The Infinite Monkey Cage

Endless inflation seems to be everywhere at the moment, including on this episode examining the nature of infinity. Brian and Robin dive through the back catalogue to discover there might be no limit to the number of parallel universes that exist. This leads to an argument between astronomer royal Lord Rees and comedy producer John Lloyd, who says the whole suggestion is total speculation. Even cosmologist Carlos Frenk can’t get his head round the idea, as he contemplates the suggestion that new big bangs may be happening all the time. Episodes featured: Series 10: Before the Big Bang Series 6: Parallel Universes Series 21: Quantum Worlds Series 9: To Infinity and Beyond Series 10: Numbers Numbers Everywhere New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3Jzy Producer: Marijke Peters Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince consider the quirks that make human beings unique and check in with experts from The Infinite Monkey Cage back catalogue. Prof Alice Roberts explains that our ancestors interbred with Neanderthals to make us who we are today. We’re also excellent at communicating with other species, as comedian Bill Bailey learns when he gets a lesson in chimp speak from the legendary primatologist Dr Jane Goodall. Then there are the bits of us that are pretty different, like our large brains and Conan O’Brien says his has been wired for comedy. Everyone agrees natural selection hasn’t always equipped us with the best tools for the job and David Baddiel argues the eye is a perfect example of a human design flaw. Episodes featured: The Infinite Monkey Cage 100 Series 22: When the Monkeys met the Chimps Series 22: The Human Brain Series 19: Are Humans Still Evolving? New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/

If there’s any doubt that the deep sea is as exciting to explore as the moon or Mars, this episode puts the question to rest, as Robin and Brian wade through the back catalogue to learn all about the ocean. Professor Lloyd Peck from the British Antarctic Survey tells them about the weird and wonderful creatures he’s encountered at sea, from rat-tailed fish to bacteria that feed off sulphides that could kill them, but Dave Gorman is still sceptical that it’s an environment worth investigating. And he's not the only one – fellow comedian Tim Minchin might live near Australia’s best beaches but says he’s terrified by the idea of getting in a submarine, let alone sharing such a small space with Brian Cox! Episodes featured: Series 6: Oceans: The Last Great Unexplored Frontier? Series 21: Coral Reefs Series 24: Exploring the Deep New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3Jzy Producer: Marijke Peters Executive Produc

While most of us believe the universe began with a big bang, Brian and Robin hear some of the alternative theories, including an Egyptian myth that it actually started with a giant ejaculation, as they question the origins of life as we know it. With so much still to be discovered about the cosmos, Rufus Hound says we need more bangs and flashes in chemistry classes, arguing lessons aren’t dangerous enough anymore. So could comedians play a role in advancing the science? Matt Lucas says he’s happy to jump into a black hole when he learns there’s high speed internet and Eric Idle gets poetic about the tiniest of particles in a special song about the Higgs Boson. Episodes featured: Series 10: Before the Big Bang Series 23: The Fundamentals of Reality Series 14: The Recipe to Build a Universe Series 22: Black Holes The Infinite Monkey Cage 100 Series 8: Glastonbury Special New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3

Robin Ince and Brian Cox are still struggling to decide when a strawberry dies as they trawl through the archive to ponder where we should draw the line between life and death. Katy Brand kicks the debate off with her thoughts on whether strawberries have souls, which leads her to wonder whether it might be possible for people to be resurrected? While it’s theoretically possible to bring someone back to life, it’s not looking likely any time soon. Instead, Rufus Hound talks us through how he’d commit the perfect murder, right down to the use of a woodchipper to destroy any DNA evidence. Little does he realise that this fingerprint of life gets everywhere, including down comedian Susan Calman’s pants. Episodes featured: Series 7: Improbable Science Series 8: What is Death? Series 12: Forensic Science Series 26: How To Commit The Perfect Murder New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Marijke Pete

How important is it for movie producers to get the science right? Brian Cox and Robin Ince discover why some surprising movies have scientific advisers and ask if there is any science in The Simpsons? They question the existence of fictional wormholes, while comedian Ross Noble can’t believe there may actually be a space time portal shaped like a pair of trousers. Some writers are even accurate by accident, as comic book author Alan Moore discovers when he tells Brian about one of his outlandish planetary plotlines… only to hear it obeys all the laws of physics. And Sir Patrick Stewart wows the panel with a little piece of plastic, but everyone agrees this Star Trek communicator is the stuff of legend. Episodes featured: Series 12: The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: Los Angeles Series 12: Christmas Special Series 22: Black Holes Series 2: Science Fiction Science Fact Series 7: Space Exploration New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first

Astronauts and explorers including Brian Blessed, Sir Patrick Stewart, Nicole Stott and Charlie Duke, reveal the wonders, and challenges, of traveling into space. Brian Cox and Robin Ince have delved into the Monkey Cage back catalogue to hear from astronauts and some very well known would-be space explorers, about their passion for space travel. Brian Blessed has been dreaming of visiting Mars since the age of six, but will he ever reach the red planet? Sir Patrick Stewart has warp sped across the galaxy as Captain Picard, but has it ignited a real yearning to explore the final frontier? NASA’s Nicole Stott explains her feeling of awe when she first saw the earth as a little blue dot and Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke talks about breaking a high jump record during the ‘moon Olympics’ and why mission control were less than amused. Episodes featured: Series 8: Space Tourism Series 7: Space Exploration Series 24: Astronauts Series 16: Astronaut special Series 22: An Astronaut’s Guide to Isolation New episodes

