These days we’re constantly bombarded with information, be it from television, social media, friends and family or simply from the world around us. But how do we interpret this information, what role do our beliefs play and how can we harness the power of critical thinking in our daily lives. In this episode, we catch up with Peter Lamont, a professor of history and theory of psychology at the University of Edinburgh to talk about his latest book Radical Thinking: How to see the bigger...

Right now, in labs and lecture halls all around the world, there’s a war raging. Not a physical war of fists and gunfire, but a war of ideas, and of research and of fact. The battle ground is this: Could it be that we animals are not alone in our ability to make decisions, to feel the world around us, to listen and communicate, maybe even be conscious. In short, could it be that plants are intelligent too? Today’s guest is Zoë Schlanger, a staff writer at The Atlantic covering the...

The future can be scary, but what if there was a way for us to understand it a little better? Tom Chivers believes there is. His new book Everything Is Predictable explains how Bayes Theorem, a statistical model, can explain the world around us and, in some cases, help us predict the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is easy to feel like we know celebrities, and even love them. But these people don’t know who we are, so is it healthy? We spoke to Karen Shackleford, a media psychologist to better understand the one-sided world of parasocial relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ray Kurzweil has made many accurate predictions about AI in the past. Having worked in the area of AI research for 61 years, he is one of the longest standing experts in the field. Now, he’s back with a new book titled The Singularity Is Nearer, breaking down his expectations for our future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mention the word 'fungi' and it’s likely many of our minds will turn to the mushrooms we enjoy sliced on the top of our favourite pizza or bowl of pasta. But there’s more to these fascinating organisms than this. Without fungi we’d have no yeast to make bread or brew beer and no penicillin to treat infections. In this episode, we catch up physician and immunology researcher Arturo Casadevall to talk about his latest book What if Fungi Win? He tells us about the essential role fungi plays in...

These days, top athletes are breaking fewer and fewer world records. But why is this occurring, and does it mean that we are close to reaching the limits of human sporting performance? In this episode, we catch up with Dr Jonathan Taylor, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise at Teesside University. He tells us the role our genes play in our athletic performance, the limits our musculature and cardiovascular systems play, and why it’s unlikely to mean that we’ll lose interest in playing...

Whether we’re lifting weights in the gym, going for an outdoor run or competing in sports, any kind of physical activity takes its toll on our bodies. So, what should we be doing when we’re not exercising to make sure our bodies stay in top condition? In this episode, we catch up with James Betts, professor of metabolic physiology at the University of Bath. He tells us how to refuel after a gruelling workout, why there’s little evidence on the effectiveness of ice baths and why muscle...

When we watch professional sports people, we’re no doubt in awe of their physical prowess. But how are their performances affected by what’s going on in their minds, how do they get their headspace ready to perform at their best and what can us mere mortals learn from them? In this episode, we catch up with Tim Woodman, a professor of performance psychology based at Bangor University. He tells us what role motivation plays in our ability to perform, how anyone can benefit from practising...

Most of us know that we should probably be trying to get a bit more exercise, but fitting gym sessions into our busy work and homelives can often be tricky. And even then, we still have to decide what activities suit our needs best when faced with the intimidating number of options that are out there. In this episode, we catch up with Dr Sinead Roberts, a lecturer in sport and exercise nutrition at the University of Westminster. She tells us why the good news is that doing something,...

From the oxygen in the air we breathe to the atmosphere that cloaks the Earth and protects us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet light, gases are essential for the existence of human beings. But did you know that we’ve also harnessed the properties of these elusive, largely invisible substances to impact almost every aspect of our lives? In this episode, we catch up with material scientist Prof Mark Miodownik to talk about his latest book, It’s a Gas: The Magnificent and Elusive Elements...

Looking to get the maximum possible benefits out of your gym time? Want to find out why what you do to recover outside of the gym is just as important what you do inside it? Or maybe you’d like to learn some of the secret psychological tricks pro athletes use to stay at their best? Why not tune into the Instant Genius Peak Performance miniseries, brought to you from the team behind BBC Science Focus. It's still the same show, with the same great guests. We’ll just be spending a little extra...

There are currently more than eight billion human beings living on Earth, occupying nearly every corner of the planet. It’s a remarkable situation to find ourselves in, and there can be little doubt that the story of human progress has, by and large, been a successful one. But how did we reach this point? What sets us apart from other animals? And what is it about our biology that has allowed us to achieve this incredible feat? In this episode, we catch up with astrobiologist and author Prof...

