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Instant Genius

Instant Genius

By: Our Media
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Whether you’re curious about getting healthy, the Big Bang or the science of cooking, find out everything you need to know with Instant Genius. The team behind BBC Science Focus Magazine talk to world-leading experts to bring you two bite-sized masterclasses on a new subject each week. New episodes are released every Monday and Friday and you can subscribe to Instant Genius on Apple Podcasts to access all new episodes ad-free and all old episodes of Instant Genius Extra. Watch full episodes of Instant Genius on BBC Science Focus Magazine's YouTube channel. Follow us on X: @SFIGPodOur Media Science
Episodes
  • What happens in our bodies when our hormones misfire

    What happens in our bodies when our hormones misfire
    Jun 7 2026
    Every minute of every day, our bodies are flooded with a complex web of hormones – chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream, coordinating everything from our blood pressure, body temperature, metabolic rate and even our emotions. When this system is functioning correctly, we barely notice its actions, but if it begins to misfire, it can lead to profound issues in everything from fluctuations in our energy levels or moods to the way our bodies develop as we age and even our appearance. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Saira Hameed, an endocrinologist based at Imperial College London NHS Trust and best-selling author, to talk about her latest book Signal – The Inside Story of Our Hormones. She tells us how, despite being so tiny, the many hormone-producing glands situated throughout our bodies have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing, the many issues that can arise due to the overproduction or underproduction of hormones, and the new therapies in the pipeline we may be able to use to bring our bodies back into balance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • What we can learn about parenting from the animal kingdom

    What we can learn about parenting from the animal kingdom
    Jun 4 2026
    Becoming a parent is undoubtedly one of the biggest events that can occur in any of our lifetimes – suddenly we have a tiny living being to take care of that demands the majority of our thoughts, time and attention. Of course, this can at times feel overwhelming and often leads us to look for help and advice from our parents, grandparents or close friends. But what strategies do parents in the animal kingdom use to raise their young, and is there anything we humans can learn from them? As part of our Nature's Unsung Heroes miniseries, we’re joined by science writer Elizabeth Preston to talk about her latest book, The Creatures’ Guide to Caring – How Animal Parents Teach Us That Humans Were Born to Care. She tells us how orca grandmothers pitch in to help with the raising of their grandchildren, how in some species of monkeys the father takes on most of responsibility for taking care of their offspring, and how we can learn so much more about ourselves as humans by paying deeper attention to the wider world we live in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • Don’t miss the upcoming Nature’s Unsung Heroes miniseries!

    Don’t miss the upcoming Nature’s Unsung Heroes miniseries!
    Jun 1 2026
    While the larger, more impressive or charismatic animal and plant species often receive the most attention, the natural world is filled with lesser-known or even misunderstood organisms without which life on planet Earth would look very different indeed. If you’d like to learn how plankton plays a vital role in regulating the health of the entire planet, how, despite being a bit icky, parasites play an essential part in helping the ecosystems they live in thrive, or why we have many fascinating lessons to learn from the different strategies animals use to raise their young, why not check out the four-part Nature’s Unsung Heroes miniseries starting Friday 5th June! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 min
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