The Infinite Monkey Cage

By BBC Radio 4

Technology

What's The Infinite Monkey Cage about?

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

4.8

1,404 ratings

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LAST EPISODE

Why does wine taste good?

12.24.2022

For this special Christmas episode, Brian Cox and Robin Ince visit the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide to find out what science can teach us about wine. They are joined by stand-up comedian Tim Minchin, Nobel Prize winner and ...

The Infinite Monkey Cage episodes:

12.24.2022 Why does wine taste good? For this special Christmas episode, Brian Cox and Robin Ince visit the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide to find out what science can teach us about wine. They are joined by stand-up comedian Tim Minchin, Nobel Prize winner and ...
12.17.2022 The Deep Space Network Brian Cox and Robin Ince visit Canberra for the first of 4 special episodes recorded in Australia. This week they visit the amazing Canberra Deep Space Communication Centre where scientists communicate with, and track the 200 or so spacecraft that ...
12.10.2022 The Age of Conspiracy? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian and author David Baddiel, psychologist Prof Karen Douglas, biologist Prof Matthew Cobb and philosopher Dr Timotheus Vermeulen to discover why conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists seem to be booming. From flat ...
12.03.2022 Can we cure ageing? Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle the thorny issue of their own differing experiences of ageing, as they find out why Robin seems to be doing it so much more quickly than Brian and whether science might have the answer. ...
11.26.2022 Hunting for Exoplanets Brian Cox and Robin Ince continue their LA science adventure as they visit Caltech in Pasadena to meet the scientists hunting for planets orbiting distant stars in solar systems far far from our own. They are joined in their quest ...
11.19.2022 Exploring our solar system The Infinite Monkey Cage teleports to California for this special episode recorded at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They are joined by comedian and talk-show host Conan O'Brien, alongside JPL's Dr Katie Stack Morgan and Dr Kevin Hand, and discuss the ...
11.12.2022 What have we learnt from Covid? Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series with an illustrious panel of experts to discuss what scientists have learnt from Covid and what we have all learnt about the nature of science by watching it happen so ...
09.03.2022 How to Teach Maths Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Sara Pascoe and the very numerate Prof Hannah Fry, maths comedian Matt Parker and statistician Prof David Spiegelhalter for a unique maths class. Are some of us just innately bad at ...
08.27.2022 Brains Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Alan Davies and neuroscientists Prof Uta Frith and Prof Sophie Scott. They discover the secret to why humans are such social creatures and why two brains are definitely better than one. ...
08.20.2022 Astronauts Brian Cox and Robin Ince look back at Planet Earth from the unique perspective of space with the help of astronauts Nicole Stott and Chris Hadfield, Space scientist Carolyn Porco and comedian and author Katy Brand. What can we learn ...
08.13.2022 Black Holes Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Monty Python's Eric Idle, and cosmologists Dr Netta Engelhardt and Dr Janna Levin as they tackle one of the biggest challenges in cosmology. What happens when you throw something (Robin!) into a ...
08.06.2022 The Wood Wide Web Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Ted Lasso's Brendan Hunt, Professor of forest ecology and author of "The Mother Tree", Suzanne Simard and botanist Mark Spencer to discover how trees and plants communicate and what they are saying. ...
07.30.2022 Exploring the Deep Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian and musician Tim Minchin and oceanographers Diva Amon and Jon Copley to uncover what mysteries still lie at the bottom of our oceans. It is often said that we know more ...
07.23.2022 Bats v Flies Brian Cox and Robin Ince kick off the new series by tackling one of the greatest questions ever posed by science: which are better, bats or flies? Joining them for this unusual version of animal Top Trumps are a bat ...
02.15.2021 A History of Rock A History of Rock Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by rock enthusiasts Ross Noble, Paleontologist Susie Maidment and Geologist Chris Jackson to look at the history of rock. Unfortunately for Ross, this turns out to mean actual rolling ...
02.08.2021 The Fundamentals of Reality The Fundamentals of Reality Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Nobel prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek, cosmologist Janna Levin, and comedians Eric Idle and Sara Pascoe to look at what physics has revealed about the reality of our universe. ...
02.01.2021 The Science of Cooking The Science of Cooking Brian Cox and Robin Ince get their chef's hats on as they look at the science of cooking. They are joined by comedian Katy Brand, author and food critic Grace Dent, material scientist Mark Miodownik and ...
01.25.2021 Neanderthals The Neanderthals Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by hominids Alan Davies, Neanderthal expert and author Rebecca Wragg Sykes, and paleontologist and woolly mammoth expert Tori Herridge and learn just how misunderstood our ancestors have been. The image of ...
01.18.2021 Under our Night Sky Under The Night Sky Brian Cox and Robin Ince discover the importance of the night sky to human history and how our relationship with the stars has changed over the centuries. They are joined by star-gazer Jon Culshaw, astronaut Tim ...
01.11.2021 In Praise of Flies In Praise of Flies Brian Cox and Robin Ince kick off a new series of Infinite Monkey Cage with a look at probably the least revered or liked group of insects, the flies. They are joined by fly sceptic David ...
08.26.2020 Does Time Exist? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by actor and writer Mark Gatiss, theoretical physicists Carlo Rovelli and Fay Dowker to ask timely questions about time. Is time real, does it exist in the fundamental laws of physics, and if ...
07.20.2020 What is Life? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedians Jo Brand and Ross Noble, alongside Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse and geneticist Prof Aoife McLysaght to ask the biggest question of all, what is life and how did it ...
07.20.2020 What is Life? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedians Jo Brand and Ross Noble, alongside Nobel prize winner Sir Paul Nurse and geneticist Prof Aoife Mclysaght to ask the biggest question of all: What is Life and how did it ...
07.14.2020 The Human Brain Brian Cox and Robin Ince look at the amazing capabilities of the super-adaptable, ever-changing human brain. They are joined by US talk show host Conan O'Brien, and neuroscientists David Eagleman and Gina Rippon to find out how the 3lb organ ...
06.29.2020 When the Monkeys Met the Chimps Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Dr Jane Goodall DBE, comedian Bill Bailey and primatologist Dr Cat Hobaiter to find out what we've learnt in the 60 years since Jane first discovered the chimpanzees of Gombe. From tool ...
06.22.2020 The Sun Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by a dazzling panel of sun worshippers from actor, comedian and musician Tim Minchin to solar scientist Professor Lucie Green and biologist Professor Steve Jones. They look at how the evolution of life ...
06.15.2020 An Astronaut's Guide to Isolation Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by a stellar panel of space travellers as they get tips on surviving isolation from a group with a truly unique insight. They are joined by astronauts Helen Sharman, Chris Hadfield, Nicole Stott ...
06.08.2020 Space Archaeology Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian and writer Sara Pascoe, biological anthropologist Alice Roberts and space archaeologist Sarah Parcak. They look at how archaeology today looks far more Star Wars than Indiana Jones, as an archaeologist's list ...
06.01.2020 Black Holes Brian Cox and Robin Ince look at the weird and wacky world of black holes as they ask a question that has been troubling scientists for years: What happens if you push Matt Lucas into a black hole? They are ...
05.25.2020 The End of the Universe Brian Cox and Robin Ince are back for new series, for now at least, as they take an upbeat look at all the different ways our Universe might end. They are joined by legendary comedians Steve Martin and Eric Idle, ...
02.12.2020 UFO special UFO SPECIAL Brian Cox and Robin Ince host a close encounter of the 1st kind with comedian Lucy Beaumont, astronomer Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Director of Jodrell Bank Professor Tim O’Brien, and science presenter Dallas Campbell to ask if UFOs and aliens ...
02.12.2020 Lucy Beaumont's Close Encounters Brian Cox and Robin Ince send comedian Lucy Beaumont to investigate UFO sightings in the extra-terrestrial hotspot of... Hull! Lucy is joined by her mum GIll Adams who claims to have experienced a number of close encounters of the third ...
02.10.2020 Quantum Worlds Quantum Worlds Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Katy Brand, and physicists Sean Carroll and Jim Al-Khalili as they enter the strange and bizarre world of quantum mechanics. Schroedinger's famous thought experiment stuck a cat in a ...
02.03.2020 Fire Fire! Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Ed Byrne, forensic chemist Niamh Nic Daeid and biologist Adam Rutherford, as they explore the science of fire and how it has impacted the evolution of life on earth. They ...
01.27.2020 Coral Reefs The Magic of Coral Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian Marcus Brigstocke and marine biologists Professor Callum Roberts and Dr Heather Koldewey as they look at the amazing creatures that create and colonise coral reefs. ...
01.20.2020 Conspiracy Theories Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian Shazia Mirza, science writer and cancer researcher Dr David Robert Grimes and psychologist Prof Karen Douglas to look at the weird world of conspiracy theories. From Flat Earth believers ...
