CrowdScience

Matt Mailey, an environmental physiologist from Loughborough University, delves into our body's fascinating responses to cold, including vasoconstriction and shivering. In contrast, Gunnhild Birgitta Sætre, an associate professor at the Arctic Safety Centre in Svalbard, offers insights on suitable clothing and mental preparedness for icy conditions. They explore how cultural background and biological factors influence individuals’ experiences of cold, showcasing the complex interplay of biology and environment in our survival strategies.

Robert Karlsson, a musician and the innovative director of Between Music's Aquasonic project, dives into the world of underwater performances. He shares insights on how tank design and instrument modifications can enhance acoustics beneath the surface. Discover the fascinating effects of submerging guitars, including altered tones and sound dynamics. Karlsson also discusses the development of unique instruments like the rotacorda, tailored specifically for aquatic environments, paving the way for a new genre of music.

In this insightful discussion, guests Yan Li, a geographical sciences professor, Chris Sansom, a solar desalination expert, and climate scientist Alan Condron explore innovative ways to green deserts. Yan reveals how changing land surfaces with solar and wind farms could double Sahara rainfall. Chris explains solar-powered desalination techniques to turn seawater into fresh water, while Alan proposes towing icebergs to parched regions. They highlight potential ecological risks and advocate for sustainable, community-led solutions to revive arid landscapes.

Philip Laven, an independent rainbow expert, demonstrates how sunlight refracts and reflects in water droplets to create rainbows. Retired professor Raymond Lee explains that rainbows lack a fixed size, emphasizing their angular dimensions based on perspective. Aerial photographer Colin Leinhardt shares his experience capturing a stunning full circular rainbow from a helicopter, showcasing its unique beauty. The fascinating discussion reveals how context impacts our perception of a rainbow's size and introduces concepts like secondary rainbows and the 3D nature of these atmospheric wonders.

Marie Bannier-Hélaouët, a postdoctoral researcher, details the fascinating biology of tears, revealing that humans produce three types: basal, reflex, and emotional. Ad Vingerhoets, an expert in clinical psychology, shares insights into the social and evolutionary functions of crying, suggesting it signals helplessness and fosters connection. The podcast also explores heart-rate studies showing potential calming effects of tears and discusses why women tend to cry more, diving into the complex emotional landscape of human tears.

Join Professor Syamsidik, a tsunami mitigation expert from Indonesia, and Hiroshi Sato, a diving instructor who led recovery efforts in Japan, as they explore how tsunamis impact marine life. They discuss how tsunami waves are generated and the minimal effects on deep-sea creatures. Professor Emile Okal explains the mechanics of tsunami waves and their destructive potential as they reach shore. Additionally, Sato shares stories of clearing debris and restoring fisheries post-2011 disaster, highlighting the long-term ecological consequences of tsunami debris.

In this thought-provoking discussion, psychologist Susan Blackmore shares her transformative out-of-body experience and her lifelong quest to understand Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). Neuroscientist Jimo Borjigin presents groundbreaking findings on brain activity during cardiac arrest, suggesting that these experiences might be linked to physiological phenomena. Meanwhile, Dr. Christopher Timmermann explores parallels between NDEs and psychedelic states, probing the role of DMT. Together, they unveil the science behind these enigmatic experiences and their implications for consciousness.

For some they’re the stuff of nightmares, but many of us can’t get enough of horror films. For Halloween, CrowdScience investigates the science of why we enjoy films that scare the living daylights out of us. CrowdScience listener Maria from Taiwan is one of those people who would rather avoid frightening films, yet her husband loves them and is always trying to get her to watch with him. She wants to know why people like her husband are so drawn to horror films. To try and find out, presenter Anand Jagatia travels to the Recreational Fear Lab in Aarhus, Denmark, which is dedicated to understanding why people frighten themselves for fun. He meets the research lab’s directors Mathias Clasen and Marc Andersen who explain how horror and recreational fear could help us cope better with uncertainty, bond with those we are frightened beside, and perhaps even have some physical health benefits. They also take Anand to a haunted house, called Dystopia, which has used the Recreational Fear Lab’s research to become as terrifying as possible. And we hear from horror film music composer, Mark Korven, who creates tension and fear using an invention he calls ‘the apprehension engine’. He speaks to BBC Naturebang’s Becky Ripley who has been investigating sounds that scare us and their evolutionary origins. Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Jonathan Blackwell (Photo: Couple watch horror movie with blanket to cover their heads. Credit: WC.GI via Getty Images)

In this intriguing discussion, Nick Balfour, a pollinator ecologist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, shares his expertise on hoverflies and their vital roles in ecosystems. He highlights the often-overlooked life stages of insects, including caterpillars and larvae, emphasizing the need for conservation efforts towards these unsung heroes. Listeners learn practical gardening tips to support insect populations, from tolerating weeds to understanding the importance of native plants. Balfour also discusses the impressive benefits hoverflies offer in agriculture, like boosting avocado yields.

How would you record a special moment? Maybe you could take a photograph, film a little video, or record some audio. We have lots of ways of recording what life LOOKS and SOUNDS like, but is the same true for the other senses? What if you wanted to record the smells that greet you on entering your favourite restaurant? Or record the way your loved ones hand feels in yours? These are the questions on the mind of listener Aravind, from California in the USA. He wants to know if there are any ways of recording and reproducing sensory experiences like taste and smell, or physical touch. Anand Jagatia is on the case, and is smelling, tasting, and quite literally FEELING his way to the answer. From a multi-sensory movie experience in Valencia, Spain, to the fascinating history of the pioneers of ‘scented cinema’, through to the ground-breaking “haptic technology” which is enhancing the capabilities of our sense of touch. Both for us, and for the robots which do the jobs we don’t want to. Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Emily Knight Editor: Ben Motley(Photo: Woman making ASMR sounds with microphone and perfume on yellow background, closeup - stock photo. Credit: Liudmila Chernetska via Getty Images)