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Curious Cases

BBC

Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain tackle listeners' conundrums with the power of science!

  1. 24 OCT

    Just My Luck

    Are you a lucky person? Do the cards just fall well for you? Whether it's always finding a parking spot when you need one or chance encounters that change your life's trajectory for the better, some people seem to have more luck than others. Hannah and Dara explore the world of probability and psychology to figure out if some people are luckier than others, and if there's anything we can do to turn things around. You can send your everyday mysteries for the team to investigate to: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk Contributors David Spiegelhalter - Emeritus Professor of Statistics in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge Richard Wiseman - Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology University of Hertfordshire Maia Young - Professor of Organization and Management at UC Irvine, California US Edward Oldfield Producer: Emily Bird Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem A BBC Studios Production

    29 min

  2. 17 OCT

    Good Vibrations?

    It turns out that the whole world wobbles. Everything has a natural frequency - the rate at which it moves when disturbed - be it a cup of tea, a building or a human organ. Even more incredibly, if an external force matches an object's natural frequency, it causes it to absorb that energy and vibrate with increasingly large waves; and that can have consequences, from helping a spider find its lunch to making a bridge collapse. On the trail of good and bad vibes and everything in between, Hannah and Dara investigate whether the famous 1940 collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the USA was really down to resonance, explore examples of resonance in nature, and find out what this mysterious vibration can do to the human body: from the pressures of repetitive tractor-driving, to absorbing the reverberations of certain instruments... To submit your question to the Curious Cases team, please email: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk Contributors: - Helen Czerski, Professor of Physics at University College London - Wanda Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering at Warwick University - Phillip Moxley, Senior Research Associate at the University of Southampton - Sana Bokhari, sound therapy practitioner Producers: Lucy Taylor & Emily Bird Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Audio Production

    29 min

  3. 10 OCT

    To Crab, or Not to Crab?

    We can all picture a crab, but did you know that nature has reinvented those claw clicking, sideways scuttling crustaceans at least five separate times? In recent years the internet has run wild with the idea that crabs are the ultimate life-form, and that even humans might one day end up with pincers too. But is there any truth behind the memes? Hannah and Dara scale the tangled tree of life and tackle taxonomy to figure out if ‘crab’ really is evolution’s favourite shape. Exploring coconut to spanner, ghost to hermit, soldier to spider they learn how to tell the ‘true’ crabs from the impostors. You can send your everyday mysteries for the team to investigate to: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk Contributors Dr Joanna Wolfe – Evolutionary Biologist, Harvard University and UC Santa Barbara Professor Matthew Wills - Professor of Evolutionary Paleobiology, University of Bath Ned Suesat-Williams – Director of the Crab Museum, Margate Producer: Emily Bird Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem A BBC Studios Production

    29 min

  4. 1 OCT

    Coming soon... a brand new series of Curious Cases

    Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain return to Curious Cases HQ for a brand-new series. And curios, there’s a lot to unpack! Coming soon to BBC Sounds.

    2 min

  5. 4 JUL

    Clever Crows

    The term 'bird brain' might suggest our feathered friends are stupid, but Hannah and Dara learn it's completely untrue. They play hide and seek with a raven called Bran, and hear how his behaviour changes depending on his mood. Corvid expert Nicola Clayton explains these creatures are actually cleverer than the average 8-year-old, and can learn how to choose specific tools for different scenarios. And neurobiologist Andreas Nieder tells them that while crows evolved totally different brains from humans - 300,000 years apart - they might just be capable of the same type of intelligence. Contributors: Bran the raven Lloyd Buck, bird handler Professor Nicky Clayton, University of Cambridge Professor Andreas Nieder, University of Tubingen Producer: Marijke Peters Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Audio Production

    29 min

  6. 27 JUN

    Memory Swap

    Could you ever trade memories with someone else? Fancy downloading the experience of landing on the moon, winning an Oscar or performing at Glastonbury? Listener Adam wants to know, and Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain are on the case. With expert insights from Professor Chris French and Professor Amy Milton, they dive into the mind’s tendency to blur the lines between reality and imagination - often embellishing, distorting, or downright making stuff up. Discover how memory conformity makes us “see” things like spoons being bent by paranormal forces, how scientists can implant artificial memories in mice, and hear Al Hopwood’s hilariously vivid tales of things that definitely never happened. Chris even spills the secrets of how to deliberately plant false memories in others (don’t try this at home!). From rewiring trauma to curing phobias, the potential of memory manipulation is both exciting and unnervingly sci-fi. Prepare to question everything you think you remember. Contributors: Amy Milton - Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge Chris French - Professor of Anomalistic Psychology at Goldsmiths University Al Hopwood - Artist, writer and curator Producer: Ilan Goodman Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Audio Production

    30 min

  7. 20 JUN

    Clowns in Spacetime

    Can you slow down time by hurtling through space at breakneck speed? Could listener Saskia’s friend - currently one year older - end up the same age as her if he went fast enough? It sounds bananas, but it’s all part of Einstein’s mind-warping theory of relativity. With expert copilots Professor Sean Carroll and Dr. Katie Clough, Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain embark on a cosmic roller coaster through space and time. They uncover why GPS satellites - whizzing around Earth at 14,000 km/h - need to account for time bending, why penthouse dwellers age faster than those on the ground floor, and, most importantly, why clowns on trains might just hold the key to understanding modern physics. Contributors: Katy Clough - Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London Sean Carroll - Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University Peter Buist - Manager of the Galileo Reference Centre Richard Dyer - PhD student at the University of Cambridge Producer: Ilan Goodman Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Audio Production

    30 min

  8. 13 JUN

    Colossal Creatures

    How big can animals really get before they collapse under their own weight or run out of snacks? Could a 12-foot comedian survive their first punchline without snapping in half? Listener Andrew sends Hannah and Dara on a deep dive into the science of supersized species. With evolutionary biologists Ben Garrod and Tori Herridge as their guides, they explore the quirky rules of scaling: why giant bones need air pockets, how pressure stockings aren’t just stylish but essential, and why massive creatures have to choose between inefficient chewing or letting dinner ferment in their cavernous stomachs. Discover why scaling up a mouse would turn it into a blood-boiling disaster and learn the curious logic behind whether the meat bear should eat the two meat dogs, or vice versa (it’s a maths thing…you’ll have to listen). Oh, and here’s the weird constant: whether you’re a mouse or an elephant, everyone takes roughly the same time to pee! Join Hannah and Dara for a colossal romp through the wild world of ancient giants and the gross super blobs of the (possible) future. Contributors: Tori Herridge - Senior Lecturer in evolutionary biology at the University of Sheffield Ben Garrod - Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement at the University of East Anglia Martin Sander - Professor of Palaeontology at the University of Bonn Producer: Ilan Goodman Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Audio Production

    29 min
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Hosts & Guests

About

Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain tackle listeners' conundrums with the power of science!

Information

  • Channel
    BBC
  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    168
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2025
  • Show Website
    Curious Cases
  • Provider
    BBC Studios Distribution Limited

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