01.13.2020 Science of Laughter The Science of Laughter Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series of science/comedy chat. They are joined on stage, appropriately enough, by comedian Frank Skinner, as they look at the science of what makes us laugh, why ...
10.14.2019 Brits in Space Brits in Space! Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by astronaut and author of "The Astronaut Selection Test Book", Tim Peake, first British astronaut Helen Sharman and comedian Mark Steel for a Brits in Space Special. Tim and Helen ...
10.07.2019 Anniversary of the Periodic Table The Periodic Table How well do you know your Fe from your Cu, and what the heck is Np?? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Katy Brand, Prof Polly Arnold and Prof Andrea Sella to celebrate the ...
09.30.2019 Science of Dreaming Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Bridget Christie, neuroscientist Professor Penny Lewis and psychologist Richard Wiseman to explore the science of dreaming. Our dreams have fascinated humans for millennia and then Freud came along and told us ...
09.23.2019 Clever Creatures Those Clever Creatures Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian and author Danny Wallace, ornithologist Professor Tim Birkhead and marine biologist Helen Scales to look at animal intelligence. We have all heard about clever chimps that ...
09.16.2019 Dinosaurs Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series of their multi-award winning science/comedy show. They kick off with arguably any child's first interest in science - dinosaurs! They are joined by comedian Rufus Hound and palaeontologists Susannah Maidment ...
07.25.2019 Astronaut Special (Repeat) In this episode from 2017, Brian Cox and Robin Ince transport the cage to the Starmus Festival in Trondheim, Norway, for an extraordinary gathering of astronauts. They are joined on stage by NASA astronauts Sandra Magnus and Terry Virts, ESA ...
07.20.2019 The Infinite Moonkey Cage A special hour long episode of the hugely popular science/comedy show, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo moon landings. Recorded at Cocoa Beach, Florida just down the road from Cape Canaveral, Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by ...
04.18.2019 Introducing The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford present highlights from their podcast which investigates questions sent in by listeners using the power of science.
02.11.2019 How We Measure the Universe How to Measure the Universe Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian Jo Brand, and physicists Prof Jo Dunkley and Dr Adam Masters to look at how we go about measuring our universe, from measuring the ...
02.04.2019 How to Build a Bionic Human How to Build a Bionic Human. Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by "supervet" Noel Fitzpatrick, Dr Kevin Fong and comedian Lucy Beaumont to learn how to build a bionic human. They'll be looking at the development ...
01.28.2019 Are humans still evolving? Are humans still evolving? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian and author David Baddiel, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics Aoife McLysaght, and geneticist and broadcaster Adam Rutherford to ask whether human beings are still evolving? Has the invention ...
01.21.2019 Origin of Numbers The origin of numbers and can fish count? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by mathematician Dr Hannah Fry, comedian Matt Parker and neuroscientist Prof Brian Butterworth to ask where numbers come from and can fish count? They'll be ...
01.14.2019 The Future of Humanity The Future of Humanity Brian Cox and Robin Ince take on the entire future of our civilisation, as they are joined by Astronomer Royal and former head of the Royal Society Lord Rees, Baroness Cathy Ashton and comedian, actor and ...

Older episodes

The Infinite Monkey Cage

What's The Infinite Monkey Cage about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Infinite Monkey Cage episodes:

Why does wine taste good?

The Deep Space Network

The Age of Conspiracy?

Can we cure ageing?

Hunting for Exoplanets

Exploring our solar system

What have we learnt from Covid?

How to Teach Maths

Brains

Astronauts

Black Holes

The Wood Wide Web

Exploring the Deep

Bats v Flies

A History of Rock

The Fundamentals of Reality

The Science of Cooking

Neanderthals

Under our Night Sky

In Praise of Flies

Does Time Exist?

What is Life?

What is Life?

The Human Brain

When the Monkeys Met the Chimps

The Sun

An Astronaut's Guide to Isolation

Space Archaeology

Black Holes

The End of the Universe

UFO special

Lucy Beaumont's Close Encounters

Quantum Worlds

Fire

Coral Reefs

Conspiracy Theories

Science of Laughter

Brits in Space

Anniversary of the Periodic Table

Science of Dreaming

Clever Creatures

Dinosaurs

Astronaut Special (Repeat)

The Infinite Moonkey Cage

Introducing The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry

How We Measure the Universe

How to Build a Bionic Human

Are humans still evolving?

Origin of Numbers

The Future of Humanity

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