麻豆约拍

Tired of bad news? We feel you. That's why we've collected our most cheery documentaries to get you thinking (happy thoughts).

Have you ever wondered what's happening to your brain when you see a picture of a kitten and feel all warm and fuzzy? Zoologist Lucy Cooke investigates why this happens and the effect it's had on the animal kingdom.

Listen to Lucy Cooke's exploration of cuteness.

Struggling with boredom during the lockdown? Embrace it! Boredom is a powerful and criminally underrated phenommenon, according to Phil Jupitus.

Listen to Phil argue the vital importance of doing nothing.

Ever fancied nibbling on Sansa's delicious-sounding lemon cakes from Game of Thrones, downing a frothy glass of butterbeer from Harry Potter or tucking into some fried raccoon from The Hunger Games? Okay probably not the last one. In any case, there's a growing phenomenon of making fictional food real, which Aleks Krotoski has investigated.

Take a seat next to Aleks Krotoski, as she explore the amazing world of fictional food made real.

Welcome to the Chinese art of pigeon whistling: a tradition, possibly thousands of years old, in which tiny flutes are attached to pigeons. Musician Nathaniel Robin Mann teams up with the enigmatic "Pigeon Pete" to create just such a musical pigeon.

Can Nathaniel get that pigeon whistling? Listen and find out.

In 1954, German theatre practitioner Bertolt Brecht perfectly surmised life's simple joys, turning mundane acts such as looking out a window into a source of endless pleasure.

Listen to Brecht's enduring wisdom on finding joy in simplicity.

Comedian Robin Ince enters the wonderful wacky world of Dr Seuss, and uncovers some surprising real world science hidden within these childhood classics.

Hear more on the scientific wisdom of a most whimsical poet.