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. A young researcher spots a bizarre, pulsing signal: a cosmic whisper picked up by a huge radio receiver she built. Is it just mundane interference - or could it be alien life? [LISTEN NOW]
15	Song Of The Sea	20240909	20240913 (R4) 20250815 (R4) 20250816 (R4)	A strange sound prompts an incredible discovery. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
16	A Drop In The Ocean	20240909	20240916 (R4) 20250822 (R4) 20250823 (R4)	How do you find a single man lost at sea? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
17	The Golden Spike	20240909	20240917 (R4) 20250829 (R4) 20250830 (R4)	At a conference in Mexico, one scientist's outburst launches a global quest. Hannah Fry follows a group of researchers on the hunt for a ‘golden spike': the boundary, marking a shift into a dramatic new geological period dominated, not by volcanoes and asteroids, but the influence of humans. From plastics and concrete to nuclear fallout, the data they uncover reveals a planet profoundly changed. But can these scientists persuade their colleagues - and the world? Producer: Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke With an angry outburst at a conference, one scientist ignites a multi-decade quest Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. Buried under a small lake in Canada, a scientist unearths evidence that the planet is entering a distinctive and dangerous new period. [LISTEN NOW]
18	The Night The Earth Shook	20240909	20240918 (R4) 20250905 (R4) 20250906 (R4)	After months of mild quakes, a sudden tremor alarms an Italian city. What will follow? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
19	A Different Kind Of Justice	20240909	20240919 (R4) 20250912 (R4) 20250913 (R4)	How does a small informal survey lead to shocking truths about the US justice system? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
20	The Confidence Trick	20240909	20240920 (R4) 20250919 (R4) 20250920 (R4)	A finance manager sports a perfect graph. Is it a fluke or something sinister? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
OMNI		20240914		In this omnibus episode, catch up on four thrilling tales of data and discovery. Love Bytes - At thirty-one, mathematician Chris McKinlay is looking for love. But if it's all a numbers game, his are not adding up. Could he be the problem? Or is something else getting in the way? Scandal In the Air - At a niche engineering conference, a young researcher shares some data that looks like an embarrassing mistake. Little does he know, his simple bar chart is the first pebble in an avalanche exposing an epic scandal. Grain of Truth - Amid the desperation of war-starved Netherlands a doctor finds a way of curing a group of gravely ill children. His finding challenges accepted medical wisdom, and provokes opposition from Catholics. But why had the rest of the world missed this miracle treatment? Whispers from the Cosmos - A young researcher spots a bizarre, pulsing signal: a cosmic whisper picked up by a huge radio receiver she built. Is it just mundane interference - or could it be alien life? Produced by Lauren Armstrong Carter and Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. Catch up on four thrilling tales of data and discovery in this omnibus episode. [LISTEN NOW]
OMNI		20240921		In this omnibus episode, catch up on four thrilling tales of data and discovery. A Drop in the Ocean - A fisherman falls into the Atlantic late at night. Completely alone, the clock is ticking. How do you find one man lost in the open ocean? Can he be rescued in time? The Golden Spike - At a conference in Mexico, one scientist's outburst launches a global quest. Hannah Fry follows a group of researchers on the hunt for a ‘golden spike': the boundary, marking a shift into a dramatic new geological period dominated, not by volcanoes and asteroids, but the influence of humans. From plastics and concrete to nuclear fallout, the data they uncover reveals a planet profoundly changed. But can these scientists persuade their colleagues - and the world? The Night the Earth Shook - In a small Italian city nestled in the Apennine mountains, a series of low level tremors are setting nerves on edge. Is this just a passing phase, or a prelude to something far more devastating? The Confidence Trick - An ambitious portfolio manager stumbles upon a perfect graph. It outlines eye watering profits. But something doesn't quite add up - could this graph be accurate? Or does it hide a far more sinister truth? Produced by Ilan Goodman and Lauren Armstrong Carter Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	The Returning Soldier	20230925	20231119 (R4) 20240403 (R4) 20241122 (R4)	It's 1973 and the UK is in crisis: runaway inflation, industrial strike action and political turmoil. Unnoticed at the time - in hospitals and front rooms around the country - something odd is happening with the country's newborns. A higher proportion of boys are being born than ever before in the 20th Century. What was behind this puzzling trend? Hannah Fry follows one researcher's obsessive mission to unravel the mystery. Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman Why are more boys born in certain years? One researcher is on a quest to find out why. In a few specific years across the 20th century, the proportion of boys born mysteriously spiked. Hannah Fry follows one researcher's obsessive quest to find out why. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
