Podcasts by The Curious Cases of Rutherford

Introducing… Uncharted with Hannah Fry from 2023-10-02T06:00

Behind every line on a graph, there lies an extraordinary human story. Mathematician Hannah Fry is here to tell us ten of them.

The Impossible Number from 2023-02-14T11:00

There is a bizarre number in maths referred to simply as ‘i’. It appears to break the rules of arithmetic - but turns out to be utterly essential for applications across engineering and physics....

The Mind Numbing Medicine from 2023-02-07T11:00

This episode will render you oblivious, conked out and blissfully unaware. It’s about anaesthetics: those potent potions that send you into a deep, deathly sleep. Listener Alicia wants to know h...

The Resurrection Quest from 2023-01-31T11:00

‘Can we bring back extinct species?’ wonders listener Mikko Campbell. Well, Professor Fry is pretty excited by the prospect of woolly mammoths roaming the Siberian tundra once more. And everyon...

The Puzzle of the Pyramids from 2023-01-24T11:00

The Great Pyramids of Giza are awesome feats of engineering and precision. So who built them - and how? Was it a mysteriously super-advanced civilization now oddly extinct? Was it even aliens? ...

The Magnetic Mystery from 2023-01-17T11:00

Magnets are inside loads of everyday electronic kit - speakers, motors, phones and more - but listener Lucas is mystified: what, he wonders, is a magnetic field?

Our sleuths set out to in...

The Case of the Blind Mind's Eye from 2023-01-10T11:00

Close your eyes and think of a giraffe. Can you see it? I mean, *really* see it - in rich, vivid detail? If not - you aren’t alone! We’ve had scores of messages from listeners who report hav...

Silly Studies: The Pre-Series Teaser from 2023-01-05T13:15

The new series kicks off very soon! As a little aperitif, Hannah and Adam review some surprising studies published in scientific journals. Warning: contains fruity language and grisly medical sc...

The Puzzle of the Plasma Doughnut from 2022-09-20T10:05

What do you get if you smash two hydrogen nuclei together? Helium and lots of energy. That’s no joke – it's nuclear fusion!

Nuclear fusion is the power source of the sun and the stars. P...

The Riddle of Red-Eyes and Runny-Noses from 2022-09-13T10:00

Sneezes, wheezes, runny noses and red eyes - this episode is all about allergies. An allergic reaction is when your immune system reacts to something harmless – like peanuts or pollen – as if...

The Problem of Infinite Pi(e) from 2022-09-06T10:00

Hungry for pi? Chow down on this!

Pi is the ratio between a circle’s diameter and its circumference. Sounds dull – but pi turns out to have astonishing properties and crop up in places yo...

The Suspicious Smell from 2022-08-30T10:00

Why are some smells so nasty and others so pleasant? Rutherford and Fry inhale the science of scent in this stinker of an episode.

Our sleuths kick off with a guided tour of the airborne ...

The Wild and Windy Tale from 2022-08-23T10:00

How do winds start and why do they stop? asks Georgina from the Isle of Wight. What's more, listener Chris Elshaw is suprised we get strong winds at all: why doesn't air just move smoothly betwe...

The Case of The Missing Gorilla from 2022-08-16T10:00

DO WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?

Good! But how does that work!?

Our intrepid science sleuths explore why some things immediately catch your eye - or ear - while others slip by totally un...

Silly Studies: The Pre-Series Tease from 2022-08-09T05:00

We asked you to send us the boldest, barmiest bits of published research you could find and, dear Curios, you didn't disappoint! It’s time for some silly science.

The Colour Conundrum from 2022-03-24T16:00

The world is full of colour! But, wonders listener Maya Crocombe, ‘how do we see colour and why are some people colour blind?’

Dr Rutherford and Professor Fry set out to understand how spe...

The Turn of the Tide from 2022-03-17T16:00

Mathematician Hannah Fry and geneticist Adam Rutherford investigate your everyday science queries. Today, they get stuck into two questions about tides. Lynn Godson wants to know why isn’t high ...

