Life Without is a roundtable-style podcast hosted by Alan Davies that explores thought-provoking hypothetical scenarios. Each episode poses a bold question: what would happen if something essential to our world suddenly vanished? Guests including scientists, psychologists, economists, sociologists, and journalists discuss the immediate fallout, societal coping mechanisms, and long-term consequences. The podcast combines insight, evidence-based assumptions, and diverse perspectives to imagine a world without fundamental elements like the moon, salt, sleep, or rats.
Episodes
Life Without Tears
No more tears, for sore eyes or sad films. In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies turns off the tap. What happens when humanity loses the tears that protect our eyes as well as the ones we cry?Alan examines how tears keep eyes working, why artificial replacements may not be enough, and what changes when emotional weeping vanishes too. From courtrooms to funerals, can society show distress an
Life Without Plankton
The ocean’s tiniest drifters disappear. In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies removes plankton from the sea. They may be hard to see, but what happens when the foundation of ocean life is suddenly gone? Alan explores the food webs that begin with plankton, from fish to seabirds and whales. He also looks at the familiar things they shape, including the smell of the seaside and glowing blue t
Life Without Memory
No new memories. In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies takes away our ability to form them. We can still live in the moment, but what happens when that moment will not stay with us? Alan explores different kinds of memory, from knowing how to ride a bike to recalling a personal experience. Can technology, routines and support help us cope? And what might memory loss reveal about how people
Life Without Bats
No bats in the night sky. In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies imagines a world where bats suddenly disappear. From tiny insect-eaters to fruit bats, what would humanity miss when these remarkable mammals are gone? Alan explores the role bats play in controlling insects, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. He also examines their surprising social lives, their unusual immune systems, a
Life Without S2 - Trailer
What if, one day, something essential to our world suddenly vanished? No warning. No explanation. Just gone. What happens next?Life Without is a roundtable-style podcast that explores this fascinating and thought-provoking question with insight, evidence-based assumptions and a range of perspectives. Hosted by Alan Davies, each episode brings together 2 guests, scientists, psychologists, economist
Life Without North America
What would happen to the world if the USA disappears? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies explores a planet earth without the land mass of North America. How would opening up the Atlantic impact us in the UK and what would the disappearance of North American produce and people mean for the rest of the world?This episode features Dr. Anjana Khatwa an award winning Earth Scientist and auth
Life Without Standard Time
Spring Forward, Fall Back or what if we just didn’t? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at how our circadian rhythms would be impacted if we simply stopped changing the clocks. Some scientists have argued to do away with the twice-yearly clock change in order to see some beneficial impacts on our health. So why have some parts of the world adopted this system while places like Rus
Life Without Sleep
We all know the importance of sleep, but what happens if we literally can’t? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies breaks down how long a world full of sleepy people could function. From memory loss to hallucinations, sleep is keeping all our brains working and our bodies functioning. Without it, we would surely die, but what might happen before we do and has tech found solutions to life wi
Life Without Writing
How many of us even use a pen these days and what if we never picked one up ever again? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at our ancient skill of handwriting. If we could no longer write, would it really matter? From the feather with ink to our daily ballpoint, writing has been the most personal and poetic way to communicate throughout human history. But as less of us pick up a pe
Life Without Sex
Gen Z are famously having less of it. Do we even need it all? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at what happens when we lose one of our most primal instincts? Where do we currently stand in reproductive technology and how important is sex in understanding our biological function?This episode features Miranda Kane a comedian, writer, and former sex worker who uses her platform to d
Life Without Bees
No more buzzing, no more honey, no more bees – so then what? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at how dependent we are on the existence of our busy little friends. From how they impact our diets to the medicinal qualities of their produce (honey and beeswax), we learn what is missing from the shelves, when bees are missing from our lives. This episode features Simon Potts ecolog
Life Without Salt
A low salt diet is one thing, but a no salt life? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies discusses how Sodium Chloride affects our world and our taste buds.From our kitchens to our oceans, salt is everywhere and our brains and bodies would struggle without it. How long before we struggle and what alternatives might be available today?This episode features Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materia
Life Without Worms
They wriggle and writhe in the earth beneath us, surely, we’d be fine if they vanished? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks beneath our feet deep into the soil and the hard workers who live there.This episode features Mark Hodson, Professor of Environmental Science and soil sister, horticulturist, and founder of GoGrowWithLove, Sandra Salazar D’eca.An ITN production for BBC Radio 4
Life Without Rats
Surely a world without the rodents we look to exterminate anyway would be fine? In this episode of Life Without, our host Alan Davies thinks about how our cities might look if all the rats were removed.From the sewers in mega cities to the barren countryside, rats are highly adaptable, but what happens when we remove them from their hiding spots? Are we pest-free and will hygiene ratings in restau
Life Without the Moon
Full moon, half-moon, total eclipse. What happens when we look up and the moon is missing? In this episode of Life Without, our host Alan Davies imagines a world where the moon just ceases to exist, the Earth’s natural satellite gone. What would happen to our tides and how would creatures who depend on moonlight to hunt survive? The loss of the Moon would also have a huge impact on our psyche and
Introducing... Life Without
Hosted by Alan Davies, Life Without looks at what would happen to our planet if we removed one thing. Could pulling a single thread from our world really unravel the whole thing?
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