Curious Cases

Memory Swap


Listen Later

Could you ever trade memories with someone else? Fancy downloading the experience of landing on the moon, winning an Oscar or performing at Glastonbury? Listener Adam wants to know, and Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain are on the case.

With expert insights from Professor Chris French and Professor Amy Milton, they dive into the mind’s tendency to blur the lines between reality and imagination - often embellishing, distorting, or downright making stuff up.

Discover how memory conformity makes us “see” things like spoons being bent by paranormal forces, how scientists can implant artificial memories in mice, and hear Al Hopwood’s hilariously vivid tales of things that definitely never happened. Chris even spills the secrets of how to deliberately plant false memories in others (don’t try this at home!).

From rewiring trauma to curing phobias, the potential of memory manipulation is both exciting and unnervingly sci-fi. Prepare to question everything you think you remember.

Contributors:

Amy Milton - Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge

Chris French - Professor of Anomalistic Psychology at Goldsmiths University
Al Hopwood - Artist, writer and curator

Producer: Ilan Goodman

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Curious CasesBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

723 ratings


More shows like Curious Cases

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,689 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

522 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

897 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,045 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

293 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,441 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,119 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,924 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,852 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

490 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

415 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

243 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

346 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

481 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

351 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

229 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

139 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

323 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,190 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

65 Listeners

What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel by WTF Productions

What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel

103 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

778 Listeners

Dua Lipa: At Your Service by BBC Sounds

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

998 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

495 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

615 Listeners

We Can Be Weirdos by Global

We Can Be Weirdos

194 Listeners

Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

115 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

254 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

260 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

32 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

88 Listeners

Havana Helmet Club by BBC Sounds

Havana Helmet Club

6 Listeners