Not many subjects provoke as much passionate argument as climate change. We're told the science is clear. Others say there is no threat, or it's exaggerated. Some say fossil fuels are essential, others that we must stop using them before it's too late. But how many of us really know enough about it to decide who's right? "What If" looks at the climate debate from a different angle and sets aside the dogma to ask what we really do know. Oil has been with us for centuries and it's transformed modern life, but it won't last forever. Its cost is rising rapidly and burning it has many other consequences. What if we stopped arguing about the climate and asked a slightly different question?

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, left or right, politics can provoke heated argument like few other subjects. But this isn't about parties, policies or persuasions. It's more about how politics works. Taking a non-partisan look behind the process, "What If" explores some of the curiosities that often go unnoticed in elections, mandates, political certainty and the way our representatives behave once they're elected. Do election victories always mean what politicians think they mean? Is a change of mind a sign of weakness, or a sensible adaptation? And why does admitting uncertainty seem almost impossible? Perhaps some of the problems with politics aren't really political at all, but very, very human!

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

More than 50 years ago, a man proudly brandished an exciting modern gadget at the dining table, an electric carving knife. It's now in his son's hands and still works perfectly. How much of what we buy today will keep going for a fraction of that time? What's changed? "What If" delves into our increasingly accepting relationship with disposable everyday products and asks what we really mean by "value". Does it just mean the lowest price, or should quality, longevity and repairability also be considered? And what about sustainability, the resources consumed to make the goods we'll soon throw away, and the ethics of a culture where replacement has become easier than repair? Perhaps the real cost of what we want isn't always there on the price tag.

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

We rely increasingly on technology to remember, navigate, search and even help us think. But what happens when the tools we trust also influence the information we see and the conclusions we reach? Looking at the curious logic of conspiracy thinking, selective evidence and our own certainty, this episode explores the value of being sceptical without becoming closed-minded. Almost any evidence can be reframed to support what we think we believe. What seems true at first could prove to be a conspiracy theory. Conversely, something entirely plausible could turn out to be misleading. Perhaps the best way to defend ourselves is to police our own opinions by asking ourselves one important question.

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

A chance encounter with a brood of swans on a local pond. It happens all over the country, but how many people stop to pay closer attention? We were captivated and decided to spend the next few months observing and documenting the cygnets' progress. Watching the young grow, learn, become bold and almost match their parents' size in just a few months is fascinating. And though their development can be surprisingly complex, they somehow keep existence remarkably simple. There is surely something in their approach to life from which we could all learn, if only we looked closely enough.

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

We support teams, we engage with companies, we interact with governments. In English, we increasingly talk about organisations and groups of all kinds in the plural, as though they are not single entities but merely groups of individuals. Does it matter? This episode asks whether a seemingly insignificant shift in grammar might subtly influence the way we think, weakening our broader sense of collective identity, shared responsibility and accountability. What if the difference between "is" and "are" is about a lot more than grammar?

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

Social media promised to bring us closer together, but could it now be making us less considerate of one another? Have online abuse and echo chambers spilled over into everyday life, making us less patient and courteous? Does the chase for clicks lead to increasingly personal attacks in politics? This episode explores how social media platforms allow us to react so quickly to almost anything and asks whether that might be encouraging a broader cultural shift. What if we were all able to turn down the dial a little?

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

Violence against women and girls has become an all too frequent theme in the news. "Consent" is often at the heart of many of these cases. But what if the very concept of consent isn't enough? Is there a better way? Looking beyond the legal definition, we explore whether there might be an even healthier way to think about relationships, one built on agreement rather than permission. Could mutual respect, shared desire and genuine enthusiasm offer a stronger foundation for healthy relationships than consent alone?

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

Conspiracy theories have always been part of life and they tend to divide us into believers and sceptics. But what if we are all sometimes too quick to believe or dismiss them? Looking at one high-profile real-life example, this episode asks whether the wisest response is neither immediate belief nor knee-jerk dismissal, but curiosity and the willingness to dig a little deeper before making up our minds.

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.

Too many people in authority want us to believe that they have the answers, but before we begin giving answers, surely we should first be finding the right questions about the world around us.

It seemed only fair to answer one of our own: What is What If? In this short introduction, we explain what the series is, what it isn't, and why sometimes the most interesting place to start isn't with an answer, but with a question.

New episodes every week inspired by what's happening around us.

No answers, just new questions about what we think we know and what we take for granted.