Should I stop eating palm oil?

Is palm oil environmental foe or poverty-fighting crop? Graihagh Jackson investigates

• 36 mins

Could humans hibernate during interstellar travel?

Hibernation could allow people to travel long distances in space. How realistic is it?

• 35 mins

Would humans exist if dinosaurs were still alive?

We explore an alternative reality where dinosaurs still roam the earth

• 35 mins

Can I save the insects?

The world’s insects are in trouble. What can each of us do to help them?

• 29 mins

Did Crowdscience change your life?

We delve into the Crowdscience archive to hear how our shows changed listeners’ lives

• 27 mins

How does the sun affect my body and mind?

We explore the power of light to impact our health and wellbeing.

• 33 mins

What is empathy?

What drives our feelings of compassion for others – what is happening in our brains?

• 38 mins

How low-carbon can CrowdScience go?

We try to find out the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint

• 40 mins

What is infinity?

We tackle impossible-sounding questions on topics from infinity to quantum mechanics

• 33 mins

Could we survive an extinction event?

Are humans capable of outwitting asteroids, volcanoes or other causes of mass extinction?

• 38 mins

Can digital technology transform West Africa?

A panel of experts discuss how digital technology and AI are transforming West Africa.

• 32 mins

How did humans discover medicine?

Diseases have always been with us, but when did we first find ways to cure them?

• 31 mins

What is cancer?

We take a look at cancer treatment’s dark past, its current state and future

• 37 mins

Why do insects prefer to bite certain people?

Why are some people magnets for mosquitos and others not? CrowdScience investigates

• 36 mins

What’s the weirdest weather?

Our expert panel tackle multiple meteorological queries in the CrowdScience inbox.

• 37 mins

Why are we obsessed with crime?

Kay from Hamburg wants to know where our obsession with crime comes from

• 31 mins

Introducing 13 Minutes to the Moon Season 2

Jump on-board a doomed mission to the Moon. Apollo 13: the extraordinary story

• 3 mins

What are scientists doing about coronavirus?

CrowdScience goes into labs to meet researchers urgently searching for COVID-19 solutions

• 30 mins

Can I trust DNA ancestry tests?

How much do DNA tests really tell you about your ancestors?

• 33 mins

Can science explain why I love shopping?

Crowdscience investigates the brain science behind our buying behaviour

• 36 mins

Will a placebo boost my sports performance?

Can we trick ourselves into running faster or playing better?

• 26 mins

How can I reduce stress?

Listener Keith from Lincolnshire wants to know how to reduce stress - he's a firefighter.

• 26 mins

What makes a spider spin a web?

How instincts let spiders build complex structures

• 26 mins

Why do you sweat more than me?

What affects how much and where we sweat?

• 33 mins

How do I learn maths when school’s shut?

We tackle maths questions sent in by high school students in lockdown

• 34 mins

What is the smallest particle?

We tackle particle physics questions from around the world

• 31 mins

Does my toilet make sense?

Is it time to reinvent the flush toilet?

• 39 mins

How does a language begin?

How does one language become two, or even 7000?

• 30 mins

Why can’t you tickle yourself?

In this kids special, we explore a raft of questions from our younger listeners

• 45 mins

Would you risk your life to save another?

Why do some people put themselves in danger to help others?

• 32 mins

Were my atoms once your atoms?

What is the likelihood that an atom in your body has been used in someone else’s body?

• 36 mins

Do animals have consciousness?

What does it feel like to be a cat or a cuttlefish?

• 36 mins

What’s the point of blood types?

We, like most animals, have a variety of different blood types. But what are they for?

• 35 mins

Is barefoot running better?

How does a bare foot change our running pain and performance

• 31 mins

Could earthworms help transform the future of farming?

As they work the soil worms can hugely increase its fertility but there’s a downside.

• 37 mins

How is human sound affecting sealife?

Are peaceful seas an illusion? We find out how human sound affects life under the waves.

• 37 mins

Are some soaps better than others?

How was soap discovered, and what else is used for washing around the world?

• 34 mins

Why do conspiracy theories exist?

Why do conspiracy theories exist and why are we seeing so many in this pandemic?

• 39 mins

Does air traffic affect our weather?

Has reduced air travel due to pandemic lockdown affected our weather and climate?

• 33 mins

What is the point of slime?

Squelching into the science of slime.

• 33 mins

What’s the yeast doing inside my bread?

Yeast: the tiny organism with massive potential

• 33 mins

Why does running water make me need the toilet?

What does science say about controlling urination, and other bodily functions?

• 30 mins

Why do we like spicy food?

Join the CrowdScience dinner party as we tackle listeners’ food questions

• 35 mins

Why am I embarrassed to be naked?

We all have naked bodies – so why are we so embarrassed to show them?

• 32 mins

What makes stuff sticky?

Our world would fall apart without adhesives - but how do they hold things together?

• 32 mins

Why do planets spin?

Crowdscience answers listeners’ celestial questions

• 33 mins

Why do I blush?

Does blushing have some sort of evolutionary purpose? And why do we yawn?

• 32 mins

Am I related to a virus?

Although they’re not technically ‘alive’ might viruses hold a place in our family tree?

• 28 mins

Can I learn to sing in tune?

Why are some of us tone deaf, and can you improve your singing with practice?

• 32 mins

Why are elephants so big?

An episode dedicated to the curious minds of our younger listeners

• 31 mins

How can I beat pain?

Listener Bebeto wants to know how to get rid of a pain in his wrist

• 39 mins

How does a breeze become a gale?

Why are some winds friendly and others fierce?

• 27 mins

Can we prevent wildfires?

How can we reduce the spread of forest fires?

• 32 mins

Are humans naturally clean and tidy?

What hygiene instincts do we have, and are they fit for purpose?

• 31 mins

Will our spacecraft ever reach the stars?

How spaceship engineering could power us through interstellar space

• 28 mins

Was I born clumsy?

Simon is sick of knocking stuff over, so CrowdScience looks at the science of clumsiness

• 36 mins

Do animals exercise?

Some of the CrowdScience team answer listeners' questions from all over the world

• 37 mins

Is a fungus intelligent?

Fungal networks are entangled with life on Earth and even show signs of intelligence.

• 29 mins

What are the limits of human endurance?

Meet the athletes pushing against the limits of human endurance

• 33 mins

Are there downsides to deep cleaning?

Could overzealous hygiene routines damage our immune system or promote superbugs?

• 33 mins

Will giving up alcohol improve my sperm count?

Investigating how lifestyle can affect male fertility

• 35 mins

Can being happy help me fight infection?

Can happiness boost immunity?

• 39 mins

Can I improve my sense of direction?

Why do some people navigate with ease whilst others struggle to find their way?

• 39 mins

Can we build houses from living trees?

Treehouses are magical but are they viable dwellings for modern living?

• 32 mins

Why do men rule the world?

Listener Paula from Kenya wants to know why men rule the world

• 37 mins

Why does it feel so good to swear?

How swearing relieves pain and helps us bond with others

• 33 mins

How does my mind talk to my body?

The nerve connecting mind and body

• 39 mins

Can space exploration be environmentally friendly?

Are the space junk and carbon footprint issues of extra-terrestrial endeavours solvable?

• 39 mins

Do animals use medicine?

Find out how animals cure their illnesses

• 30 mins

If a tree falls in a forest does it make a sound?

If a tree falls in a forest, and there’s no-one there to hear it, does it make a sound?

• 39 mins

Why do we gossip?

Are we hardwired to seek out salacious stories and can we harness gossip for good?

• 37 mins

Why does grief leave me feeling this way?

Grief can be crippling. Why have we evolved to be so affected by loss?

• 36 mins

What can we learn from wastewater?

Sewage testing could help stop the spread of disease

• 37 mins

Why are seeds such different sizes?

Why are seeds the size they are? Does their size affect how big the plant grows?

• 34 mins

Why is learning stuff harder as you get older?

Why as children we effortlessly absorb new skills but as adults we don’t

• 35 mins

Could we turn poisonous plants into edible crops?

Detoxifying plants may reveal untapped food ready for the picking

• 27 mins

How old are the elements?

Can you pick a random atom on earth & tell how old it is, or what its cosmic history is?

• 36 mins

Is my neighbour’s noise harming my health?

Noise can be a source of annoyance – but could it even be damaging to our health?

• 27 mins

What is the point of menstruation?

Why did humans evolve to have periods and do we have to have them each month?

• 40 mins

Why do I have such a sweet tooth?

How our genes help determine how much sugar we should eat

• 37 mins

Does my equator look big in this?

Is the Earth getting heavier or lighter?

• 36 mins

What happened to my sense of smell?

What happens when our sense of smell is disrupted or disappears all together?

• 26 mins

Why do I feel hungry?

A buffet of food & flavour questions from listeners reaching from stomachs to outer space

• 36 mins

Why is standing more tiring than walking?

We tackle questions about walking, standing, sitting and running

• 29 mins

Why do my cables keep getting tangled?

Can science explain why cables and headphones become tangled up and knotted?

• 31 mins

Am I a psychopath?

A CrowdScience listener wants to know if she is a psychopath.

• 35 mins

Do I really have to clean my recycling?

We tackle questions about the best ways to recycle.

• 31 mins

Can video games help me or harm me?

What’s the scientific evidence for how gaming affects us?

• 34 mins

How can smart tech tackle climate change?

How can clever computing help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

• 37 mins

Why is human skin so rubbish?

We’re dissecting our skin’s structure and roles and asking if science can give it a boost

• 34 mins

How did our ancestors sleep?

How have our sleep patterns changed over history and pre-history?

• 27 mins

Can we save our night skies?

How to combat the light pollution that blots out starry skies and disrupts wildlife

• 31 mins

Can we transfer electricity wirelessly?

Could power be beamed into hard to reach communities?

• 34 mins

How did eyes evolve?

How did evolution produce the clever organs with which you’re reading this?

• 35 mins

How do flowers know when to bloom?

Find out what influences when flowers open and the various factors that slow the process

• 32 mins

Do plants have immune systems?

Can plants remember diseases or stressful events they have previously experienced?

• 32 mins

Does the planet need snails?

Gardeners might see snails as their enemy, but they are vital to life on earth

• 35 mins

Can we grow a conscious brain?

With advances in stem cell research, could we grow a human brain? And would we want to?

• 35 mins

Should I have kids?

Is it responsible to bring a new person into existence?

• 36 mins