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 are today. We’re also excellent at communicating with other species, as comedian Bill Bailey learns when he gets a lesson in chimp speak from the legendary primatologist Dr Jane Goodall. Then there are the bits of us that are pretty different, like our large brains and Conan O’Brien says his has been wired for comedy. Everyone agrees natural selection hasn’t always equipped us with the best tools for the job and David Baddiel argues the eye is a perfect example of a human design flaw. Episodes featured:
The Infinite Monkey Cage 100
Series 22: When the Monkeys met the Chimps
Series 22: The Human Brain
Series 19: Are Humans Still Evolving? New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3Jzy Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

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

Brian Cox and Robin Ince host a witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes.

Comedy

Science

Robin Ince and Brian Cox ask why some people always seem to win as they investigate the science of gambling. They hear how playing monopoly is no way to make friends, but don’t worry, because psychologist Richard Wiseman claims that it’s never really good fun anyway. In fact, games are mainly a form of social bonding and studies show deception could even be essential to human behaviour, which may just explain why so many people cheat. So should we even bother playing them? Well, it just so happens that solving maths problems can help us in other areas of life, so the team tackle a conundrum involving a goat, a cabbage and very hungry wolf, before becoming side-tracked by a debate over why the three were ever on a trip together in the first place, let alone trying to cross a river. New episodes will be released on Wednesdays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem Episodes featured:
Series 15: How to Beat the House and Win
Series 3: Randomness
Series 11: Deception

The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Gambling

Robin Ince and Brian Cox tackle the thorny debate over whether science and religion can co-exist. But forget the tension between the church and the researchers – Eric Idle wants an answer to the important question of whether God is in gluten free communion bread? Katy Brand launches the inaugural theologian’s corner with a pair of Reverends, who explain that comedians and the clergy have a lot in common, including a tendency to like the sound of their own voices. As we learn more about how our universe works, will there even be a need for religious belief? Since some research suggests fundamentalists and zealots tend to be less intelligent, perhaps there’s a case to be made for some healthy scepticism. New episodes will be released on Wednesdays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem Episodes featured:
Series 1: Science and Religion
Series 4: Is There Room for Mysticism in a Rational World?
The Infinite Monkey Cage 100
Series 21: Quantum Worlds
Series 10: Irrationality

The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… The Gods

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 Greg Proops imagines little green girls, like the ones in the Star Trek series he grew up with. Or possibly Ewoks. Either way, nobody can agree on the best way to communicate with them if we do ever make contact. Should we send them complicated equations so they realise how intelligent we are, and is playing Bach to aliens too much like showing off? New episodes will be released on Wednesdays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem Episodes featured:
Series 1: Extraterrestrial Life
Series 25: Exploring Our Solar System
Series 12: San Francisco Special
Series 9: To Infinity and Beyond

The Infinite Monkey's Guide To…  Talking to Aliens

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 bits, while comedian Ed Byrne reveals a surprising understanding of horticulture, despite dropping out of his university degree early. And while they’re still no closer to discovering if they’re alive or dead, the team find a new debate to have about strawberries, as they argue with forensic botanist Dr Mark Spencer over whether they should be classified as an invasive species. But what about other common pests? Phill Jupitus tells them about an intimate encounter with grey squirrel, and entomologist Erica McAllister puts up a strong defence of the mosquito, claiming they don’t deserve such a bad reputation. New episodes will be released on Wednesdays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem Episodes featured:
Series 11: What’s the Point of Plants?
Series 18: Invasion!
Series 23: Bats v Flies

The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Gardening

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 week’s episode is all about passion. Number crunching might not sound sexy but mathematician Hannah Fry tells Robin Ince and Brian Cox why research shows it pays to be proactive when you’re searching for a partner, even when that means risking total humiliation. But when it comes to the world's most extraordinary mating rituals the best place to look is… in the garden. Female bees go on a special nuptial flight, where they’re impregnated by males mid-air, and we hear how cockerels are surprisingly picky when it comes to which chicken they choose to cosy up with. New episodes will be released on Wednesdays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem Episodes featured:
Series 13: Maths of Love and Sex
Series 17: The Secret Life of Birds
Series 27: Bees v Wasps
Series 17: How Animals Behave

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

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