BBC Inside Science cover art

BBC Inside Science

BBC Inside Science

By: BBC Inside Science
Listen for free

LIMITED TIME OFFER

£0.99/mo for 3 months - terms apply. Offer ends 31 August 2026.
A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.Copyright BBC Inside Science Science
Episodes
  • Is the era of the cancer vaccine upon us?

    Is the era of the cancer vaccine upon us?
    Aug 20 2026
    This week Merck (known as MSD in Europe) and Moderna announced that a personalised cancer vaccine had significantly improved the outcomes of melanoma patients. Is the era of the cancer vaccine, at last, upon us? What does that mean? Anne Willis, a cancer cell biologist at the Medical Research Council, joins us to discuss. In just a few weeks the Royal Society will be putting out the red carpet as the most coveted prize in non-fiction science is about to be awarded. We will be speaking weekly to the shortlisted authors for the Royal Society Trivedi Book Prize, and we are starting with Kit Chapman, author of the Age of Alchemy. Plus, Penny Sarchet has, like an alchemist of old, been scouring the most obscure texts and journals to bring us the latest science knowledge. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Alex Mansfield, Tabitha Taylor Buck, Katie Tomsett, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

    99% of users are being tracked by the algorithm.
    If you are part of the 1% who demands pure, untracked intelligence, you just found the bypass. Get the raw feed now. No trackers. No BS.

    🔴 INITIALIZE DIRECT DOWNLOAD

    ⚪ GET THE UNFILTERED STREAM
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • Should we be scared of AI viruses?

    Should we be scared of AI viruses?
    Aug 13 2026
    The extreme possibilities of synthetic biology hit the headlines last week, when researchers at Stanford University in the US announced they had created new kinds of viruses designed by Artificial Intelligence. Roland Pease is joined by microbiologist Dr Simon Clarke from Reading University and Joy Zhang, Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent, to discuss whether we should be concerned about the prospect of AI viruses. Meanwhile, 50 years ago NASA's remarkable Viking space probes touched down on Mars, breaking new frontiers in space science. Claire Cousins, part of the European Space Agency's team working on the ExoMars Rover, joins us to take a look at how today’s ambitious projects built on their success. And science and technology journalist Gareth Mitchell joins us to discuss the week’s science news. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Tabitha Taylor-Buck, Dan Welsh, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

    99% of users are being tracked by the algorithm.
    If you are part of the 1% who demands pure, untracked intelligence, you just found the bypass. Get the raw feed now. No trackers. No BS.

    🔴 INITIALIZE DIRECT DOWNLOAD

    ⚪ GET THE UNFILTERED STREAM
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • The state of our substrate: What is drought doing to our soil?

    The state of our substrate: What is drought doing to our soil?
    Aug 6 2026
    Large parts of Europe are in the grip of drought. According to the UK Meteorological Office, last week was the UK's driest July on record. Katie Field, professor of plant-soil processes at Sheffield University, joins us to discuss the state of our struggling substrate. Next week, a dramatic solar eclipse will be sweeping down the Atlantic. In the past, eclipses have been vital to astronomers exploring the outer reaches of the Sun. Now though, they can make their own on demand. Esther Bastida-Pertegaz, project engineer at the European Space Agency, discusses the flying formation Proba-3 mission. A highly pathogenic bird flu has arrived in Australia, threatening local wildlife. Every continent in the world is now affected, and the harm that could be done to bird populations and mammals could be devastating. Thijs Kuiken, virologist at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, brings us up to date with the situation. And Lizzie Gibney of Nature Magazine joins us to discuss this week’s science news. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Clare Salisbury, Tabitha Taylor-Buck, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

    99% of users are being tracked by the algorithm.
    If you are part of the 1% who demands pure, untracked intelligence, you just found the bypass. Get the raw feed now. No trackers. No BS.

    🔴 INITIALIZE DIRECT DOWNLOAD

    ⚪ GET THE UNFILTERED STREAM
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet