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Podcast

The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

Updated: weekly
Episodes available: indefinitely

Episodes to download

  •

    Horoscopes

    Fri 18 Apr 2014

    Why do we read horoscopes?

  • Racism

    Fri 11 Apr 2014

    Why are people racist and judged by the colour of their skin?

  • Boredom

    Sat 5 Apr 2014

    Why do we get bored and what does it say about how we engage with the world around us?

  • Envy

    Fri 28 Mar 2014

    What is envy and why can it be dangerously destructive or make us strive for success?

  • Dance

    Fri 21 Mar 2014

    Why does movement move us?

  • Family Names

    Fri 14 Mar 2014

    Could your last name determine your career? Mike Williams explains

  • Given Names

    Fri 7 Mar 2014

    Everyone has one, but what do names say about us?

  • Privacy

    Fri 28 Feb 2014

    Why is privacy so important to us?

  • Coffee

    Fri 21 Feb 2014

    Why the production and consumption of coffee matters so much around the globe

  • Trees of Life

    Fri 14 Feb 2014

    Why are our feelings about trees so mixed? Mike Williams explains

  • Adolescence

    Fri 7 Feb 2014

    Why is adolescence so difficult?

  • Touch

    Fri 31 Jan 2014

    How do different cultures view physical contact in everyday life?

  • Homosexuality

    Fri 24 Jan 2014

    Why does homosexuality exist? Is it nature or nurture? Mike Williams and guests discuss

  • Masks

    Fri 17 Jan 2014

    Tracing the power and use of masks and what they mean for us culturally

  • Alcohol

    Fri 10 Jan 2014

    Why do so many people drink alcohol? And why do some struggle to control it?

  • Running

    Fri 3 Jan 2014

    In the UK, running is increasing in popularity. So why are we running now more than ever?

  • Nitrogen: Forgetting Fritz

    Fri 27 Dec 2013

    Fritz Haber harnessed nitrogen to feed billions, but was also the pioneer of gas warfare

  • Debt

    Fri 20 Dec 2013

    How the way we borrow and lend money is changing

  • Cross Dressing

    Fri 13 Dec 2013

    Artist Grayson Perry, a train driver and a detective novelist on why they cross dress

  • Crying

    Sat 7 Dec 2013

    Crying emotional tears is uniquely human but why do we do it?

  • The Heel

    Fri 29 Nov 2013

    Where did the fascination with elevated footwear come from? Why wear high heels?

  • Solitude

    Fri 22 Nov 2013

    How far can or should we pursue solitude?

  • Secrets

    Fri 15 Nov 2013

    They represent power, they can generate fear, but why do we have secrets?

  • Optimism and Pessimism

    Fri 8 Nov 2013

    Why do some people have a darker outlook on life while others have a brighter one?

  • The Lie

    Sat 2 Nov 2013

    How different cultures define telling the truth

  • Speed

    Fri 25 Oct 2013

    Why are we obsessed with speed? Mike Williams investigates.

  • Bullying

    Fri 18 Oct 2013

    Why do we bully, why do some do it and others allow it?

  • Swearing

    Fri 11 Oct 2013

    Why some words have such power to shock and offend

  • Burial

    Fri 4 Oct 2013

    Burial is a practice that鈥檚 been carried out for centuries 鈥� but why do we do it?

  • Nostalgia

    Fri 27 Sep 2013

    Why do we look back and yearn for the past, or recall sweet memories of our youth?

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