Michael Wooldridge, a professor of computer science at the University of Oxford, demystifies AI and explains its potential benefits. He addresses immediate risks and challenges, explores his childhood fascination with science, discusses the Turing test and different types of AI, and highlights the potential applications of AI in medical research. The podcast also emphasizes how AI is revolutionizing scientific disciplines and the need for a new approach in research.

Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, the UK's Decarbonisation Champion, shares innovative ideas on turning CO2 into something useful. She discusses the need to rethink carbon dioxide, capturing and utilizing CO2, 3D printing smart rocks for real-time data, developing sustainable aviation fuel, and the urgent need to tackle climate change with realistic optimism.

The Life Scientific zooms in to explore the intricate atomic make-up of metal alloys, with complex crystalline arrangements that can literally make or break structures integral to our everyday lives.Professor Sir Harry Bhadeshia is Professor of Metallurgy at Queen Mary University of London and Emeritus Tata Steel Professor of Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge. He’s been described as a ‘steel innovator’ – developing multiple new alloys with a host of real-world applications, from rail tracks to military armour.Harry’s prolific work in the field has earned him widespread recognition and a Knighthood; but it's not always been an easy ride... From his childhood in Kenya and an enforced move to the UK as a teenager, to the years standing up to those seeking to discredit the new path he was forging in steel research - Jim Al-Khalili discovers that Harry's achievements have required significant determination, as well as hard work.Produced by Lucy Taylor.

“Big data” and “data science” are terms we hear more and more these days. The idea that we can use these vast amounts of information to understand and analyse phenomena, and find solutions to problems, is gaining prominence, both in business and academia. Cathie Sudlow, Professor of Neurology and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, has been at the forefront of enabling health-related research using ever-increasing datasets. She tells presenter Jim Al-Khalili why this type of research matters, how the COVID-19 pandemic changed attitudes towards data in healthcare, and why the NHS gives the UK a big advantage when it comes to population-wide studies. Over the course of her career, Cathie has held a variety of roles at different organisations, and she is currently Chief Scientist and Deputy Director at Health Data Research UK. She believes that there is no room for prima donnas in science, and wants her field to be open and collaborative, to have the most impact on patients’ lives. Produced by Florian Bohr.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili meets one of Britain's greatest physicists, Sir Michael Berry. His work uncovers 'the arcane in the mundane', revealing the science that underpins phenomena in the world around us such as rainbows, and through his popular science lectures he joyfully explains the role of quantum mechanics in phones, computers and the technology that shapes the modern world. He is famed for the 'Berry phase' which is a key concept in quantum mechanics and one Sir Michael likes to explain through an analogy of holding a cat upside and dropping it, or parallel parking a car. Presenter: Jim Al-Khalili Studio Producer: Tom Bonnett Audio Editor: Gerry Holt

Professor Sarah Harper, an expert in Gerontology, discusses how population change is remodelling societies. Topics include the impact of demographic changes on society, the historical shift in retirement age, changing attitudes towards reproduction, and personal experiences with aging and retirement.

Our primate cousins fascinate us, with their uncanny similarities to us. And studying other apes and monkeys also helps us figure out the evolutionary puzzle of what makes us uniquely human. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy’s work brings a female perspective to this puzzle, correcting sexist stereotypes like the aggressive, philandering male and the coy, passive female.Sarah is Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the University of California, Davis, and studies female primate behaviour to create a richer picture of our evolutionary history, as well as what it means to be a woman or a parent today. Her overarching aim is to understand the human condition, a goal she initially planned to pursue by writing novels. Instead, she found her way into science: her groundbreaking study of infanticide among langur monkeys in northern India overturned assumptions about these monkeys’ murderous motivations.Later in her career, she looked into reproductive and parenting strategies across species. We humans are primed by evolution, she believes, to need a lot of support raising our children. And that’s a concern she found reflected in her own life, juggling family commitments with her career ambitions as a field researcher, teacher, and science writer.Produced by Cathy Edwards.

Physicist Edward Witten, known for M-Theory, discusses his career, fascination with quark confinement, pragmatic approach to research, and the discovery of the J.S.I. particle. He also explores the unification of string theory and supersymmetry, the relevance of Morse theory, and the ongoing quest for a theory of everything.

Alexandre Antonelli, a bio-geographer, discusses the importance of biodiversity and the need to protect it. He shares insights on the evolution of new species due to changes in Earth's landscape. He highlights the urgency to document and understand the richness of life to effectively protect it. The podcast also explores Antonelli's childhood memories in the Atlantic Rainforest and his journey through different research positions and job opportunities. Other interesting topics include the potential of neglected plant varieties and the impact of planting trees on biodiversity.

Paul Murdin, astronomer who identified the first black hole, discusses the role of imagination in science and his journey of discovery. He overcomes his disability through curiosity and vibrant imagination. Topics include the significance of X-rays in unraveling celestial mysteries, the speaker's battle with polio, and the measurement of Doppler shift leading to black hole discovery.