02	The Hockey Stick	20230926	20240410 (R4) 20241124 (R4)	In 1998, the climate scientist Michael Mann published a simple graph shaped like an ice hockey stick: a long straight line which curves suddenly upward at the end. It was based on decades of intrepid work by scientists around the world. But the line held a stark warning. For Michael, notoriety, abuse and a global battle over the reality of climate change followed. Hannah Fry tells the remarkable story of the people behind the hockey stick: the scientists who scaled mountains and braved oceans in search of evidence, and the dramatic fallout when the world saw what they had found. Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman A climate scientist who shocked the world and provoked a scandal. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Michael Mann was a respected climate scientist, unknown outside of a small academic circle, until he produced a graph that shocked the world and changed his life forever. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
03	The Doctor Will See You Now	20230927	20240417 (R4) 20241129 (R4)	It's a hot summer's day in 1998. Two couples stand side by side in a small courtyard. Brought together by chance, they may never have met if not for one thing. A tatty piece of paper, the contents of which will change their lives, and the lives of thousands across the country, forever. Hannah Fry tells the tale of this single sheet of A4 uncovered a dark pattern and a serial murderer hiding in plain sight. A warning for sensitive listeners, that this episode contains references to murder. Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter A single piece of paper leads to a horrifying discovery. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Hannah Fry tells how a single sheet of A4 uncovered a dark pattern and a serial murderer hiding in plain sight. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
04	This Train Has Been Delayed	20230928	20240424 (R4)	Singapore, 2016. A high-tech driverless train system starts glitching in wild and unpredictable ways. The train company, the government, even the military are at a loss: no-one can figure out what is causing the problem. Until Jason Bay and his team of data scientists assemble an old-fashioned timetabling graph, first developed in 19th century France, which exposes an invisible culprit. Behind every line on a graph, there lies an extraordinary human story. And mathematician Hannah Fry is here to tell us ten of them. Hannah Fry tells a tale of data detectives and very naughty trains. Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman It's 2016 and Singapore's metro system is misbehaving wildly. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke It's 2016 and Singapore's metro system is misbehaving wildly. The rail engineers and company officials are flummoxed. Can data save the day?
05	The Choice	20230929	20240501 (R4)	How well do you make decisions? It's never easy, but today John Carter is faced with an agonising choice and has just 60 minutes to make the right call. One path could lead to glory, while the other might result in death. Hannah Fry tells a tale of risk, decision making, and the single graph that changed it all. Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter John Carter must make a momentous decision. Can a data set guide him to the right choice? Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke John Carter has a terrible choice to make. One path offers glory, the other to death. His decision hinges on one graph, but can it help him take the right road?
06	The Happiness Curve	20231002	20231126 (R4) 20240508 (R4)	Life has its ups and downs, its sudden successes and unexpected obstacles. But amongst all the unpredictable variation, two economists believe they have identified a deep and powerful influence on our happiness: age. Happiness, it turns out, is U shaped. Hannah Fry tells a tale of orangutans, joy and misery - ¦and joy! Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman Do orangutans - and humans - experience a midlife crisis? What makes you happy? Life's ups and downs can be pretty unpredictable. But hidden deep in the data, two economists have found a surprising pattern: happiness is U shaped. ~Uncharted With Hannah Fry
07	The Gossip Mill	20231003	20240515 (R4)	2008, Hungary: a researcher stands on a factory floor quizzing a bemused employee. The tile manufacturing company is in trouble, and the researcher is there to help. But his questions seem silly: Who do you go to for advice? Who do you chat to? What use is the science of networks to a company producing floor tiles? Hannah Fry tells a tale about the precarious power of networks. Episode Producer: Ilan Goodman A manufacturing company is in trouble. The new science of networks might know why\u2026 Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke A Hungarian tile manufacturing company is plagued by false gossip and poor morale. Can the emerging science of networks come to the rescue?
