Best Chris Lintott Podcasts (2025)

1
Asteroid Adventures - Chris Lintott 47:25

3d ago47:25

47:25

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/H8nG29pO_y4 Asteroids were for years considered 'celestial vermin' - objects which got in the way of more interesting fodder for astronomers. Now, they are central to our Solar System's story, representing the building blocks from which planets are made, and capable of telling us the history of the last …

1
The LGBT+ Showstopper: ‘I Am What I Am’ - Dominic Broomfield-McHugh 44:32

6d ago44:32

44:32

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/-TsWDdeQK34 Composed by Jerry Herman of Hello, Dolly! fame, ‘I Am What I Am’ first appeared in the Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles (1983). As well as gaining importance as a gay anthem during the AIDS crisis, the song has gone on to become a hit for several Black divas including Gloria Gaynor and Shi…

1
Documentary Photography in Apartheid South Africa - Tamar Garb 58:39

9d ago58:39

58:39

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/9tcRtGh7hkM This lecture looks at debates and dialogues that characterise realist photography in Apartheid South Africa (1948-1994) examining the tensions between advocacy, propaganda and the ‘struggle’ on the one hand and the poetics of everyday life on the other. Figures from Ernest Cole and David Gold…

1
Just Ask The Axis: Jimi Hendrix unpicked - Milton Mermikides 49:51

13d ago49:51

49:51

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/rKoYL4yrNsg Despite being cited as one of the most creative and influential guitarists of all time, and his tragically short life, Jimi Hendrix’s playing and composing are yet to be fully analysed. This lecture will demystify his diverse influences and reveal the full range of his extraordinary invention…

1
The Case for Basic Income - Guy Standing 34:41

16d ago34:41

34:41

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/cjJSWgvHZKw This lecture puts forth the ethical and economic case for a basic income, enabling financial security and therefore a better quality of life for all. Financial insecurity affects one’s ability to make rational decisions – studies show it even lowers short-term IQ – making it even harder to im…

1
The Turbulent Brain: Rhythms and Waves - Alain Goriely 56:21

20d ago56:21

56:21

Despite its quiet appearance, the brain is the seat of complicated wave dynamics. Indeed, cognitive processes are carried out through communications between neurons, leading to synchronisation and oscillations at different frequencies that can be recorded. Together, these oscillations also create waves that propagate through different regions. Apar…

1
Banned Books and Freedom of Expression - Rachel Potter 45:37

27d ago45:37

45:37

The right to free expression is severely threatened in many places in the world, yet it has also never been so passionately defended. This lecture focuses on the recent history of banned literature. It considers the changing nature of literary censorship, arguments in defence of free expression, why literary writers have so frequently pushed the bo…

1
Trust Issues: When Financial "Experts" Have Other Plans - Raghavendra Rau 58:14

1M ago58:14

58:14

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/0jSUfa0LQAo This lecture examines agency problems in various relationships, including between investors and fund managers, and within financial intermediaries. This lecture was recorded by Raghavendra Rau on 3rd February 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London Raghu is the Mercers School Memorial Professor of…

1
Carbon Offsetting: Does It Really Work? - Myles Allen 51:53

1M ago51:53

51:53

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/MB73qh4pIYM Offsets, politely called carbon credit markets, are essential to many net-zero strategies, yet remain highly controversial. They seem an efficient solution for “unavoidable” emissions – but who decides what is unavoidable? This lecture will discuss several plans to achieve our climate goals, …

1
Nature's Shapes - Dave Gorman, Sarah Hart and Thomas Woolley 42:27

1M ago42:27

42:27

Brian Cox and Robin Ince unpick the hidden codes behind the shapes we see in nature with mathematicians Sarah Hart & Thomas Woolley and comedian Dave Gorman. The panel marvel at how evolution so often beats mathematicians to finding the most elegant solutions, after all, it’s had millennia to experiment. How do trees achieve the optimal distributio…

1
Is the First Amendment the greatest right of all? - Clive Stafford Smith 59:06

1M ago59:06

59:06

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/W5EKhMWdjP4 In this lecture we will discuss a hierarchy of rights. Is the American First Amendment the most important of all, given its five foundational rights – no establishment of religion; free exercise of religion; freedom of speech and the press; the right peaceably to assemble; the right to petiti…

1
The Sound of Music - Brian Eno, Sam Bennett and Trevor Cox 42:43

1M ago42:43

42:43

Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the history of music recording, joined by acoustics professor Trevor Cox, music professor Sam Bennett and musician and producer Brian Eno. Together they guide us through the evolution of sound recording, a space in which technology hasn’t stood still since its advent in the mid-1800s. We hear the very first recognis…

1
The Biggest Cosmic Map - Chris Lintott 45:12

1M ago45:12

45:12

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/TRCkgDWKTdY Mapping the stars is, perhaps, the oldest of astronomical pursuits, but it has been perfected by the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, which is providing an exquisitely precise map showing the positions and movements of the nearest two billion stars. Starting with a history of mapping the…

1
Data: A Love Story for the Ages - Victoria Baines 50:21

2M ago50:21

50:21

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/7mW52bW23go It has become something of a cliché to say that data is the new oil. That isn’t the full story. For centuries it has proved itself to be infinitely re-usable. It has enabled the creation and reinforcement of collective memory. It has been documented in innumerable formats, from maps to databa…

1
Saturn v Jupiter - Katherine Parkinson, Paul Abel and Michele Dougherty 42:21

2M ago42:21

42:21

Brian Cox and Robin Ince referee as Saturn and Jupiter square up to each other in a planetary face-off. Representing Team Saturn is space physicist Professor Michele Dougherty, and in the opposite corner is Dr Paul Abel on Team Jupiter. Katherine Parkinson judges this cosmic contest, casting the final vote to decide who will be awarded the coveted …

1
The Return of the Horned God - Ronald Hutton 45:42

2M ago45:42

45:42

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/IAilwM_WdbI Until the nineteenth century, the favourite ancient pagan gods in Western culture were those related to human qualities and activities. During that century, especially in Britain, attention switched to a horned divinity associated with the countryside and wild nature, usually personified as t…

1
Green Immunity – How Do Plants Fight Infection? - Robin May 45:34

2M ago45:34

45:34

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/Et8_myknHq8 Most of us rarely think about plant immunity. But, like us, plants can distinguish between different pathogens, trigger a ‘bespoke’ immune response and retain a memory of past infections to boost future immunity. However, plant immune systems also exhibit enviable features like the ability to…

1
Adventures on Ice - Darren Harriott, Liz Morris, Christoph Salzmann and Felicity Aston 42:32

2M ago42:32

42:32

Robin Ince and Brian Cox venture into the captivating and surprisingly mysterious realm of ice. Joining them on this cool adventure are former ice dancer Darren Harriott, glaciologist Liz Morris, polar explorer Felicity Aston and ice chemist Christoph Salzmann. From beautifully formed snowflakes to ice shelves in Antarctica, our guests discuss the …

1
Unwritten Laws? Legacies from Antigone and Lycurgus - Melissa Lane 46:35

2M ago46:35

46:35

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/gQdabAQT3Jw Sophocles’ Antigone refers to “unwritten laws,” as does Thucydides’ Pericles. From the late fifth century BCE, the idea that laws are more effective when learned by memory and observation than when put into writing, forms a distinctive current in political reflections. Plutarch would even cla…

1
The Value of Public Space - Liza Fior 36:56

2M ago36:56

36:56

As we navigate towns and cities, public spaces are all around us. These offer a respite from our often-busy routines. Public spaces are more than just the leftover areas between buildings; they depend on how interests are designed and negotiated, and its success is measured by the interactions that take place in it: the passage of the sun, the root…

1
The UK’s Generational Wealth Gap - Mike Brewer 50:32

2M ago50:32

50:32

The UK's income inequality has remained stable since the 1990s, but household wealth has nearly doubled, mainly driven by soaring house prices. This has widened the wealth gap between generations, with younger people less likely to own homes. Furthermore, weak income growth since the mid-2000s has disproportionately affected younger cohorts. This l…

1
Why Does Britain Have a Water and Sewage Crisis? - Martin Daunton 58:26

2M ago58:26

58:26

The discharge of raw sewage into rivers, and the financial problems of major water companies, have become serious political and social concerns for the public. British cities have faced similar challenges in the past, most notoriously with the ‘Great Stink’ in London in 1858 that led to the construction of Bazalgette’s sewer. Consequently, many cit…

1
How selfish are we really? - Jo Brand, Matti Wilks and Steve Jones 42:26

2M ago42:26

42:26

Brian Cox and Robin Ince kindly open the door for each other as they step into understanding altruism, asking why humans have evolved to help each other. Joining them to explore the human tendency to be kind is evolutionary biologist Steve Jones, psychologist Matti Wilks and comedian Jo Brand. Starting with the animal kingdom, we probe the biologic…

1
The Hidden Risks of "I Know Something You Don't" - Raghavendra Rau 56:33

2M ago56:33

56:33

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/7pvF4FdbYWU This lecture explores how information asymmetry leads to adverse selection and moral hazard, with a focus on their presence in financial markets and institutions such as insurance and credit markets. It will examine how regulations intended to solve a particular set of issues might exacerbate…

1
Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Phil Wang, Ana Ferreira and Chris Jackson 42:40

2M ago42:40

42:40

Brian Cox and Robin Ince slice deep into the lesser-explored world beneath us. To join them on the journey from the crust to the core they are joined by seismologist Ana Ferreira, geologist Chris Jackson and comedian Phil Wang. School children learn about the make-up of the Earth with an image depicting the Earth's core, mantle and crust layered ne…