We can see climate change in our food, holidays and even day-to-day life, but one area we rarely think about is our sports. And yet, climate change could completely change how we play and experience sports all together. We spoke to Madeleine Orr, the author of the new book Warming Up to learn a little bit more about how sports will be changed by a changing climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s often said that the human brain is the most complex structure in the known Universe. So how do we go about studying it? You may think that we should leave this to biologists or neuroscientists, but approaching the brain as a mathematical object and investigating its geometry and structure is providing researchers with more and more new insights. In this episode we catch up with mathematician Alain Goriely, professor of geometry at Gresham College, London ahead of his series of free...

Did you really choose to listen to this podcast? Or was the decision just the product of neurons firing in your brain, used by biochemical reactions, governed by the laws of physics? Today, it’s become almost fashionable to chalk how we think and behave up to nothing more than the physical sum of our parts. But our guest in this episode is bucking that trend, arguing that we humans do have autonomy over our lives. Kevin Mitchell is an associate professor of genetics and neuroscience at...

From tortilla chips and ham sandwiches to teepees and the Great Pyramid of Giza, the world is filled with triangles. But why is this seemingly simple shape so ubiquitous and how do we take advantage of its unique properties? In this episode we catch up with stand-up comedian, mathematician and best-selling author Matt Parker to talk about his latest book Love Triangle: The Life-Changing Magic of Trigonometry. He tells us how triangles can be used to erect the world’s tallest buildings, help...

Right now, in hospitals around the world, patients are being cured of diseases once thought untreatable. The reason? A gene therapy revolution means that what was once the stuff of science fiction is now becoming a reality. One person who’s been at the centre of this medical revolution is Dr Bobby Gaspar, a professor of paediatrics and immunology at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London, and CEO of Orchard Therapeutics. Bobby guides us through the complex world of gene...

It’s well established that human beings are social animals who thrive on making connections with others. But did you know that developing and maintaining nourishing relationships is just as vital to our health as eating a nutritious diet or taking regular exercise? In this episode, we catch up with science writer David Robson to talk about his new book The Laws of Connection: 13 Social Strategies That Will Transform Your Life. He tells us how human beings have evolved to crave shared...

It’s a scene many of us will have experienced: we’re at the cinema, the lights go down, the film begins and then suddenly the person behind us starts rustling a packet of sweets or noisily chomping on popcorn. For most of us this is merely an annoyance and after a while we’re able to tune the sounds out and concentrate on enjoying the cinematic experience. But for some, it can be unbearable and engender feelings of distress, anger and even panic. These people are experiencing misophonia. In...

Finding alien life could be just around the corner. At least, that’s if the James Webb Space Telescope and other techniques help us discover their extraterrestrial homes. In this episode, astrophysicist Lisa Kaltenegger and author of new book Alien Earths: Planet Hunting in the Cosmos talks us through the ways she and her team are looking for these planets and the kinds of life they might hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are we here? Where did we come from? What are we even made from? These must be some of deepest questions humans can ever ask. But that has never stopped scientists throughout the ages asking them. In this episode we catch up with Professor Tim Coulson, a zoologist based at the University of Oxford to talk about his new book, The Universal History of Us: The science of why we exist. He helps us trace the origins of human beings right back to the Big Bang and the beginning of the Universe...

Addiction can be devastating not only for the addict themselves, but also for their loved ones and anyone around them. But what causes it, and how should we treat it? According to Dr Elias Dakwar, a psychologist based at Colombia University, New York, we should be looking beyond the commonly held brain disease model of addiction and deeper into its philosophical or existential underpinnings. In this episode, we speak to Dr Dakwar about the years of clinical research he outlines in his...

These days, pretty much every move we make online is tracked in one way or another. Whether it’s through our social media accounts or online shopping habits, algorithms are getting better at painting a picture of who we are and how we think. But why do we let this happen? In this episode we catch up with science broadcaster and writer Timandra Harkness to talk about her new book, Technology is not the Problem. She tells us how various online agencies keep tabs on us, whether we should be...

Black holes are surely one of the most fascinating and mysterious phenomena in the known Universe. But few people know that the story behind their discovery, and the cast of dogged, often ignored scientists behind it, is just as interesting. In this episode we catch up with the award-winning science writer and long-time BBC Science Focus contributor Marcus Chown. We talk about his new book A Crack in Everything: How black holes came in from the cold and took cosmic centre stage. He takes us...