The radio encyclopaedia answering listeners' questions, big and small
World Service,·256 episodes
On average, it only takes four days to brainwash a person into joining a cult
The difference between Hajj and Umrah
Why some areas are prone to extreme weather events
How to stop unsafe back street abortions in Botswana
The fight to promote responsible arms export regimes in the West
When did the proliferation of military coups in Africa begin?
How American sports evolved from their European counterparts
Women’s restricted access to education, health care and economic empowerment
The roles of the Dalai Lama and Karmapa Lama within Tibetan Buddhism
Searching for the man behind the legend, who died in 1247
All modern humans are descended from two African ancestors
Extraterrestrial visitations and more highlights from the show in 1999
How our gestures show what we’re really thinking
How neck ties changed from status symbols to fashion statements
Gravity explained: why it happens, how it works and who discovered it
From brothels that funded armies to prostitution in places of worship
James Hadley Chase’s son, Harvey Raymond, on how to write a thriller
Why genes, age and testosterone are to blame for male baldness
The rise of Indonesian politician Megawati Sukarnoputri
Students in a Zambian girls’ school put their headmaster under the spotlight
Only 13% of entries to the African Performance competition were written by women
Tying an egg-laying hen to the bed and more newlywed traditions
Where and when were coffins first introduced?
Why does the sun turn red in the evening?
From malaria to rift valley fever: how and when mosquitos transmit diseases
How the millennium bug incited global panic
The origin of the term ‘unknown soldier’ and why it’s used
Can the soul of a Hindu person return as a cow?
How yoga’s lotus position can help release trapped cosmic energies
From simple logs to steam ships – what makes boats float in water?
