Instant Genius

Latest Episodes:

How to cope with whatever life throws at you Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

We all have a breaking point. But how close we come to it – and how we cope – comes down to our unique blend of genetics and life experiences. In this episode, we speak to health psychologist Prof Vincent Deary about how we’re adapted to get through with tough times, the physiological processes at work when we’re struggling, and how to build yourself back and recover from fatigue.

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How understanding your boredom can improve your life Feb 12, 2024

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It's easy to try to ignore feelings of boredom, but it can actually be trying to tell you something. We spoke to James Danckert, a professor of cognitive neuroscience to find out more about this strange feeling.

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How animals speak to each other Feb 09, 2024

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From birdsong to wolf howls, from dolphins’ clicks and whistles to gibbons’ whoops and wows, the natural world is filled with a myriad of animal vocalisations that are as varied as they are numerous. But what is their purpose? How did they evolve? And will we ever be able to understand them?

In this episode we catch up with Dr Arik Kershenbaum, a zoologist based at the University of Cambridge and author of the new book Why Animals Talk.

He tells us why some animals are chattier than others, how wolves have regional accents and how dolphins give themselves names.

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How to perfect your coffee routine Feb 05, 2024

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Coffee is a drink favoured by billions of people around the world, but doing it right isn't easy.

We spoke to Christopher Hendon, a computational materials chemist and coffee expert from the University of Oregon.

He talks us through how to make great coffee at home, where to spend your money, and debunks the myths of the coffee world.

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Why humans need laughter Feb 02, 2024

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Laughter is a fundamental part of our lives, but why do we do it? We spoke to Sophie Scott, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University College London to better understand why and how we laugh.

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Why hedgehog numbers are falling and how we can stop it Jan 29, 2024

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Whether it’s from reading Beatrix Potter’s Mrs Tiggy-Winkle or from encounters in our own gardens, many of us have a special place in our hearts for hedgehogs. But sadly, the charismatic mammals are having a bit of a hard time of late, with their numbers declining across the globe. So, what can we do to help them?

In this episode we catch up with Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen, a research associate at WildCRU, at the University of Oxford, or as she is otherwise known Dr Hedgehog.

She tells us about the current state of hedgehog conservation, what she’s learnt from many years of studying them and how we can make our gardens more hedgehog friendly.

To find more about her work studying hedgehogs, follow her on Facebook.

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How to lose weight the scientific way Jan 26, 2024

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Chances are, many of us will have tried to drop a few pounds at some point in our lives. And it’s likely that to do so we will have cut down on the amount of calories we are consuming, exercised a bit more and relied on willpower to stop ourselves reaching for the biscuit tin, bag of crisps or can of fizzy drink. But is there a more effective method?

In this episode we catch up with Dr Andrew Jenkinson, a bariatric surgeon based at University College London Hospital and author of the book How to Eat Well (And Still Lose Weight).

He tells us how our brains are hard-wired to crave salty, fatty, sugary foods and how gaining a better understanding of our biology can help us to turn our unhealthy eating patterns into healthy ones, for good.

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Avocados: Nutritional superfood or environmental disaster? Jan 22, 2024

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Since their first appearance on our supermarket shelves several decades ago, avocados have gone from being a mere exotic curiosity to a regular feature on many millennials’ breakfast tables. But how has this happened and what does it mean for our diets, the food industry and the environment?

In this episode we speak to Honor May Eldridge, a food and farming expert and author of the book The Avocado Debate. She tells us about the avocado’s fascinating journey from everyday staple in traditional South and Central American cuisine to western superfood, how nutritious the fruit really is and whether or not we should feel guilty for eating smashed avocado on toast?

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How to pace yourself in an exhausting world Jan 19, 2024

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How can we rearrange our lives to get a bit more energy? In her new book Pace Yourself: How to have energy in an exhausting world, Amy Arthur traces the latest science that can help you find the right pace in every aspect of your life to make your day-to-day a little less exhausting.

This episode, Amy talks us through surprising insights like why having toast for breakfast may not be the best start to your day, warning signs for spotting when you’re close to exhaustion, and her top tips for protecting your energy.

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The science of the paranormal: Why we see ghosts, UFOs and visions of our past lives Jan 15, 2024

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UFOs, tarot cards, and ghostly figures. The paranormal world is all around us, but how can the unexplainable be explained? We spoke to Chris French, the head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London to find out more about the world of the paranormal.

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