The Shocking White Hair from 2022-03-10T16:00

Why does human hair go grey and is it ever possible for it to go white overnight from shock?

Hannah and Adam explore why hair goes grey, how much stressful life events and a lack of sleep...

Surprising Symmetries from 2022-03-03T16:00

Two eyes, two arms, two legs - we’re roughly symmetrical on the outside, but inside we’re all over the place! We just have one heart, which is usually on the left, one liver on the right, one sp...

The Weird Waves of Wi-Fi from 2022-02-24T16:00

We use Wi-Fi every day, but do you know how it works? “Is it waves and science or just some mystical magical force?” wonders listener Abby.

Well, our science sleuths are on the case. To h...

The Mystery of the Teenage Brain from 2022-02-17T16:00

Why do my teens struggle to get out of bed in the morning? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate adolescence.

‘Why are teens prone to risky behaviour?’ asks Dr Mark Gallaway, ‘especially when...

We’re (almost) back! from 2022-02-11T13:21

Our sci-curious detectives will be investigating a menagerie of mysteries sent in by listeners - from teenage brains to the magic of Wi-Fi and our strangely symmetrical bodies.

Welcome to Think with Pinker from 2022-01-10T13:34

Steven Pinker tells us all about his series from Radio 4, with special guest Hannah Fry! Listen to Think with Pinker on BBC Sounds.

Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: A Future for Humans from 2021-12-23T13:46

As huge tech companies race to develop ever more powerful AI systems, the creation of super-intelligent machines seems almost inevitable. But what happens when, one day, we set these advanced AI...

Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: AI in the Economy from 2021-12-15T12:20

The refrain ‘robots will take your job’ is one heard with increased frequency, but how quickly is automation of the labour force really happening and would it really be such a bad thing if many ...

Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: AI in Warfare from 2021-12-08T11:59

What if a despotic leader could programme a swarm of drones to kill a set of identified targets with just the push of a button? Due to ever expanding AI capabilities this extreme dystopian visio...

Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: The Biggest Event in Human History from 2021-12-01T11:30

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already ubiquitous in our lives. It curates our nightly TV entertainment, connects us to our friends online and navigates us, mostly successfully, to our destinat...

Rutherford and Fry on Living with AI: The Biggest Event in Human History from 2021-12-01T11:30

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already ubiquitous in our lives. It curates our nightly TV entertainment, connects us to our friends online and navigates us, mostly successfully, to our destination...

The Venomous Vendetta from 2021-11-11T16:00

Whilst watching a documentary about some poisonous frogs, Curio Janni in Amsterdam, started to wonder what would happen if a frog licked itself or another frog of the same species.

She as...

The Slippery Situation from 2021-11-04T16:00

'What is the slipperiest thing in the world?' asks 8 year old Evelyn.

Why do my feet slip on a wet floor but when my feet are even slightly moist it's nearly impossible to put on a pair o...

The Painless Heart from 2021-10-28T15:00

Why does my heart not ache after exercise? asks listener Keith. Rutherford and Fry explore how and why heart muscle cells are special.

Dr Mitch Lomax is a sports scientist at the Universit...

The Weirdness of Water Part 2/2 from 2021-10-21T15:00

“I don’t really understand why water has so many properties on different scales ranging from very large and cosmic to very small quantum and quarky - Could you help by zooming in and out on wate...

The Weirdness of Water Part 1/2 from 2021-10-14T15:00

“I don’t really understand why water has so many properties on different scales ranging from very large and cosmic to very small quantum and quarky - Could you help by zooming in and out on wate...

The Guiding Hound from 2021-10-07T15:00

How do guide dogs know where they're going? It's not like their handler whispers in their ear and asks to go to the pharmacy, maybe the toothpaste aisle. So how does it work? asks Charlotte, age...

More Frytful Scares from 2021-02-23T15:30

It was a dark and stormy night. A secret message arrived addressed to Rutherford&Fry from a mysterious woman called Heidi Daugh, who demanded to know: "Why do people like to be scared? For example,...

Back to The Sinister Hand from 2021-02-16T15:30

Why are some people left-handed, whereas the majority are right handed? Rutherford and Fry revisit The Sinister Hand episodes to further investigate handedness in humans and animals. They considere...

A Weighty Matter Part 2 from 2021-02-09T15:30

The doctors continue their investigation into gravity, and answer Peter Fraser’s question: is dark matter a proper theory or just a fudge to fit existing 'proper' theories to otherwise inexplicable...

A Weighty Matter Part 1 from 2021-02-02T15:30

The doctors investigate a millennia-old query, as listener Emma in New Zealand asks, ‘How does gravity pull us?’. People have been thinking about how gravity works for a very long time. Way longer...

The Flying Clock and the Stopped Watch from 2021-01-26T15:30

Psychologist and presenter of All in the Mind, Claudia Hammond wrote the book ‘Time Warped – Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception’. She explains how emotion and memory are big factors in how ...

The Mosquito Conundrum from 2021-01-19T15:30

The doctors put mosquitoes on trial, as listener Cathy in the UK asks, ‘What is the point of mosquitoes?’ in response to our show about wasps. Mosquitoes have undeniably played a role in killing ...

The Scientific Exploration of Astrology from 2021-01-12T15:30

Astrology – could there be something to it? asks Dan from Australia. Rutherford and Fry investigate the science that has investigated astrology. Professor Richard Wiseman, (sceptical of all things...

The Noises That Make Us Cringe from 2021-01-05T15:30

Why do some people find noises like a fork scraping a plate so terrible? asks Findlay in Aberdeenshire. Rutherford and Fry endure some horrible noises to find out the answer. Warning - This episod...

The Pizza Diet from 2020-12-29T15:30

Can I make a pizza that contains my recommended daily intake of everything? asks listener Paul in Manchester. We investigate whether a pizza can meet our full dietary requirements. The optimum die...

The Good and Bad in Fungi from 2020-12-22T15:30

"Why are some fungi helpful and others harmful?" asks Paul Glaister in Reading. Rutherford and Fry try to outdo each other with fungal top trumps to get to grips with the answer. Decomposition eco...

The Martian Mission from 2020-12-15T15:30

What would it take for humans to live permanently on Mars? asks Martin in Weston-super-Mare, UK. The doctors dig into requirements and possibilities of a long-term Martian outpost. We know that m...

The Hamster Power Hypothesis from 2020-12-08T15:30

"How many hamsters on wheels would it take to power London?" asks Judah from Virginia in the USA. Rutherford&Fry return with engineering, ethics and economics to answer this electric query. Smart ...

The Space Burrito from 2020-07-14T14:30

Is there a point in space where the Sun could heat a burrito perfectly? asks Will. The doctors tackle this and a plethora of other conundrums from the Curious Cases inbox. Featuring expert answers...

The Zedonk Problem from 2020-07-07T14:30

‘Today I learnt that tigons and ligers are what you get when lions and tigers interbreed?!’ surprised listener Jamz G tells the doctors. ‘What determines whether species can interbreed?’ Genetici...

The End of Everything from 2020-06-30T14:30

Everyone knows about the Big Bang being the beginning of the universe and time - but when and how is it going to end? ask brothers Raffie and Xe from Rome. For this series, with lockdown learning i...

The Sting in the Tail from 2020-06-23T14:30

"What’s the point of wasps?" asks listener Andrew, who is fed up with being pestered. For this series, with lockdown learning in mind, Drs Rutherford and Fry are investigating scientific mysteries ...

The Seeded Cloud from 2020-06-16T14:30

"Could you make a machine to make it rain in minutes?" asks listener Alexander from Hampshire, aged 12. For this series, with lockdown learning in mind, Drs Rutherford and Fry are investigating sci...

The Growling Stomach from 2020-06-09T14:30

"Why do our tummies rumble - and when they do, does it always mean we are hungry?" asks listener James, aged 12. For this series, with lockdown learning in mind, Drs Rutherford and Fry are investig...

We’re back! from 2020-06-03T10:02

Rutherford&Fry are back with longer duration episodes brought to you from slightly shouty socially distanced studio and bedroom settings.

The Exotic Wormhole from 2020-03-06T06:00

"What are wormholes and do they really exist?" asks Manlee-Fidel Spence, aged 12. In this exotic episode, the doctors investigate how wormholes would work. Cosmologist Andrew Pontzen explains why...

A Cold Case Part 2 from 2020-02-28T06:00

Two cold callers feature in this episode. Jennifer Langston from Ontario in Canada sent this message to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk: "My husband has just taken up cold water swimming and he'll swim in ...

A Cold Case Part 1 from 2020-02-21T06:00

“I suppose a cold is called a cold because we catch it in the winter," writes Alison Evans from St Albans. "But why is it that we get more colds in winter than in the summer?” This week's Cold Cas...

The ASMRnswer from 2020-02-14T06:01

"My question is about something I became aware of at a young age," explains Samantha Richter from Cambridgeshire. "I was sitting on the carpet at school, being read a story by the teacher. My hair...

Hannah's ASMR cocktail from 2020-02-14T06:00

Hannah Fry mixes a mojito. This ASMR recording accompanies the episode of The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry on the science of ASMR. Listen to that first, then grab some headphones and let u...

Adam's ASMR cocktail from 2020-02-14T06:00

Adam Rutherford concocts an Old Fashioned. First listen to our episode on ASMR, then grab some headphones and let Adam mix you a cocktail. Let us know if it gives you the brain tingles, or any oth...

The Power of Love from 2020-02-07T06:00

Two questions about love and heartbreak in this episode for our Valentine's special edition. Jessica Glasco, aged 29, wrote in to ask about the power of love and how it affects our brain.Hannah tr...

The Golden Secret from 2020-01-31T06:00

"How do you make gold?" asks curious listener, Paul Ruddick. Inspired by the promise of riches, Hannah and Adam embark on a mission to discover the origin of gold. It's a tale that takes them fro...

The End of the World from 2019-12-09T13:59

"What would become the dominant species if, or when, humans go extinct?" This cheery question leads Drs Rutherford and Fry to embark on an evolutionary thought experiment.Zoologist Matthew Cobb qu...

The Trouble Sum Weather from 2019-11-22T06:00

"Why is it so difficult to predict the weather?" asks Isabella Webber, aged 21 from Vienna. "I am sure there are many intelligent meteorologists and it seems rather straight forward to calculate ...

The Heart of the Antimatter from 2019-11-15T06:00

"How do you make antimatter?' asks Scott Matheson, aged 21 from Utah. The team takes charge of this question with a spin through the history of antimatter. Adam talks to physicist Frank Close, aut...

Stephen Fry's Identity Crisis from 2019-11-08T06:00

Stephen Fry (no relation) asks Adam and Hannah to investigate the following question: "All my life I have been mildly plagued by the fact that I have a quite appalling ability to remember faces. I...

A Frytful Scare Part 2 from 2019-11-01T06:00

Rutherford and Fry delve into the history of roller coasters in the second instalment of their investigation into why we enjoy being scared. Amelie Xenakis asks: "Why do people enjoy rollercoaste...

A Frytful Scare Part 1 from 2019-10-25T05:00

It was a dark and stormy night around the time of Halloween. A secret message arrived addressed to Rutherford&Fry from a mysterious woman called Heidi Daugh, who demanded to know: "Why do people li...

Curious Cases Returns from 2019-10-18T05:00

Rutherford and Fry are back with Series 14. In an extended podcast trailer they discuss their favourite strange-but-true scientific studies, from jetlagged hamsters to flatulent snakes. Presenters...

