The Infinite Monkey Cage

The Infinite Monkey Cage episodes:

• 04.17.2024

  The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Talking to Aliens

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are on a mission to discover whether extra-terrestrials exist. But if there really is other life out there, what would it look like? Comedian Conan O’Brien is hoping for lizard-like creatures with superhuman strength, while...

  
• 04.10.2024

  The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Gardening

  Robin Ince and Brian Cox dig into the secret lives of plants to discover that there’s more going on in your average garden than you might at first think. They hear why trees are better than humans at re-growing broken...

  
• 04.03.2024

  The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Love

  Love is in the air(waves) as Brian and Robin trawl through the Monkey Cage archive. From using maths to find a boyfriend or girlfriend, to why birds and bees have far more exciting sex lives than you might imagine, this...

  
• 03.27.2024

  The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Murder

  Brian Cox, Robin Ince and their guests will send a shiver down your spine as they sift through the science on murder, and hear some of the more creative techniques scientists use to catch killers. Apparently rambling through brambles is...

  
• 03.20.2024

  Higgs Boson

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince visit CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Geneva in search of the Higgs Boson. Joining them on their particular quest is comedian Katy Brand, actor Ben Miller and physicists Tevong You and Clara Nellist. They find...

  
• 03.13.2024

  Cats v Dogs

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince sniff and paw their way through the evidence to put to rest the age-old debate of whether cats are better than dogs. They’re joined by TV dragon and dog devotee Deborah Meaden, comedian and cat...

  
• 03.06.2024

  Poison

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince delve into the murky world of historical poisonings. Joining them to add their drops of killer insight are comedian Hugh Dennis, chemist Andrea Sella and Agatha Christie aficionado and former chemist Kathryn Harkup. They find...

  
• 02.28.2024

  Asteroids

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince journey through the asteroid belt to discuss space rocks with Dr Who companion John Bishop, professor of planetary science Sara Russell and astrophysicist Alan Fitzsimmons. They learn that these seemingly innocuous rubble like rocks can...

  
• 02.21.2024

  Could it be magic?

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince pull scientific explanations out of a hat and go down the rabbit hole to explore the science of magic with comedian Alan Davies, sleight of hand artist Laura London and two experts in the psychology...

  
• 02.14.2024

  Egyptian Mummies

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince peel back the layers to explore mummification and the science of Ancient Egypt. They are joined by comedians Russel Kane, Lucy Porter and bio-medical Egyptologists Rosalie David and Lidija McKnight from the University of Manchester,...

  
• 12.20.2023

  The Monkeys meet The Sky at Night

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by the longest running science show in the world, The Sky at Night, alongside comedian and astronomy enthusiast Dara O Briain for the ultimate guide to studying the stars from your own back...

  
• 12.13.2023

  Jo Brand's Quantum World

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are subject to a non-hostile takeover by comedian and non-physicist Jo Brand, as she challenges the panel to help her understand the almost unbelievable world of cheeky particles who may or may not be in...

  
• 12.06.2023

  Hollywood in Space

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince put Hollywood under the microscope to unpick the science fact v science fiction of some of the biggest movies set in space. They are joined by a truly out of this world panel of space...

  
• 11.29.2023

  The Scale of Life (or were dinosaurs just too big?)

  Brian and Robin are joined by palaeontologist Dr Susie Maidment, evolutionary biologist Dr Tori Herridge and comedian Dave Gorman to pitch giant creatures against tiny creatures in their bid to avoid extinction. They explore the scale of life and ask...

  
• 11.22.2023

  How I is AI?

  Brian and Robin (the real ones) are joined by mathematician Prof Hannah Fry, compute scientist Dr Kate Devlin and comedian Rufus Hound to discuss the pros and cons of AI. Just how intelligent is the most intelligent AI? Will...

  
• 11.14.2023

  The Science of Coincidence

  Are some people just lucky? Is there any scientific formula behind coincidences? Is randomness the norm? Brian and Robin team up with comedian Sophie Duker, mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy and statistician David Spiegelhalter to uncover the reality...

  
• 11.08.2023

  Octopuses!

  If Aliens really are amongst us, the most likely candidates may not be little green men, but living in plain sight, just below our ocean waves, in the form of the mysterious and awe-inspiringly clever Octopus. Scientists are...

  
• 11.08.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Audience Favourites

  There’s no shortage of surprising science in The Infinite Monkey Cage and this episode is dedicated to you, the audience, as we hear some of your favourite clips from the past 14 years of the show. Palaeontologist Susie Maidment explains...

  
• 11.01.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Infinity

  Endless inflation seems to be everywhere at the moment, including on this episode examining the nature of infinity. Brian and Robin dive through the back catalogue to discover there might be no limit to the number of parallel universes that...

  
• 10.25.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Being Human

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince consider the quirks that make human beings unique and check in with experts from The Infinite Monkey Cage back catalogue. Prof Alice Roberts explains that our ancestors interbred with Neanderthals to make us who we...

  
• 10.18.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Oceans

  If there’s any doubt that the deep sea is as exciting to explore as the moon or Mars, this episode puts the question to rest, as Robin and Brian wade through the back catalogue to learn all about the ocean....

  
• 10.11.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Building a Universe

  While most of us believe the universe began with a big bang, Brian and Robin hear some of the alternative theories, including an Egyptian myth that it actually started with a giant ejaculation, as they question the origins of life...

  
• 10.04.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Strawberries

  Robin Ince and Brian Cox are still struggling to decide when a strawberry dies as they trawl through the archive to ponder where we should draw the line between life and death. Katy Brand kicks the debate off with her...

  
• 09.27.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... The Movies

  How important is it for movie producers to get the science right? Brian Cox and Robin Ince discover why some surprising movies have scientific advisers and ask if there is any science in The Simpsons. They question the existence of...

  
• 09.20.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide To... Space Travel

  Astronauts and explorers including Brian Blessed, Sir Patrick Stewart, Nicole Stott and Charlie Duke reveal the wonders, and challenges, of traveling into space. Brian Cox and Robin Ince have delved into the Monkey Cage back catalogue to hear from astronauts...

  
• 09.13.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide To... The Apocalypse

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince take a deep dive into the Monkey Cage archive to find out how scared scientists and comedians are about the universe ending. Steve Martin says he’s happy to burn to a crisp when the sun...

  
• 09.06.2023

  The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... The Supernatural

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince trawl through the Monkey Cage back catalogue to reveal whether science and the supernatural can sit side by side. They hear how comedian Lucy Beaumont believes alien life has visited Hull, and challenge the physics...

  
• 09.05.2023

  Welcome to The Infinite Monkey's Guide To...

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince introduce a new series in which they look back at some of the best moments from more than 27 series of their hit science show.

  
• 08.05.2023

  Cosmic Dust

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about dust that is raining down on Earth from space. They are joined by planetary scientists Matthew Genge and Penny Wozniakiewicz and comedian Alan Davies. They learn how billions of tiny micrometeorites land...

  
• 07.29.2023

  Ancient DNA Secrets

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Horrible Histories alum Ben Willbond, ancient DNA experts Prof Turi King and Dr Tom Booth and Nobel prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, as they uncover some of the incredible revelations being revealed...

  
• 07.22.2023

  The Secret Life of Sharks

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the apex predators of the ocean. They are joined by physiological ecologist Lucy Hawkes, shark scientist Isla Hodgson and naturalist Steve Backshall. They learn about the surprising social behaviours of sharks, how...

  
• 07.15.2023

  The Magic of Mushrooms

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the secret world of fungi, hidden beneath our feet. They are joined by biologist Merlin Sheldrake and mycologist Katie Field. They hear about the hidden life of fungi, including their hundreds of...

  
• 07.08.2023

  Bees v Wasps

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle one of the most important questions posed by science: which is better, bees or wasps? To defend bees, ecologist Dave Goulson joins the panel, while entomologist Seirian Sumner comes to the defence of...

