What's Up Docs?
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast, Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are on a mission to help us take better care of ourselves. Although they are identical twins, Chris and Xand are very different and they never stop thinking and arguing about science and health. They want to lead healthy, happy lives and as doctors, they want this for everyone. Yet they tussle over how best to get there. When it comes to looking after our own health, it can be confusing. Medicine and science produce amazing new treatments and diagnostics every day and we are bombarded with so many headlines and pieces of advice; but how are we supposed to know what's really best for us and then successfully apply it to our lives? Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken embrace this challenge; even as they marvel at the scientific breakthroughs, they grapple with the competing claims about health, wellbeing and how to live. From understanding testosterone therapies to microplastics in our diets, and the concept of 'hangriness' to the power of saying no - this podcast deals with the health stresses we all face every day, while taking on board how the decisions by corporations and governments affect all our health.
Episodes
Doctors’ Notes: Heart Palpitations
Chris and Xand van Tulleken take a deeper dive into heart palpitations and the rise of wearable technology.With devices like smartwatches now able to detect irregular heart rhythms, more people are being alerted to potential problems, often without any symptoms. But is this early detection saving lives, or creating new challenges?Joined again by Consultant Cardiologist Dr Pranev Sharma, the docs e
What are your heart palpitations telling you?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.In this episode, they turn their attention to heart palpitations. That sudden flutter, skipped beat or racing heart can feel alarming, but what’s actually going on, and when should you be concerned?They break down what palpitations are, what cause
Doctors’ Notes: Body Odour
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about body odour with Matthew Cobb, Professor Emeritus of Zoology at the University of Manchester.They explore whether it’s possible to predict how someone experiences an odour based on their DNA, and how our sense of smell compares to that of other animals.Many people lost their sense of smell during the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing greater awareness to j
What does my body odour say about my health?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they explore something that affects every one of us - body odour. Body odour plays a significant role in our emotional and social lives, and even in our health. Chris and Xand explore what body odour actually is, where it comes f
Doctors’ Notes: Healthy Longevity Special at Hay Festival
This extended episode of What's Up Docs? features Chris and Xand van Tulleken's full live conversation with Professor Devi Sridhar at Hay Festival.Going deeper than the main episode, they explore the tension between individual responsibility and structural change, and why asking "how do I stay healthy?" might be the wrong question altogether. Devi draws on her work across governments and health sy
How to Live Healthier for Longer
Welcome to What's Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.In this episode, recorded live at Hay Festival, they're joined by Professor Devi Sridhar, Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, to ask how we can live longer, healthier lives. They dig into the difference between life expec
Doctors' Notes: Friendship
Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about friendship with Dr Tiffany Watt Smith, writer and culture historian.Tiffany became interested in researching friendships after a moment of crisis in her own friendships. Together, Chris, Xand and Tiffany discuss the difference between male and female friendships and how that has changed over time. They explore the idea that we are livin
Are friends good for your health?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, the Docs take a look at the impact our friendships have on our physical health. Why different friendship styles are important and how we can maintain and nurture our social connections. Joining them is Dr Tiffany
Doctors' Notes: Male Contraception
Chris and Xand van Tulleken take a deeper dive into male contraception with Professor Richard Anderson.They explore why, despite decades of research, new male contraceptive options are still limited. From funding gaps to shifting attitudes, they unpack the social and scientific barriers that have shaped progress so far.They also look at how people feel about the idea of male contraception, whether
Is a male contraceptive pill closer than you think?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.In this episode, they turn their attention to male contraception. We’ve been hearing about a “male pill” for decades, so why don’t we have one yet? They break down how male fertility works, what options currently exist, and the different approache
Doctors' Notes: Lymphatic System
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about the lymphatic system with Professor Kristiana Gordon, a Consultant in Dermatology and Lymphovascular Medicine.The docs ask about the growing field of lymphoedema research and how our understanding of the lymphatic system has developed in recent years. They also explore primary lymphoedema, a condition caused by genetic errors that can affect childre
Do our lymphatic systems need a detox?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand explore the lymphatic system, from its vital everyday functions supporting fluid balance and immunity to its more mysterious roles. They look at what happens when things go wrong, examine popular w
Doctors' Notes: Hay fever
In this Doctors' Notes episode of What’s Up Docs?, Chris and Xand van Tulleken take a deeper dive into hay fever with Professor Stephen Till.The docs and their guest explore whether hay fever is really becoming more common, and if so, why. From climate change and air pollution to changes in our environment and biodiversity, they unpack the factors that may be making symptoms worse. They also look
