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by BBC World Service
Explorations in the world of science.
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- 5 days ago26 min
The Ocean Within Us
Here's a little fact you might have heard before: Humans are around 70% water. About the same percentage as a sweet potato, incidentally. But what does that actually mean? Sure, there's blood, that accounts for some of it. And the lymphatic system has a fair amount too, sloshing around. There's water in each of our cells. But that doesn't add up to the full 70% - where is the rest of it? In 2018, a scientific paper was published which gives a tantalising clue. The authors revealed for the first time that our 'interstitial spaces' - those gaps, between our bones and joints and all of our organs - spaces which are often somewhat sidelined in conventional anatomy - those spaces were full of a kind of soft, gel-like liquid. Flowing around the body. Bringing essential substances to where they're needed. Connecting all the disparate parts of us and communicating between them. They called this massive, fluid-filled system 'The Interstitium', and suggested that it might be a brand new, previously undiscovered organ. This moist, fibrous network seems to be important, in ways we still don't quite understand. It seems to have a key role in so many of our body's essential functions, from wound repair, to the maintenance of our body-clocks, to the spread of cancer from one tissue to another. And it's everywhere. Emily Knight takes a journey deep into the human body, into the ocean within us, the spaces in between the things we think of as 'us'. And discovers the way it flows, and the things that flow through it.
- 1 weeks ago26 min
The Art of Being a Zombie Ant Fungus
Cultural entomologist Bridget Nicholls investigates an intriguing natural phenomenon.An ant becomes infected by a fungus which takes over its nervous system, turning the ant into a vehicle for the fungus’s reproduction and killing the ant in the process. It sounds like science fiction, but it's happening in rainforests around the world.It's a parasitic relationship that has inspired the TV series The Last of Us, but it also reveals a great deal about control, autonomy and the interconnectedness of the natural world.With: Merlin Sheldrake, mycologist and writer Philip Ball, science writer Mark Brown, director of the University Museum of Zoology at Cambridge University Nura Sidarus, Lecturer in Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London Lore Lixenberg, mezzo-soprano and sound artist, and Jason Singh, sound artist and composer. Jason's recordings and compositions feature throughout this documentary.Zombie Ant Fungus: The chemistry of Control is a show created and produced by Bridget Nicholls, and written and directed by Wade McCollum who also performs in the show and composed its music. The original production premiered as a Pestival commission at the Royal Institution of Great Britain.Presenter: Bridget Nicholls Producer: Eliane Glaser
- 2 weeks ago26 min
Women Not Included: Consumer Products
Design is never neutral and small choices can have a big impact. Dr Ella Hubber and journalist Katie Silver explore how consumer products marketed to women are frequently developed without fully understanding their needs. Along with expert insight, they look at everything from footwear based on male anatomy to menstrual products tested with unrealistic methods, revealing how these decisions can affect comfort, performance and even health.As awareness grows, they also ask what change can look like and whether everyday products can finally reflect women’s real needs.Presenter/producer: Ella Hubber Assistant Producer: Scarlett Victoria Researcher: Elliott Prince Editor: Ilan Goodman
- 3 weeks ago26 min
Women Not Included: Medical Devices
CPR mannequins, medical implants and surgical tools. These are life changing and lifesaving medical devices. But when they are built around male bodies, what does that mean for everyone else?Through expert insight, Dr Ella Hubber and journalist Candice Bailey uncover how gaps in research can lead to higher complication rates in women, why the “one-size-fits-all” design method falls short, and how even the operating theatre can fail women. As awareness grows, they also ask what change can look like and whether the tools used in healthcare can finally serve every body.[EH1.1]Presenter/producer: Ella Hubber Researcher: Elliott Prince Editor: Ilan Goodman
- Aug 31, 202626 min
Women not included: Artificial Intelligence
Dr Ella Hubber and journalist Katie Silver unpack how artificial intelligence is far from neutral, and why that matters. They speak to experts who reveal how some AI is trained with bad data and how this means it can often reflect the same inequalities found in society be that in voice assistants, hiring tools, or translation apps.As awareness grows, they also ask what change can look like. Better training, better regulation, and the technologies shaping our future working fairly for everyone.Presenter/producer: Ella Hubber Researcher: Elliott Prince Editor: Ilan Goodman
- Aug 24, 202626 min
Women Not Included: Urban Planning
On every street corner, at every bus stop, in every public toilet the message is clear: this city is not built for women. Along with journalist Chhavi Sachdev, Dr Ella Hubber explores how urban design often fails to reflect the realities of women’s lives. They unpack issues like why women spend longer queuing for toilets, how safety concerns shape the way women move through cities, and why transport systems built around linear commutes fail those juggling care, work and home. As awareness grows, they also ask what change can look like. More inclusive planning, policies shaped by lived experience, and cities finally designed to work for everyone. Presenter/producer: Ella Hubber Researcher: Elliott Prince Editor: Ilan Goodman
- Aug 17, 202626 min
Women Not Included: Safety Equipment
Safety equipment is often designed around an “average” male body and Dr Ella Hubber wants to understand the consequences this has for women. Alongside journalist Candice Bailey and expert voices, we hear how healthcare workers are forced to adapt to PPE never made for them and how car safety systems fail to reflect the way women’s bodies respond in collisions. As awareness grows, they also ask what change can look like and if, through better data, and more women’s input, safety equipment can protect us all equally.Presenter/Producer: Ella Hubber Researcher: Elliott Prince Editor: Ilan Goodman
- Aug 10, 202626 min
Women Not Included: Drugs and Clinical Trials
After working exclusively with male mice while looking for a treatment for type 1 diabetes, Dr Ella Hubber begins to uncover a much bigger issue: modern medicine is not built equally for everyone. Along with journalist Chhavi Sachdev, she explores how decades of clinical research have overlooked women with serious consequences.Through expert interviews, they examine how women were historically excluded from clinical trials, why biological differences matter in how drugs work, and how this has led to higher rates of side effects. The story reveals how gaps in research continue to shape women’s healthcare today. As awareness grows, they also ask what change can look like. More representative trials, pharmaceutical companies held accountable, and medicine finally built for everyone.Presenter/Producer: Ella Hubber Researcher: Elliott Prince Editor: Ilan Goodman
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