Instant Genius

Latest Episodes:

How future tech will help you stay healthier for longer Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

Rapid advances in technology over the past several decades have impacted almost every area of our lives. It could be argued that innovations in medicine and healthcare are one of technology’s biggest success stories. However, many of us are still living in poor health, particularly in our later years. Can technology once again come to our rescue and help us to not only live longer lives but to help us to stay healthier for longer?

In this episode, we speak to technology journalist and author Lara Lewington about her latest book Hacking Humanity: How Technology Can Save Your Health and Your Life.

She tells us how me may soon all have a ‘digital twin’ containing all of the data about our bodies and health that can be used to test the efficacy of drugs before we take them, the increasing role robotics can play in the operating theatre and the huge impact that the AI revolution can have on the future of healthcare.

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Why your brain might be wired for extremism Jul 13, 2025

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Why do some people become radicalised, while others remain resistant to extreme ideas? What makes one mind more vulnerable to harsh doctrines than another? In a world saturated with competing ideologies, it’s tempting to blame it on chance or circumstance. But in her compelling new book, The Ideological Brain, political neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod uncovers a deeper truth: our susceptibility to extremism is shaped by the very architecture of our minds, down to the cellular and genetic level. She explores how our cognitive traits influence ideological thinking, and crucially, why we’re not locked into any one path.

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How working too hard is damaging your health and productivity Jul 10, 2025

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Be it at school or in the workplace, many of us are under more and more pressure to work harder for longer to ensure that we’re performing at our best. But the latest neuroscience research is discovering that we may all have this idea entirely the wrong way around.

In this episode, we speak to neuroscientist Dr Joseph Jebelli to talk about his latest book The Brain at Rest: Why Doing Nothing Can Change Your Life.

He tells us how overwork is leading to almost 750,000 deaths a year globally, how taking a few minutes to pause and do nothing every now and then can switch on the powerful effect of our brains’ default network, and how simply allowing our minds to wander from time to time can help us to be more creative and more productive.

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How the maths of sameness and difference can change the way you view the world Jul 06, 2025

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Anyone who has studied maths even briefly will no doubt be familiar with the ‘equals’ sign. But there’s much more to this seemingly simple symbol and the concepts that it represents than may first meet the eye.

In this episode, we speak to mathematician and author Dr Eugenia Cheng about her latest book Unequal – The Maths of When Things Do (and Don’t) Add Up.

She tells us why maths doesn’t have to be intimidating, the importance of recognising different viewpoints in maths, and how a gaining a deeper understanding of maths can help us live our daily lives more effectively.

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Busting the biggest weight loss myths Jul 03, 2025

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Currently, 60 per cent of people in the UK are overweight or obese. It’s likely that many of us would like to drop a few pounds if possible but with so much information on diet and weight loss available separating facts from myths can be something of a minefield.

In this episode, we speak to Prof Giles Yeo, a geneticist and obesity expert based at the University of Cambridge.

He tells us exactly how our bodies extract calories from the food we eat, the real effect that exercise has on our weight, and how the reward pathways in our brains are linked to our appetites.

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Better Sleep: The hidden power of napping Jul 01, 2025

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Be it a brief power nap to help perk us up, a Sunday afternoon kip after a big lunch, or a traditional daily Spanish siesta, many of us put our heads down for a short period during the day. But where does this habit come from and is it actually good for our health?

In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to Valentina Paz, a psychologist based at the Universidad de la República in Uruguay and University College London.

She tells us how taking naps can help to boost our attention and energy, what the ideal time for a nap actually is, and speaks about her research on the long-term protective effects that napping can have on our brains.

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The new science of music as medicine Jun 26, 2025

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Many of us listen to music or play an instrument for pleasure thanks to the unique effect it has on our emotions. But what exactly is going on in our bodies and brains when we listen to or play music, and can we harness the profound effects it has on us to improve our health and wellbeing?

In this episode, we speak to neuroscientist, musician and author Stefan Koelsch about his latest book Good Vibrations: Unlocking the Healing Power of Music.

He explains exactly what’s happening in our brains when we listen to music, how playing music can help to keep our brains young, and how new research is uncovering the powerful ways in which music can help stroke patients regain their speech and mobility, reduce the amount of anaesthetics needed during surgeries and how music’s ability to bring us together can help us to lead happier, more fulfilling lives.

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Better Sleep: How psychology can help you beat insomnia Jun 22, 2025

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Over the past several decades it’s become abundantly clear that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. However, currently around one in three of us often struggle to get enough shuteye thanks to the stress and anxiety caused by our hectic lifestyles. Thankfully, help is out there in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT.

In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to founder of The Insomnia Clinic and Silentnight sleep expert,Kathryn Pinkham.

She tells us exactly what a good night’s sleep looks like, how developing a healthy sleep appetite is vital if we want to wake up feeling fresh and renewed in the morning and shares some psychological techniques we can use to help us sleep more restfully.

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How your brain builds your picture of reality Jun 19, 2025

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How do our brains help us build up a picture of the world around us? It’s a question that has both beguiled and fascinated scientists for centuries. The latest thinking suggests that the brain acts like a scientist that builds up a database of previous observations and experiences and uses this to make sense of the world around us.

In this episode, we speak to Daniel Yon, an experimental psychologist based at Birkbeck, University of London to talk about his latest book A Trick of the Mind: How the Brain Invents Your Reality.

He tells us about the intimate link between our brains and senses, how our brains create our sense of self and make judgements about others, and how our brains come up with new theories and ideas.

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Better Sleep: How snoring affects our health Jun 15, 2025

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More than four in ten of us in the UK are snorers. Far from being a trivial condition, snoring can have a significant impact on our ability to sleep, our partners’ ability to sleep and our health in general.

In this episode, part of our four-part Better Sleep miniseries, we speak to Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, a consultant ear, nose and throat and sleep surgeon based at University College London Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic London.

He tells us about the many factors that can lead to us snoring, the difference between regular snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, and why we shouldn’t be embarrassed to seek medical help if breathing problems during sleep are affecting our lives.

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