Instant Genius

Animals can do some pretty cool things, but the world is full of bizarre adaptations you’ve probably never heard of or not given much thought to. In this episode, we speak to vet and TV presenter Dr Jess French, whose new book The Animal Body explains some of the everyday magic of animal anatomy to children.

From slug teeth to self-healing abilities, Jess gives us her most surprising facts and busts some common myths – and even does a special impression of a white-handed gibbon.

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These days we’re constantly bombarded with information, be it from television, social media, friends and family or simply from the world around us. But how do we interpret this information, what role do our beliefs play and how can we harness the power of critical thinking in our daily lives.

In this episode, we catch up with Peter Lamont, a professor of history and theory of psychology at the University of Edinburgh to talk about his latest book Radical Thinking: How to see the bigger picture.

He tells us why we should constantly be questioning the foundation of our beliefs, why we should recognise and embrace our limitations and how thinking radically all begins with curiosity.

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Right now, in labs and lecture halls all around the world, there’s a war raging. Not a physical war of fists and gunfire, but a war of ideas, and of research and of fact.

The battle ground is this: Could it be that we animals are not alone in our ability to make decisions, to feel the world around us, to listen and communicate, maybe even be conscious. In short, could it be that plants are intelligent too?

Today’s guest is Zoë Schlanger, a staff writer at The Atlantic covering the environment, and the author of The Light Eaters, a book exploring the fascinating science of plant intelligence and behaviour.

She argues that plants are more than just a green blob in the ecosystem, but an active part of it; one with the agency to decide its own destiny, and, fundamentally, one which we humans should show respect and reverence towards.

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The future can be scary, but what if there was a way for us to understand it a little better? Tom Chivers believes there is. His new book Everything Is Predictable explains how Bayes Theorem, a statistical model, can explain the world around us and, in some cases, help us predict the future.

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It is easy to feel like we know celebrities, and even love them. But these people don’t know who we are, so is it healthy? We spoke to Karen Shackleford, a media psychologist to better understand the one-sided world of parasocial relationships.

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Ray Kurzweil has made many accurate predictions about AI in the past. Having worked in the area of AI research for 61 years, he is one of the longest standing experts in the field. Now, he’s back with a new book titled The Singularity Is Nearer, breaking down his expectations for our future.

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Mention the word 'fungi' and it’s likely many of our minds will turn to the mushrooms we enjoy sliced on the top of our favourite pizza or bowl of pasta. But there’s more to these fascinating organisms than this. Without fungi we’d have no yeast to make bread or brew beer and no penicillin to treat infections.

In this episode, we catch up physician and immunology researcher Arturo Casadevall to talk about his latest book What if Fungi Win?

He tells us about the essential role fungi plays in the ecosystems and lifecycles of the Earth, how they pose a potential threat to our food supplies, the role climate change is playing in the evolution of fungi and the role they may possibly play in combatting it.

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These days, top athletes are breaking fewer and fewer world records. But why is this occurring, and does it mean that we are close to reaching the limits of human sporting performance?

In this episode, we catch up with Dr Jonathan Taylor, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise at Teesside University.

He tells us the role our genes play in our athletic performance, the limits our musculature and cardiovascular systems play, and why it’s unlikely to mean that we’ll lose interest in playing and watching sports anytime soon.

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Whether we’re lifting weights in the gym, going for an outdoor run or competing in sports, any kind of physical activity takes its toll on our bodies. So, what should we be doing when we’re not exercising to make sure our bodies stay in top condition?

In this episode, we catch up with James Betts, professor of metabolic physiology at the University of Bath.

He tells us how to refuel after a gruelling workout, why there’s little evidence on the effectiveness of ice baths and why muscle soreness is just part of the game.

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When we watch professional sports people, we’re no doubt in awe of their physical prowess. But how are their performances affected by what’s going on in their minds, how do they get their headspace ready to perform at their best and what can us mere mortals learn from them?

In this episode, we catch up with Tim Woodman, a professor of performance psychology based at Bangor University.

He tells us what role motivation plays in our ability to perform, how anyone can benefit from practising visualisation and breath work, and how we really all are performing in one way or another on a daily basis.

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