08	In The Habit	20231004	20240522 (R4)	What is the secret to ageing well? Humankind has been in search of an answer for millions of years. But one man believes he may have found the beginnings of an answer, and it's hiding in a convent. Hannah Fry tells a tale of a single scatter graph which might reveal the key to longevity. Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter What does a room full of nuns reveal about ageing with grace? Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke How do you age with grace? Hannah Fry follows a researcher whose search takes him to the most unlikely of places: a convent.
09	Access Denied	20231005	20240529 (R4)	A young researcher gains access to a secretive data set and discovers something shocking. What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead? Hannah Fry tells a tale about the mysterious realm of artificial intelligence. Episode Producers: Lauren Armstrong-Carter and Clem Hitchcock Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke A young researcher gains access to a secretive data set and discovers something shocking. What happens when a system designed to help people harms them instead? Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Sound Design: Clem Hitchcock
10	Devil In The Detail	20231006	20240605 (R4)	Thomas Herndon was happily studying economics at the University of Massachusetts, when one day is punctured by a discovery. It appears to be an anomaly which, if true, will shake the intellectual foundations of a global movement, and could undermine politicians around the world. Hannah Fry tells the extraordinary story of a student who will go head to head with two of the greatest economic minds in modern times. But can he win? Episode Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter A PhD student discovers an anomaly which undermines a global movement. Sound Design: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Thomas Herndon was a student when he discovered an anomaly which, if true, will shake the intellectual foundations of a global movement and undermine politicians around the world.
11	Love Bytes	20240909	20250718 (R4) 20250719 (R4)	A mathematician struggles to find love. What could be messing with his odds? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW] [LISTEN NOW]
12	Scandal In The Air	20240909	20240910 (R4) 20250725 (R4) 20250726 (R4)	At a niche engineering conference, a young researcher shares some data that looks like an embarrassing mistake. Little does he know, his simple bar chart is the first pebble in an avalanche exposing a scandal of epic proportions. Producer: Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke With one bar chart, three students help expose a global corporate scandal Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. As three young researchers cruise around the freeways of LA in a bizarrely modified vehicle, they have no idea they will end up exposing a global corporate scandal. [LISTEN NOW]
13	The Grain Of Truth	20240909	20240911 (R4) 20250801 (R4) 20250802 (R4)	Amid the desperation of war-starved Netherlands a doctor finds a way of curing a group of gravely ill children. His finding challenges accepted medical wisdom, and provokes opposition from Catholics. But why had the rest of the world missed this miracle treatment? Producer: Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke In war-starved Netherlands, a doctor discovers a life-saving cure for a common disease. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. It takes a world war and one dogged doctor in the Netherlands to finally reveal the true cause of one common disease. [LISTEN NOW]
14	Whispers From The Cosmos	20240909	20240912 (R4) 20250808 (R4) 20250809 (R4)	In a shabby brick hut in 1967, a young researcher spots a bizarre, pulsing signal: a cosmic whisper picked up a huge receiver she helped to build. Is it just mundane interference - or could it be alien life? Hannah Fry shares a tale of one woman's journey through the male-dominated halls of 1960s academia, to a groundbreaking discovery that transformed our understanding of the universe. Producer: Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke A few odd squiggles on a graph lead to a Nobel prize-winning discovery. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. A young researcher spots a bizarre, pulsing signal: a cosmic whisper picked up by a huge radio receiver she built. Is it just mundane interference - or could it be alien life? [LISTEN NOW]
