A Question of Science
Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of top scientists as they answer audience questions on major science challenges, from curing cancer to climate change and AI. Each episode is recorded live and features experts like Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, and Paul Nurse. The podcast focuses on accuracy, openness, and debate about what science knows and where it might lead. It is a BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute.
Episodes
A Question of Science Series 2 - Coming Soon...
A Question of Science is back - with free tickets to live recordings available now! Join Professor Brian Cox in person and put your questions to a panel of leading scientists and experts on a huge range of topics. We’ll be exploring how A.I. is changing medicine, what’s really happening inside the teenage brain, how can science help save our oceans, beat superbugs, tackle addiction, an
Ancient Egyptian DNA, Cheddar Man and wolves as pets
Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of ancient DNA, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions. How far can we go back in time using DNA? How accurate is ancient DNA when it comes to understanding our past? Why was diversity in DNA vital for the survival of early humans? Do we really share 60% of our genetic code with bananas?See omnystudio.com/listener for pr
Rethinking sex, artificial wombs and how to up your sperm count
Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of fertility, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions. Should we sequence the DNA of embryos and use A.I. to choose which to implant? Are ultra-processed foods and microplastics really effecting fertility? And will new technologies mean humans could one day reproduce like squid?See omnystudio.com/listene
Decarbonising flying, cleaning up A.I. and the personal cost of climate change
Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of global warming and how society should adapt, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions. Will new green technologies really help us reach net zero? What is solar forcing? Which regions of the planet will become uninhabitable and when?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cancer vaccines, tumour-killing cells and does fasting work as a treatment?
Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of cancer, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions. Do tumours communicate with the brain, is glucose carcinogenic and could our immune system’s natural killer cells be used to combat cancer?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ultra processed foods, weight loss jabs and why don’t we eat enough fibre?
Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of nutrition, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions. What is food noise, what is the impact of artificial sweeteners on the gut and why do many women turn from a pear to an apple shape during menopause? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Longevity by luck, vaccines for dementia and how fame ages you
Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of ageing, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions. How do men and women age differently? Why is it healthy to forget things? What’s the latest research on regenerating old cells?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing.... More Questions of Science
Introducing More Questions of Science – bite-size episodes where we revisit some of the biggest ideas from the first 12 episodes of the series and take the conversation even further. Professor Brian Cox will be in his home studio, catching up with some of the expert panellists from earlier in the series. Together, they’ll tackle your follow-up questions, explore new angles and go deepe
Can We Build A Human?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the frontier of human bioengineering and building, replacing, and enhancing our bodies. Will we ever have bionic brains and cloned humans? Is there a danger of science fiction getting too close for comfort? From mechanical implants to lab-grown organs to whether humans could evolve to live in space, the discussion delve
What is consciousness?
Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel explore the elusive science of consciousness – what it is, how it arises, whether it can be observed in the brain, and the most compelling theories explaining it. In a deep, often mind-bending discussion, the panel tackles the many ways of interpreting consciousness itself, and how fields like psychophysics can be used to quantify imagination and
Can We Trust The Science Of Nutrition?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel dive into the complex world of diet, nutrition and food choices. With new probiotic and high-protein products appearing on supermarket shelves every day and conflicting nutritional advice coming from every direction, it’s difficult to cut through the noise when it comes to what we eat. Our panel uses expertise from their roles as nutrition
Can We Repair The Ageing Brain?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the science of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other conditions that cause dementia. More than 55 million people around the world are living with dementia, with the number set to rise in ageing populations. How close are we to effective, affordable treatments? What are the genetic risks? Can we prevent it developing? The panel takes a
What Is The Future Of Fertility?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the science of fertility. Making babies is big business but our scientific understanding of fertilisation, pregnancy and embryo development is surprisingly limited. In this episode, our panel discuss emerging technologies that could shape the future of fertility and tackle audience questions on declining sperm counts,
Who Owns Space?
Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel tackle the technology, politics and ethics of space exploration. From space tourism to the search for life on Mars, space is a rapidly expanding, multi-trillion-pound global industry, driven by scientific, commercial and often political goals. But what are the rules of space and who makes them? In this episode, the p
Who Are Our Ancestors And Why Does It Matter?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel are talking all things ancient DNA. Over the past 50 years, new technology has allowed researchers to sequence and study centuries-old DNA taken from ancient, long-buried human remains. This new insight into our past has led to a whole new understanding of our ancestors, from our migration across the globe, to the environmental changes we’ve experienc
Will We Survive Climate Change?
Professor Brian Cox and a panel of experts discuss how to curb rising global temperatures and what life could be like in a warmer world. Our planet is hotting up. But as temperatures climb, can we cope with a climate emergency? What can science and technology to do help us, and will social and political change make a difference? Our panel answers the audience’s questions on everything from c
Are We Prepared For The Next Pandemic?
Professor Brian Cox and a panel of experts discuss COVID-19 and whether we are prepared for the next pandemic. Where or when could it happen? How could we control it? What would we do differently? In this episode, a lively studio audience quizzes world-leading scientists and doctors working on the frontline, specialising in infectious disease, vaccines and protecting us from the next deadly outbre
Can We Harness A.I. For Good?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the reality and possibilities of artificial intelligence, and how it's changing our lives. A.I. and machine learning are now part of our everyday lives, but where are they headed and who is in charge? Our panel of scientists, writers and policymakers answers audience questions about the hopes and fears surrounding A.I. and how it can be controlled,
Can We Cure Cancer?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel are discussing the future of cancer research and treatment. With nearly 1 in 2 of us in the UK now expected to receive a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime, pursuing a cure is more important than ever. Our panel brings expertise from the lab, the clinic and their own experiences to answer audience questions about lifestyle and genetic risks, treatment s
Can We Live Forever?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore ageing, longevity and the science behind our lifespans. Human life expectancy has increased steadily over the last 200 years, but we may be reaching a ceiling. Is this our biological limit, or could the next big scientific breakthrough push it even further? Might repurposing existing drugs help extend our lifespans? Our panel of researchers an
Introducing A Question of Science
Professor Brian Cox and panels of the world’s top scientists and experts will be tackling your questions in a new series, launching 17 September. Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of A.I. mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a lively audience and it’s their questions that
