Sleepy in South Korea
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Life in a place where people work longer hours and get less sleep than anywhere else.
Preparing for the Beijing Winter Olympics
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial snow, coronavirus and controversy surround the Beijing Games starting soon.
Are personalised diets the best way to be healthy?
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss how microbes matter when it comes to food, and teach some related vocabulary.
Inventing languages
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how languages get invented
Welcome to the 'metaverse'
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss how things like the metaverse and AI might influence how we live.
Do trees have memories?
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss whether plants can 'remember' stressful situations, such as droughts or pests.
Algorithms
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about the maths formulas that are increasingly part of our lives.
Changing the Earth's climate
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Could diamonds help to prevent a climate catastrophe? That's what we discuss.
Body language online
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can we make video conferences feel more natural? That's what Sam and Neil talk about.
The Human Library: Life as an open book
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like to borrow a person for a half-hour candid conversation?
How green is nuclear energy?
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How safe is a nuclear plant in a world of climate extremes? Listen to Neil and Sam.
Why we forget the things we learn
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Georgina and Rob talk about memory and teach you vocabulary along the way.
Why is Super Mario so popular?
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about a famous video game character from the 80s.
Should fast food sponsor sport?
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is it right for companies selling unhealthy products to sponsor sporting events?
Grime: Music from architecture
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about the music of Wiley and Stormy, and teach you related vocabulary.
Where do your tips go?
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about tipping: the act of giving extra money to someone that has served you well.
Angela Merkel
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Neil talk about the influential German leader and teach you related vocabulary.
Smart tech and climate change
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Could AI be used to help fight against climate change?
Going through the menopause
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why don't people talk more about this aspect of women's lives?
Bitcoin's energy cost
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bitcoin: is it an investment option for ordinary people?
I love my language!
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Sam talk about a woman's effort to keep her language alive.
Why are people collecting NFTs?
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are 'non-fungible tokens'? That's what Neil and Sam talk about in this programme.
Robot Artists
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will Robots ever be able to think or dream? Could they fall in love or create art?
Bats: Friend or foe?
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Learn more about these furry flying mammals with Neil and Sam.
Is the planet warming up faster?
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Some extreme weather events are puzzling scientists.
Is technology harmful to youngsters?
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can spending hours online affect the new generation's mental health?
Is chimp politics like ours?
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just like humans, chimps live in social groups, have leaders and a desire for power.
Making sense of the census
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's behind counting people in a country? Neil and Sam talk about the census.
The fear of numbers
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you afraid of maths? Neil and Sam talk about numbers and teach you vocabulary.
A future without doctors?
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss if artificial intelligence could replace human doctors and nurses.
Lights! Camera! Kiss! - Intimacy on screen
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How actors are made to feel more comfortable when filming intimate scenes.
Head injury in sport
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Contact sports can be dangerous. The truth about the effects on players is coming out.
Inside the head of Jeff Bezos
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How does the founder of the web giant Amazon think? Listen to the programme to find out.
The history of swimming
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about the history of swimming and teach you related vocabulary along the way.
Are humans a messy species?
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Learn the language of going to the toilet.
The loneliest man in history
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about Michael Collins, who orbited the Moon in the command module Columbia.
How colour affects us
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Georgina add some colour to your life by discussing how colour can make you feel
Flexible working
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a stigma attached to not wanting to work the 9-to-5 shift?
Hypnotism
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hypnotism has always fascinated us, but can anyone be hypnotised?
Saving the white rhinos
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Conservationists are working on an artificial breeding programme to preserve the species.
Making old things last longer
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shouldn't we stop throwing things away and start fixing them?
Building rapport with others
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss four styles of communication and teach you related vocabulary along the way.
Food superstitions
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about food superstitions and teach you vocabulary along the way.
The Rosetta Stone
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How the famous piece of rock became the key to decoding Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Compassion fatigue
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Has the pandemic made people tired of feeling sorry for others and themselves?
Hermits
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why do people decide to be alone for long periods of time?
When males are not needed
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about different animals which can reproduce without having sex.
Mermaids
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about different variations on the concept of mermaids.
A quieter world
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Georgina discuss noise and whether it is bad for our health.
US and China vs climate change
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases work together?
Naked in nature
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about why being naked in nature might be good for you.
The language of biscuits
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Neil talk about the origins and the language of this humble snack.
