Our love of pets
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we keep, and love, pets? Neil and Georgie discuss this and teach new vocabulary.
Sexism: Female farmers fighting back
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Female farmers in many countries face sexism. Some are finding ways to be fairly treated.
Learning lessons from the Moon
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Summer 2023 saw two missions to the Moon. Why are scientists so keen to get there?
Could we live without plastic?
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is it time to start living without plastic? Beth and Neil discuss this.
Invasive species: Why don't we eat them?
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Invasive species are causing problems for nature around the world, so why not eat them?
What and where is Little Italy?
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did Italian food become famous throughout the world? Find out with Neil and Georgie
Social media and teenage health
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the risks of social media to teenage health and what can be done about them?
Mystery flying objects
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly did navy pilots see in 2004? The US investigates these UFOs now, in 2023.
Elephant-proof farming
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when an elephant wants to eat your crops? How can you stop it?
Should we farm octopus?
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is it OK to eat animals that can feel emotion? Learn vocabulary on this topic.
Ways to live for 100 years
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More and more people are living to 100, but what is the secret of a long life?
How green is your money?
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Should climate change make us think where to invest our money? Learn useful vocabulary.
Mushrooms: Medicine or myth?
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today the medicinal mushroom industry is big business. But are there actually benefits?
Saving dead languages
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some Australian languages have been saved from extinction. We discuss Barngala's revival.
Sounds that make you want to scream
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some sounds cause some people huge distress. Learn about 'misophonia' here.
How fans talk about their passions
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fandom is more than simply being a fan, and now it is developing its own language.
Making male friends
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do men find it harder than women to make close friendships? Neil and Beth discuss.
Space-saving solar hacks
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can we find space for new solar panels?
The stories behind our names
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can names tell us about our culture and history?
Heatwaves - can we adapt?
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Heatwaves - can we adapt? 6 Minute English
Are you unhappy at work?
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can jobs change so that workers are happier?
Do you have eco-anxiety?
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A growing number around the world are experiencing something called 'eco-anxiety'.
Can we stop natural disasters?
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is there any way we can stop natural disasters being so damaging?
The right way to say sorry
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Beth talk about different ways of apologising.
Could you live on wild food?
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We hear about a new foraging project and the health benefits of eating wild food.
Plants fighting pollution
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about whether plants can clean up our mess.
Should we fear chatbots?
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about chatbots and teach you some useful vocabulary along the way.
Is it wrong to eat plants?
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are kind to animals. What about plants?
Sonic seasoning
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can sound make your food taste better? Neil and Beth discuss.
The benefits of doing nothing
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Would being lazy have a purpose in life?
The art of subtitling
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear how subtitles can help bring TV and movies to life.
Ecotourism: good or bad?
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is a style of tourism that respects animals and local communities working well?
Can climate change cause more disease?
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mosquito-borne diseases kill 750,000 annually. Could climate change make it worse?
Food shortages
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to an expert on the global food system and learn some vocabulary.
Addicted to war
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A war correspondent tells his story.
Ice and the origins of life on Earth
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Neil talk about an essential element for life to thrive.
Women in politics
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss some of the reasons why women make up only 26% of the world's politicians.
What's the point of museums?
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Beth and Neil discuss the controversial role of museums in the 21st century.
How culture affects sadness
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could your culture influence sadness? We talk about sadness and teach you vocabulary.
Would you eat a Kalette?
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the world of novelty vegetables.
Do you get jealous easily?
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear experts talking about jealousy and envy, and learn related vocabulary.
Are you lonely in a crowd?
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the role of crowds in modern life
Food and mood
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We look at the link between what you eat and how you feel.
How to talk to a climate denier
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The dos and don'ts of trying to discuss science with someone who doesn't believe in it.
Losing your mother tongue
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear the story of a woman who replaced her native Czech for English.
The health benefits of apples
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could there be some truth in the proverb 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'?
Why do we procrastinate?
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you leave your work until the last minute? If so, this programme is for you!
Doomscrolling: Why do we do it?
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss if there is an evolutionary reason why we're attracted to bad news.
Exercise for The Lazy
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's the least amount of exercise you should do to stay healthy?
Can AI have a mind of its own?
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about the software engineer who became 'friends' with his computer.
Climate change: Are there too many people?
