
399 episodes

Instant Genius BBC Science Focus
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- Science
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4.2 • 86 Ratings
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Whether you’re curious about getting healthy, the Big Bang or the science of cooking, find out everything you need to know in under 30 minutes with Instant Genius. The team behind BBC Science Focus Magazine talk to world-leading experts to bring you a bite-sized masterclass on a new subject each week.
New episodes are released every Monday and Friday and you can subscribe to Instant Genius on Apple Podcasts to access all new episodes ad-free and all old episodes of Instant Genius Extra.
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Inside the mind of a dog, with Prof Alexandra Horowitz
In this episode we speak to Alexandra Horowitz, professor of canine cognition at Barnard College, Columbia University and author of Inside of a Dog – What Dogs, See, Smell and Know.
She tells us what your dog is trying to tell you when they stare at you, what causes them to tilt their heads from side to side and why so many of them seem to like rolling in poo.
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Breasts, with Dr Philippa Kaye
It goes without saying that breasts get a lot of attention. But less focus is given to the science behind them: why do we have them? Why are they all different, and does it matter? What happens when things go wrong?
GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye is out to change that in her latest book, Breasts: An Owner’s Guide. In today’s podcast she tells us about the science of human breasts, the benefits – and costs – of having them, current research in breast cancer and sports, and how to take care of yours.
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Time travel, with Lawrence Krauss
From HG Well’s The Time Machine, to Doctor Who and Back to the Future, time travel has become a beloved staple of science fiction. But will humans ever actually be able to jump through time? According to physics, quite possibly.
To explain this today, we’re joined by Lawrence Krauss, theoretical physicist and author of the new book The Known Unknowns: The Unsolved Mysteries of the Cosmos. He delves into the strangest theories of time travel, time tourism, and also what most time travel movies get wrong.
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Body language myths, with Prof Geoff Beattie
Want to get better at interpreting body language? Well, most books on the topic are unlikely to help you. At least, that’s the argument of Geoff Beattie, professor of psychology at Edge Hill University.
He claims that most stereotypes of non-verbal communication, be it defensive arm-crossing or nervous hair twiddling, are vastly misunderstood. In this episode, Beattie unpacks these body language myths – and also explains science worth paying attention to.
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AI’s fight to understand creativity, with Ahmed Elgammal
Artificial intelligence has seeped into the art world, creating incredible paintings, winning art competitions, and turning amateurs into Picasso. But how does it work, and can it really replace artists? We spoke to Ahmed Elgammal, a professor of computer science at Rutgers University to find out.
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How to boost your creativity, with Hilde Ostby
Ever had an ‘aha’ moment? The point where your thoughts somehow finally coalesce into a revelation? Or have you ever wondered where your creative impulses come from and how they’re formed?
In this episode we speak to Hilde Ostby, author of the book The Key to Creativity, the Science Behind Ideas and How Day Dreaming Can Change the World. She tells us about nature of creativity, where it comes from and how we can nurture it in our own lives.
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Customer Reviews
2020 - the year of expanding knowledge
Having been made redundant in March, I have been on a year’s worth of self improvement. Over the last few years, I have been so absorbed in the intensive training it required I haven’t been able to learn other subjects. If this year brought anything, time to learn was it. Some enlightening, interesting, and at some points, complex topics that are fascinating even if some just go straight over my head and I have to repeat the last 30secs to listen again!
Fantastic
I’ve learnt so much listening to this podcast. They’ve managed to make quite difficult scientific concepts accessible to everybody. I’ve not become a genius instantly but I certainly feel smarter!
Some good content…
However, too much airtime given to pseudoscientific nonsense.