  
• 07.01.2023

  Supervolcanoes

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out if supervolcanoes are worth worrying about. They are joined by volcanologist Tamsin Mather, geologist Chris Jackson and comedian Rachel Parris. They learn about the worst eruptions of all time, including the eruption that...

  
• 06.24.2023

  Are we what we eat?

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince examine their own diets and the diet fads of the past to ask what we should actually be eating. They are joined by Dr Chris van Tulleken, Professor Janet Cade and comedian Harry Hill to...

  
• 03.25.2023

  Magic Materials

  You might think materials are a bit boring and inconsequential but without them we would still be living in the stone age. Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by material scientists Mark Miodownik and Anna Ploszajski and...

  
• 03.18.2023

  How Far Can the Human Body Go?

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by biomechanist Polly McGuigan, evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod, comedian Russell Kane and Olympic gold medalist Sally Gunnell to find out how good humans are at endurance. Could anyone win a gold...

  
• 03.11.2023

  How to Commit the Perfect Murder

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Susan Calman, Prof Sue Black and Dr Julia Shaw as they invent Infinite Monkey Cluedo, and discover whether they can commit the perfect murder, or whether the latest forensic science will...

  
• 03.04.2023

  How to think like a mathematician

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Jo Brand, mathematicians Prof Hannah Fry and Dr Eugenia Cheng, and xkcd webcomic creator Randall Munroe to discover how thinking like a mathematician could solve some tricky everyday conundrums. From the...

  
• 02.25.2023

  Australia’s Scary Spiders

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince end their Australian science adventure with an episode all about spiders. They are joined by ecologists Dieter Hochuli and Mariella Herberstein and comedian Claire Hooper. They learn about the strange physiology of spiders, including skin...

  
• 02.18.2023

  Southern Skies

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince start a new series from Sydney, Australia. They are joined by astrophysicists Kirsten Banks and Devika Kamath and comedian Ross Noble as they discuss how different the night sky looks from the southern hemisphere. They...

  
• 12.24.2022

  Why does wine taste good?

  For this special Christmas episode, Brian Cox and Robin Ince visit the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide to find out what science can teach us about wine. They are joined by stand-up comedian Tim Minchin, Nobel Prize winner and...

  
• 12.17.2022

  The Deep Space Network

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince visit Canberra for the first of 4 special episodes recorded in Australia. This week they visit the amazing Canberra Deep Space Communication Centre where scientists communicate with, and track the 200 or so spacecraft...

  
• 12.10.2022

  The Age of Conspiracy?

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian and author David Baddiel, psychologist Prof Karen Douglas, biologist Prof Matthew Cobb and philosopher Dr Timotheus Vermeulen to discover why conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists seem to be booming. From flat...

  
• 12.03.2022

  Can we cure ageing?

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle the thorny issue of their own differing experiences of ageing, as they find out why Robin seems to be doing it so much more quickly than Brian and whether science might have the answer....

  
• 11.26.2022

  Hunting for Exoplanets

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince continue their LA science adventure as they visit Caltech in Pasadena to meet the scientists hunting for planets orbiting distant stars in solar systems far far from our own. They are joined in...

  
• 11.19.2022

  Exploring our solar system

  The Infinite Monkey Cage teleports to California for this special episode recorded at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They are joined by comedian and talk-show host Conan O'Brien, alongside JPL's Dr Katie Stack Morgan and Dr Kevin Hand, and discuss...

  
• 11.12.2022

  What have we learnt from Covid?

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series with an illustrious panel of experts to discuss what scientists have learnt from Covid and what we have all learnt about the nature of science by watching it happen so...

  
• 09.03.2022

  How to Teach Maths

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Sara Pascoe and the very numerate Prof Hannah Fry, maths comedian Matt Parker and statistician Prof David Spiegelhalter for a unique maths class. Are some of us just innately bad...

  
• 08.27.2022

  Brains

  Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Alan Davies and neuroscientists Prof Uta Frith and Prof Sophie Scott. They discover the secret to why humans are such social creatures and why two brains are definitely better than...