15	Song Of The Sea	20240909	20240913 (R4) 20250815 (R4) 20250816 (R4)	A strange sound prompts an incredible discovery. Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
16	A Drop In The Ocean	20240909	20240916 (R4) 20250822 (R4) 20250823 (R4)	How do you find a single man lost at sea? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
17	The Golden Spike	20240909	20240917 (R4) 20250829 (R4) 20250830 (R4)	At a conference in Mexico, one scientist's outburst launches a global quest. Hannah Fry follows a group of researchers on the hunt for a ‘golden spike': the boundary, marking a shift into a dramatic new geological period dominated, not by volcanoes and asteroids, but the influence of humans. From plastics and concrete to nuclear fallout, the data they uncover reveals a planet profoundly changed. But can these scientists persuade their colleagues - and the world? Producer: Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke With an angry outburst at a conference, one scientist ignites a multi-decade quest Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. Buried under a small lake in Canada, a scientist unearths evidence that the planet is entering a distinctive and dangerous new period. [LISTEN NOW]
18	The Night The Earth Shook	20240909	20240918 (R4) 20250905 (R4) 20250906 (R4)	After months of mild quakes, a sudden tremor alarms an Italian city. What will follow? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
19	A Different Kind Of Justice	20240909	20240919 (R4) 20250912 (R4) 20250913 (R4)	How does a small informal survey lead to shocking truths about the US justice system? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
20	The Confidence Trick	20240909	20240920 (R4) 20250919 (R4) 20250920 (R4)	A finance manager sports a perfect graph. Is it a fluke or something sinister? Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]
OMNI		20240914		In this omnibus episode, catch up on four thrilling tales of data and discovery. Love Bytes - At thirty-one, mathematician Chris McKinlay is looking for love. But if it's all a numbers game, his are not adding up. Could he be the problem? Or is something else getting in the way? Scandal In the Air - At a niche engineering conference, a young researcher shares some data that looks like an embarrassing mistake. Little does he know, his simple bar chart is the first pebble in an avalanche exposing an epic scandal. Grain of Truth - Amid the desperation of war-starved Netherlands a doctor finds a way of curing a group of gravely ill children. His finding challenges accepted medical wisdom, and provokes opposition from Catholics. But why had the rest of the world missed this miracle treatment? Whispers from the Cosmos - A young researcher spots a bizarre, pulsing signal: a cosmic whisper picked up by a huge radio receiver she built. Is it just mundane interference - or could it be alien life? Produced by Lauren Armstrong Carter and Ilan Goodman Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. Catch up on four thrilling tales of data and discovery in this omnibus episode. [LISTEN NOW]
OMNI		20240921		In this omnibus episode, catch up on four thrilling tales of data and discovery. A Drop in the Ocean - A fisherman falls into the Atlantic late at night. Completely alone, the clock is ticking. How do you find one man lost in the open ocean? Can he be rescued in time? The Golden Spike - At a conference in Mexico, one scientist's outburst launches a global quest. Hannah Fry follows a group of researchers on the hunt for a ‘golden spike': the boundary, marking a shift into a dramatic new geological period dominated, not by volcanoes and asteroids, but the influence of humans. From plastics and concrete to nuclear fallout, the data they uncover reveals a planet profoundly changed. But can these scientists persuade their colleagues - and the world? The Night the Earth Shook - In a small Italian city nestled in the Apennine mountains, a series of low level tremors are setting nerves on edge. Is this just a passing phase, or a prelude to something far more devastating? The Confidence Trick - An ambitious portfolio manager stumbles upon a perfect graph. It outlines eye watering profits. But something doesn't quite add up - could this graph be accurate? Or does it hide a far more sinister truth? Produced by Ilan Goodman and Lauren Armstrong Carter Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls Story Editor: John Yorke Hannah Fry shares thrilling tales of data and discovery. [LISTEN NOW]

Uncharted With Hannah Fry

Episodes