Curious Cases

Science-based solutions to listener questions and puzzles AI summary

BBC Radio 4 Visit website › Science · EN · 172 episodes · latest 2026-11-13

Rank 744

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What it is about

Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain tackle listeners' conundrums with the power of science!

Publisher’s own description, taken unchanged from the podcast feed.
(C) BBC 2026

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Latest episodes

Rocket Science

2026-11-13 · 29 min

Fireworks have been lighting up our autumn skies for centuries - but what’s actually going on inside those dazzling bursts of colour, sound and stars? Hannah and Dara set out to discover the science behind the sparkle.…
Too Cute

2026-11-06 · 28 min

Why do we find the young of other species cute? Finding baby humans adorable makes evolutionary sense, ensuring that we care for them properly. But what about babies of other species? Hannah and Dara go down a fluffy…
Tessellation Proliferation

2026-10-30 · 28 min

We may think of tessellation as being about how to tile a flat plane but this week we reveal how repeating patterns actually occur all over the place, and can even help us solve some of nature's most complex…
Yawn Chorus

2026-10-23 · 28 min

We often associate yawning with being tired or bored - but this week's episode explores whether it could be a clever way to cool down our brains?Hannah and Dara discover humans aren't the only species that yawn. From…
Making Waves

2026-10-16 · 28 min

What happens when you give water a really good shake? You might expect splashing, spilling and general aquatic chaos - but under exactly the right conditions, something much stranger can happen... In this episode,…
Identical(ish)

2026-10-09 · 28 min

Ever wondered how close nature can get to making a human clone? And what happens if identical twin brothers marry identical twin sisters and have babies - how similar are they? Our listener Chris has been pondering this…
Trailer

2026-09-29 · 1 min

Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain return for a new series, and a whole lot of new problems to solve!
Frosty Fractals

2026-01-02 · 29 min

One winter morning, listener Jane opened her curtains to find her car roof covered in breathtaking, fern-like frost so intricate it looked like a William Morris print. But how does something as ordinary as ice create…
Mining for Gold (GOLD!)

2025-12-31 · 28 min

From pharaohs' tombs in Ancient Egypt and medieval currency, to priceless royal jewellery and Spandau Ballet songs - gold has been prized for millennia. But it's only really in the last century or so that we've started…
Phantom Pain

2025-12-19 · 28 min

What exactly is 'phantom pain' and how does it work? Hannah and Dara investigate a medical phenomenon that's been known about for centuries but is often misunderstood; and involves masses of unanswered questions.The…

Episode details from the publisher’s feed. Playback happens at the publisher.

Publisher details

Owner: BBC
Oldest episode in feed: 02/2016 · over 10 years
Typical length: 29 min
Format: Episodic Newest first, episodes stand alone

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