Instant Genius

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
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Sometimes, no matter how busy we are or how hard we work, when we look back on our day, it can seem like we didn’t really achieve very much. Why is this and what can we do to make more effective use of our time? Could the answer be simply tuning into our bodies’ and minds’ natural rhythms – more specifically the ultradian rhythm, the 90-minute cycles of attention and alertness that oscillate throughout the day?

In this episode we’re joined by executive coach and author Dr Christian Poensgen, to talk about his latest book, Ultraproductive – The 90-Minute Method for More Focus, Better Sleep and Less Stress.

He talks about the many factors within modern life that lead us to struggle to carry out our daily tasks, why concentrating on quality rather than quantity of focus, sleep, and relaxation is essential for our productivity, and shares some psychological tips that can help us all start making more effective use of our time.

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

To find out more about the topics discussed in this episode visit https://www.ultraproductive.com to receive nine infographics detailing the key methods from the book straight to your inbox.
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For many of us, maths is simply a subject we studied at school to help us learn how to count, add one thing to another, and carry out everyday tasks such as managing our personal finances. But if we look more deeply, maths has underpinned the way that humans understand and interpret the world for thousands of years. Without our knowledge of maths, we’d have no smartphones and no internet, our buildings wouldn’t stay standing up, and we’d know very little about the wider Universe we live in.

In this episode we’re joined by Prof Terrence Tao, a mathematician and author based at the University of California, Los Angeles to talk about his latest book, Six Maths Essentials – How to Model the World.

He tells us how starting to think about numbers more abstractly opened up a whole new way in which we can understand the world around us, how innovations in maths have often helped us to solve real-world scientific problems that arose long after their initial discovery, and encourages us all to see how paying more attention to maths just a little more can help us enrich our lives.

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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