The Science of Baby Making

In this Christmas episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian Cox and Robin Ince head to the North Pole to explore the dazzling science behind the northern lights, the extreme adaptations that help animals - and even Santa Claus - survive the Arctic cold, and how the Earth’s magne ...  Show more

In perhaps the monkiest Infinite Monkey Cage episode there’s ever been, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to uncover the secrets of love, lust and friendship in primates. Swinging by to offer a hand (or tail) are evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, anthropologist Jo Setchell, ...  Show more

You're familiar with the story: a sperm and an egg meet to create an embryo, which has the potential to give rise to new life. But what if you could create a sperm or egg from any cell, even a single skin cell? Biologist Katsuhiko Hayashi discusses the science of in vitro gametog ...  Show more

There are all kinds of crazy ideas about how you can fall pregnant. Chris and Midwife Cath separate the facts from the fiction when it comes to fertility. No topic is taboo as they discuss ovulation, maximising sperm and just how often one can masturbate and still have strong swi ...  Show more

In which we meet the pioneers of one of the most exciting — and controversial — fields of biomedical research: in vitro gametogenesis, or IVG. The goal of IVG is to make unlimited supplies of what Hayashi calls "artificial" eggs and sperm from any cell in the human body. That cou ...  Show more

Welcome to a live QnA edition of our Science Shambles podcast. Please keep in mind that today is a tech run for the show so there may be a few little glitches here and there, bear with us! Science Shambles is hosted by comedian Robin Ince and physicist Dr Helen Czerski. Guests on ...  Show more