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Podcast

The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

Updated: weekly
Episodes available: indefinitely

Episodes to download

  •

    Hypochondria

    Fri 10 Feb 2017

    What is hypochondria, and why don’t we take this misunderstood malaise more seriously?

  • Torture

    Fri 3 Feb 2017

    Does torture actually work, and can its use ever be justified?

  • Cryonics

    Fri 27 Jan 2017

    Why do some people choose to be frozen at death, hoping to be brought back to life?

  • Regret

    Fri 13 Jan 2017

    Why do we feel regret – is it right to live with it, or should we get over our mistakes?

  • Carrying Guns

    Fri 6 Jan 2017

    In the countries where it’s legal, why do people choose to bear arms?

  • Vigilantes

    Fri 30 Dec 2016

    Why do some people take the law into their own hands?

  • Why Do We Make Lists?

    Christmas Day 2016

    From shopping lists to to-do lists – why do we make lists and what do they say about us?

  • Forgiveness

    Fri 23 Dec 2016

    Could you forgive the person who killed your child or who raped or tortured you?

  • Why do we Get Road Rage?

    Fri 16 Dec 2016

    Why does driving bring out the worst in some people?

  • Revenge

    Fri 9 Dec 2016

    Why did this type of aggressive behaviour evolve? And what purpose does it serve?

  • The Female Orgasm

    Fri 2 Dec 2016

    Why do we understand so little about female sexual pleasure?

  • Why Do Cities Make Us Rude?

    Fri 25 Nov 2016

    Why do cities make us rude? What makes us behave so badly in urban areas?

  • The Family Tree

    Fri 18 Nov 2016

    Why are so many people obsessed with discovering their family origins?

  • Hoarding

    Fri 11 Nov 2016

    Why do some people fill their homes and their lives with stuff?

  • Unconscious Bias

    Fri 4 Nov 2016

    Why do we make judgments about people without even realising?

  • Eye Witness Identification

    Fri 28 Oct 2016

    Mike Williams asks why scientists and courts are so worried about eye-witness testimony

  • Organ Donation

    Fri 21 Oct 2016

    Why do we donate organs and will we still need to in the future?

  • Farewell Letters

    Fri 14 Oct 2016

    Why do we write farewell letters? And how do we find the words to say goodbye?

  • Grief

    Fri 7 Oct 2016

    Why do we feel so many different emotions when someone close to us dies?

  • Assisted Death

    Fri 30 Sep 2016

    Is it ever right to take a life? Mike Williams explores the dilemmas of assisted death.

  • Comic Book Superheroes

    Fri 23 Sep 2016

    Why are we so fascinated with the superheroes which populate our comic books and movies?

  • Why do Crazes Take Off?

    Fri 16 Sep 2016

    What explains the success of the Hula-Hoop, Rubik’s Cube and Pokemon Go?

  • Why do we find some voices irritating?

    Fri 9 Sep 2016

    Why is it that we find some voices more annoying than others?

  • The Voice

    Fri 2 Sep 2016

    What do our voices reveal about ourselves?

  • Why not celebrate introvert personalities?

    Fri 26 Aug 2016

    People are often labelled as shy, but introversion is very much misunderstood. Why?

  • Why do pet videos go viral?

    Fri 19 Aug 2016

    The strange success of pets on the internet. Why?

  • Fear of Animals

    Fri 12 Aug 2016

    What lies behind our often overwhelming fear of harmless animals?

  • Fear vs Fact

    Fri 5 Aug 2016

    Are we living in an age where messages of fear dominate and the truth goes unheard?

  • Driving

    Fri 29 Jul 2016

    As auto-piloted cars begin tests Mike Williams asks if we will miss driving

  • Violence

    Fri 22 Jul 2016

    Why are men more violent than women?

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