We’re telling tales of genetic sex and death, from the evolutionary origins of sex to Francis Galton’s dark eugenic fantasies
All in Episodes
S4.25 Best of 2021
We bring you our favourite bits from 2021, from the history of mRNA to canine superheroes, brilliant bats to the world’s most adventurous palaeontologist. Enjoy!
S4.24 The Natural Lottery: How our genes shape our lives
We’re chatting with Professor Paige Harden about how genetic variations might affect our chances in life, and what - if anything - we should do with this information.
S4.23 A menagerie of malignancy: Cancer across the animal kingdom
We’re taking a trip to the zoo, to find out how studying tumours across the animal kingdom can reveal insights into cancer in our own species.
S4.22 Wired for sound: The genetics of music
We’re getting in harmony with the science of music. Is there a music gene? Does musical talent really run in families? And how does the inability to perceive music impact on daily life?
S4.21 Rarities and Oddities: the strangest genetics stories of 2021
We’re squelching through Californian mud, swimming with platypuses, bearing witness to daylight robbery and even finding time to catch an episode of Star Trek as we look back on the strangest genetics stories of 2021.
S4.20 Baby boom: The surprising science of the placenta
We’re exploring the science behind one of the most remarkable but often overlooked organs in the mammalian body: the placenta.
S4.19 Reading the book of life: A brief history of DNA sequencing
We’re taking a look at how we learned to read the book of life, from the earliest days of DNA sequencing to the very latest futuristic technologies.
S4.18 Meet the Robinson Crusoe Islanders: the genetic roots of speech and language development
We drop in on the Robinson Crusoe islanders to learn about their story and discover what their genes can teach us about speech and language development.