Brian Cox and Robin Ince take a deep dive into the Monkey Cage archive to find out how scared scientists and comedians are about the universe ending. Steve Martin says he’s happy to burn to a crisp when the sun explodes, but learns he might be more likely to die when galaxies tear each other apart during the ‘big rip’. And if the heat death of the universe really is inevitable, how come some people seem so jolly about it? Having studied this for years, astrophysicist Katie Mack wants to be there when everything ends, prompting Eric Idle to again speculate on the meaning of life. New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Marijke Peters Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince trawl through the Monkey Cage back catalogue to reveal whether science and the supernatural can sit side by side. They hear how comedian Lucy Beaumont believes alien life has visited Hull, and challenge the physics and psychology of ghosts with Prof Richard Wiseman. Has our brain evolved to conjure up ghostly apparitions and demonic forces? Is there real science behind some of our most common paranormal experiences? And they unpick the practical difficulties for Santa delivering gifts, discovering that quantum physics could just make it possible. New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Marijke Peters Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince introduce a new series in which they look back at some of the best moments from more than 27 series of their hit science show.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about dust that is raining down on Earth from space. They are joined by planetary scientists Matthew Genge and Penny Wozniakiewicz and comedian Alan Davies. They learn how billions of tiny micrometeorites land on the surface of the Earth every year, hidden amongst pollution particles and household dust. Where does cosmic dust come from and what can it tell us about the birth of the solar system? New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Caroline Steel Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Horrible Histories alum Ben Willbond, ancient DNA experts Prof Turi King and Dr Tom Booth and Nobel prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, as they uncover some of the incredible revelations being revealed through study of ancient DNA. The discovery of the skeleton of Richard III under a Leicester car park made headlines around the world.Turi King talks about her involvement in identifying the regal remains using DNA extracted from his teeth and how she was able to prove that these ancient bones really did belong to King Richard. The panel also hear about a mysterious box of bones found in Winchester Cathedral purporting to date from the 8th and 9th century that could belong to some of our ancient Anglo Saxon kings and queens of England, including those of King Canute and his wife Queen Emma. Could the study of ancient DNA change our understanding of history, and perhaps even upset the line of succession? New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the apex predators of the ocean. They are joined by physiological ecologist Lucy Hawkes, shark scientist Isla Hodgson and naturalist Steve Backshall. They learn about the surprising social behaviours of sharks, how they reproduce and exactly how long sharks have been around for - they’re even older than dinosaurs! Brian and Robin hear about Steve’s experience of diving with over 100 species of shark. Is their reputation as cold blooded killers, accurate? New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Caroline Steel Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the secret world of fungi, hidden beneath our feet. They are joined by biologist Merlin Sheldrake and mycologist Katie Field. They hear about the hidden life of fungi, including their hundreds of mating types, predatory behaviour and crucial role in life beginning on Earth. Katie shares how mycologists like her are using fungi to come up with creative solutions to climate change. New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Caroline Steel Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle one of the most important questions posed by science: which is better, bees or wasps? To defend bees, ecologist Dave Goulson joins the panel, while entomologist Seirian Sumner comes to the defence of wasps. Although both species are known to deliver a nasty sting, Seirian and Dave battle to show why their species should be loved, not swotted, and how we unknowingly rely on them. Comedian Catherine Bohart takes on the role of judge. Which will she ultimately choose: bees or wasps? New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Caroline Steel Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out if supervolcanoes are worth worrying about. They are joined by volcanologist Tamsin Mather, geologist Chris Jackson and comedian Rachel Parris. They learn about the worst eruptions of all time, including the eruption that may have sparked the French revolution. They find out what volcanologists like Tamsin are doing to monitor supervolcanoes and if volcanologists do predict an impending eruption, is there anything we can do about it? New episodes are released on Saturdays. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF Producer: Caroline Steel Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince examine their own diets and the diet fads of the past to ask what should we actually be eating? They are joined by Dr Chris van Tulleken, Professor Janet Cade and comedian Harry Hill to discuss the nutritional merits, or lack there of, of everything from sausages to strawberries, and discover whether our obsession with low fat ,low sugar or low carb diets have any scientific basis. They discuss our increased dependence on ultra-processed foods and what this means for our health, and whether eating 1 calorie of a chocolate bar, is really the same as eating 1 calorie of a stick of celery. New episodes released Saturday. If you're in the UK, listen to the full series first on BBC Sounds bbc.in/42x5sO5 Producer: Adrian Washbourne Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

You might think materials are a bit boring and inconsequential but without them we would still be living in the stone age. Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by material scientists Mark Miadownik and Anna Ploszajski and comedian Ed Byrne to discover the life changing materials that are hidden in plain sight. Which materials have made us human? Which materials do we completely depend on? And how will materials shape our future? Producer: Caroline Steel Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by bio-mechanist Polly McGuigan, evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod, comedian Russell Kane and Olympic gold medalist Sally Gunnell to find out how good humans are at endurance. Could anyone win a gold at the Olympics? Could a human out-run a cheetah? And have we reached the absolute limits of human endurance? Producer: Caroline Steel Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Susan Calman, Prof Sue Black and Dr Julia Shaw as they invent Infinite Monkey Cluedo, and discover whether they can commit the perfect murder, or whether the latest forensic science will always be able to piece the clues together. They reveal whether the perfect crime or perfect criminal really exists and how we might spot them, and how the latest forensic techniques have transformed even decades old murder cases. The panel also discuss how the court room has changed with the development of ever-more advanced forensic techniques, but also where the weakness in the science might lie. Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem