Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.
Find out how to listen to other BBC stations
The Spreading Use of Drugs
First broadcast in 1997. Examination into the social consequences of the misuse of drugs
08 May 1997,·27 mins
Schizophrenia
The voices are loud and nasty, is how Janie describes having schizophrenia
26 Dec 2000,·13 mins
Conflict
Why do governments shut down the internet?
16 Mar 2022,·26 mins
Did Douglas Adams predict the future in the year 2000?
14 Mar 2015,·30 mins
Clyde Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto in 1930 sparked discussions that continue today
19 Feb 1996,·9 mins
The Church
The Church's role in the development of the calendar
29 Nov 1999,·13 mins
Genetic Engineering
Adding enzymes to washing powder and using micro-organisms in pollution control
07 Feb 1996,·9 mins
Professor Colin Blakemore defends his research done on animals
26 Jun 1996,·4 mins
Trevor Cox finds out how recording and copying music compromises the original quality.
07 Jan 2016,·28 mins
Northern Right Whales
Northern Right Whales in danger of extinction
11 Jan 1999,·13 mins
Dr Mark Lythgoe investigates the science of erasing memories.
20 Jul 2011,·30 mins
Swing Bridge for Suez Canal
First broadcast in 1997. The world’s largest swing bridge
12 Mar 1997,·18 mins
The story of a scientific surprise and what happened next.
14 Jan 2026,·28 mins
Is digital equality possible?
An action plan to help end the digital divide?
20 Mar 2006,·22 mins
Globalisation
What lies behind globalisation?
25 Sep 2000,·23 mins
Towards Healthier Societies
How do we measure the health of a society? And how can we improve it?
06 Jul 2000,·24 mins
Can you identify the substance in question from a series of clues?
27 Jul 1999,·13 mins
Angus Roxburgh explores the years when the Soviet Union ruled space.
04 Apr 2011,·30 mins
Episode 2
Matthew Hill asks if the 14-day limit on research on human embryos should be extended.
24 Jan 2017,·28 mins
Meet the engineers and scientists at MIT who are shaping our future
10 Sep 2005,·22 mins
Shopping online
Online shopping trends and real-life experiences
24 Jan 2004,·12 mins
Jon Stewart explores how robots are used as carers and motivators.
03 Oct 2011,·30 mins
2021 Reith lecturer Stuart Russell on recent developments in artificial intelligence.
23 May 2023,·28 mins
What does it take to make something which has never existed on Earth before?
10 Sep 2025,·28 mins
Patterns of Disease
The shocking truth about patterns in global disease
23 Oct 1998,·13 mins
Genetically Modified Farm Animals
Advances in animal husbandry including genetic engineering in farming
01 Sep 2003,·12 mins
Access for All, HIV Drugs
The high price of medicine
17 Aug 2004,·22 mins
Why are scientists and designers are deliberately planning for failure?
14 May 2009,·30 mins
Podcasters Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann trace the origins of on-demand radio.
11 Apr 2014,·28 mins
Where Half The Population Has A Mobile Phone
First broadcast in 2006. In Botswana, every other person has a mobile phone
18 Oct 2006,·26 mins
