The Infinite Monkey Cage
BBC Radio 4
Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince host a witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists’ eyes. Joined by a panel of scientists, experts and celebrity science enthusiasts they investigate life, the universe and everything in between on The Infinite Monkey Cage from the BBC. From the smallest building blocks of life to the furthest stars, the curious monkeys pull apart the latest science to reveal fascinating and often bizarre insights into the world around us and what lies beyond. Can trees talk to each other? Can science help you commit the perfect murder? What might aliens look like and the burning question of our time, are strawberries alive or dead? Join them as each episode they put a different scientific topic under the microscope, from aliens, black holes and hedgehogs, to bacteria, poison and the Big Bang.
With past guests including actors Dame Judi Dench and Sir Patrick Stewart, comedians Steve Martin and Conan O’Brien, astronaut Tim Peake, primatologist Jane Goodall and mathematician Hannah Fry, The Infinite Monkey Cage promises to make you laugh, enrich your knowledge and leave you with a deeper appreciation for the universe that we call home.
Whether you’re a seasoned scientist or someone who nodded off in physics class, listen in to learn all about funny, fascinating and sometimes ridiculous topics – with the occasional monkey business.
With past guests including actors Dame Judi Dench and Sir Patrick Stewart, comedians Steve Martin and Conan O’Brien, astronaut Tim Peake, primatologist Jane Goodall and mathematician Hannah Fry, The Infinite Monkey Cage promises to make you laugh, enrich your knowledge and leave you with a deeper appreciation for the universe that we call home.
Whether you’re a seasoned scientist or someone who nodded off in physics class, listen in to learn all about funny, fascinating and sometimes ridiculous topics – with the occasional monkey business.
Episodes
Mentioned books
78 snips
Jul 8, 2023 • 43min
Bees v Wasps
Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle one of the most important questions posed by science: which is better, bees or wasps? To defend bees, ecologist Dave Goulson joins the panel, while entomologist Seirian Sumner comes to the defence of wasps. Although both species are known to deliver a nasty sting, Seirian and Dave battle to show why their species should be loved, not swotted, and how we unknowingly rely on them. Comedian Catherine Bohart takes on the role of judge. Which will she ultimately choose: bees or wasps?New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF
Producer: Caroline Steel
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
59 snips
Jul 1, 2023 • 43min
Supervolcanoes
Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out if supervolcanoes are worth worrying about. They are joined by volcanologist Tamsin Mather, geologist Chris Jackson and comedian Rachel Parris. They learn about the worst eruptions of all time, including the eruption that may have sparked the French Revolution. They find out what volcanologists like Tamsin are doing to monitor supervolcanoes and if volcanologists do predict an impending eruption, is there anything we can do about it? New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyFProducer: Caroline Steel
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
47 snips
Jun 24, 2023 • 42min
Are we what we eat?
Brian Cox and Robin Ince examine their own diets and the diet fads of the past to ask what we should actually be eating. They are joined by Dr Chris van Tulleken, Professor Janet Cade and comedian Harry Hill to discuss the nutritional merits, or lack thereof, of everything from sausages to strawberries, and discover whether our obsession with low fat, low sugar or low carb diets have any scientific basis. They discuss our increased dependence on ultra-processed foods and what this means for our health, and whether eating one calorie of a chocolate bar is really the same as eating one calorie of a stick of celery.New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF
Producer: Adrian Washbourne
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
22 snips
Mar 25, 2023 • 42min
Magic Materials
You might think materials are a bit boring and inconsequential but without them we would still be living in the stone age. Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by material scientists Mark Miodownik and Anna Ploszajski and comedian Ed Byrne to discover the life changing materials that are hidden in plain sight. Which materials have made us human? Which materials do we completely depend on? And how will materials shape our future?Producer: Caroline Steel
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
7 snips
Mar 18, 2023 • 43min
How Far Can the Human Body Go?
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by biomechanist Polly McGuigan, evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod, comedian Russell Kane and Olympic gold medalist Sally Gunnell to find out how good humans are at endurance. Could anyone win a gold at the Olympics? Could a human outrun a cheetah? And have we reached the absolute limits of human endurance?Producer: Caroline Steel
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
61 snips
Mar 11, 2023 • 43min
How to Commit the Perfect Murder
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Susan Calman, Prof Sue Black and Dr Julia Shaw as they invent Infinite Monkey Cluedo, and discover whether they can commit the perfect murder, or whether the latest forensic science will always be able to piece the clues together. They reveal whether the perfect crime or perfect criminal really exists and how we might spot them, and how the latest forensic techniques have transformed even decades-old murder cases. The panel also discuss how the courtroom has changed with the development of ever-more advanced forensic techniques, but also where the weakness in the science might lie. Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
38 snips
Mar 4, 2023 • 43min
How to think like a mathematician
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Jo Brand, mathematicians Prof Hannah Fry and Dr Eugenia Cheng, and xkcd webcomic creator Randall Munroe to discover how thinking like a mathematician could solve some tricky everyday conundrums. From the optimal strategy to finding your true love, to how to fix a wonky table in the pub, thinking like a mathematician can help you in some very unlikely situations. They discover how mathematical thinking can help answer some truly out of this world questions as well: how much soup would it take to fill the solar system? What would happen if you shrank Jupiter to the size of a house? Not problems we'd encounter in everyday life maybe, but all questions sent to Randall Munroe for his "What If?" series of books. At first glance the questions may seem impossible, but, as it turns out, maths and physics can provide an answer to these headscratchers, as the panel discover.Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
26 snips
Feb 25, 2023 • 42min
Australia’s Scary Spiders
Brian Cox and Robin Ince end their Australian science adventure with an episode all about spiders. They are joined by ecologists Dieter Hochuli and Mariella Herberstein and comedian Claire Hooper. They learn about the strange physiology of spiders, including skin shedding, weaving sperm webs and having hundreds of babies at once. They find out exactly how spiders copulate - a process full of surprises - from males having two penises to females cannibalizing the males once the deed is done. Dieter comes to the defence of spiders: despite their deadly venom, they haven’t killed anyone in Australia in over fifty years. Perhaps they aren’t deserving of their fierce reputation after all. Producer: Caroline Steel
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
Feb 18, 2023 • 43min
Southern Skies
Brian Cox and Robin Ince start a new series from Sydney, Australia. They are joined by astrophysicists Kirsten Banks and Devika Kamath and comedian Ross Noble as they discuss how different the night sky looks from the southern hemisphere. They hear stories of how different cultures have always used constellations in the sky to help navigate life down here, on planet Earth. They find out how just one point of light can tell you exactly what a star is made of and why this can be the key to understanding the future of our galaxy. Producer: Caroline Steel
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
Dec 24, 2022 • 42min
Why does wine taste good?
For this special Christmas episode, Brian Cox and Robin Ince visit the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide to find out what science can teach us about wine. They are joined by stand-up comedian Tim Minchin, Nobel Prize winner and vineyard owner Brian Schmidt, flavour chemist Mango Parker and sensory and consumer scientist Patricia Williamson. The panel are put through their paces as they sample a variety of wines, learning the hard way that the majority of wine’s flavour isn’t down to molecular chemistry but instead the holistic experience of wine drinking: the perceived price, mood in the room and even the weight of the bottle. Producer: Caroline Steel
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
