Instant Genius

Every night when we fall asleep, our brains and bodies switch into a mode of functioning that’s entirely different from that of our waking lives. During sleep, our bodies become essentially paralysed, and our brains conjure up bizarre scenarios through dreams or even nightmares. But what exactly is happening during this period of our daily lives, why do we do it in the first place, and what can we learn about ourselves from it?

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Baland Jalal to talk about his latest book, The Phantom Mind – Insights from the Borderlands of Sleep.

He tells us how our brain functions alter when we fall asleep, why the emotional content of our dreams feels so real despite often being so bizarre, and why some of us remember our dreams more than others after waking.

Take your curiosity further with a subscription to BBC Science Focus magazine. Every issue is packed with fascinating insights into the science behind everyday life, the latest breakthroughs and expert analysis, delivered straight to your door. Receive an extra £5 when you subscribe using the code SF5OFF, (minimum spend £20, see full terms and conditions on our website).

https://www.ourmediashop.com/bbc-science-focus-magazine-pod30
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Evolution by natural selection has given rise to a fascinating tapestry of living organisms, each occupying their own individual niche. The result is a world filled with a dizzying array of weird and wonderful creatures that won the battle for survival in bizarre and fascinating ways.

In this episode, we’re joined by evolutionary biologist and author Prof Richard Dawkins to talk about his latest book, 42 Tales from Life – A Modern Bestiary.

He tells us how the driving forces of natural selection have shaped the vast variety of the living things that populate the Earth, how different organisms cooperate in strange, unusual ways to win the race for survival, and the many things we can learn from investigating every branch of the tree of life.

Take your curiosity further with a subscription to BBC Science Focus magazine. Every issue is packed with fascinating insights into the science behind everyday life, the latest breakthroughs and expert analysis, delivered straight to your door. Receive an extra £5 when you subscribe using the code SF5OFF, (minimum spend £20, see full terms and conditions on our website).

https://www.ourmediashop.com/bbc-science-focus-magazine-pod30
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Since the discovery of electricity, scientists, inventors and engineers have attempted to figure out ways in which this often-mysterious force could influence our brains and behaviour. History is littered with all manner of wild experiments, many of which were less successful than others, but could it be that we’re entering an age in which it’s possible to not only manipulate the electrical impulses that fire in our brains but to use them to connect us with machines?

In this episode, we’re joined by cultural historian and author Mike Jay to talk about his latest book, Wireheads – An Unnatural History of Technology in the Brain.

He tells us about some of the key historical figures who have attempted to manipulate our brains using electrical implants, how this idea arose in the first place, and how the idea moved from fringe practices to genuine innovations in modern medicine.

Take your curiosity further with a subscription to BBC Science Focus magazine. Every issue is packed with fascinating insights into the science behind everyday life, the latest breakthroughs and expert analysis, delivered straight to your door. Receive an extra £5 when you subscribe using the code SF5OFF, (minimum spend £20, see full terms and conditions on our website).

https://www.ourmediashop.com/bbc-science-focus-magazine-pod30

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Almost as soon as we are able to speak, we start asking our parents, relatives, and teachers an almost frustratingly large number of ‘why questions’. It’s an essential part of the natural human desire to understand the world in which we live. However, answering these questions is often much more complicated than it may first seem. What makes one explanation easier to understand than another, and how can we do it better?

In this episode, we’re joined by Prof Tania Lombrozo, a psychologist and author based at Princeton University, to talk about her latest book, Why We Ask Why – The Science of Explanation and the Human Drive to Understand.

She tells us how explanations come in many different forms based on our knowledge, communication skills, and relationships, talks about the traps of over- or under-explaining that we all often fall into, and investigates the effect that AI is having on the way we receive and interpret information.

Take your curiosity further with a subscription to BBC Science Focus magazine. Every issue is packed with fascinating insights into the science behind everyday life, the latest breakthroughs and expert analysis, delivered straight to your door. Receive an extra £5 when you subscribe using the code SF5OFF, (minimum spend £20, see full terms and conditions on our website).

https://www.ourmediashop.com/bbc-science-focus-magazine-pod30
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Over the last decade or so, it’s become abundantly clear that eating a diet based on ultra-processed food is damaging to our bodily health. Could it be that our information diets, the deluge of content we consume online every day, is having a similar detrimental effect on our mental health?

In this episode, we’re joined by technology lawyer and author Seb Butcher to talk about his latest book, Distorted: Ultra-Processed Feeds, Splintered Worlds and How the Internet Broke Reality.

He explains how junk online content can capture our attention, erode our powers of critical thinking, and reduce our empathy towards others, how the rise of AI is complicating matters even further, and shares some thoughts on how we can all make our information diets a little healthier.

Take your curiosity further with a subscription to BBC Science Focus magazine. Every issue is packed with fascinating insights into the science behind everyday life, the latest breakthroughs and expert analysis, delivered straight to your door. Receive an extra £5 when you subscribe using the code SF5OFF, (minimum spend £20, see full terms and conditions on our website).

https://www.ourmediashop.com/bbc-science-focus-magazine-pod30
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices