The Life Scientific Podcast
Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future
Episodes to download
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Wendy Barclay and the flu virus
Tue 30 Jan 2018
Jim Al-Khalili discusses the flu virus with Professor Wendy Barclay of Imperial College.
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Eugenia Cheng on the mathematics of mathematics
Tue 23 Jan 2018
Jim talks to mathematician Eugenia Cheng about mathematics, music and baking.
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Eben Upton on Raspberry Pi
Tue 16 Jan 2018
The computer that costs little more than a toasted sandwich.
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Adrian Thomas on the mechanics of flight
Tue 31 Oct 2017
Zoologist and inventor Adrian Thomas talks to Jim Al-Khalili about the mechanics of flight
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Ellen Stofan on being NASA chief scientist
Tue 24 Oct 2017
Ellen Stofan, former chief scientist at NASA, talks to Jim Al-Khalili.
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Steve Cowley on Nuclear Fusion
Tue 10 Oct 2017
Jim Al-Khalili asks Steve Cowley if we will ever have energy from nuclear fusion.
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Lucie Green on the sun
Tue 3 Oct 2017
Jim Al-Khalili talks to astrophysicist Lucie Green about studying the sun.
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Tracey Rogers on leopard seals and Antarctica
Tue 26 Sep 2017
Singing leopard seals and other perils of research in Antarctica.
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Jennifer Doudna
Tue 19 Sep 2017
Jennifer Doudna talks to Jim Al-Khalili about her research that is transforming genetics.
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Tamsin Mather on what volcanic plumes reveal about our planet
Tue 30 May 2017
Tamsin Mather explains what volcanic plumes tell us about our planet, past and present.
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Tim O'Brien on transient stars and science and music festivals
Tue 23 May 2017
Jim Al-Khalili talks transient stars and music festivals with Tim O'Brien of Jodrell Bank.
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Ottoline Leyser on how plants decide what to do
Tue 16 May 2017
Ottoline Leyser talks to Jim Al-Khalili about how plants decide to grow the way they do.
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Fay Dowker on a new theory of space-time
Tue 9 May 2017
Fay Dowker and Jim Al-Khalili discuss the texture of space-time.
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Ann Clarke on The Frozen Ark
Tue 2 May 2017
Jim Al-Khalili talks to Dr Ann Clarke about preserving global animal DNA in The Frozen Ark
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Graham MacGregor on tackling the demons in our diet
Tue 25 Apr 2017
Jim Al-Khalili talks to Prof Graham MacGregor about his remarkable war on sugar and salt.
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Liz Sockett on friendly killer bacteria
Tue 18 Apr 2017
Jim Al-khalili talks to Professor Liz Sockett about the evil genius of predatory bacteria.
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Nick Fraser on Triassic reptiles
Tue 11 Apr 2017
Nick Fraser tells Jim Al-Khalili about some extraordinary fossil finds.
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Daniel Dennett on the evolution of the human brain
Tue 4 Apr 2017
Daniel Dennett talks to Jim Al-Khalili about the evolution of the human brain.
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Alison Woollard on what she has learnt from mutant worms
Tue 28 Feb 2017
Geneticist Alison Wollard explains her enthusiasm for a tiny nematode worm.
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Alan Winfield on robot ethics
Tue 21 Feb 2017
Alan Winfield talks to Jim Al-Khalili about the ethics of robots, from drones to androids.
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Simon Wessely on unexplained medical syndromes
Tue 14 Feb 2017
Simon Wessely on medically unexplained symptoms and syndromes.
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Sean Carroll on how time and space began
Tue 7 Feb 2017
Sean Carroll tells Jim why he abandoned Einstein for quantum entanglement.
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Alison Smith on algae
Tue 31 Jan 2017
Professor Alison Smith talks to Jim Al-Khalili about the many and varied uses of algae.
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Sadaf Farooqi on what makes us fat
Tue 24 Jan 2017
Sadaf Farooqi describes how she found ten rare genetic disorders that cause obesity.
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Jan Zalasiewicz on the Age of Man
Tue 17 Jan 2017
Geologist Jan Zalasiewicz talks to Jim Al-Khalili about the Anthropocene, the Age of Man.
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Michele Dougherty on Saturn
Tue 10 Jan 2017
Michele Dougherty tells Jim Al-Khalili why she diverted the Cassini mission to Saturn.
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Neil de Grasse Tyson on Pluto
Tue 20 Dec 2016
US science superstar, Neil de Grasse Tyson describes why Pluto isn't a planet.
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Richard Morris on how we know where we are
Tue 6 Dec 2016
Neuroscientist Richard Morris explains how brain cells remember.
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Julia Higgins on polymers
Tue 29 Nov 2016
Professor Dame Julia Higgins shares her passion for polymers with Jim Al-Khalili.
Sleep 鈥� the mystery state
What is the secret to a good nights sleep? Professor Jim Al-Khalili explores.
Is your mind a machine?
Daniel Dennett thinks so. Here is what we learned from his Life Scientific.