Jurassic Squawk from 2019-05-03T05:00

"Is there is any way of knowing what noises, if any, dinosaurs would have made?" asks Freddie Quinn, aged 8 from Cambridge in New Zealand. From Jurassic Park to Walking with Dinosaurs, the roars o...

The Lunar Land Pt2 from 2019-04-26T05:00

In the second installment of our double episode on the Moon we ask what life would be like if we had more than one Moon. From the tides to the seasons, the Moon shapes our world in ways that often...

The Lunar Land Pt 1 from 2019-04-19T05:00

A double episode to mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, and the first humans to walk on the Moon in 1969. Harley Day emailed curiouscases@bbc.co.uk to ask “Why do we only have one Moon and wha...

An Instrumental Case from 2019-04-12T05:00

“We play many musical instruments in our family. Lots of them produce the same pitch of notes, but the instruments all sound different. Why is this?” asks Natasha Cook aged 11, and her Dad Jeremy f...

The Periodic Problem from 2019-04-05T05:00

"Will the periodic table ever be complete?" asks Philip Craven on Twitter. In 2016 four new chemical elements were given the official stamp of approval - nihonium, moscovium, tennessine, and ogane...

The Mesmerist from 2019-03-29T05:00

“Is hypnosis real, and if so how does it work? Does it have any practical uses and which of Hannah and Adam is most susceptible?” This question came from two Curios, Peter Jordan aged 24 from Man...

Coming Soon – More Curious Cases from 2019-03-22T06:00

Hannah and Adam return to crack open the Curious Cases they’ll be examining during the coming series, from the sound of musical instruments to the science of hypnosis. Please send your questions ...

The Horrible Hangover from 2018-12-21T06:00

"My name is Ava and I've never had a hangover," writes Ava Karuso. "I'm a 25 year-old Australian and I enjoy going out for drinks. However, the next day when everyone else sleeps in and licks their...

The Good Bad Food from 2018-12-14T06:00

“Why does bad food taste so good?” asks Alan Fouracre from Tauranga, New Zealand. "And by ‘bad’ food, I mean the things we are told to hold back on like sausage, chips and chocolate." From sugar t...

Two Infinities and Beyond - part 2 from 2018-12-07T06:00

In the second part of our eternal quest to investigate infinity, inspired by this question from father and son duo Sorley and Tom Watson from Edinburgh: “Is anything in the Universe truly infinite,...

Two Infinities and Beyond - part 1 from 2018-11-30T06:00

“Is anything in the Universe truly infinite, or is infinity something that only exists in mathematics?” This momentous question came from father and son duo from Edinburgh Sorley aged 10 and Tom,...

The Stressful Scone from 2018-11-23T06:00

"How do accents start and where did they come from?” asks Sachin Bahal from Toronto in Canada. Hannah is schooled in speaking Geordie by top accent coach Marina Tyndall. And Adam talks to author a...

The Viking Code from 2018-11-16T06:00

"Is it true all British people can trace their ancestry to Vikings and how do ancestry DNA tests work?" asks Chloe Mann from Worthing. Genetic ancestry tests promise to reveal your ancestral origi...

A World of Pain from 2018-09-07T05:00

"Why do people experience pain differently when they go through the same event?" asks Claire Jenkins from Cwmbran in Wales. Professor of Pain Research, Irene Tracey, welcomes Adam in to the room s...

The Random Request from 2018-08-31T05:00

Two random questions in this episode. "Is anything truly random, or is everything predetermined?" asks Darren Spalding from Market Harborough. Hannah and Adam go in search of random events, from d...

The Running Joke from 2018-08-24T05:00

"How fast can a human run and would we be faster as quadrapeds?" This question flew in via Twitter from historian Greg Jenner. Is there a limit to human sprinting performance? In this episode we ...

The Alien Enterprise Part 2 from 2018-08-17T05:00

Do alien civilisations exist? When will ET phone home? In the second part of our alien double bill, Hannah and Adam boldly go in search of intelligence. They may be some time.What will aliens look...

The Alien Enterprise Part 1 from 2018-08-10T05:00

Mike Holcombe from Largs in Scotland asks, "How do we look for alien life and what are we expecting to find?" In the first of two episodes on the search for ET, Hannah and Adam look for life insid...

The Dawn Chorus from 2018-06-01T05:00

"Winter is finally over and the birds are all singing their hearts out at dawn. What's all the noise about? And why are some songs so elaborate?" asks Tony Fulford from Ely in Cambridgeshire. We ...

The Lucky Number from 2018-05-25T05:00

"My boss insists that if you choose the same numbers in the lottery each time your probability of winning will increase. Is this true?" asks Vince Scott from Edinburgh. National lotteries are pla...

The Déjà Vu from 2018-05-18T05:00

"Do we know what causes déjà vu?" asks Floyd Kitchen from Queenstown in New Zealand. Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate this familiar feeling by speaking to world-leading reseacher Chris Moulin f...

The Human Instrument from 2018-05-11T05:00

"What happens to the human voice as we age? If I hear a voice on the radio, I can guess roughly how old they are. But singer's voices seem to stay relatively unchanged as they age. Why is this?" Al...

The Fifth Dimension from 2018-05-04T05:00

"What is the fifth dimension?" asks Lena Komaier-Peeters from East Sussex. Proving the existence of extra dimensions, beyond our 3D universe, is one of the most exciting and controversial areas in...

The Cosmic Egg from 2018-03-02T06:00

"How do we measure the age of the Universe?" asks Simon Whitehead. A hundred years ago this wouldn't even have been considered a valid question, because we didn't think the Universe had a beginnin...

The Atomic Blade from 2018-02-28T06:00

"What makes things sharp? Why are thinner knives sharper? What happens on the molecular level when you cut something?" All these questions came from Joshua Schwartz in New York City. The ability t...

The Tiniest Dinosaur from 2018-02-23T06:00

"What is the tiniest dinosaur?" asks younger listener Ellie Cook, aged 11. Today's hunt takes us from the discovery of dinosaurs right up to the present day, which is being hailed as a 'golden ag...

The Enigma of Sex, Part 2 from 2018-02-16T06:00

The second instalment in our double bill on the science of sex, answering this question from Robert Turner, a Curio from Leeds: "Why do we only have two sexes?" Drs Rutherford and Fry look for ano...

The Enigma of Sex, Part 1 from 2018-02-09T06:00

"Why do we only have two sexes and are there any anomalies in the animal kingdom?" asks Robert Turner from Leeds. From reptilian virgin births to hermaphrodite sea slugs, over the next two episod...

Goldfinger's Moon Laser from 2018-01-12T06:00

"The other day I was watching the James Bond film Goldfinger. He boasts a laser powerful enough to project a spot on the Moon. Is this possible? If so, just how powerful would such a laser need to ...

The Curious Face Off from 2018-01-05T06:00

"Are machines better than humans at identifying faces?" asks the excellently named Carl Vandal. Today's Face Off leads our intrepid detectives to investigate why we see Jesus on toast, Hitler in h...

The Cosmic Speed Limit from 2017-12-29T06:00

"We often read that the fastest thing in the Universe is the speed of light. Why do we have this limitation and can anything possibly be faster?" Ali Alshareef from Qatif in Saudia Arabia emailed c...

The Dreadful Vegetable from 2017-12-22T06:00

"Why don't children like vegetables?" asks Penny Young from Croydon, and every parent ever. This week Rutherford and Fry dig into the science of taste and discover that there may be more to this q...

The Baffled Bat from 2017-12-15T06:00

"Why don't thousands of bats in a cave get confused? How do they differentiate their own location echoes from those of other bats?" This puzzling problem was sent in to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk by Ti...

Adventures in Dreamland from 2017-09-29T05:00

"Why do we dream and why do we repeat dreams?" asks Mila O'Dea, aged 9, from Panama. Hannah and Adam delve into the science of sleep. From a pioneering experiment on rapid eye movement sleep, to a...

