Podcast · 66 episodes
CrowdScience, page 3
by BBC World Service · English
We take your questions about life, Earth and the universe to researchers hunting for answers at the frontiers of knowledge.
All episodes, page 3
Should we help maggots and caterpillars?The episode asks whether we should “help” insects people dislike—ladybird larvae, hoverfly larvae, caterpillars/grubs, and midge pollinators.24 Oct 2025 · 27 min · 14 chapters
Can we record our senses?This CrowdScience episode asks whether we can record and replay more than sight and sound—specifically smell and touch.17 Oct 2025 · 26 min · 11 chapters
Are atoms immortal?Whether atoms are immortal, and what “life” means if atoms can change, decay, or be destroyed.10 Oct 2025 · 26 min · 12 chapters
Why are some animals black and white?Why some animals are black and white, and whether there’s a single shared reason.3 Oct 2025 · 27 min · 13 chapters
Answers to even more questionsCrowdScience answers “bonus questions” sparked by earlier episodes, mainly about color vision (deep-sea fish vs reef fish; human/animal color vision), eye color changes (melanin vs light scattering),…26 Sep 2025 · 26 min · 11 chapters
Do birds understand us?Whether birds understand humans, using evidence from bird cognition and communication.19 Sep 2025 · 26 min · 8 chapters
Why am I so sentimental?Why people become sentimentally attached to objects and find it hard to let them go, even when items have little practical value; includes scientific explanations and a visit to the Museum of Broken…12 Sep 2025 · 26 min · 11 chapters
Will drinking milk help me live longer?Whether drinking cow’s milk helps people live longer, with a focus on longevity, health risks, and why some people can digest lactose.5 Sep 2025 · 26 min · 11 chapters
How long will traces of our civilisation last?Whether traces of a long-lived technological civilization (past or future) would survive on Earth, and what evidence humans will leave.29 Aug 2025 · 34 min · 14 chapters
How does camouflage work?How camouflage works, where modern patterns came from, and how it’s evolving against drones and infrared/radar sensors.22 Aug 2025 · 37 min · 15 chapters
How long does light last?How long light lasts—how we see the past, what the oldest light is, and whether photons have an “expiration date,” plus how light can be slowed or trapped.15 Aug 2025 · 26 min · 12 chapters
Can we stop the rain?Whether rain can be artificially stopped once monsoon rain starts, and what weather-engineering options exist.8 Aug 2025 · 32 min · 16 chapters
How are teeth made?How teeth are made and why humans only have two sets—covering tooth development in the womb, tooth composition, evolutionary origins, and regrowth research.1 Aug 2025 · 30 min · 9 chapters
Trailer: 13 Minutes Presents: The Space ShuttleTrailer for BBC World Service “13 Minutes presents: The Space Shuttle,” focusing on the shuttle’s first launch era (April 12, 1981, Cape Canaveral), its design goal (“don’t launch like a rocket and…28 Jul 2025 · 3 min · 2 chapters
Could technology improve our brains?Whether brain technology could improve memory and mental health, and what ethical issues might arise as “brain enhancement” becomes possible.25 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 12 chapters
What if the Earth spun backwards?CrowdScience imagines Earth stopping its rotation, then rotating in the opposite direction, and explains consequences for day/night, temperature, winds, rainfall, sea level, and Earth’s magnetic…18 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 9 chapters
Where did Earth’s water come from?Where Earth’s water came from, and how much water Earth contains (oceans vs interior), plus whether comets or asteroids delivered it.11 Jul 2025 · 31 min · 11 chapters
Can we harness solar energy from other stars?Whether we can harness energy from stars other than the Sun, using starlight on Earth, futuristic space solar power (Dyson swarms), and alternative “stellar” energy like solar wind.4 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 14 chapters