Did you know that people with dyslexia can make very good spies? And people with autism are likely to have been the driving force of human creativity for the last 100,000 years?

Dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and autism are often misunderstood as negative conditions, when really they indicate strengths as well as struggles.

This episode is narrated by the comedian Rory Bremner who has ADHD. He encourages children – parents and teachers too – to think differently about neurodiversity, reminding us that like a fingerprint we all have a brain that is individual to us. People think differently and process information differently because their brain is wired differently. And, in the right circumstances, that's a strength. 

Narrated by Rory Bremner

Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas

Produced by Henrietta McMicking 

Sound editing by Max Watson 

Theme music by James Burrell Music

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Have you ever wondered why humans chose to ride horses? It was a moment in history which changed the future of both species forever. 

This relationship has endured for over five thousand years, and the horse has been described as one of the greatest technologies that man has ever harnessed. 

Horses are prized for their speed, strength and adaptability, and revolutionised transport, war, farming and more. But it hasn't always been a happy partnership.  

Listen and enjoy

Narrated by Alexandra Tolstoy 

Sound editing by Max Watson 

Script by Henrietta McMicking 

Produced by Henrietta McMicking and Camilla Akers-Douglas 

Theme music by James Burrell Music 

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Have you ever wondered who had the bright idea of inventing the light bulb? 

Well, it’s credited to a rather unusual man, Thomas Edison. An man who had a gift  – not so much for inventing as for taking an existing idea, and finding ways to make it better, or cheaper, or both.

During his lifetime Thomas Edison invented a truly extraordinary range of things – ideas that define our modern world – but he is best known for inventing the electric light bulb. And guess what? He didn’t even invent it. People had been making wires glow with heat since 1761. But he worked out that by using a carbonised bamboo filament a bulb could last over 1,200 hours. 

His whole life is an extraordinary true story. We hope you enjoy listening.

Narrated by Sophia Milburn

Sound editing by Max Watson

Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas

Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking

Theme music by James Burrell Music

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There’s a group of almost 4,000 volunteers known as the White Helmets. They have become famous for their bravery in the Syrian civil war. They are famous too for the white hardhats they wear. Most of the volunteers are men but there are also around 200 women.

Their proper name is the Syria Civil Defence. They have been trained to protect and help people during war and disasters. They are unarmed and neutral which means they have promised to help anyone no matter their religion, background, or which side they are on. This is a true story about ordinary people who become heroes in war.

Narrated by Harriet Dunlop 

Sound editing by Max Watson

Script by Henrietta McMicking 

Produced by Camila Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking 

Theme music by James Burrell Music 

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Have you ever considered what an extraordinary invention plastic is? The word plastic means mouldable and therein lies its ingenuity, it can be moulded into every conceivable size shape and colour. It can be thick or thin, large or small, strong or delicate.  

Plastic is complicated: it has life saving medical uses but is life threatening to the natural world. Almost every piece of plastic ever made still exists today. Listen and explore how in just 150 years this synthetic material has got into every corner of our lives. 

Narrated by Henrietta McMicking 

Sound editing by Max Watson 

Script by Henrietta McMicking 

Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking 

Theme music by James Burrell Music 

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Have you ever wondered about the power of the moon? Craned your neck and stared, deep, into her mysteries? Like a wolf howling through the night, what questions would you ask of her, what secrets would you try to uncover?

The moon has the power to conjure werewolves. It controls the tides of our seas and oceans, and it has inspired mankind to reach for a new frontier. Its power to capture our imagination and to keep us asking questions is legendary... 

Narrated by Ben Ellis

Sound editing by Max Watson

Script by Tom Catchpole

Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking

Theme music by James Burrell Music

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Have you ever wondered what is actually inside a packet of crisps? Potatoes, obviously, you would think. Air, perhaps just as obviously – but it’s not the air you are expecting. There's history in there too, and rivalry. Who made the very first potato crisp?

And, what exactly is a crisp? Or potato chip, as they say in America. To be a crisp, does it need to be literally a thin slice of potato? Or can it be a maize – or puff corn – snack, like a Wotsit? And have you ever noticed how eating a crisp is both a savoury, and a sonic, experience? Listen, and discover so much more.

Narrated by William Scott-Masson

Sound editing by Max Watson

Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas

Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking

Theme music by James Burrell Music

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Have you ever wondered what exactly are the Crown Jewels, or why kings and queens wear crowns?

We tell the extraordinary history of the British Crown Jewels, and how over the centuries they have been lost and stolen, melted down, and remade. Among the crowns, sceptres and orbs, there is even a single stone – the Koh-i-Noor diamond – which is believed to be so cursed that kings are afraid to wear it.

You may well ask yourself, how are these things relevant to me? Well, as symbols of power they are invaluable, literally and symbolically, to both you, and I, and the State – although it is unlikely that we will ever wear a crown ourselves. 

Narrated by Luke Irwin

Sound editing by Max Watson

Script by Camilla Akers-Douglas

Produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking

Theme music by James Burrell Music

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How do we see? And how do we see colour? Does the world look the same through another person's eyes? In this podcast discover how the human eye works and how it sees colour.

You may be surprised to learn that not everyone sees colour in the same way: a few are colour blind; others are tetrachromats which means they have an extra type of cone cell in their eye, and can see as many as 100 million different colours.

While dogs' eyes are quite similar to our own, insects have completely different eyes from people, and can see colours of light not visible to the human eye, such as ultra violet and infrared.

And, believe it or not, there are even more colours in the rainbow than you might ever have realised 🌈

This podcast is read by Camilla Akers-Douglas, with sound editing by Max Watson. The script was written by Nicola Kličková and Tomáš Klička, and produced by Camilla Akers-Douglas and Henrietta McMicking. Our theme music is by James Burrell

To contact us, email [email protected] or [email protected] 

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