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The Infinite Monkey Cage
Description

Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince host a witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists’ eyes. Joined by a panel of scientists, experts and celebrity science enthusiasts they investigate life, the universe and everything in between on The Infinite Monkey Cage from the BBC.

From the smallest building blocks of life to the furthest stars, the curious monkeys pull apart the latest science to reveal fascinating and often bizarre insights into the world around us and what lies beyond. Can trees talk to each other? Can science help you commit the perfect murder? What might aliens look like and the burning question of our time, are strawberries alive or dead? Join them as each episode they put a different scientific topic under the microscope, from aliens, black holes and hedgehogs, to bacteria, poison and the Big Bang. With past guests including actors Dame Judi Dench and Sir Patrick Stewart, comedians Steve Martin and Conan O’Brien, astronaut Tim Peake, primatologist Jane Goodall and mathematician Hannah Fry, The Infinite Monkey Cage promises to make you laugh, enrich your knowledge and leave you with a deeper appreciation for the universe that we call home. Whether you’re a seasoned scientist or someone who nodded off in physics class, listen in to learn all about funny, fascinating and sometimes ridiculous topics – with the occasional monkey business.

Episodes
  • 2024 / 12 / 25
    An Unexpected History of the Body

    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...

  • 2024 / 12 / 18
    Is Extinction the End?

    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...

  • 2024 / 12 / 11
    Fantastic Elastic

    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....

  • 2024 / 12 / 4
    The Science of Baby Making

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince investigate the science of baby making - don’t worry, all theory no practice! They are joined by Professor Joyce Harper, Dr Ben Steventon and comedian Sara Pascoe to discuss how just...

  • 2024 / 11 / 27
    Starless World

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince consider how different our understanding of the universe would be without the stars. They are joined by Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Roberto Trotta and comedian John Bishop who illuminate...

  • 2024 / 11 / 20
    Hedgehogs

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince emerge from the hedge row waking up their guests from hibernation to discuss the fascinating lives of Britain’s favourite mammal, the hedgehog. They are joined by hedgehog experts...

  • 2024 / 11 / 13
    The Cyber Codebreakers

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince head to Bletchley Park with comedian Alan Davies, and cyber experts Victoria Baines and Richard Benham to decode cyberwarfare and discuss its future.As computers have shrunk from the...

  • 2024 / 9 / 9
    Introducing... Uncharted with Hannah Fry Series 2

    From exposing fraud to finding true love, mathematician Hannah Fry follows the numbers on thrilling adventures of data and discovery. Join her for Series 2 of Uncharted.

  • 2024 / 8 / 21
    Alien Life - Russell Kane, Lisa Kaltenegger and Chris Lintott

    Are we alone in the universe? Brian Cox and Robin Ince venture to Glastonbury in the search for alien life and are joined in their galactic quest by comedian Russell Kane and astronomers Lisa Kaltenegger and...

  • 2024 / 8 / 14
    An Unexpected History of Science - Rufus Hound, Matthew Cobb, Victoria Herridge and Keith Moore

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince raid the archives of the Royal Society to reveal an unexpected history of science with guests Rufus Hound, Tori Herridge, Matthew Cobb and Keith Moore. Together they explore some of...

  • 2024 / 8 / 7
    What a Gas! - Dave Gorman, Mark Miodownik and Lucy Carpenter

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince talk hot air as they explore the pivotal role of gasses in our lives. Joining them to add some CO2 to the mix is material scientist Mark Miodownik, chemist Lucy Carpenter and comedian...

  • 2024 / 7 / 31
    Extreme Exploration - Anneka Rice, Mike Massimino, Britney Schmidt and Jess Phoenix

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince venture to the home place of exploration in Porto, Portugal at the Explorers Club as they discuss science at the extremes of exploration. Joining them is volcanologist Jess Phoenix,...

  • 2024 / 7 / 24
    'Beastly Bodies' Kids Special - Steve Backshall, Jess French and Adam Kay

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by adventurer and naturalist Steve Backshall, veterinarian Jess French, and comedian and former doctor Adam Kay, as they are put to the test by an audience of curious...

  • 2024 / 7 / 17
    Science of Board Games - Jess Fostekew, Marcus du Sautoy and Dave Neale

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince go past jail, climb a ladder and build a civilisation as they explore the science behind our favourite board games. Joining them in the library (or was it the conservatory?) is...

  • 2024 / 7 / 10
    The Wonder of Trees - Dame Judi Dench, Tony Kirkham and Tristan Gooley

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince leaf through the latest tree science with Dame Judi Dench, Tony Kirkham and Tristan Gooley. Dame Judi Dench shares her great love for treekind and describes how over time she has come...

  • 2024 / 5 / 29
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Audience Favourites (Pt 2)

    `This week it's over to you the listeners, as we hear some of your favourite moments from The Infinite Monkey Cage. Comedian Claire Hooper hears about the mating rituals of spiders, which use several of their...

  • 2024 / 5 / 22
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Tiny Things

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince shuffle through the archive to find the smallest things in the world of science, from a particle so tiny nobody has ever actually seen it, to the millions of microbes we’re all made...

  • 2024 / 5 / 15
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… The Future

    We know the universe is rapidly expanding but what happens if other galaxies disappear from view? That’s what Eric Idle wants to know as he ponders the future and what it holds in store. Solar scientist Lucie...

  • 2024 / 5 / 8
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Failure

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince embrace failure in its many forms, with a frank look at the importance of making mistakes. They examine the flaws in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution with the anthropologist Alice...

  • 2024 / 5 / 1
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Gambling

    Robin Ince and Brian Cox ask why some people always seem to win as they investigate the science of gambling. They hear how playing monopoly is no way to make friends, but don’t worry, because psychologist...

  • 2024 / 4 / 24
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… The Gods

    Robin Ince and Brian Cox tackle the thorny debate over whether science and religion can co-exist. But forget the tension between the church and the researchers – Eric Idle wants an answer to the important...

  • 2024 / 4 / 17
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Talking to Aliens

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince are on a mission to discover whether extra-terrestrials exist. But if there really is other life out there, what would it look like?Comedian Conan O’Brien is hoping for lizard-like...

  • 2024 / 4 / 10
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Gardening

    Robin Ince and Brian Cox dig into the secret lives of plants to discover that there’s more going on in your average garden than you might at first think. They hear why trees are better than humans at...

  • 2024 / 4 / 3
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Love

    Love is in the air(waves) as Brian and Robin trawl through the Monkey Cage archive. From using maths to find a boyfriend or girlfriend, to why birds and bees have far more exciting sex lives than you might...

  • 2024 / 3 / 27
    The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Murder

    Brian Cox, Robin Ince and their guests will send a shiver down your spine as they sift through the science on murder, and hear some of the more creative techniques scientists use to catch killers. Apparently...

  • 2024 / 3 / 13
    Cats v Dogs

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince sniff and paw their way through the evidence to put to rest the age-old debate of whether cats are better than dogs. They’re joined by TV dragon and dog devotee Deborah Meaden,...

  • 2024 / 2 / 21
    Could it be magic?

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince pull scientific explanations out of a hat and go down the rabbit hole to explore the science of magic with comedian Alan Davies, sleight of hand artist Laura London and two experts in...

  • 2024 / 2 / 14
    Egyptian Mummies

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince peel back the layers to explore mummification and the science of Ancient Egypt. They are joined by comedians Russel Kane, Lucy Porter and bio-medical Egyptologists Rosalie David and...

  • 2023 / 12 / 20
    The Monkeys meet The Sky at Night

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by the longest running science show in the world, The Sky at Night, alongside comedian and astronomy enthusiast Dara O Briain for the ultimate guide to studying the stars...

  • 2023 / 12 / 13
    Jo Brand's Quantum World

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince are subject to a non-hostile takeover by comedian and non-physicist Jo Brand, as she challenges the panel to help her understand the almost unbelievable world of cheeky particles who...

  • 2023 / 12 / 6
    Hollywood in Space

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince put Hollywood under the microscope to unpick the science fact v science fiction of some of the biggest movies set in space. They are joined by a truly out of this world panel of space...

  • 2023 / 11 / 29
    The Scale of Life (or were dinosaurs just too big?)

    Brian and Robin are joined by palaeontologist Dr Susie Maidment, evolutionary biologist Dr Tori Herridge and comedian Dave Gorman to pitch giant creatures against tiny creatures in their bid to avoid...

  • 2023 / 11 / 22
    How I is AI?

    Brian and Robin (the real ones) are joined by mathematician Prof Hannah Fry, compute scientist Dr Kate Devlin and comedian Rufus Hound to discuss the pros and cons of AI. Just how intelligent is the most...

  • 2023 / 11 / 14
    The Science of Coincidence

    Are some people just lucky? Is there any scientific formula behind coincidences? Is randomness the norm? Brian and Robin team up with comedian Sophie Duker, mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy and statistician...

  • 2023 / 11 / 8
    Octopuses!

    If Aliens really are amongst us, the most likely candidates may not be little green men, but living in plain sight, just below our ocean waves, in the form of the mysterious and awe-inspiringly clever...

  • 2023 / 11 / 8
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Audience Favourites

    There’s no shortage of surprising science in The Infinite Monkey Cage and this episode is dedicated to you, the audience, as we hear some of your favourite clips from the past 14 years of the show....

  • 2023 / 11 / 1
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Infinity

    Endless inflation seems to be everywhere at the moment, including on this episode examining the nature of infinity. Brian and Robin dive through the back catalogue to discover there might be no limit to the...

  • 2023 / 10 / 25
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Being Human

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince consider the quirks that make human beings unique and check in with experts from The Infinite Monkey Cage back catalogue. Prof Alice Roberts explains that our ancestors interbred with...

  • 2023 / 10 / 18
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Oceans

    If there’s any doubt that the deep sea is as exciting to explore as the moon or Mars, this episode puts the question to rest, as Robin and Brian wade through the back catalogue to learn all about the ocean....

  • 2023 / 10 / 11
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Building a Universe

    While most of us believe the universe began with a big bang, Brian and Robin hear some of the alternative theories, including an Egyptian myth that it actually started with a giant ejaculation, as they...

  • 2023 / 10 / 4
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Strawberries

    Robin Ince and Brian Cox are still struggling to decide when a strawberry dies as they trawl through the archive to ponder where we should draw the line between life and death. Katy Brand kicks the debate off...

  • 2023 / 9 / 27
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... The Movies

    How important is it for movie producers to get the science right? Brian Cox and Robin Ince discover why some surprising movies have scientific advisers and ask if there is any science in The Simpsons. They...

  • 2023 / 9 / 20
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide To... Space Travel

    Astronauts and explorers including Brian Blessed, Sir Patrick Stewart, Nicole Stott and Charlie Duke reveal the wonders, and challenges, of traveling into space.Brian Cox and Robin Ince have delved into the...

  • 2023 / 9 / 13
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide To... The Apocalypse

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince take a deep dive into the Monkey Cage archive to find out how scared scientists and comedians are about the universe ending. Steve Martin says he’s happy to burn to a crisp when the...

  • 2023 / 9 / 6
    The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... The Supernatural

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince trawl through the Monkey Cage back catalogue to reveal whether science and the supernatural can sit side by side. They hear how comedian Lucy Beaumont believes alien life has visited...

  • 2023 / 9 / 5
    Welcome to The Infinite Monkey's Guide To...

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince introduce a new series in which they look back at some of the best moments from more than 27 series of their hit science show.

  • 2023 / 8 / 5
    Cosmic Dust

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about dust that is raining down on Earth from space. They are joined by planetary scientists Matthew Genge and Penny Wozniakiewicz and comedian Alan Davies. They learn how...

  • 2023 / 7 / 29
    Ancient DNA Secrets

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Horrible Histories alum Ben Willbond, ancient DNA experts Prof Turi King and Dr Tom Booth and Nobel prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, as they uncover some of the incredible...

  • 2023 / 7 / 22
    The Secret Life of Sharks

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the apex predators of the ocean. They are joined by physiological ecologist Lucy Hawkes, shark scientist Isla Hodgson and naturalist Steve Backshall. They learn about...

  • 2023 / 7 / 15
    The Magic of Mushrooms

    Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the secret world of fungi, hidden beneath our feet. They are joined by biologist Merlin Sheldrake and mycologist Katie Field. They hear about the hidden life of fungi,...