The Shocking Surprise from 2017-09-22T05:00

Why do we get static shocks? Jose Chavez Mendez from Guatemala asks, "Some years ago, in the dry season, I used to be very susceptible to static electricity. I want to know - why do static shocks...

The Sticky Song from 2017-09-15T05:00

Why do songs get stuck in our heads? And what makes some tunes stickier than others? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate 'earworms', those musical refrains that infect our brains for days. Every m...

The Polar Opposite from 2017-09-08T05:00

No one knows why the Earth's magnetic North and South poles swap. But polar reversals have happened hundreds of times over the history of the Earth. So, asks John Turk, when is the next pole swap ...

The Curious Cake-Off from 2017-09-01T05:00

Can chemistry help us bake the perfect cake? Listener Helena McGinty aged 69 from Malaga in Spain asks, "'I have always used my mother's sponge cake recipe. But is there a noticeable difference i...

Kate Bush's Sonic Weapon from 2017-06-16T06:00

"It started while listening to the excellent Experiment IV by Kate Bush. The premise of the song is of a band who secretly work for the military to create a 'sound that could kill someone'. Is it s...

Itchy and Scratchy from 2017-06-15T15:31

"What is an itch and how does scratching stop it? Why does scratching some itches feel so good?!" asks Xander Tarver from Wisborough Green in West Sussex. Our doctors set off to probe the mysterie...

The Burning Question from 2017-06-14T08:51

"What is fire? Is it a solid, liquid or a gas? Why is it hot and why can you see it in the dark?" asks Hannah Norton, aged 10. Dr Fry visits the Burn Hall at The Buildings Research Establishment i...

The Dark Star from 2017-06-02T06:00

"What's inside a black hole and could we fly a spaceship inside?" asks Jorge Luis Alvarez from Mexico City. Some interstellar fieldwork is on the agenda in today's Curious Cases. Astrophysicist Sh...

The Cat Who Came Back from 2017-05-19T06:00

"How on earth do cats find their way back to their previous home when they move house?" asks Vicky Cole from Nairobi in Kenya. Our enduring love for our feline friends began when Egyptian pharaoh...

A Code in Blood from 2017-03-15T12:05

"Why do we have different blood types?" asks Doug from Norfolk. The average adult human has around 30 trillion red blood cells, they make up a quarter of the total number of cells in the body.We h...

The Forgetful Child from 2017-03-10T11:26

"Why don't we remember the first few years of our lives?" asks David Foulger from Cheltenham. The team investigate the phenomenon of 'infant amnesia' and how memories are made with Catherine Loved...

The Astronomical Balloon from 2017-03-10T09:30

"How far up can a helium balloon go? Could it go out to space?" asks Juliet Gok, aged 9. This calls for some fieldwork! Adam travels to the Meteorology Department at the University of Reading wher...

The World That Turns from 2017-03-10T09:10

"Why does the Earth spin?" asks Joe Wills from Accra in Ghana. Hannah quizzes cosmologist Andrew Pontzen about the birth of the Solar System and why everything in space seems to spin. Is there an...

The Broken Stool from 2017-03-10T09:00

"Science tells us that our body houses microbial organisms. Then how much our weight is really our weight? If I am overweight, is it because of my own body cells or excess microflora?" asks Ajay Ma...

The Lost Producer from 2016-12-02T11:05

Why do some people have a terrible sense of direction? The team receive a mysterious message from an anonymous listener who constantly gets lost. Can they help her find the answer? This listener m...

The Bad Moon Rising from 2016-12-02T10:55

'A teacher I work with swears that around the time of the full moon kids are rowdier in the classroom, and more marital disharmony in the community," says Jeff Boone from El Paso in Texas. 'Is ther...

The Hunt for Nothing, Part 2 from 2016-12-02T10:50

In the last episode the team started investigating the following inquiry, sent in to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk: 'Is there any such thing as nothing?'They discovered why quantum fluctuations and the Hi...