1
Is Your Money Safe? Unveiling Hidden Conflicts in Finance - Raghavendra Rau 54:29

3M ago54:29

54:29

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/gWJmpSO4WZI Finance involves a group of people attempting to make rational decisions on valuation, but people are complicated. People can be self-interested, they can make mistakes, or, in stark contrast, they can act altruistically. This lecture will introduce the concept of agency problems in the finan…

1
Brian and Robin introduce the new series 4:08

3M ago4:08

4:08

Brian Cox and Robin Ince look ahead to the topics and guests you can enjoy in Series 32 of The Infinite Monkey Cage. Listen first on BBC Sounds from Wednesday 19 February, 2025.By BBC Radio 4

1
The Connected Brain: Network and Communication - Alain Goriely 56:25

3M ago56:25

56:25

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/bKMV8i9Mq40 The brain is mostly organised in small modular regions connected to each other. Typically, each region performs different cognitive tasks, from image processing to language. This organisation leads us to model the brain as a network, the ‘brain connectome’. This fundamental view of the brain …

1
Breaking the Fourth Wall of Sound: The Paradox of Screen Music - Milton Mermikides 54:38

3M ago54:38

54:38

Sound and music hold a strange and powerful role in film, TV and video games, aiding narrative and emotional impact. They can even exist in the world of ‘the film’ – heard by the characters – or in the world of the audience. Music can even break the fourth wall, travelling through and blurring these conventionally separate worlds. By examining film…

1
‘Is it in Pevsner?’: A Short History of the ‘Buildings of …' Series - Charles O'Brien 58:53

3M ago58:53

58:53

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/LUyFLOUi-D4 This lecture traces the history of this famous series by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, starting from its conception in 1947. It describes the research and writing of the original forty-six volumes for England and the extension of the books to Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It then assesses their signif…

1
Writing Laws: Hammurabi to Solon - Melissa Lane 42:24

3M ago42:24

42:24

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/t6kkq6dI6hc When and why do written laws emerge in ancient societies? This lecture will consider these questions in light of evidence including the law code of Hammurabi; the earliest attestation of written laws in Greek (found in Dreros on Crete); and the full-blown commitment to written laws by the Ath…

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Morals & Markets - Episode 3 - Martin Daunton & Victoria Bateman 1:16:59

3M ago1:16:59

1:16:59

Send us a text In this third podcast exploring the underlying assumptions of economics, Victoria Bateman explains how economists have ignored the importance of sex and gender. She argues that the status and freedom of women are central to making the west rich, overtaking other parts of the world that had long been ahead. She shows hot obsession wit…

1
Touching the Sun - Chris Lintott 52:48

3M ago52:48

52:48

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/pXoU-nZmhn8 Despite its familiarity, the Sun is a very different presence from the friendly yellow circle in children's paintings. Our star is a broiling mass of plasma, with its powerful magnetic fields, twisted by its rotation, capable of producing dramatic events of spectacular beauty and power. Using…

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Science-based Targets, Greenwashing and Brownscraping: Net Zero in the Private Sector - Myles Allen 56:11

3M ago56:11

56:11

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/lQBdqGrfWKU Over half the world’s largest companies have a net zero strategy. But what stops “Science-based Targets” from becoming box-ticking exercises too often immune to environmental scrutiny? Instead of decarbonizing companies and financial portfolios, this lecture will discuss the need to focus on …

1
Writing a British Constitution - Clive Stafford Smith 42:35

3M ago42:35

42:35

Recently, the UK has got into a muddle over how to approach Scottish independence and Brexit. What can we learn from the U.S. which took much of its system from the theory behind the U.K. structure: the King as the Executive; a Legislature made up of the House of Commons balanced by the House of Lords; and the judiciary? And what role should the ju…

1
The Modern Goddess - Ronald Hutton 47:18

4M ago47:18

47:18

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/0ZK1Y1QnFDg This looks at how and why a particular form of the non-Christian divine feminine came to take over the Western European imagination from the beginning of the nineteenth century. This was a great goddess representing the natural world, or the moon and stars, or both. It traces the development …

1
Who’s Afraid of Robots? - Victoria Baines 48:55

4M ago48:55

48:55

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/d6Ao4KmGXBc Artificial Intelligence is a very recent invention…or is it? Humans have been fascinated by intelligent machines for thousands of years. Some exist only in our collective imagination, in art and literature. Others have seen the light of day as mechanical marvels, although a few were later exp…

1
Women at the Piano: A History Through Images - Marina Frolova-Walker 52:24

4M ago52:24

52:24

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/f6Z9L2dnxSA This lecture explores the emergence of the "femme au piano" genre in 19th-century French painting, depicted by artists like Renoir, Van Gogh, and Matisse. What suddenly made this topic so popular, and what does it tell us about the role of women in music-making at the time? Tracing the genre'…

1
The US Constitution: A Catalogue of Complaints about Britain - Clive Stafford Smith 42:35

4M ago42:35

42:35

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/wpF0oB9Mz-0 The US Constitution, both in its structural element and the Bill of Rights, reflect a catalogue of colonial complaints about the British system as well as centuries of evolution in the law. In general terms, contrary to the slightly complacent attitude of the British legal authorities. This l…

1
How Does Our Immune System Protect Us? - Robin May 40:20

4M ago40:20

40:20

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/JCTgxcPu78I The human immune system rivals the brain in its complexity. Billions of cells coordinate their activity with amazing precision to protect us from infection. Immune cells can respond to millions of different pathogens within seconds and yet rarely respond to a false alarm. This lecture explore…

1
Who's Minding the Store? Corporate Rules to Align Interests - Raghavendra Rau 1:01:05

4M ago1:01:05

1:01:05

This lecture will explore corporate governance mechanisms designed to address agency problems, including executive compensation, boards of directors, and shareholder activism. Additionally, it will examine how solutions addressing one agency problem might create another. This lecture was recorded by Raghavendra Rau on 5th November 2024 at Barnard's…

1
An Unexpected History of the Body 42:25

4M ago42:25

42:25

Brian Cox and Robin Ince uncover the unexpected history of the body in the archives of the Royal Society with special guests Prof Helen King, Sir Mark Walport, Keith Moore and Ed Byrne. Together they dissect some of the most surprising and peculiar beliefs that have been held about the body over the last 500 years, from wandering-womb hypotheses to…

1
Unwrapping Irving Berlin’s "White Christmas" - Dominic Broomfield-McHugh 54:07

4M ago54:07

54:07

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/LW0DLhTxfCE This festive lecture explores the unusual roots of the song ‘White Christmas’ and its role in establishing the concept of the commercial Christmas song. It will explain how the song’s release during the summer months hints at how its potential as an enduring seasonal classic was not anticipat…

1
Magical Mystery Tour: The Invention of The Beatles - Milton Mermikides 58:49

4M ago58:49

58:49

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/VeJxEXZfT2Y This lecture analyses the ‘psychedelic era’ of the Beatles, from Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band to Let it Be, a period of staggering musical invention and experimentalism. We explore the mechanics behind the magic, untangling the layers of harmony, melody, lyrics, structure and technolo…

1
Is Extinction the End? 42:27

4M ago42:27

42:27

Brian Cox and Robin Ince dig into de-extinction asking, could we and should we resurrect creatures of the past? They are joined by geneticist Adam Rutherford, palaeontologist Susannah Maidment and comedian/virologist Ria Lina. Extinction has played a significant role in shaping the life we see on Earth today. It is estimated around 95% of species t…

1
Much Ado About Numbers: Shakespeare’s Mathematical Life and Times - Rob Eastaway 42:53

5M ago42:53

42:53

Shakespeare lived in a period of exciting mathematical innovations, from arithmetic to astronomy, and from probability to music. Remarkably, many of those innovations are mentioned, or at least hinted at, in his plays. Rob Eastaway will explore the surprising ways in which mathematical ideas connect with Shakespeare and reveals that the playwright …

1
Messaging and Signals - Victoria Baines 50:11

5M ago50:11

50:11

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/pP3FzqYcMOA We communicate when we have information to share. The development of signals from signs visible over short distances to wireless transfer of billions of data-heavy messages worldwide is full of surprising characters, none more so than the Hollywood starlet who made Wi-Fi and GPS possible and …

1
Fantastic Elastic 42:44

5M ago42:44

42:44

Brian Cox and Robin Ince expand their knowledge of elasticity with Olympian Bryony Page, comedian Jessica Fostekew & experts Dr Anna Ploszajski and Prof James Busfield from Queen Mary University of London. What makes stretchy things stretch? Together our panel journey through different applications of elastic materials and examine, at the molecular…

1
Houston, we have a problem: how the fossil fuel industry is risking our future - Myles Allen 50:53

5M ago50:53

50:53

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/6hEOINeTYTU As the leaders of the oil and gas industry flew into Houston for CERAWeek, 2024, oil was over $80 per barrel and demand higher than ever. There was little discussion of “transitioning away from fossil fuels” as agreed at COP28 in Dubai. In the run-up to COP29, this lecture will set out the cr…

1
Black Holes and Bangs - Chris Lintott 45:56

5M ago45:56

45:56

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/dvvOi_nUCRM Space itself is wobbly. We exist on a choppy sea, its surface roiled by disturbances caused by the movements of black holes hundreds of millions of light-years away. The detection of these 'gravitational waves' by observatories such as LIGO is a story of scientific persistence and precision e…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Chris Lintott Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen