How widening our palates can help feed, and save, the planet
It’s currently thought that around one billion people worldwide aren’t getting enough protein to meet their daily needs. Alongside this, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the large-scale farming of livestock and the overfishing of the Earth’s oceans to provide us with vital sources of protein are causing great harm to the environment. But could the production of more alternative protein sources, such as cultivated meat, plants like algae and duckweed and even insects, help provide us with a neat solution to both of these issues?
As part of our four-part miniseries, Future of Food, we’re joined by a panel of three researchers based at The University of Sheffield: Professor of biomanufacturing Tuck Seng Wong, Professor of plant cell signalling Julie Gray and a Senior Lecturer based at the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, Dr Kang Lan Tee.
They tell us about the latest technological developments that are helping us to produce healthy, nutritious proteins in novel ways, how many of these methods can make much more efficient use of resources such as energy and water, and why perhaps many of us could benefit from being a little more open-minded when it comes to thinking about what we put on our plates.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
30:11
--------
30:11
Why not getting enough sleep plays havoc with our emotions
Many of us will have experienced changes in our emotional states after failing to get a good night’s sleep. Maybe we find that we lose our temper more easily or that we’re more likely to feel sad or upset. But what exactly is going on in our bodies and brains when we lack sleep that gives rise to these, often troubling, effects?
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Bogdan Matei, a medical psychiatrist and master trainer for the luxury bed brand Hästens.
He tells us what happens in different areas of our brains when we don’t get enough sleep, how this affects our ability to regulate our emotions and shares some techniques we can use to mitigate the debilitating effects of sleep deprivation.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
25:12
--------
25:12
How to combat the planet’s growing issue of food waste
According to the United Nations, around one-third of all the food currently produced across the planet is being lost or wasted, oftentimes before it even reaches our plates. As well as the loss of essential sources of nutrition needed to feed the global population, issues in food supply chains are using up other vital resources such as water, labour and energy. So, what can we do to ensure that as much food as possible makes it from farm to fork without being wasted?
As part of our four-part miniseries, Future of Food, we’re joined by Dr Natalia Falagán, an Agricultural Engineer and Senior Lecturer in Food Science and Technology at Cranfield University.
She explains the need for more joined-up thinking to help connect the different stages of our food production systems, the difference between use-by and best-before dates and tells us how growing something as simple as herbs in a kitchen window box can help us all deepen our relationships with the food we eat.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
31:57
--------
31:57
The hidden forces driving the AI bubble
This episode was recorded on November 6th 2025.
Artificial intelligence has been the movement of the moment in recent years. Since it burst to prominence in 2022, hundreds of millions of people have started using AI systems every day – for everything from writing essays to coding software, generating art and planning their lives.
But with soaring valuations, constant hype, and growing concerns about how much these systems really understand, some experts and investors are starting to ask whether we’re heading for an AI bubble.
One of them is Gary Marcus, a scientist, author, entrepreneur, and one of the AI industry’s most outspoken critics. Over the years, Gary has become a leading voice in debates about artificial intelligence, and many of his predictions about where the technology is heading have proven remarkably prescient.
In this episode, Gary cuts through the noise and digs into hype vs reality, what current systems still can’t, and may never be able to do, and what a more reliable path forward might look like.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
55:05
--------
55:05
Earth is heading for a food emergency. Can we stop it?
Recent UN data tells us that currently 670 million people around the world are going hungry. There’s little doubt that food security is one of the most serious problems that the human race is facing. How have we reached this point of crisis and what solutions can we put in place to make sure everyone on the planet has enough nutritious food to eat without causing further harm to the environment?
As part of our four-part miniseries, Future of Food, we’re joined by Dr Dave Chandler, a crop researcher and agricultural scientist based at the University of Warwick.
He tells us how current global food production practices are one of the most significant drivers of environmental damage and biodiversity loss, how climate change is threatening our ability to grow fresh produce to put on our plates and details some of the current thinking on how we can ensure the future of food production worldwide.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Whether you’re curious about getting healthy, the Big Bang or the science of cooking, find out everything you need to know with Instant Genius. The team behind BBC Science Focus Magazine talk to world-leading experts to bring you a bite-sized masterclass on a new subject each week.
New episodes are released every Monday and Friday and you can subscribe to Instant Genius on Apple Podcasts to access all new episodes ad-free and all old episodes of Instant Genius Extra.
Watch full episodes of Instant Genius on BBC Science Focus Magazine's YouTube channel.
Canada - english