From mouldy bread to athlete’s foot, fungi don’t exactly scream “home improvement.” But what if this misunderstood kingdom is the secret to the sustainable materials of the future?Listener Alexis - definitely not a gnome - wants to know how much of our homes we could build with fungi. Professor Katie Field describes how the mushroom is the just tip of the iceberg - it’s the network of thread-like filaments called mycelium where fungi really do their best work. Architect Phil Ayers explains how fungi, like yeast in bread, can bind waste products into firm, MDF-like blocks. And while we’re not constructing skyscrapers with mushrooms just yet, it turns out fungi-based materials are already making waves in interior design. Think sound-absorbing wall panels or insulation that’s both eco-friendly and chic.And here’s a cool one: mushroom leather! Using discarded stalks from mushroom farms, one company is crafting strong, flexible material for trainers, handbags, and even car dashboards. Move over, cows - mushrooms are pushing their way up.Oh, and NASA? They’re dreaming big with fungi too - to grow habitats in space. From mould...to the moon! Contributors: Katie Field - Professor of Plant-Soil Processes at the University of Sheffield
Phil Ayres - Professor of Biohybrid Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy
Patrick Baptista Pinto - co-founder of Really Clever
Maurizio Montalti - Co-founder and Chief Mycelium Officer of SQIM / MOGU
Lynn Rothschild - Senior Research Scientist at NASA Ames research centreProducer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
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28:35
Love Neurons
What happens in your brain when Cupid’s arrow strikes? As a teenager, Alison developed an intense crush on George Harrison from the Beatles. But, she wants to know, why do we develop these feelings for pop stars we’ve never actually met? And what potent swirl of neurochemistry drives those fierce emotions?With neuroscientist Dr. Dean Burnett and evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Anna Machin as their guides, Hannah and Dara investigate everything from the brain’s chemical fireworks during a crush to the evolutionary perks of love and bonding. Along the way, they dissect teenage infatuations, lifelong love affairs with football teams, and why love can feel as addictive as heroin.There’s even a guest appearance from two cute rodents: the monogamous prairie voles and their more, shall we say, commitment-phobic cousins, the montane voles, who gave us early clues about the role of the ‘cuddle’ hormone oxytocin. Whether you're a hopeless romantic or a hard-nosed skeptic, prepare to fall head over heels for the science of love.Contributors:Dr Anna Machin - evolutionary anthropologist and author of Why We Love
Dr Dean Burnett - honorary research fellow at Cardiff Psychology School, author of The Idiot Brain and The Happy Brain.
Carmine Pariante - Professor of Biological Psychiatry at King’s College LondonProducer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
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28:37
Invisibility Quest
Hannah and Dara tackle a disarmingly simple question: is anything in the universe truly invisible? After ruling out mysterious Nordic spirits and ‘Dara’s ire’, our curious duo start to track down the invisible waves all around them. Including, it turns out, some which are emanating from their VERY OWN FACES! An infrared camera reveals Hannah’s nose as a particular hotspot.Turning their gaze to bigger things, they wonder: what does our own galaxy look like when viewed in this invisible spectrum? Infrared reveals vast loops and whorls of dust and gas - gigantic structures otherwise totally hidden. But there are even cooler surprises. Ever wondered what an X-ray of the universe looks like? Turns out it’s a sparkly map of white-hot black holes! Back on earth, the discussion turns to ways of making objects disappear by bending light in tricksy ways. But why is the fancy science of ‘metamaterials’ still struggling to make a proper invisibility cloak? Sorry, Harry Potter fans.In the end, our physicists reveal a universe bursting with even more elusive, even more mysterious stuff: dark matter and dark energy. Prepare to see the unseen in a whole new light!Contributors:Matthew Bothwell - the Public Astronomer at the University of Cambridge and author of The Invisible Universe
Andrew Pontzen - Professor of Physics at Durham University
Mitch Kenney - Assistant Professor in metamaterials at the University of Nottingham Producer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
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29:36
Liar, Liar
For any of you who have ever told a porkie pie, don't worry, this week we hear why we all do it... and discover that deception is actually good for social bonding. From the red squirrels who cry wolf to scare off the competition, to kids who look you in the eye as they tell bare faced lies, this is a behaviour that occurs across all species. And one man who's particularly good at it is Traitors contestant Paul Gorton who reveals he felt absolutely no guilt about his tv trickery. But it seems that while we're masters at telling tall stories, we're terrible at detecting them, because we've all been focusing on completely the wrong cues. Contributors: Paul Gorton
Professor Richard Wiseman
Professor Sophie van der Zee Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Audio Production
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28:41
The Diamond Throwdown
“Diamonds are nonsense!” Hannah boldly proclaimed in a previous episode. But listener Guy is a diamond enthusiast, and he and his diamond-loving pals were NOT OKAY WITH THIS. He demanded we re-open the case, and here we are...SO in this glittering showdown, Dara is on a quest to flip Hannah’s perspective from “meh” to “marvelous.” And for Hannah, some uncomfortable facts soon emerge. It turns out that diamonds are much more than just overpriced bling. They're the secret ingredient in all sorts of high-tech gadgets with a whole arsenal of little-known superpowers.Enter electrochemist Julie Macpherson, who blows Hannah’s mind by showing how diamonds can slice through ice like butter, thanks to their unmatched ability to conduct heat. Not impressed yet? Physicist Mark Newton makes a diamond glow in the dark, using nothing but his phone flashlight. And that’s just to start! These ultra-robust gems can scrub nasty chemicals from water, serve as supercharged electrodes, and even reveal deep-earth secrets locked away for billions of years. By the end of this episode, will Hannah finally admit diamonds are forever cool? Contributors:Charlie Bexfield - Gemmologist and diamond specialist
Julie MacPherson - Professor of Chemistry at the University of Warwick
Mark Newton - Professor of Physics at the University of Warwick
Grahame Pearson - Professor of Earth Sciences from the University of AlbertaProducer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
France