Instant Genius

Since its launch on Christmas Day 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has delivered some of the most stunning images of space we’ve ever seen, peering deeper into the cosmos than ever before. But as awe-inspiring as these images are, data about the history of the Universe being collected by the telescope are perhaps even more mind-blowing.In this episode, we catch up with Sky at Night Presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock to talk about her new book Webb’s Universe: The Space Telescope Images that Reveal our Cosmic History.She tells us how the telescope is shedding new light on what we know about the birth of stars and galaxies, how it’s teaching us more about the structure and atmospheres of distant exoplanets and what she’s most excited about it discovering in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our bodies have in-built clocks that allow us to sync our daily activities to a roughly 24-hour cycle. This determines everything from our sleep patterns to our appetites and even dictates the time of day we are most likely to perform at our best.However, not all of our body clocks keep the same time – some of us prefer early mornings while some of us prefer late nights. What’s more, alterations in external time, such as crossing time zones or changes to and from daylight saving time can play havoc with this finely tuned internal system.In this episode, we catch up with Dr Beatriz Bano, a neuroscientist based at the University of Manchester.She tells us the role exposure to daylight plays in setting our body clocks, how they change over our lifetimes and how we can set up our daily routines to ensure we are well rested and performing at our best.This episode is presented in partnership with Lumie.https://www.lumie.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since the discovery of the double helix by Francis Crick, James Watson and Rosalind Franklin in the 1950s, human knowledge of DNA and genetics has grown almost immeasurably.We now know that genes affect every aspect of our lives, from our appearance, our health and even our personality. But more than this, our genes are a living document of our evolutionary past, an ancient document that, if read properly, can reveal almost everything about how we came to be how we are.In this episode, we’re joined by the evolutionary biologist and multi-million selling author Richard Dawkins to speak about his latest book The Genetic Book of the Dead: A Darwinian Reverie.He tells us how different species of animals hit on the same evolutionary strategies despite being separated by multiple continents, how natural selection doesn’t necessarily always follow the perfect path and how a scientist of the future may one day be able to read the genetic code of any living animal like a book to uncover its entire evolutionary past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you find it hard to get out of bed first thing in the morning? Maybe you feel your energy levels starting to wane in the afternoon? Or perhaps you struggle to fall asleep in the first place?Why not tune into the Instant Genius How to Hack Your Sleep 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 sleep.Starting on Monday 21 October, this four-part special series will feature interviews with some of the leading figures in sleep research to give you everything you need to get the most out of your shuteye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all love our dogs and want to do what’s best for them but, unfortunately, they aren’t able to talk to us to let us know when something isn’t going well for them. So how can we make sure we’re doing our best to keep them safe and happy?In this episode, we catch up dog expert and author Zazie Todd to talk about her latest book, Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog.She teaches us about some key body language cues to look out for to tell when your dog is feeling anxious, shares her top tips on buying a healthy puppy, and explains why it’s always a good idea to let your dog have a good old sniff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this engaging conversation, Kelly Weinersmith, co-author of "A City on Mars" and expert on space settlements, shares her insights into the challenges of Martian colonization. Kelly humorously critiques the idea of billionaires escaping to Mars, highlighting Earth's chaotic but preferable conditions. The discussion covers food sustainability in space, ethical concerns around human reproduction, and the complex realities of survival on Mars. Tune in for a fascinating look at our future beyond Earth and the hurdles we must overcome!

For a relatively small country, England is home to an astonishing variety of habitats. From the low-lying grasses, gorse and heather that make up the heathland to the many rivers that make their way across our countryside and cities, each landscape has its own individual characteristics and charms.In this episode, we catch up with farmer and best-selling nature writer John Lewis-Stempel to talk about his new book England: A Major Natural History in 12 Habitats.He takes us on a tour of some of the country’s unique habitats, speaks about the flora and fauna we can enjoy there and tells us how the best way to interact with nature is to get your hands dirty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you know that according to some psychologists we have two minds, not one? The first of these is our regular, analytical mind – the part of us that processes language and is home to our ego – and the second is a more primitive, animal mind that responds to our environment in a more automatic, intuitive way.It is argued that learning how to listen more closely to our animal minds can help us to overcome stress, anxiety and trauma.In this episode, we catch up with psychologist and author Steve Biddulph to talk about his latest book Wild Creature Mind.He tells how our ‘gut feelings’ are a way of our animal minds trying to tell us something, talks us through some simple techniques we can use to help us be more in touch with our animal minds, and explains how simply being a bit kinder to ourselves is a great place to start. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julia Christensen, author of 'The Pathway to Flow', dives into the magic of achieving flow states—where focus and joy collide. She shares strategies to create the right mental environments for productivity and emphasizes the value of presence in cultivating creativity. The conversation highlights how movement and playful activities can enhance mental health, while also discussing the importance of routines in developing skills. With practical tips and a nod to the benefits of community, Julia makes flow accessible for everyone.

Thanks to the advent of the smartphone, we now have in our pockets more computing power than NASA needed to put human beings on the Moon. With it comes access to vast amounts of information, both good and bad, and the ability to communicate like never before. But what impact is this having on our children’s lives and how should we approach their smartphone use?In this episode, we’re joined by neuroscientist, author and BBC Science Focus columnist Dr Dean Burnett to talk about his latest book Why Your Parents Are Hung Up On Your Phone And What To Do About It.He tells us why screen time isn’t anywhere near as bad for your kids as people say, why using search engines isn’t rotting their brains and how, far from being antisocial, phones can actually help younger people to develop and maintain their social lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices