Science and Technology Podcasts
Series 13, Eps 14
1hr 2mins
Pioneering Biologist J Craig Venter – The Future of Life on Earth
Upon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project, J. Craig Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. A journey that begins in the oceans…
Series 13, Eps 12
40mins
Neuroscientist Kelly Clancy – How Games Change Reality
We might think of games as trivial fun, but, as neuroscientist Kelly Clancy reveals, they are deeply intertwined with human history.
Series 12, Eps. 29
37mins
Rebecca Boyle – The Story of Our Moon
The moon is more than a source of majesty and wonder; it has profoundly shaped the course of life on planet Earth.
Series 12, Eps 28
1hr 7mins
Neuroscientist Clayton Page Aldern and Dr Xand van Tulleken – How the Climate Crisis Affects Our Brains and Bodies
Neuroscientist Clayton Page Aldern joins Dr Xand van Tulleken to reveal the staggering effects of climate change on our brains and bodies.
Series 12, Eps 26
1hr 7mins
Philip Ball – How Life Works
Philip Ball takes us to the new frontier of the life sciences and reveals why life is much, much stranger than we realise.
Series 12, Eps 23
1 hr 13 mins
Neuroscientist Charan Ranganath meets Robin Ince – Why We Remember
Robin Ince joins UC Davis Professor Charan Ranganath shares the surprising secret to memory: forgetting.
Series 12, Eps. 18
33mins
Philosopher Tom Chatfield – How Technology Changes Humanity, From Fire to AI
Since the dawn of our species, technology has not only extended the powers of human agency but profoundly shaped our nature.
Series 12, Eps 13
45 mins
Novelist and Diplomat Ray Nayler – The Tusks of Extinction
Award-winning novelist and US diplomat Ray Nayler returns to the podcast to explore his philosophical thriller, The Tusks of Extinction.
Series 12, Episode 8
1hr 10 mins
Physicist Carlo Rovelli Meets Theatre-Maker Simon McBurney
What happens at the bottom of a black hole? Join the superstar physicist and founder of Complicite for an Alice in Wonderland trip to the edge of space and time, science and imagination.
Series 12, Episode 6
1hr
Daniel Dennett v. Robert Sapolsky – Do We Have Free Will?
Two titans of neuroscience and philosophy come together to debate the existence of free will – a question with profound implications for identity, justice, and the very meaning of life itself.
Series 12, Episode 3
37mins
Oxford Data Scientist Hannah Richie – Climate Anxiety
In this episode of our sister podcast Found in Conversation, researcher Hannah Richie and ESG investor Rosa Sangiorgio outline how we can overcome the climate crisis.
Series 11, Eps 25
1hr 10mins
Walter Isaacson – The Life of Elon Musk
The inside scoop on the most controversial innovator of our era.
Series 11, Eps 22
32mins
Immunologist Luke O’Neill – The Joy of Science
What do art and science have in common? Will we ever be able to invent Star Trek style teleportation ? Can we make AI that is truly sentient? Join biochemist Luke O’Neill for a romp through the past, present, and future of science.
Series 11, Eps 20
1hr 30minutes
Astronaut Chris Hadfield Meets Robin Ince
Astronaut, fighter pilot, bestselling author, commander of the International Space Station, and the first man to sing Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ in zero G: is there anything Chris Hadfield can’t do?
Series 11, Eps 19
1hr 10mins
Iain McGilchrist – The Divided Brain and the Meaning of Life
A neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and philosopher, Iain McGilchrist joins us with a compelling argument for a new philosophy of living.
Series 11, Eps 13
1hr 10mins
Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter – How to Thrive Through Menopause
Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter join us for a hands-on guide to help you live your best life during menopause.
Series 11, Eps. 11
1hr 10mins
David Nutt – How Psychedelics Can Change Your Life
Are you ready to change your mind? Professor David Nutt joins us to cut through the noise and share his discoveries from more than a decade of scientific research.
Series 11, Episode 5
1hr
Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross – The Neuroscience of Art
Join us for a journey through the new science of neuroaesthetics, and discover how your brain transforms when you participate in the arts.
20mins
David Christian – A User’s Guide to the Future (Bonus Episode)
Historian David Christian investigates what we can know about the future in this episode of our sister podcast, Found in Conversation.
Series 10, Eps 24
42mins
Malcolm Harris – How Palo Alto Conquered the World
How did the suburb of Palo Alto become the epicentre of a global tech revolution, changing not just American capitalism but the world?
Series 10, Eps 21
1hr
Andy Clark – How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality
One of the most important living thinkers in cognitive science and philosophy joined us with a grand new vision to explain our lived experience.
Series 10, Ep. 17
1 hr
Richard Dawkins – Live at Wilderness Festival 2022
Richard Dawkins joined us at last year’s Wilderness Festival for a celebration of an extraordinary life in science.
Series 10, Ep. 13
48mins
Scott Shapiro – The Dark Art of Hacking
The Information Age is built on precarious architecture, leaving states, companies, and individuals open to hacking. Scott Shapiro joins us to bust the myths and reveal the truth about viruses, espionage, and cyberwar.
Season 10, Episode 3
37mins
Thomas Hertog – Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory of the Universe
How did the universe begin? Stephen Hawking’s collaborator and friend Thomas Hertog shares the physicist’s final theory of the origins of time.
Series 10, Episode 1
1hr
Robin Ince Meets Justin Gregg – What Animal Intelligence Tells Us About Human Stupidity
A hilarious and demystifying look at humans, animals, and the meaning of life itself.
Season 9, Episode 29
1hr 15mins
Robin Ince Meets Chris van Tulleken – Why We Can’t Stop Eating Stuff That Isn’t Food
The BAFTA winning physician joins us to reveal what ultra-processed foods are doing to our bodies and our society.
Series 9, Episode 28
45mins
Alexa Hagerty – Genocide, Forensics, and What Remains
Bones can reveal brutality, beauty, trauma, and love – Alexa Hagerty used them to reveal the truth.
Series 9, Episode 26
36mins
Brad Smith – Tools and Weapons
Join us for a preview of Tools and Weapons, the new podcast with Microsoft President (and former How To Academy guest in London) Brad Smith.
Series 9, Episode 25
1hr
Richard Restak – The Neuroscience of Strengthening Your Memory
It’s never to late to start future-proofing your memory. Find out how from renowned neurologist Dr Richard Restak.
Series 9, Episode 12
1hr
Ray Nayler – What Octopuses and AI Teach Us About Consciousness
What does the intelligence of animals and machines tell us about human nature? Diplomat Ray Nayer investigates in his deeply philosophical new novel, The Mountain in the Sea.
Series 9, Episode 11
1hr
Tracey Shors – A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Trauma
Contrary to popular belief, trauma is not only caused by a singular extreme events. How can we protect our brains and build resilience?
Season 9, Episode 7
1hr
Morgan Levine – How to Reverse the Ageing Process
While ageing itself may be inevitable, science allows us to measure our biological age – and provides strategies to slow down and even reverse the ageing process.
Series 9, Episode 1
34 minutes
Felix Flicker – The Magic of Matter
Forget string theory. Forget black holes. The most magical and wondrous ideas in the universe are right before your eyes.
Series 8, Episode 18
1hr
Siddhartha Mukherjee – The Song of the Cell
Pulitzer Prize winning physician Siddhartha Mukherjee and geneticist Adam Rutherford tell the extraordinary story of cells.
Series 8, Episode 14
1hr 5 mins
Yuval Noah Harari Meets Katherine Rundell – Unstoppable Us
In a special podcast for children and families, the author of the multi-million bestselling Sapiens tells the incredible story of the human race to Katherine Rundell.
Series 8, Episode 5
40mins
Adrian Hon – How Corporations and Governments Use Videogames to Control Us
Game designer Adrian Hon reveals how videogame mechanics are being used to influence human behaviour in the real world and rob us of dignity and autonomy.
Series 8, Episode 4
1hr 11mins
Cornelia Parker Meets Carlo Rovelli – The Hidden Nature of Things
Visual artist Cornelia Parker and theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli come together to explore the revelations of quantum physics and the nature of reality.
Series 8, Episode 3
1hr
Mark Bergen – Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to Global Domination
Bloomberg News reporter Mark Bergen reveals the story of how YouTube changed the world through untamed freedom of speech.
Series 8, Episode 2
1hr
Charlotte Fox Weber – A Journey Into Human Desire
Join leading psychotherapist Charlotte Fox Weber for a fly-on-the-wall journey through universal human wants and desires, and a practical toolkit for living well.
Series 8, Episode 1
Series 8, Episode 1
Melanie Joy – How to Get Relationships Right
Psychologist Melanie Joy shares the principles and tools that can make any relationship, from personal to professional, healthier and more resilient.
Series 7, Episode 16
1hr
Philip Ball – How to Make Sense of Inhuman Minds
Understanding the human mind has challenged scientists and philosophers for centuries. How do we even begin to think about ‘minds’ that are not human?
Series 7, Episode 13
35 mins
Daniel Pick – A New History of Thought Control
Psychoanalyst and historian Daniel Pick reveals the murky and pernicious story of ‘brainwashing’, taking us from the first days of the Cold War through to modern-day conspiracy theories.
Series 7, Episode 8
1hr
Suzie Sheehy – The Matter of Everything
Physicist Suzie Sheehy joins science filmmaker David Malone for a thrilling new history of particle physics, told through the discoveries that have shaped our lives – often without us knowing it.
Series 7, Episode 6
35 mins
Ken Liu – Storytelling is Our Most Important Technology
The award-winning novelist explores why speculative fiction is so bad at predicting the future — and so good as revealing hidden aspects of the present.
Series 7, Episode 4
1hr 5 mins
Jane McGonigal – How to See the Future Coming
Game designer, futurist and TED superstar Jane McGonigal explains how imagining the future can help us to adapt to change – and be ready for anything.
Series 7, Episode 2
1hr
Alice Roberts – Buried
Combining archaeological evidence with cutting edge DNA research, the bestselling anthropologist joins us with a bold new account of death in the so-called Dark Ages.
Series 6, Episode 30
1 hr
Sam Knight – The Premonitions Bureau
Join legendary journalist Sam Knight for the true story of a strange experiment – a journey into the oddest corners of 60s Britain and the outer edges of science and reason.
Series 6, Episode 29
1hr 10 mins
John Cleese Meets Iain McGilchrist – On Consciousness, Culture, and Creativity
John Cleese meets preeminent neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist to explore the science of human consciousness and creativity.
Series 6, Episode 26
51 mins
Robin Ince Meets Neal Stephenson – Termination Shock
‘Sometimes when you’re reading Neal Stephenson, he doesn’t just seem like one of the best novelists writing in English right now; he seems like the only one.’ – TIME magazine