Why do we get hay fever?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.In this episode, they turn their attention to hay fever. What is it, why do so many of us get it, and is it getting worse? They break down what’s happening in the body, how to tell it apart from a cold, and why timing matters when it comes to trea
Doctors' Notes: Calcium
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about calcium with Dr Sagen Zac-Varghese.The docs want to know about common issues that are seen around calcium and bone health, especially osteoporosis. They want to learn how osteoporosis relates to calcium, who is at risk and why it is more common in women. They also want to know what inspired Sagen’s passion for calcium and what we can learn from astr
Are we getting enough calcium?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into calcium. What is calcium, and what does it do in the body? How important is it for our health? How do we maintain healthy levels of calcium? They also examine how calcium interacts w
Doctors' Notes: Snoring
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about snoring with Dr Sophie West, a consultant respiratory physician and lead of Newcastle regional sleep service.They take a deeper look at what happens when snoring means we’re not breathing enough, or stop breathing altogether, a condition known as obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS). They ask why it happens and what can be done to tre
Why do you snore?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode they're looking at snoring, exploring what causes some of us to snore when we sleep. They also want to know when we should worry that our snoring might actually be the sign of a larger problem, and what we can do
Doctors' Notes: Balance
Chris and Xand continue their conversation with physiotherapist and vestibular rehabilitation specialist, Maggie Stacey. They explore why alcohol can make us unsteady, how our sense of balance develops and changes as we age, and why falls pose such a major health risk for older adults. They also hear from their guest about the balance problems she most often sees in the clinic, and the warning sig
Should you improve your balance?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tune in to the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they turn their attention to balance. Where does it come from, why is it so important for our health, and do some people naturally have better balance than others? They also explore how much we can improve it, and what we shou
Doctors' Notes: Voice
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about the complexities of the voice with speech and language therapist, Lydia Hart. They ask why so many of us cringe at the sound of our own voice and whether it’s really possible to change it. They explore how adjusting the way we speak can shape how others respond to us, hear from Lydia about the most common issues she sees in the clinic and find out w
How do we care for our voices?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tune in to the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they turn their attention to the voice. Where does it come from, why do we all sound so different, and how much can we really change it? They also explore what we should be doing to take care of our voices.To help them strike
Doctors' Notes: Feet
Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about feet with Professor Anthony Redmond, an expert in clinical biomechanics at the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine. Together, they examine common foot problems, from bunions to verrucas, and explore why diseases affecting our blood vessels or nerves seem to often show up in the feet. They ask what this reveals about how we
How can you look after your feet?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, they turn their attention to our feet. They explore the biology and mechanics of our feet and what happens when that delicate balance goes wrong. They also look at footwear and the little changes that can go a lo
Doctors' Notes: Cholesterol
Chris and Xand take a closer look at cholesterol - what it is, why it worries so many people, and how diet and medicine fit into the picture. They’re joined again by Professor Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge, to discuss why foods like seed oils become controversial, when cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins make sense, and how her thi
How should we think about cholesterol?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, they take on one of nutrition’s most misunderstood topics: fat. What is it, and why does our body need it? At what point does something normal and essential become something we worry about? What do cholesterol
Doctors' Notes: Light
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about the sun's effect on our happiness with Professor Hester Parr, human geography and research lead of Living with Seasonal Affective Disorder.The doctors want to know how low light affects those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), how the disorder is viewed and what research is being done to help treat those with it, including that being conducted
Why do we feel happier when the sun’s out?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand will shine a light on…light. They discuss why the sun can help lift our mood, and its effects on our sleep and general wellbeing. Joining them to discuss this is Professor Hester Parr, a profe
Doctors' Notes: Buildings
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about how the built environment affects our health, with architect Lisa Finlay from Heatherwick Studio.They ask when wellbeing first became a serious consideration in architecture, how Lisa weaves it into her own projects, and whether cities can be designed in ways that actively support public health.They also explore what the “healthy building” of the fu
Can buildings make us healthier?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the building blocks of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, they step outside into the built environment to ask: can buildings affect our health? From light and air to noise, materials and design, they explore how architecture shapes the way we feel, think and function.They visit Coal
Doctors' Notes: Hips
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about hips with Dr Paulina Kloskowska, physiotherapist, academic, and researcher.The doctors discuss hip replacements, how they can potentially be avoided and which activities best support hip health. They also want to learn more about why women are more likely to need a hip replacement and what research is being done to change the landscape of women’s hi
How can you look after your hips?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into hip health. How do your hips work? Why is it such a unique part of the body? What can go wrong? They also examine common hip injuries, how women’s hips differ from men’s, how our hip
Doctors' Notes: Toothache
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about toothache with Praveen Sharma, Associate Professor & Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham.They explore how dental pain was treated in the past, and what’s changed since. They also explore how modern lifestyles and diets may be contributing to dental problems.If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or
How can you avoid toothache?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken get to the root of what shapes our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they ask why our teeth so often cause pain and problems. They look at how teeth work, why they’re so prone to decay, and what actually causes toothache. They ask when it’s time to see a dentist, what helps with the pain, and
Doctors' Notes: Shoulders
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about endometriosis with Kate Haynes, Chartered Human Physiotherapist and Veterinary Physiotherapist.The doctors want to know how to maintain shoulder health year-round, how to avoid overworking our shoulders and some top tips for rehabilitation of shoulder injuries. They also want to learn more from Kate about the similarities and differences between hum
How can you best look after your shoulders?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into shoulder health. How do your shoulders work? What can go wrong? What to do if you experience problems with your shoulders? They also examine how best to maintain shoulder health thro
Doctors' Notes: Endometriosis
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about endometriosis with Dr Chi Eziefula, Associate Professor in Global Health and Infection at Brighton and Sussex Medical School.The doctors want to know what the deeper biology of endometriosis is, how general attitudes around women’s health impact the time it takes to be diagnosed with conditions, and if we are seeing any change in the research and so
How can we better understand endometriosis?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into endometriosis, a condition that occurs when cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body. It affects around one in ten women of reprod
Doctors' Notes: Immune Health
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about immune health with Prof Dan Davis, Head of Life Sciences and Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London.The doctors want to know more about the deeper biology of the immune system. Is it true that a bit of stress prevents infection, while chronic stress is detrimental to your immune system? Why does intense exercise drop the immune response?
Does your immune system need boosting?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.What defines a well-functioning immune system, and why are some people seemingly "immune" to everything while others catch every cold? In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into the complex mechanics of immunology. They tackl
Doctors' Notes: Kissing
Chris and Xand dig deeper into the evolution of kissing. They ask what first drew our guest into this unusual area of research, why evidence that humans and Neanderthals kissed is so significant, and why it’s so challenging to explain why kissing developed in the first place.If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.u
Why do we kiss?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken try to get to the bottom of the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this Valentine’s Day-themed episode, they turn their attention to kissing. Why do humans kiss, how did it evolve, and does it offer any biological advantage? They also explore the meaning behind different types of kisses an
Doctors' Notes: Focus
Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about focus with Duncan Astle, Professor of Neuroinformatics at the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University.Chris and Xand want to know what the impact of having ADHD is, whether a diagnosis can help and if it can predict anything, the neurology and evolutionary explanations for ADHD, and which interventions are currently available. They also
How can you improve your focus?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into focus and how it can be improved. How do focus and attention work? Are there different types of attention? What impacts your ability to focus? Is social media ruining your focus? How
Daily Dose: Laughter
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on laughter with Professor Sophie Scott CBE, a leading expert in the neuroscience of laughter, from University College London. Sophie explained how laughter is a positive, evolutionary trait that we all go on a journey to understand as we grow up. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout
Daily Dose: Core Strength
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on core strength with physiotherapist James Moore. James highlighted why exercising our core can help us live long and strong, but doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym hard.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on
Daily Dose: Fibre
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on fibre with Dr Deirdre Tobias. Deirdre outlined why fibre is important for our diets and where we should be getting it from.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episodes of
Doctors' Notes: Diet
Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about food with Professor of Psychology Ashley Gearhardt. Drawing on her clinical experience, they explore what it means to live with food addiction and how shame and stigma make it harder to talk openly, seek help, or make changes. They also explore how Ashley came to study food addiction, and the links between industrial processing of food and tobac
How can we sustain a healthy diet?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand turn their attention to food. It’s January, and many of us have resolved to “eat better” but why does it so often feel like an uphill battle? Why do we crave certain foods and not others? And
Daily Dose: Fresh Breath
In this Daily Dose, Drs Chris and Xand return to their episode on fresh breath with Dr Praveen Sharma. Praveen walked the docs through the best way to take care of our teeth and how we should be thinking about our oral health.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC So
Daily Dose: Saying 'No'
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on the power of saying no, with Dr Sunita Sah from Cornell University. Sunita had a fantastic point on how saying no is linked to our values - and how we can figure out what our values are.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s U
Daily Dose: Backs
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on backs with Dr Mindy Cairns, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Associate Professor at the University of Hertfordshire. Mindy offered some excellent insight into fear avoidance when it comes to back pain, and why we perhaps don’t need to be a fearful as we may think.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be
Daily Dose: Protein
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand are return to their episode on protein with Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge. Nita had a very clear message - get your protein from wholefoods, rather than supplements.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in
Doctors' Notes: Exercise
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about exercise with Dr Jo Blodgett, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at University College in London. She’s a life-course epidemiologist whose work focuses on how movement across the whole 24-hour day shapes population health.They talk to Jo about her own sporting background as a semi-professional national league footb
How much exercise should you do?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand explore the role and impact of exercise on our bodies and mood. Is going to the gym three times a week the best way of keeping fit? Or should you spread out your activity in shorter bursts thr
Daily Dose: Nails
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on nails with Dr Yusur Al-Nuaimi, Consultant Dermatologist at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and Clinical Lead for the British Hair and Nail Society. Yusur highlighted how our nails have developed to optimize human function and are deeply rooted without our evolutionary history.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will
Daily Dose: Sleep Deprivation
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand are returning to their episode on sleep with Professor of Circadian Neuroscience, Russell Foster. As a sleep expert, Russell explained why we can perhaps relax a bit when it comes to sleep, especially when it comes to losing some from time to time.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays
Daily Dose: Hanger
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on hanger with Professor of Social Psychology, Viren Swami who explains what hanger is and how best we should deal with it.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episodes of the
Daily Dose: Willpower
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their first episode of What’s Up Docs?, on willpower with Kimberley Wilson. Chartered Psychologist Kimberley reminded us that willpower might not actually be the positive, motivating force we think it is. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s
Doctors' Notes: Alcohol
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about alcohol with Dr May van Schalkwyk, Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, who focuses on how commercial actors influence ideas, knowledge, science and policymaking.The twins want to know why some people might struggle to get through Dry January, whether we have a drinking culture in the UK and how it may have been shaped by industry. They a
Should you do Dry January?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into alcohol. Is there such a thing as a safe level of alcohol or a safe form? Are there actually any benefits to alcohol? Should teetotalism be the goal? They also explore the short- and
Daily Dose: Nature
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on nature with Professor Baroness Kathy Willis. Kathy had some excellent advice on how to bring more nature into our homes and lives.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episo
Daily Dose: Embarrassment
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on embarrassment with cultural historian, Dr Tiffany Watt-Smith. Tiffany identified that, while embarrassment is painful on a personal level, it is in fact an important social emotion.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Doc
Daily Dose: Knees
In this Daily Dose, Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are returning to their episode on knees with rheumatology professor, Phil Conaghan from University of Leeds. Phil gave Chris some sage advice on why you shouldn't avoid exercising your knees if they give you pain from time to time. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesday
Daily Dose: Menstrual Health
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on menstrual health with Dr Chi Eziefula, who flipped our perspective on the menstrual cycle, reframing it as a positive, evolutionary advantage that has enabled us to survive and thrive.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up
Doctors' Notes: Resolutions
In this new year episode, Chris and Xand continue their conversation with behaviour change expert Alasdair Cant, taking a closer look at the psychology behind our attempts to start afresh. They explore how Alasdair got into the field of behaviour change and the patterns that distinguish people who succeed with long-term change from those who struggle.If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or
Should we be turning over a new leaf in January?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this new year episode, they’re taking on the idea of the fresh start, especially the powerful urge many of us feel at the beginning of a new year to overhaul our health. Why do we want to make big changes in January? Why do
Daily Dose: Difficult Conversations
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on difficult conversations. Chartered Psychologist Kimberley Wilson has some great advice on how best to approach a difficult conversation and what happens when we find ourselves confronted by one.Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the
Daily Dose: False Memories
January is a time when we pay considerable attention to our health and wellbeing and we all want a little reminder of some tips and tricks for how best to care for and think about our minds and bodies. In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand need a refresher on the episode of What’s Up Docs? about False Memories. They were joined by Dr Linda Henkel, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Fair
Daily Dose: Napping
January is a month when we pay considerable attention to our health and wellbeing and we all want a little reminder of some tips and tricks for how best to care for and think about our minds and bodies. In this first Daily Dose - if they can resist the temptation to snooze - Chris and Xand return to their episode on napping with Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at the University
Introducing the Daily Dose
Welcome to Chris and Xand's Daily Doses!January is a month when we pay considerable attention to our health and wellbeing and we all want a little reminder of some tips and tricks for how best to care for and think about our minds and bodies. So, alongside the four main episode of What's Up Docs?, each weekday this January (other than Tuesdays), we'll be dropping a Daily Dose of expert wisdom from
Doctors' Notes: Joy
Chris and Xand continue their conversation with Professor Sophie Scott, CBE. Together, they explore the neuroscience behind joy: what happens in the brain when joy strikes, how spontaneous joy differs from the joy of achievement, and whether joy serves an evolutionary purpose. They also ask whether joy can be cultivated, and what a healthy relationship with joy might look like in the long term.If
Is joy always good for us?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken try to get to the bottom of the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.In this festive episode, they turn their attention to joy. What actually is joy, and how is it different from happiness or pleasure? Why do some people seem to feel it more intensely, and does that make them more vulnerable to
Doctors' Notes: Comfort
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about comfort with Dr Tiffany Watt Smith, writer and cultural historian interested in the histories of emotion and medicine, former director of the Centre for the History of Emotions at Queen Mary University of London, and fellow of the Royal Historical Society.Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken want to know what nostalgia is, how it can affect us, how it in
How can you find comfort in the winter months?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into winter comforts. What is comfort? How has the meaning of comfort evolved? How did the ancients find comfort in the winter? How do other cultures embrace comfort? They explore the his
Doctors' Notes: Hearing Loss
Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about hearing loss with Prof Doris Bamiou, Professor of Neuroaudiology at the UCL Ear Institute, and Honorary Consultant in Audiological Medicine at the University College London Hospitals.Chris and Xand want to know how cognitive processing of sound works, what audio processing disorder is, why it happens, how it is diagnosed, and the external factor
What can you do about hearing loss?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into the physical side of hearing loss. What is the cocktail party problem, and why does it get worse with age? How does hearing work? What causes hearing loss? How can we protect our hea
Doctors' Notes: Dopamine
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about dopamine with Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology & Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford. They explore how he first became interested in dopamine, what happens when dopamine systems become overactive, underactive, or disrupted, and whether we have any real control over our dopamine at all. Masud also shares the one thing he wishes
Can you be ‘addicted to dopamine’?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.In this episode, they’re diving into dopamine – one of the most talked-about chemicals in modern wellness culture. But what is dopamine, really? What role does it play in pleasure, motivation, learning, and movement? And how ac
Doctors' Notes: Beliefs
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about belief with Ryan McKay, Professor of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London.They want to know why some beliefs take hold so strongly, what’s happening in our brains when we hold on to them, and how trust, identity, and community shape what we believe. Beyond that, they’ll explore why health beliefs can be so difficult to shift, and wheth
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