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Listener Alpha in Sierra Leone asks us to count all the humans who have ever lived Read more
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How many people have ever existed?
Listener Alpha in Sierra Leone asks us to count all the humans who have ever lived
How do my ears sense direction?
How can we hear a sound and immediately know where it’s coming from?
Are our coastlines being washed away?
What is coastal erosion and why is it a problem?
How should we protect our coastlines?
What’s the best way to combat coastal erosion?
Why am I bad at maths?
Why are some people better at mathematics than others?
Why are people still dying from malaria?
We visit Malawi to discuss malaria, mosquitoes and a world-leading vaccination programme
What does prayer do to my brain?
Can science explain the effects of prayer on our brains and wellbeing?
Will mountains shrink as sea levels rise?
Should we re-calculate the height of mountains to for sea levels rising?
Why does wine taste better over time?
What chemistry makes some wines age well, while others turn to vinegar?
How fast can a raindrop cross the globe?
Could a raindrop from the UK travel all the way to New Zealand?
Why are the seas salty?
How does salt get into the world's oceans, and is melting ice making them any fresher?
Is every atom unique?
Are atoms as individual as snowflakes – and if not, where does uniqueness begin?
How many flies have ever existed?
Flies are everywhere. But just how many have ever lived?
How does a snake climb a tree?
What gives snakes their gravity-defying climbing skills?
What is the weight of the internet?
Simple question, tricky answer. To weigh the internet, what should we put on the scales?
Why am I afraid of this building?
How do buildings affect our emotions – whether fear or sadness, wonder or joy?
Why is a ship a ‘she’?
Why are nouns coded as male or female in some languages but not others?
Why is my handwriting so messy?
Alex Lathbridge explores the genetics, culture and neuroscience of handwriting
How do fish survive in the deep ocean?
What allows fish to cope with the immense water pressure of the ocean depths?
Can we improve the shipping container?
This simple metal box enables so much global trade. But could we make it more efficient?
Why am I symmetrical?
Why is one side of the human body pretty much a mirror image of the other side?
Can my body regenerate?
Where do our healing powers begin and where do they end?
What is the voice inside my head?
What’s the science behind the silent inner voice many of us experience?
Is the car an apex predator?
The car is a killer but does that make it top of the food chain?
Are we mature by 18?
Why is 18 considered the start of adulthood in many places? Does science back this up?
How did the Moon affect the dinosaurs?
The Moon was once much closer to Earth. How did its gravity affect a dinosaur’s weight?
Why don’t sunflowers fall over?
With huge heads on spindly stalks, how do sunflowers defy gravity to stay standing?
What's the fairest voting system?
Is there a perfect way to elect politicians?
Why do my armpits smell?
Deodorant hasn’t been around forever, so is there any evolutionary reason for body odour?
Why do languages fade from us?
Can learning multiple languages make us forget our native tongue?
Why do some mushrooms glow?
We explore the mysterious phenomenon of bioluminescence
