Instant Genius

Looking to get the maximum possible benefits out of your gym time? Want to find out why what you do to recover outside of the gym is just as important what you do inside it? Or maybe you’d like to learn some of the secret psychological tricks pro athletes use to stay at their best?Why not tune into the Instant Genius Peak Performance miniseries, brought to you from the team behind BBC Science Focus.It's still the same show, with the same great guests. We’ll just be spending a little extra time to go deeper into the science of all things related to sports and fitness.Starting on Monday 22 July, this four-part special series will feature interviews with some of the leading figures in sports research to give you everything you need for a science-packed summer of sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are currently more than eight billion human beings living on Earth, occupying nearly every corner of the planet. It’s a remarkable situation to find ourselves in, and there can be little doubt that the story of human progress has, by and large, been a successful one. But how did we reach this point? What sets us apart from other animals? And what is it about our biology that has allowed us to achieve this incredible feat?In this episode, we catch up with astrobiologist and author Prof Lewis Dartnell to talk about his latest book Being Human: How Biology Shaped World History.He takes us on a trip through the evolution of the human race. We talk about how human beings’ ability to form harmonious societies has helped us prosper, why we’re so prone to making errors in judgment despite our great success as a species and how the world we’ve built has ended up influencing our biology back in return. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We can see climate change in our food, holidays and even day-to-day life, but one area we rarely think about is our sports. And yet, climate change could completely change how we play and experience sports all together. We spoke to Madeleine Orr, the author of the new book Warming Up to learn a little bit more about how sports will be changed by a changing climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mathematician Alain Goriely discusses using math to study the human brain, linking brain shape to intelligence, understanding diseases like Alzheimer's, and the impact of advanced scanning technology. He explores brain geometry, cortical folds, and network organization, highlighting the role of graph theory in studying brain connectivity.

Kevin Mitchell, a genetics and neuroscience professor, challenges the idea that free will is an illusion. He argues that evolution supports our autonomy. The podcast explores the concept of free will, limitations in predicting complex systems, life as a self-organized system, and metacognition in human cognition.

Stand-up comedian, mathematician, and author Matt Parker discusses the omnipresence of triangles and trigonometry in everyday life, from building structures to CGI imagery. He emphasizes the practical applications and importance of rediscovering trigonometry learned in high school, showcasing how triangles play a crucial role in various fields like construction, space exploration, and entertainment.

Right now, in hospitals around the world, patients are being cured of diseases once thought untreatable.The reason? A gene therapy revolution means that what was once the stuff of science fiction is now becoming a reality.One person who’s been at the centre of this medical revolution is Dr Bobby Gaspar, a professor of paediatrics and immunology at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London, and CEO of Orchard Therapeutics.Bobby guides us through the complex world of gene therapy, explaining what it is, what it can do and where it’s going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Science writer David Robson discusses the importance of social connections for human health and happiness in his new book. Topics include empathy, vulnerability, active listening, confidence-building through interactions, meaningful conversations, and navigating disagreements in a polarized world.

It’s a scene many of us will have experienced: we’re at the cinema, the lights go down, the film begins and then suddenly the person behind us starts rustling a packet of sweets or noisily chomping on popcorn.For most of us this is merely an annoyance and after a while we’re able to tune the sounds out and concentrate on enjoying the cinematic experience. But for some, it can be unbearable and engender feelings of distress, anger and even panic. These people are experiencing misophonia.In this episode, we catch up with Dr Jane Gregory, a clinical psychologist and author of the book Sounds Like Misophonia: How to Stop Small Noises from Causing Extreme Reactions.She tells us what’s going on in our brains when we experience a misophonic reaction, how it can trigger our fight or flight response and why it’s surprisingly common. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finding alien life could be just around the corner. At least, that’s if the James Webb Space Telescope and other techniques help us discover their extraterrestrial homes. In this episode, astrophysicist Lisa Kaltenegger and author of new book Alien Earths: Planet Hunting in the Cosmos talks us through the ways she and her team are looking for these planets and the kinds of life they might hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices