Instant Genius

Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen, aka Dr Hedgehog, is a hedgehog researcher at Oxford and Copenhagen. She describes hedgehog declines, what makes them fascinating, and how to make gardens hedgehog friendly. She explains measuring hedgehog hearing, finding peak sensitivity near 40 kHz, and explores using ultrasound repellers to reduce road collisions and improve safety.

Prof Ellie Dommett, neuroscientist at King’s College London studying ADHD and non-drug interventions. She unpacks diagnostic categories, why many are diagnosed late, and how inattention can include both poor focus and intense hyperfocus. She discusses exercise, mindfulness, workplace adjustments, comorbidity and research priorities for more personalized care.

Trevor Cox, acoustic engineer and professor at the University of Salford leading the Cadenza Project to improve music for people with hearing loss. He discusses why hearing aids struggle with music, the differences between music and speech for processing, challenge-style signal‑processing tasks and machine learning approaches to rebalance instruments and boost lyric intelligibility. Plans for consumer device improvements are also explored.

Prof Chris Stringer, scientific associate at London’s Natural History Museum and author on human evolution. He explains who Neanderthals were and how they relate to Homo sapiens and Denisovans. He explores why fragments of Neanderthal DNA persist in people and what those genes might be doing to modern health. He also discusses whether Neanderthals had culture and the ethics of bringing them back.

Discover how astronomers decode distant stars by listening to their sounds. Hear about new technologies helping people with hearing loss enjoy music. Explore the latest research into why birds sing and what their songs mean.

Dr Hannah Critchlow, neuroscientist and author at Cambridge who wrote The 21st Century Brain, discusses how culture and technology reshape thinking. She explores emotional intelligence, interoception and gut–brain links. Topics include brain synchrony in social life, the cognitive cost of uncertainty, and how to balance AI with human creativity.

No matter our level of ability, talent or achievement, at times some of us feel like we’re a fraud and have simply been blagging our way to success. This is known as imposter syndrome. While it’s not formally recognised as a clinical mental health condition, it can still play a significant role in our wellbeing. So, why are so many of us prone to these nagging feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy, and what can we do to lessen their effect on our lives? In this episode, we’re joined by neuroscientist and bestselling author Dr Dean Burnett to talk about this common experience. He tells us how people with high levels of neuroticism or perfectionism are more likely to suffer from feelings of inadequacy, breaks down the link between self-image and our natural tendency to compare ourselves with others, and explains how self-criticism is a natural consequence of our brains’ evolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In springtime, as the Sun rises, the early morning air is filled with the glorious sound of birdsong. This is known as the dawn chorus. But why exactly are birds so vocal at this time of the day, what purpose does it serve, and how did their songs get so complex? In this episode, we’re joined by the RSPB’s Adrian Thomas, a bird expert and author of the RSPB Guide to Birdsong. He explains how this breathtaking morning symphony is motivated by mating rituals and territorial displays, tells us about the songs of some of his favourite avian vocal superstars, and gives us some top tips on how we can best experience this stunning natural phenomenon for ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Forests cover around one-third of all landmass on Earth and, as such, play a key role in the ecological health of the entire planet. However, thanks to decades of exploitation, climate pressures and natural disasters, this vital resource is beginning to struggle. So, what can we do to help these essential environments thrive? In this episode, we’re joined by Suzanne Simard, a professor of forest ecology based at the University of British Columbia, to talk about her latest book, When the Forest Breathes – Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World. She tells us about the environmental damage modern logging practices are causing to our precious natural forests, what the latest research is telling us about the measures we can take to nurture them back to health, and details the many lessons we can learn by joining forces with the indigenous people who have taken care of this key environmental resource for the last ten thousand years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For most of us, our experience of flowers is limited to sending a bouquet to our loved ones on special occasions or perhaps picking up some pretty plants from the garden centre to cheer up our homes. But if we take a wider, more nuanced view, it quickly becomes clear that flowers have played an essential role in the evolution of the vast and varied ecosystems of the planet we live on. The fact is, without them, the Earth would be a very different place indeed. In this episode, we’re joined by David George Haskell, adjunct professor of environmental sciences at Emory University and author, to talk about his latest book, How Flowers Made Our World – The Story of Nature’s Revolutionaries. He tells us how the emergence of flowering plants around 130 million years ago triggered a massive cascade in biodiversity that we’re still feeling the effects of today, how their genetic flexibility has allowed them to be so evolutionarily successful, and talks us through the huge influence they continue to have on human life and culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices