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Podcast

The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

Updated: weekly
Episodes available: indefinitely

Episodes to download

  •

    Sad Music

    Fri 20 Sep 2013

    Sad music has become more popular according to a recent study. Why do people listen to it?

  • Fasting

    Fri 13 Sep 2013

    Why people choose to abstain from food for religious - and non-religious - reasons

  • Memory

    Fri 6 Sep 2013

    How human memory works and why some memories are remembered more easily than others

  • Female Body Hair

    Fri 30 Aug 2013

    The history of hair removal and what it tells us about notions of female beauty

  • Monogamy

    Fri 23 Aug 2013

    Does true love have to be monogamous? We hear three very modern love stories.

  • Celebrity

    Fri 16 Aug 2013

    Why has the modern world become so obsessed with celebrity culture?

  • Mountains

    Fri 9 Aug 2013

    What draws people to mountains and take risks scaling dangerous peaks?

  • Violent Entertainment

    Fri 2 Aug 2013

    What explains our enduring attraction to violent entertainment?

  • Ageing

    Fri 26 Jul 2013

    Why are attitudes towards older people often so negative?

  • Tattoos

    Fri 19 Jul 2013

    What motivates people to decorate their bodies with ink?

  • Fire

    Fri 12 Jul 2013

    Why are we fascinated with fire and what do myths tell us about how we view its power?

  • The City

    Fri 5 Jul 2013

    Why do humans live in cities? And, what are the pros and cons of the modern metropolis?

  • Bathing: Water, Health and Well-being

    Fri 21 Jun 2013

    The second of two programmes looking at why we bathe: the rituals and practices.

  • Bathing: Supernatural Waters

    Fri 14 Jun 2013

    Why can the ubiquitous act of bathing mean so many different things for different people?

  • The Sea

    Fri 7 Jun 2013

    The compelling attractions of the sea through literature and science

  • Make-up

    Fri 31 May 2013

    Why millions of women - and some men - paint their faces

  • The Ball

    Fri 24 May 2013

    Why play with a ball? Mike Williams finds out how ball games first evolved

  • The Lie

    Fri 17 May 2013

    Why do we lie? How do different cultures define telling the truth?

  • Disgust

    Fri 10 May 2013

    Why do we experience disgust?

  • Pets

    Fri 3 May 2013

    Why do we live with cats and dogs?

  • Gold

    Fri 26 Apr 2013

    Why are we so fascinated by gold?

  • Singing

    Fri 19 Apr 2013

    Singing is a way of bringing people together, expressing joy or sadness. Why do we sing?

  • The Kiss

    Fri 12 Apr 2013

    Why do humans kiss?

  • Ageing

    Fri 5 Apr 2013

    Why are attitudes towards older people often so negative?

  • Retirement

    Sat 30 Mar 2013

    Why do we retire?

  • Why do we get insomnia?

    Fri 22 Mar 2013

    The second of two programmes about humans and sleep.

  • Sleep

    Fri 15 Mar 2013

    The first of two programmes which looks at human behaviour and sleep.

  • Silence

    Fri 8 Mar 2013

    What role does silence play in our lives and why can it be so poignant or so awkward?

  • PTSD

    Sat 2 Mar 2013

    What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and why is it so controversial?

  • Cultural Memory

    Fri 22 Feb 2013

    We all have memories but do we share some of those, socially or collectively? If so, why?

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