Instant Genius

Dr Daniel Baumgardt, GP and University of Bristol lecturer who explains clinical causes of gout. He describes how jagged urate crystals cause intense joint pain. He covers why the big toe is often affected, why cases are rising in younger adults, links between gout and heart health, and prevention including hydration, diet and follow-up care.

Michael Bond, science writer and author of Animate, explores how animals have shaped human minds and culture. He discusses cave art, our brain’s tuning to spot animals, burial rituals and shapeshifting myths. He also traces domestication, philosophical divides, medieval animal trials, and modern findings on animal consciousness.

Dr Paul Goldsmith, evolutionary neuroscientist and author, explains how brains shaped for ancient challenges struggle in rapid modern life. He explores dopamine, goal-setting mismatches, stress cycles and when quitting helps. Practical tips focus on movement, social connection and novelty to keep the brain resilient.

Jo Wimpenny, author and animal behaviour specialist, argues for rethinking our prejudice against unattractive creatures. She discusses medical uses of snake venom. She highlights maggot therapy and cockroaches as vital ecosystem cleaners. She defends wasps and explores why we find some animals disgusting.

Dr Emma Chapman, astrophysicist and radio astronomer at the University of Nottingham, studies the early Universe using radio telescopes. She explains how radio waves reveal hidden gas, spiral arms and structures invisible in light. She describes turning radio signals into images, mapping asteroids with radar, using pulsars to hunt gravitational waves, and ambitious plans for lunar radio arrays.

Dr Kirsty King, a UCL communication lecturer and author of The Language of Lies, studies linguistic markers of deception. She explains how people distance themselves with nouns and passive voice. She highlights missing sensory and emotional words, shifts in concrete versus abstract terms, and paraverbal cues like pauses and pitch. She also discusses tactics to disrupt false accounts with unexpected questions.

Chances are that if any of us are looking to drop a bit of excess weight, the first thing we’ll attempt is to cut down the number of calories we’re consuming. For decades, we’ve been told that balancing the number of calories we put into to our bodies with the energy that we burn can help us to maintain a healthy weight. While this is true, could it be that we’re putting our attention and effort in the wrong place and that taking a bigger picture view of the factors that motivate our appetite is likely to be a much more successful strategy? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Jason Fung, a physician and best-selling author based in Toronto, to talk about his latest book, The Hunger Code – Resetting Your Body’s Fat Thermostat in the Age of Ultra-processed Food. He talks us through the three key drivers that control our feelings of hunger, how our hormones are deeply connected with our appetites, and how the environments we live in have a profound effect on the food we eat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Majid Fotuhi, neuroscientist and clinician focused on cognitive health, shares a bold 12-week Brain Fitness Program. He discusses what happens to the aging brain, myths about Alzheimer’s, and why lifestyle factors like sleep, exercise, diet, mindset and targeted training matter. He describes rapid patient improvements, brain growth, and practical steps to start reducing dementia risk.

Dr Joanna Cheek, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and UBC clinical professor and author, explores how modern stressors trigger our brain’s alarm systems. She discusses the jar model of vulnerability, emotions as adaptive alarms, the need for collective care alongside self-care, and practical strategies to rebalance threat and reward and strengthen connection.

Javier Gonzalez, Professor of Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of Bath, explores how metabolism links to body composition and energy use. He discusses resting metabolic rate, why metabolism can change with muscle mass and age, and how diet, sleep, stress and exercise influence metabolic health. He also covers calorie cutting, alcohol effects, meal timing and modest boosts from caffeine and spice.