Instant Genius Podcast
From the creators of BBC Science Focus, Instant Genius is a bite-sized masterclass in podcast form. With each episode, a different world-leading expert will help you understand the latest ideas and research in the world of science and tech. We want to make you an expert in everything.

Why you’re not actually addicted to your phone

Not all social media is unhealthy – here's how to rethink your relationship to it.
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Bubonic plague, cholera and measles are all back. Should we be worried?

Many infectious diseases we thought were long gone have all reared their ugly heads again. Are we seeing an unprecedented level of disease re-emergence?
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How to reclaim your motivation

Feeling aimlessness? Listless? If so, you could be languishing.
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How the Placebo effect actually works

How people can be healed without actual treatment.
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How to get better at being bored

What boredom is actually signalling to your body, explained by a neuroscientist.
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How animals speak to each other

Fun fact: Dolphins give themselves names.
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The strange science of why humans need laughter

The connection between laughter and your immune system, and what really happens when you get the giggles.
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The world's hidden hedgehog crisis

Why their numbers are falling – and how we can help them recover.
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How to actually lose weight, according to science

Simple ways to transform unhealthy eating habits and master your metabolism.
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Is the avocado a nutritional superfood or environmental disaster?

Just how healthy – both to your body and planet Earth – is the ever-popular fruit?
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How to pace yourself in an exhausting world

Science-proven tips for having more energy throughout your day.
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The science of the paranormal

Why we see ghosts, UFOs and visions of our past lives.
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Has the Moon entered a new epoch?

Here's how humans could have changed the lunar surface forever.
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Instant Genius Podcast: How to finally master your email inbox

The worrying impact of an overflowing inbox on your mental health – and what to do about it.
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Solving the world’s plastic pollution problem

How widespread plastic pollution is – and what we can do to finally tackle the problem.
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How can we make our food more secure?

Prof Tim Benton, research director at Chatham House, explains how our food sources impacts the planet.
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What mass extinctions can teach us about the future of life on Earth

Inside the surprising and numerous mass extinctions in our planet's history.
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Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains the Universe’s greatest mysteries

What’s beyond our Universe? Will time travel ever be possible? And what might aliens look like? The acclaimed astrophysicist answers all.
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The bizarre science of cat behaviour

Why our feline friends may be much more intelligent than you'd think.
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The truth about fasting and time-restricted eating

We break down the biggest myths of the fat-loss trend.
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Why we should be doing more to prepare for contact with alien civilisations

Have we already observed alien technology travelling through space?
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The biggest testosterone myths, busted

We debunk the many mistruths surrounding this often misunderstood hormone.
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The science of de-extinction

Inside the company attempting to resurrect the woolly mammoth.
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How science can help you make better decisions

The simple, research-backed steps to making superior choices in your life.
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