A Question of Science

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of ancient DNA, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions. How far can we go back in time using DNA? How accurate is ancient DNA when it comes to understanding our past? Why was diversity in DNA vital for the survival of early humans? Do we really share 60% of our genetic code with bananas?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of fertility, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions.  Should we sequence the DNA of embryos and use A.I. to choose which to implant? Are ultra-processed foods and microplastics really effecting fertility? And will new technologies mean humans could one day reproduce like squid?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of global warming and how society should adapt, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions.  Will new green technologies really help us reach net zero? What is solar forcing? Which regions of the planet will become uninhabitable and when?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of cancer, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions. Do tumours communicate with the brain, is glucose carcinogenic and could our immune system’s natural killer cells be used to combat cancer?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of nutrition, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions.   What is food noise, what is the impact of artificial sweeteners on the gut and why do many women turn from a pear to an apple shape during menopause? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of ageing, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions. How do men and women age differently? Why is it healthy to forget things? What’s the latest research on regenerating old cells?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing More Questions of Science – bite-size episodes where we revisit some of the biggest ideas from the first 12 episodes of the series and take the conversation even further. Professor Brian Cox will be in his home studio, catching up with some of the expert panellists from earlier in the series. Together, they’ll tackle your follow-up questions, explore new angles and go deeper into the topics that sparked your curiosity. And because science never stops, we’ll also bring you the latest breakthroughs, discoveries and developments. Send your follow up questions on cancer, fertility, ageing, ancient DNA, climate change and nutrition to the team: aquestionofscience@bbc.co.uk More Questions of Science arrives on YouTube and podcast platforms in early 2026.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the frontier of human bioengineering and building, replacing, and enhancing our bodies.   Will we ever have bionic brains and cloned humans? Is there a danger of science fiction getting too close for comfort?    From mechanical implants to lab-grown organs to whether humans could evolve to live in space, the discussion delves into what’s possible today and where science might take us next.  Panellists  Mark Pollock – Explorer, motivational speaker and Chairman of Collaborative Cures George Malliaras – Prince Philip Professor of Technology, University of Cambridge Madeline Lancaster – Group Leader, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology    Robin Lovell-Badge – Group Leader, Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute  Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/buildahuman   A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.   Music by John Biddle  © BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel explore the elusive science of consciousness – what it is, how it arises, whether it can be observed in the brain, and the most compelling theories explaining it.  In a deep, often mind-bending discussion, the panel tackles the many ways of interpreting consciousness itself, and how fields like psychophysics can be used to quantify imagination and perception.     With questions from the audience, the conversation delves into hallucinations and reality, how memory helps to build identity, and whether AI could ever be conscious too.  Panellists  Anil Seth – Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, University of Sussex Katharina Schmack – Consultant Psychiatrist and Group Leader, Neural Circuits and Immunity in Psychosis Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute Steve Fleming – Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL Alex O’Connor – Host of ‘Within Reason’ podcast  Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/consciousness  A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.    Music by John Biddle © BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel dive into the complex world of diet, nutrition and food choices.  With new probiotic and high-protein products appearing on supermarket shelves every day and conflicting nutritional advice coming from every direction, it’s difficult to cut through the noise when it comes to what we eat.  Our panel uses expertise from their roles as nutritionists, geneticists, gastroenterologists and policymakers to answer audience questions about food advertising, wellness advice, and whether it’s really possible – or worthwhile – to avoid food ‘additives’.   Panellists  Giles Yeo – Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, University of Cambridge Christina Vogel – Professor in Food Policy and Director of the Centre for Food Policy, City St George’s, University of London Saliha Mahmood Ahmed – Gastroenterologist and MasterChef winner, 2017 Nita Forouhi – Professor of Population Health and Nutrition, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge  Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/nutrition   A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.    Music by John Biddle © BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.