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Does the size of your carbon footprint depend on where in the world you were born?
The hidden life of buffets
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss buffet meals and the history behind them and teach related vocabulary.
Songwriting
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the art of songwriting – combining lyrics and music to make a hit song.
United against food waste
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to the UN, one third of the food we grow is thrown away. How can we stop this?
3D printers
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We look at the role of 3D printers in medicine, and teach you some related vocabulary.
Are opinion polls accurate?
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What can opinion polls really tell us?
Deep-sea mining: Good or bad for the planet?
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Could some ideas to deal with climate change actually damage the environment?
Can music mend a broken heart?
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a singer-songwriter who used music to express her feelings of falling in love.
The art of conversation
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss whether the art of conversation is being lost in the era of social media
Qatar's World Cup workers
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about the workers who built the World Cup stadiums
Controlling the weather
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss two different types of weather manipulation.
Meet the flavourists
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is designing a food flavour a dark art? We talk about the people who make flavours.
Are Halloween costumes too scary?
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some parents are complaining that some Halloween costumes are too scary.
Does climate change make you anxious?
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss how extreme weather events are affecting our mental health.
Translating recipes
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How to adapt dishes from other countries? We talk about it and teach you vocabulary.
Are artistic brains different?
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about Mozart, Jimi Hendrix and teach you vocabulary.
Why are prices going up?
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss inflation and economics and teach related vocabulary.
English for dating online
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss language that gets used for dating online and new language that is emerging.
Man vs beast: Who is more efficient?
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the advantages of the design of the human body, and teach you vocabulary too.
Are you following your dreams?
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about two people who dared to follow their dreams and are happy to have done so.
Do emojis make language better?
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are emojis turning us into lazy writers?
Being a beauty influencer
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about women who are using social media to change attitudes to beauty
Women in the workplace
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about the career-killing tasks that are holding women back in the workplace
Connecting remote communities
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you connect the unconnected?
How pandemics end
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19, The Black Death ... We discuss what happens when deadly diseases go global.
Confused by modern idioms?
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about some new expressions that have been introduced to English through the media
Which are more dangerous: Sharks or humans?
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From monster killers of the sea to endangered species - we talk sharks and vocabulary.
Climate change and evolution
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the impact of climate change on today's wildlife.
Preserving traditional recipes
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss the tastes of our childhood and teach new vocabulary.
Restoring trust in science
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Modern scientists are under pressure from critics motivated by political views.
The Manhattan Project
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the invention of the atomic bomb
Island life: Is it paradise?
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Sam discuss some of the problems Pacific islanders face and teach vocabulary.
The technology of translation
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is the relationship between translation, technology and the human brain?
What is the Platinum Jubilee?
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about a very British tradition involving Queen Elizabeth II
People who can taste words
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can you imagine being able to ‘taste’ every word that you hear?
Finding your way in space
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What’s up and what’s down for astronauts who are floating in zero gravity?
Can VR treat fears and phobias?
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
VR is helping people overcome phobias and even tackling more serious problems.
Life in the modern office
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Great or awful? How do people rate office working? We talk about it and teach vocabulary.
Remembering Desmond Tutu
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Deep convictions and a sense of humour - we talk about a man who helped end apartheid.
Discoveries of the Deep Sea
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about an extreme environment, and teach you vocabulary along the way.
Rhetoric: How persuasive are you?
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about an art that started with ancient Greek philosophers
Britain's love affair with coffee
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's not all about tea - Britons like coffee too. Learn vocabulary to talk about it.
Optimists vs Pessimists
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Which one you are may be linked more to your birthplace and age than attitude.
The world of Agatha Christie
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss one of her most famous characters and teach you related vocabulary.
Mars: Mysteries of the Red Planet
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Sam discuss our fascination with the 'Red Planet' and teach you related vocab.
Why laughter is the best medicine
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Shouldn't we take laughter more seriously? We discuss and teach related vocabulary.
Is being kind good for you?
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Sam discuss the benefits of kindness and teach you related vocabulary.
Eating bugs
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Sam discuss eating insects and teach you related vocabulary.
The benefits of boredom
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about the positive side of boredom and teach you related vocabulary.
Sleepy in South Korea
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Life in a place where people work longer hours and get less sleep than anywhere else.