The Hunt for Nothing, Part 1 from 2016-12-02T10:45

"Is there any such thing as nothing?" This question from Bill Keck sparked so much head scratching that we have devoted two episodes to this curious quandary. In the first programme, the team cons...

The Melodic Mystery from 2016-12-02T10:35

'Why is my mother tone deaf?' asks listener Simon, 'and can I do anything to ensure my son can at least carry a tune?' Hannah Fry has a singing lesson with teacher Michael Bonshor to see if he can...

The Strongest Substance from 2016-10-07T11:00

"What is the strongest substance in the universe? Some people say it is spiderweb, because it is stronger than steel. Is it iron? Is it flint? Is it diamond because diamond can be only be cut by di...

The Space Pirate from 2016-10-05T14:00

Listener Paul Don asks: "I'm wondering what's the feasibility of terraforming another planet i.e. Mars and if it's possible to do the same thing with something like the moon? Or, why isn't there al...

The Portly Problem from 2016-10-05T11:45

"Why do we have middle aged spread?" asks Bart Janssen from New Zealand. From obese mice to big bottoms, the duo discovers what science can tell us about fat.Why do we put on weight in middle age?...

The Sinister Hand Part 2 from 2016-10-04T14:00

In the previous episode the team started investigating the following enquiry, sent in to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk: "What determines left or right handedness and why are us lefties in the minority?"Th...

The Sinister Hand Part 1 from 2016-10-03T14:00

Neal Shepperson asks, "What determines left or right handedness and why are us lefties in the minority?" When we started investigating this question it became clear that there were just too many s...

The Counting Horse from 2016-06-02T12:14

"Can horses count?" asks retired primary school teacher, Lesley Marr. Our scientific sleuths consider the case of Clever Hans, with a spectacular re-enactment of a 20th century spectacle. Plus, we...

The Hairy Hominid from 2016-05-30T19:00

Our science detectives answer the following perplexing problem, sent in by Hannah Monteith from Edinburgh in Scotland: "How does leg hair know it has been cut? It doesn't seem to grow continuously...

A Study in Spheres from 2016-05-26T09:58

Today the team study the heavens, thanks to listener Brian Passineau who wonders 'why everything in space tends to be circular or spherical?'Hannah gazes at Jupiter at The Royal Observatory, Greenw...

The Psychic Tear from 2016-05-26T09:54

Listener Edith Calman challenges our scientific sleuths to investigate the following conundrum: 'What is it about extreme pain, emotional shock or the sight of a three year old stumbling their way...

The Tea Leaf Mystery from 2016-05-26T09:47

Today the team examine the chemistry of tea, in answer to the following question sent in by Fred Rickaby from North Carolina: "When we are preparing a cup of tea and the cup contains nothing but h...

The Stellar Dustbin from 2016-02-18T14:26

An unusual case today for science sleuths Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford sent by Elisabeth Hill: 'Can we shoot garbage into the sun?'The duo embark on an astronomical thought experiment to see how...

The Squeamish Swoon from 2016-02-11T16:38

Science sleuths Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford investigate the following question sent in by Philip Le Riche: 'Why do some people faint at the sight of blood, or a hypodermic needle, or even if th...

The Aural Voyeur from 2016-02-11T14:29

Drs Rutherford and Fry tackle a vexing case sent in by Daniel Sarano from New Jersey, who asks why people shout on their mobile phones in public. Our science sleuths find the answer by delving int...

The Phantom Jam from 2016-02-11T14:26

Drs Rutherford and Fry set out to discover what makes traffic jam. Adam ventures on to the M25 in search of a tailback, and Hannah looks at projects around the world that have attempted to solve th...

The Scarlet Mark from 2016-02-11T14:21

Drs Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry are on hand to solve everyday mysteries sent in by listeners. For the last few weeks they've been collecting cases to investigate using the power of science - fro...