Is English really English?
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Georgina discuss where the English language we use today really comes from.
Astronauts on strike?
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hear all about the Skylab astronauts’ disagreement with mission control.
Digital help for blind people
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about digital technology which helps blind people improve their lives.
What’s the key to happiness?
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about what small things you can do to feel happier about life.
Looking for utopia
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Georgina talk about how to create a happy place.
Covid: One year on
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over a year on since the first outbreak, what have we learnt? We talk about the pandemic.
Singing in tune
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Georgina discuss singing and teach you related vocabulary along the way.
Working for yourself
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Georgina talk about the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing.
How much heat do you lose from your head?
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Georgina talk about percentages and teach you some English vocabulary.
The woman whose cells never die
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Georgina discuss medical research and teach you related vocabulary.
What makes a good story?
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about storytelling and how it helps us to connect and communicate.
For the love of foreign languages
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is learning languages good for head, heart and soul?
Why can't we resist comfort food?
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Rob talk about comfort food and what actually makes us eat it.
What is fat-shaming?
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss where the attitudes behind fat-shaming come from.
Coronavirus vs other pandemics
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about coronavirus and how it isn’t that bad compared to historical pandemics
Are trees intelligent?
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about trees and how they can communicate and help each other.
Can jellyfish help us solve our problems?
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss how these sea creatures could help us solve the problem of plastic pollution.
Why do we choose to text instead of talk?
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Communicating by text has become more and more popular. Neil and Georgina talk about it.
Loneliness
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Rob talk about loneliness and how some people prefer their own company.
Is punctuality important?
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss people's attitude to being on time and why some people are always late.
Could you be a victim of online fraud?
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about online fraud and teach you some useful vocabulary along the way.
Melting ice sheet: Is it too late?
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many scientists are wondering whether it’s now too late to stop global warming.
Walkman: the music player revolution
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Georgina take a nostalgic look back at the 1980s and the birth of the Walkman.
Could humans live in underwater cities?
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hear about projects to create liveable underwater habitats and learn new vocabulary.
Hacking help for US elections
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Sam discuss plans in the US to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks on election day.
Do chimps have the same emotions as us?
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hear Jane Goodall talk about the deep connections between humans and the great apes.
How can we make the web a better place?
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Sam talk about the subject and teach you vocabulary along the way.
Coronavirus: Dealing with mass unemployment post-pandemic
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Sam discuss the post-Covid job landscape and teach you vocabulary along the way.
Grandma therapy in Zimbabwe
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Grandmothers are being trained to provide therapy to people in their community.
Is there a future without bees?
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The number of bees is declining at an alarming rate, with serious consequences for us.
How to talk about conspiracy theories
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss what to do when you are confronted with someone who spreads falsehoods.
What’s the point of blood types?
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this programme, we’ll be finding out all about blood and teaching you some vocabulary.
Will Covid-19 change cities?
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Neil discuss the future of our cities and teach you useful vocabulary.
Is this the era of distrust?
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In an era of fake news, could it be that we are living through a crisis in trust?
No more bosses
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Can companies operate better without managers? We talk about it and teach you vocabulary.
The medicine of coronavirus
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Georgina talk about Covid-19 and teach you related vocabulary.
Food made in space
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Find out how growing plants in space might help develop better crops.
Sport against poverty
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Sam discuss how sport is giving hope to young people leading the toughest lives.
Covid-19: The office after lockdown
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Companies are rushing to install technology to make offices safer. Neil and Sam discuss.
Should we wear a face mask?
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Can wearing masks in public help prevent the spread of coronavirus? Rob and Sam discuss.
Millennials and business
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Sam discuss the new generation's desire to make the world a better place.
Is being thrifty a virtue?
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Sam talk about being a saver in a consumer culture and teach you vocabulary.
The food delivery revolution
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Takeaway apps are changing food culture. We talk about it and teach you vocabulary.
What difference has #MeToo made?
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sam and Georgina talk about the movement and teach you related vocabulary.
Is the recycling system broken?
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We talk about the over-reliance on recycling rather than reducing the use of plastics
The soothing power of books
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How can books help us relax and feel more alive during troubled times?
Shocking facts about electricity
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Neil and Georgina talk about how electrical systems differ from country to country.
Internet - good or bad?
26 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rob and Neil discuss some of the advantages and drawbacks of going online