BBC Focus Magazine Podcast: Recent Episodes
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The latest news from the team behind Focus magazine - a popular UK-based science and technology magazine. To find out more, visit sciencefocus.com
“What could a Stormtrooper's armour be made of?” and “Could a slug grow to the size of Jabba the Hutt?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers your Star Wars questions
“How do waterfalls freeze?” and “Why do people cheat?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life’s big questions
“Why do bananas make fruit ripen faster?” and “How can we make cars more energy efficient?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life’s big questions
“What caused the Big Bang?” and “Why do we have wisdom teeth?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life’s big questions
“Why doesn't a Cadbury Flake melt in the microwave?” and “What happens to old aeroplanes?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life’s big questions
“Is there any scientific explanation for hypnosis?” and “Why does tape screech when you peel it off?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life’s big questions
“Why are bees in decline?” and “Do phones get heavier with each download?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
“What is the biggest known star?” and “How do fans make you feel cooler?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Image credit: Haktarfone/Wiki
“Why do cats like boxes?” and “Why do people lie?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
“How did the zebra get it stripes?” and “Can lightning occur in space?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
“Can money bring you happiness?” and “How does Rosetta stay in orbit?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
“Do plants have a form of consciousness?” and “Can you teach empathy?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Daniel Levitin reveals how to cope with information overload; Polly Morland delves into the subject of risk
“Can lightning strike upwards?” and “What is the wettest place in the world?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
“Why do jokes become less funny?” and “Can science explain near-death experiences?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Randall Munroe answers some absurd questions; Danielle George reveals what’s in store for this year’s Royal Institution Christmas Lectures; Jim Al-Khalili explores the strange world of quantum biology
“Is the amount of matter in the Universe infinite?” and “What’s the best way to brush your teeth?” BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Caleb Scharf discusses Earth’s place in the cosmos; Karlheinz Meier describes his quest to simulate the human brain
"Why don’t butterflies fly in straight lines?" and "Is the right side of your brain really more creative?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
"Can consciousness be switched on and off?" and "Why do planets not twinkle?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
"Does photosynthesis occur in moonlight?" and "What’s the best way to treat insomnia?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Sally Davies discusses the problem of antibiotic resistance; James Levine explains why your chair is killing you
"Why don’t all dark clouds bring rain?" and "If you are allergic to penicillin, can you eat Stilton?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
"Why do people behave differently in a crowd?" and "How did dinosaurs mate?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Gaia Vince describes her adventures in the Anthropocene; Richard Dunn celebrates the 300th anniversary of the Longitude Prize
"How many potentially hazardous asteroids are there?" and "Why do accidents happen in slow motion?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Henry Marsh discusses the ups and downs of life as a brain surgeon; Robert Dudley explains why we’re hardwired to love alcohol
"Is the Great Wall of China really visible from space?" and "Why do we get used to smells?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
"Why do birds fly in formation?" and "Is anything actually 2D?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
David Adam describes what it’s like to live with OCD; Leonard Susskind takes us on a whistle-stop tour through the world of quantum mechanics; Helen Keen gives us her unique take on UFOs
"Can a moon have a moon?" and "Is it possible to harness the power of falling rain?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Forensic scientist Mike Silverman describes what it’s like to visit a crime scene; Max Tegmark explains why he thinks the Universe is made from maths; Michael Mosley reveals how it felt to have a tapeworm living inside him
"Which part of the brain generates dreams?" and "What are subatomic particles made of?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Chris Stringer celebrates one million years of humans in Britain; Jesse Bering discusses the psychology of sexual fetishes
What’s That Sound? In this one-off quiz special, the Focus team guesses some of the weird sounds that feature in Trevor Cox’s new book Sonic Wonderland
"Are biscuits addictive?" and "What happens when two black holes collide?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
"Why do goats have such good balance?" and "Where is the fastest broadband speed in the world?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Eric Schlosser reveals how close we’ve come to nuclear Armageddon; Paul Bloom discusses whether we’re all born with a sense of morality
"Do wasps serve any useful purpose?" and "Are there more stars than grains of sand?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Explorer Ben Saunders prepares for his historic trek to the South Pole; psychologist Eldar Shafir explains why having too little of something can mean so much
"Is it better to play the same lottery numbers every time?" and "How many photos are uploaded every day?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Stuart Clark takes us on a magical mystery tour through the history of the Universe; David Epstein explains what makes Usain Bolt so speedy
"Do carrots really help you see in the dark?" and "How do computer viruses work?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Adam Alter explains how colours affect our behaviour; John Bradshaw discusses the strange science of cats
"Which came first - time or space?" and "Why do ducks and geese 'quack' in flight?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
Dr Hilary Jones talks through a day in the life of the human body; Daniel Loxton investigates the science behind Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster
"What is an itch?" and "Can you save fuel by slip-streaming other vehicles?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
UK astronaut Tim Peake talks about his upcoming trip to the International Space Station; Steve Jones reveals what science can tell us about the Bible; David Spiegelhalter discusses the strange statistics of everyday life
Image credit: ESA–M. Koell
"Is love more likely to bloom in hot weather?" and "Can you get sunburnt through glass?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
"Are there storms on the Moon?" and "Why have we evolved to love the taste of unhealthy foods?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions
James Watson celebrates the 60th anniversary of his DNA discovery; James Davies discusses some of the problems facing the psychiatry profession today
"What colour is a mirror?" and "Could a brain transplant give you someone else's memories?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
Professor Alice Roberts comes face-to-face with Ice Age giants; miracle detective Dr Joe Nickell investigates the Turin Shroud
"What time zone do they use on the International Space Station?" and "What's the world's toughest animal?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
Matt Kaplan delves into the spooky science of vampires and zombies; Sam Parnia explains how doctors are bringing people back from the dead
Rita Carter discusses the possibilities of brain uploading; Kevin Fong explains why some people can hold their breath for over 10 minutes
"Why does it feel strange to walk up a non-working escalator?" and "Can computers create random numbers?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
Hugh Aldersey-Williams tells us what it's like to come face to face with a dead body; Prof Bill McGuire explains why Italy’s Mount Vesuvius is deadlier than ever.
"Why doesn't software open instantly?" and "What is snot?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
Zoologist Prof Matthew Cobb reveals the secrets behind Brian Cox’s new series Wonders of Life; palaeontologist Prof Neil Shubin explores the deep connections between the cosmos and the human body.
"What health risks have been linked to Wi-Fi?" and "If everyone stood together what area would we cover?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
Scientist and author Jared Diamond talks about his new book The World Until Yesterday; astrophysicist Caleb Scharf discusses the weird and wonderful world of black holes.
"Why are solar eclipses rarer than lunar eclipses?" and "Is green tea better for you than breakfast tea?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
"How does my mobile 'know' I'm abroad?" and "What causes hair to turn grey?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees talks about the future of the human race; physicist and author Sean Carroll describes his new book about the Higgs boson.
"How powerful is a great white shark's jaw?" and "How would fizzy drinks behave in space?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
Britain's only astronaut Tim Peake explains why he's spent most of his year underwater; Oliver Sacks talks about the neuropsychology of hallucinations.
"Does a full e-book weigh more than an empty one?" and "What proportion of swimming pool water is wee?" BBC Click Radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
"Do animals perceive time?" and "Can you lose your arm reaching into a spinning dryer?" BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
"Why is the speed of light constant?" and "When will we start mining asteroids?" BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to Focus editor Graham Southorn about time travel, parallel universes and the other great enigmas in science.
Focus visits the quietest place on Earth and other strange rooms in the Acoustics Research Centre at Salford University, where researchers study the science of sound.
Evolutionary biologist David Barash talks to Focus about his latest book, Homo Mysterious, in this month's Meet the Author podcast.
In this month's Q and A podcast, BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions, including "Why does light travel in waves through a vacuum?" and "Why do humans cry?"
"Will teleportation ever be possible?" and "Do you burn more calories during deep thought?" BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions.
In this month's Q and A podcast, BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions, including "What's the chance of an asteroid hitting the Earth?" and "Do men snore more than women?".
In this month's Q and A podcast, BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers life's big questions, including "What's the future of the internet?" and "Can you 'bank' sleep in advance?".
In this month's Q and A podcast, BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers a few of life's big questions, including "Where does cosmic dust come from?" and "Why do we say 'Ow!'?"
Neuroscientist Richard Davidson on how to master your emotions; Next generation Smartphones; And biologist Liz Bonin on Super Smart Animals.
Kitty Ferguson on Stephen Hawking; The co-creator of BBC One's Sherlock on the science of deduction; And the Kindle Fire in the spotlight.
Susan Greenfield on how technology could be changing the brain; Mark Post on making synthetic meat; And the Focus team discuss fitness gadgets.
Physics professor Lisa Randall answers questions about the Universe; Mark Surman from Mozilla on how to tell stories on the world wide web; And the Focus team discuss what they want for Christmas.
Hollywood film maker Andrew Niccol on staying forever young; Steven Pinker on the decline of violence; The new iPhone 4S.
Physicist Jim Al-Khalili on his science heroes; Copying volcanic eruptions to combat climate change; Set-top boxes that connect to the world wide web.
The head of the UK space agency on whether we could launch spacecraft from our shores; Gadget of the month; BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers your questions.
Neutron research at the ILL nuclear reactor; Dallas Campbell's top moments from the new series of Bang Goes the Theory; BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers your questions.
Theoretical physicist and author Michio Kaku on our lives in 2050 and BBC Click radio presenter Gareth Mitchell answers your questions.
Bestselling author Jon Ronson talks about his new book The Psychopath Test; How to prevent the next disaster; And the verdict on which ultra-thin laptop to buy.
Bill McGuire on why the Japan earthquake was so devastating; The verdict on whether it's worth buying the iPad 2; And the worst things that could happen to you in space.
Brian Cox on his new series Wonders of the Universe; The big question: are we still evolving? And the verdict on the Nintendo 3DS.
The rocket scientist creating the world's fastest car; The murderers who unwittingly kill in their sleep; And our pick of the hottest gadgets for 2011.
What makes us rebel; The escalating cyberarms race; And the king of the tablet computers revealed.
Special effects guru Chris Corbould; Why it's good to be dirty; Gadgets to help keep your New Year's resolutions.
Lewis Dartnell on finding ET; Mega-Waves 30m-high walls of water; And the lowdown on the no-hands XBox Kinect.
Nic Radford on building Robonaut; How your brain has evolved to be deceived; And the best whizz-bang fireworks.
UFO hunter Peter Davenport; Why we are all 21st century addicts; And brain powered games.
Geneticist George Church on synthetic life; How to fake a masterpiece; And the boys play with remote-controlled toys.
New 'UK Digital Champion' Martha Lane Fox; The asteroid sample mission returning to Earth; And is it worth getting a 3D TV?
The Gadget Show's Jason Bradbury; The science of fear; The new world of augmented reality; And the best electric bikes out there.