Becoming part man and part machine may seem like something from a science fiction film, but cyborgs are moving among us in Scotland today. People who have had body parts replaced or enhanced are living in every community. In this programme we'll be exploring the benefits of becoming bionic, and asking how much has to be replaced before we stop being human. A researcher shares the stories she's gathered from people living with cardiac implants. A pioneer of Scottish engineering talks about the challenges involved in creating the bionic hand, then we visit a research facility in Livingston to see what the future holds for limb replacement. A teenage bionic man shows us how the technology works day to day, and we speak to the biohacker who is upgrading her body through operations carried out at her kitchen table. The world's first cyborg, Professor Kevin Warwick, explains the pros and cons of getting chipped. Then we step into a virtual world where smells and sounds can be seen with our eyes.

Pennie Latin sits down at the kitchen table to discuss the future of food. We'll hear about innovations that are taking place across Scotland to alter the meals we put in our mouths. You might be partial to a bit of carrot cake, but how about a slice of bread that could count as one of your five-a day? Are you happy for scientists to breed berries which can reduce your risk of certain diseases? We know that Omega 3 is good for us, so is it OK for the fish we eat to have been reared on a special diet in order to boost the levels on our plate? How do you feel about "Health by Stealth" - are you happy for employers, schools, or governments to determine what we can eat, if it would lead to a healthier population? Pennie and a panel of guests chew over these issues.

Scotland has a serious drug problem with its drug death rate, per head of population, roughly 2.5 times that of the UK as a whole. Based on the latest figures from the Scottish Government drugs deaths more than doubled in the 10 years up to 2017. In this Brainwaves Pennie Latin joins Dr Craig McKenzie, co-director of the recently formed Forensic Drug Research Group in Dundee, to find out how he's taking a fresh approach to understanding our relationship with illicit drugs. Craig explains how he's working in close collaboration with drug recovery groups and organisations like the Scottish Prison Service to better understand patterns of drug use in Scotland, particularly when it comes to polysubstance drug use where users are mixing prescription medicines with street drugs, stimulants and narcotics. He also gathers information from online sources which help him predict which new drugs might appear in Scotland in the near future, what kind of strength they'll be and what harm they might do to users.

The programme also hears from Professor Kevin Read, Head of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics at the world-leading Drugs Discover Unit, to hear how he's collaborating with Craig so they can better understand how new drugs and combinations of drugs are metabolised by the human body. As we'll hear, Kevin's role usually involved the discovery of new medicines and pharmaceuticals, so the partnership with Craig has opened his eyes to a whole new appreciation of the complexity of the illicit drugs market and the challenges it presents for Scotland.

How high is your pain threshold? Pennie Latin considers her own tolerance and meets those who have developed ways to increase theirs. Doctors discuss what happens within our bodies, and try to determine if it is a physical or emotional response that is triggered.

Why do we cope better with pain in certain situations, and why does this threshold vary so much from person to person? We’ll hear how tactics like hypnotherapy and swearing can help.

Then we consider if pain is a necessary thing for our survival. Why are scientists building pain receptors into synthetic skin? And if we had no sensation of pain would our lives be easier or more difficult?

Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, one of the world's leading forensic scientists, takes Pennie Latin behind the scenes at Dundee's Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science. From looking into the past with the arrival of a heart which could have significant royal history which Niamh's team are challenged to uncover, to stepping into the future and a virtual reality crime scene which could change the face of how forensic experts access and gather information across the globe. As well as explaining why forensic science is in such dire need of change Niamh reveals how her own passion for fire scene investigation began at a surprisingly early age and why fire scene investigation remains a dinner table conversation whenever her family come together.

How many times have you got into a silly argument about the washing up or homework or money worries? We all experience all kinds of niggles during the course of life – at work, home, with extended family or friends – but none of us like arguing and constant conflict can have a big impact on our health and happiness. So what’s the answer? Well it’s all about learning to listen better, empathise, take a long hard look at your own behaviour, all the kinds of things which feel pretty much impossible in the thick of the fight! So in this Brainwaves Pennie Latin talks to a range of experts about what we can do to better understand why we get into the conflict we do and how we might practise the art of pausing and stopping the arguments in our lives so we can end up a bit happier and healthier.

Our climate is changing. The effect of carbon dioxide on our climate change was first considered in the 19th Century, but it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that we started to take its effect seriously. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change was established to try and work out the effect of the burning fossil fuels on our climate.

Cited as one of the world’s most influential scientific minds, Professor Gabi Hegerl’s career has been defined by our climate. She had a significant role on the Intergovernmental Panel and today still researches how our climate, of the last 1,000 years, has changed and how man has influenced it.

But more importantly for Gabi is the answer to the question of what we can do to try and return our climate to its natural equilibrium and what the co-benefits of changing our behaviour might be to our health.

Quietly and without debate our lives have been taken over by a weapon of mathematical domination. The algorithm.

Algorithms are one of the most powerful forces of our time. Replacing humans in decision making that affects almost every aspect of our lives, these mathematical codes manipulate what we see, do, eat, how we live and who we love. But how many of us understand even what an algorithm is let alone the impact they have on our lives?

Professor James Boardman, neonatologist and Scientific Director of the Jennifer Brown Laboratory in Edinburgh, talks about his research into the effects of a baby being born too small or too soon on how the brain develops outside the womb. Its a fascinating, engaging and emotionally challenging role which sees him tread a path between time working as an NHS consultant with premature babies in Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary neonatal care unit and conducting research with these tiny babies using state of the art technology and brain imaging techniques to try to understand the causes and consequences of pre-term birth.

Loch Ness is a monster of a loch - so vast it holds more water than all the lakes and rivers of England and Wales combined - which is why, when it comes to studying it, it presents something of a challenge to scientists and researchers. This Brainwaves is not going to provide any answers to that question…but we are going in search of unknown species and the intriguing science that Loch Ness can provide us with. The whole monster obsession with this Loch has been obscuring our view of this remarkable stretch of water which, thanks to how it was formed, has given us a giant natural outdoor laboratory. Pennie Latin heads out onto and into the water to discover the scientific riches that lie under the surface of myth and legend!