CrowdScience Podcast
We take your questions about life, Earth and the universe to researchers hunting for answers at the frontiers of knowledge.
Episodes to download
-
Is anything truly random?
Last Friday
A question about bathroom tiles has us wondering whether everything is pre-determined
-
Why can't I remember my early childhood?
Fri 7 Feb 2025
Some huge milestones happen in our first years of life - but why do we forget them?
-
Is my smartwatch good for my health?
Fri 31 Jan 2025
Do smartwatches reliably monitor fitness? And can they make us healthier?
-
How high can birds fly?
Fri 24 Jan 2025
What altitude can birds cope with, and which species soars highest?
-
Which animal has the biggest carbon footprint?
Fri 17 Jan 2025
Humans emit far too much planet-warming carbon, but what about other species?
-
Is beer better without alcohol?
Fri 10 Jan 2025
How does non-alcoholic beer differ from the original - and is it better for us?
-
Why am I embarrassed when I fall?
Fri 3 Jan 2025
Falling can be serious – so why do we find it embarrassing or even funny?
-
I didn’t know that!
Fri 27 Dec 2024
Did you know that flies fly in rectangles and fish hide by lighting themselves up?
-
Will the Earth ever lose its Moon?
Fri 20 Dec 2024
Anand Jagatia is joined by a panel of experts to answer listener questions about the Moon
-
Why does pain sometimes feel good?
Fri 13 Dec 2024
What makes people seek out unpleasant or painful sensations, like eating chilli?
-
Why am I good at jigsaw puzzles?
Fri 6 Dec 2024
What skills do you need to complete a jigsaw puzzle? And why do we enjoy them?
-
Can I improve my sense of direction?
Fri 29 Nov 2024
Why some people get lost while others have a great sense of where they are
-
Why can't my dog live as long as me?
Fri 22 Nov 2024
And how do some animals tackle the ageing process head on?
-
What does my voice say about me?
Fri 15 Nov 2024
What shapes the sound of your voice? And is everybody’s voice unique?
-
Why is my house getting sunnier?
Fri 8 Nov 2024
A mysterious shift in sunshine through one listener’s window requires investigation
-
-
Why do languages fade from us?
Fri 25 Oct 2024
Can learning multiple languages make us forget our native tongue?
-
Why do my armpits smell?
Fri 18 Oct 2024
Deodorant hasn’t been around forever, so is there any evolutionary reason for body odour?
-
-
Why don’t sunflowers fall over?
Fri 4 Oct 2024
With huge heads on spindly stalks, how do sunflowers defy gravity to stay standing?
-
How did the Moon affect the dinosaurs?
Fri 27 Sep 2024
The Moon was once much closer to Earth. How did its gravity affect a dinosaur’s weight?
-
Are we mature by 18?
Fri 20 Sep 2024
Why is 18 considered the start of adulthood in many places? Does science back this up?
-
Is the car an apex predator?
Fri 13 Sep 2024
The car is a killer but does that make it top of the food chain?
-
What is the voice inside my head?
Fri 6 Sep 2024
What’s the science behind the silent inner voice many of us experience?
-
-
Why am I symmetrical?
Fri 23 Aug 2024
Why is one side of the human body pretty much a mirror image of the other side?
-
Can we improve the shipping container?
Fri 16 Aug 2024
This simple metal box enables so much global trade. But could we make it more efficient?
-
How do fish survive in the deep ocean?
Fri 9 Aug 2024
What allows fish to cope with the immense water pressure of the ocean depths?
-
Why is my handwriting so messy?
Fri 2 Aug 2024
Alex Lathbridge explores the genetics, culture and neuroscience of handwriting
-
Why is a ship a ‘she’?
Fri 26 Jul 2024
Why are nouns coded as male or female in some languages but not others?