The Infinite Monkey Cage

BBC
BBC

A witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes, guest hosted by Prof. Adam Rutherford and Jess Fostekew.

  1. 2 days ago

    The First Britons - Tim Minchin, Prof Chris Stringer and Dr Selina Brace

    The Infinite Monkey Cage returns for a brand-new series, with Professor Adam Rutherford and comedian Jessica Fostekew swinging into the cage as guest presenters. In this first episode, they find out who were the very first people to land on the British Isles… if they even were Isles at all. Joined by anthropologist Professor Chris Stringer, geneticist Dr Selina Brace and comedian Tim Minchin, they learn that our British ancestors got to hang out with hippopotamuses, uncover what ancient DNA can tell us about man’s earliest best friends, and discover that some Homo sapiens became more than just friends with our Neanderthal cousins... The panel also gets to the bottom of some of the most pressing scientific debates: like if Cheddar Man was really a looker and whether the Brits have always had bad teeth. Producer: Mel Brown A BBC Studios Production

  2. 4 days ago

    Trailer

    A witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes, guest hosted by Prof. Adam Rutherford and Jess Fostekew.

  3. 24/12/2025

    The North Pole Unwrapped - Russell Kane, Felicity Aston and Lloyd Peck

    In this Christmas episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian Cox and Robin Ince head to the North Pole to explore the dazzling science behind the northern lights, the extreme adaptations that help animals - and even Santa Claus - survive the Arctic cold, and how the Earth’s magnetic field might just guide him home. Joining the monkeys are comedian Russell Kane, Arctic explorer Felicity Aston and Polar biologist Lloyd Peck, as they brave the chill to uncover the wonders of one of Earth’s most remote and magical frontiers. Series Producer: Mel Brown Researcher: Alex Rodway Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Production

    The North Pole Unwrapped - Russell Kane, Felicity Aston and Lloyd Peck

  4. 17/12/2025

    Monkey Business - Robin Dunbar, Dave Gorman and Jo Setchell

    In perhaps the monkiest Infinite Monkey Cage episode there’s ever been, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to uncover the secrets of love, lust and friendship in primates. Swinging by to offer a hand (or tail) are evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, anthropologist Jo Setchell, and comedian Dave Gorman. Together the panel explores Dunbar’s number in monkeys – the idea that the number of friendships an individual can maintain correlates with brain size – with the very creator of the theory! They ask whether monkeys feel love the way we do, why some species remain strictly monogamous but others don’t, and what we could learn about ourselves through studying them. Robin goes bananas for bonobo fashion, while Dave couldn’t give a monkey’s about finding an aftershave to complement his natural smell. Series Producer: Mel Brown Researcher: Alex Rodway Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Production

    Monkey Business - Robin Dunbar, Dave Gorman and Jo Setchell

  5. 10/12/2025

    Head in the Clouds - Owain Wyn Evans, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Amanda Maycock

    Robin Ince and Brian Cox look up to the heavens as they try to ‘de-mistify’ the foggy science of clouds. They’re joined by Cloud Appreciation Society founder Gavin Pretor-Pinney, climate scientist Amanda Maycock, and former weather presenter and drummer Owain Wyn Evans, for a whirlwind tour of our too often-overlooked aerial realm. The panel explores how clouds form, why they take such extraordinary shapes, and how satellites and weather balloons help us keep track of them. They discover why low clouds cool the planet but high clouds warm it and why a cloud that weighs as much as a jumbo jet manages to stay up in the sky. From the physics of a crisp packet balancing on a cumulonimbus to the shimmering beauty of noctilucent clouds, tune in for this cirrus-ly fascinating episode. Series Producer: Mel Brown Researcher: Alex Rodway Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Production

    Head in the Clouds - Owain Wyn Evans, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Amanda Maycock

  6. 03/12/2025

    Fusion – Ria Lina, Yasmin Andrew and Howard Wilson

    Robin Ince and Brian Cox get all fired up, overcome their natural repulsion and come together for this stellar episode on nuclear fusion. They’re joined by plasma physicist Yasmin Andrew, fusion scientist Howard Wilson and comedian Ria Lina to uncover the secrets of star-making here on our planet. Together the panel discovers how the sun fuses atoms to release energy and why misbehaving, jiggling plasma makes this tricky to recreate on Earth. They explore the competing technological approaches — from giant magnets to the world’s biggest lasers — and find out that the hottest place in the solar system is, in fact, in Oxfordshire. Finally, they ask whether fusion could really provide an unlimited source of clean energy, or whether the technology will forever be “just 20 years away”. Producer: Melanie Brown Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Production

    Fusion – Ria Lina, Yasmin Andrew and Howard Wilson

  7. 26/11/2025

    What’s the deal with eels? – Lucy Porter, David Righton and Caroline Durif

    Fishing rods at the ready, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to reel in a creature that has baffled scientists since Aristotle: the eel. Wriggling in to help them uncover the mysteries of one of nature’s slimiest subjects are marine scientists David Righton and Caroline Durif, and comedian Lucy Porter. How do eels navigate such vast distances so deep under water? Why has no one ever seen them reproduce? And WHY would anyone eat them jellied with pie and mash?! The panel discovers that Spanish eels are always late and that eels from all different countries are thought to meet up somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean for a huge annual orgy. Producer: Melanie Brown Assistant Producer: Olivia Jani Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Production

    What’s the deal with eels? – Lucy Porter, David Righton and Caroline Durif

  8. 19/11/2025

    What’s the time? - Marcus Brigstocke, Leon Lobo, Louise Devoy

    Robin Ince and Brian Cox wind up at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich – arguably the centre of time – to uncoil the mysteries of what time is and how on Earth (…and on moon) we keep track of it. Taking the time to join them are comedian Marcus Brigstocke, curator of the Royal Observatory Louise Devoy, and Head of the National Timing Centre Leon Lobo. From ancient Egyptian knuckle counting to sun dials, quartz oscillators and atomic clocks, the panel turns back time to discover how we measured and kept it throughout history. Together, they dial into why Greenwich has become such an important place for time and how time is synchronised and sold across the globe. They explore the flaws and future of accurate astronomical and atomic timekeeping, and Marcus blames the ‘leap second’ for his fry-up failures. Producer: Olivia Jani Series Producer: Melanie Brown Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Production

    What’s the time? - Marcus Brigstocke, Leon Lobo, Louise Devoy
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4.7
out of 5
7,908 Ratings

About

A witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes, guest hosted by Prof. Adam Rutherford and Jess Fostekew.

Information

  • Channel
    BBC
  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2009 - 2026
  • Episodes
    249
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    The Infinite Monkey Cage

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