There’s little doubt that music is an integral part of what it means to be human. But how did it first arise, how did musical instruments and compositions become ever more sophisticated and why does listening to or playing music bring us so much joy?

In this episode, we speak to science writer and music producer David Darling about his latest book A Perfect Harmony: Music, Mathematics and Science.

He tells us how the oldest pitched musical instrument found so far is thought to be more than 40,000 years old, the role music has played in the evolution of human culture, and what the impact AI-generated music may have on the work of human musicians and composers in the near future.

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The shocking fact is that alcohol is responsible for around three times more deaths globally than any other drug combined, save for tobacco. However, many of us still consume it. So how have we reached this point, and why is alcohol consumption still so deeply ingrained in human culture?

In this episode, we speak to Professor David Nutt about the history of alcohol use and the many and varied effects it has on our health, lives and wellbeing.

He tells us exactly what alcohol does to our bodies and brains, why some of us find it so difficult to stop drinking once we’ve started, and why education is vital if we are to limit the damage alcohol causes to public health.

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 Studies show that around one in three of us aren't getting enough sleep, and this is having a huge impact on our ability to perform at our best, both at work and in our home lives. If you're someone who often wakes up in the morning feeling out of sorts, why not tune into the Instant Genius Better Sleep miniseries brought to you from the team behind BBC Science Focus.

It's still the same show with the same great guests. We'll just be spending a little extra time to go deeper into how to sleep more soundly and how to reap the many health benefits that this brings. This four part special series will feature interviews with leading researchers to give you everything you need to know to get a better night's sleep.

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It’s now been more than 50 years since any human being has set foot on the Moon, but the ambition to do so again has been gathering pace over the last decade or so. But some scientists and researchers are looking further ahead and planning to establish a human presence on distant planets such as Mars.

In this episode, we speak to physicist and director of the Foundation for Space Development Africa Dr Adriana Marais about her book Out of This World and Into the Next: Notes from a Physicist on Space Exploration.

She tells us what plans to establish a Moon base in the coming years can teach us about living on other planets, how we’ll select the crew to take on this bold journey, and how the technology being developed can help us to live more economically and environmentally here on Earth.

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Our everyday lives are filled with sounds of all kinds – birdsong, traffic noise, the music we choose to listen to or is played in shops and restaurants, the list is practically endless. But what impact are these sounds having on our individual health and wellbeing and the world at large?

In this episode, we speak to author and founder of The Listening Society Julian Treasure about his latest book Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing and Our Planet.

He tells us how hearing is the first sense we develop, how ambient sounds impact our health and wellbeing, and how listening more closely to what’s going on around us, rather than simply hearing, can enhance almost every aspect of our lives.

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One in three people born today will develop dementia of some form in their lifetimes. Of these, around 60 per cent will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Currently, there is no cure for this debilitating condition but by raising awareness we can help to reduce its impact until the many researchers working around the world develop more effective treatments.

In this episode, which coincides with this year’s Dementia Action Week, we speak to Dr Richard Oakley, Head of Research at the Alzheimer’s Society.

He tells us what happens in the brain as Alzheimer’s disease develops, points out some early warning signs to look out for and talks us through some of the latest breakthroughs that may one day help us beat dementia once and for all.

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Although we can’t see them with the naked eye, the Earth is populated by vast numbers of tiny living organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Collectively, these organisms are known as microbes, and they have existed on the planet for billions of years.

But what role did they play in the origin of complex life, how have they stuck around for so long and how can they help us shape a healthier future for the planet?

In this episode, we speak to science writer and author Peter Forbes about his latest book Thinking Small and Large: How Microbes Made and Can Save Our World.

He tells us the role microbes played in the evolution of multicellular life, their deep importance to the world’s ecosystems and how they may help us to produce the food, fuel and materials of the future.

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Be it a pair of wolves that mate for life, a pod of female dolphins that hunt together, or a large colony of honeybees all working together in a hive, the natural world is filled with relationships of all kinds. But some relationships run deeper than others, even to the extent that certain species literally make their homes inside the bodies of others. This is an example of a symbiotic relationship – a long-term bond that exists between organisms of different species.

In this episode, we speak to science writer Sophie Pavelle about her new book To Have or to Hold: Nature’s Hidden Relationships.

She tells us how far from being rare, symbiotic relationships occur practically everywhere in the natural world, how they come in a dizzying array of different forms, and how the fine balance underpinning these relationships that has formed over thousands of years is coming under threat from human activity and climate change.

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The history of the Earth is littered with dramatic events that have shaped the planet itself and the lives of the human beings who live on it in profound ways. Be it floods, famine or disease pandemics. Human beings have so far survived. But what in modern times can we learn from these past catastrophes?

In this episode, we speak to author Lizzie Wade about her latest book Apocalypse: How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures.

She tells us how even though Neanderthals died out many years ago they still live on in human DNA, how ancient civilisations that once thrived fell but their culture persists to this day and how the story of the human race is far from finished.

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It’s commonly believed that the arts and the sciences have little in common with each other. The distinction that’s most frequently made is that the arts are creative in nature whereas the sciences are logical. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

In this episode, we catch up with mathematician and author Marcus du Sautoy to talk about his latest book Blueprints: How mathematics shapes creativity.

He tells us how, fundamentally, mathematics is the study of patterns, structure and symmetry, how these patterns are found everywhere in music, visual art and architecture, and why we should be teaching students how to spot them in their everyday lives.

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