2016-12-22 Why do crazes take off?
Why is it that some games, hobbies and activities become crazes while others don’t? Alice and Neil discuss whether there is a secret formula and whether certain personality types are…
2016-12-15 When do you feel sleepy?
Alice and Neil discuss circadian rhythms – the so-called body clock that influences an organism’s daily cycle of physical, mental and behavioural changes – And what shift workers can do…
2016-12-08 Cleopatra
The last pharaoh to rule Egypt, Cleopatra was a woman of intelligence and charisma, only later celebrated as a great beauty. Sophie and Neil discuss why she is still an…
2016-12-01 Animal phobias
Why do we fear animals that pose no threat to us? Sophie and Neil face their own phobias and discuss the reason why fear of spiders is so common. This…
2016-11-24 Women’s right to vote
Alice and Neil talk about British suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst and her struggle to get women a better life. This week’s question Which was the first country to give all…
2016-11-17 Why we love trainers
Call them what you want – trainers, sneakers, tennis shoes – but why does everybody love them so much? Sophie and Neil discuss the ubiquity of sport shoes and why…
2016-11-10 On your bike
Why do we love the bicycle? Cycling began its life as a leisure pursuit for middle-aged and wealthy men. Sophie and Neil discuss the bike’s mass appeal, from helping to…
2016-11-03 Hi, meet my online persona!
Are we different online than we are in real life? Sophie and Neil discuss their views on social networks, and why we often use different identities for different social media…
2016-10-27 How do you read your news?
Free, digital news is threatening traditional newspapers around the world, so why do they survive and what is their future? Sophie and Neil discuss the pros and cons of news…
2016-10-20 Do opposites attract?
Why are we attracted to some people and not to others? What role does beauty, personality, and how people smell play in our feelings? Sophie and Neil discuss love at…
2016-10-13 Is loneliness in our genes?
What is loneliness and why do we feel it? Sophie and Neil discuss how feeling lonely can help us to survive. This week’s question Which country has the highest proportion…
2016-10-06 Who do you think you are?
How do you see yourself and how do others see you? Alice and Neil discuss identity and how appearances can be deceptive. This week’s question What percentage of the UK…
2016-09-29 Does punctuation matter?
Why is punctuation important, and does it matter if we get it wrong? Neil and Alice discuss rhetoric, commas, and why using full stops when we’re texting can make us…
2016-09-22 Penicillin: breaking the mould
Alice and Neil discuss penicillin, the so-called wonder drug discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming. They talk about Neil’s sore toe, mouldy coffee mugs, and why drug companies should be…
2016-09-15 Global warming
What might the world look like if the temperature keeps rising? There will be many losers – but who are the likely winners? Neil and Alice discuss what we need…