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Podcast

The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

Updated: weekly
Episodes available: indefinitely

Episodes to download

  •

    Restaurants

    Mon 9 Apr 2018

    Why do people dream of opening a restaurant? Is the reality anything like the fantasy?

  • Sibling Birth Order

    Mon 2 Apr 2018

    Why is the order in which we are born seen as a key to our character?

  • Machines and Morals

    Mon 26 Mar 2018

    Why we need to think about machines and morals

  • Laziness

    Mon 19 Mar 2018

    Why do we look down on laziness?

  • Why are some places still men only?

    Mon 12 Mar 2018

    Have you ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors of a men only club?

  • Dinosaurs

    Mon 5 Mar 2018

    Why do so many people love Dinosaurs?

  • Bullies

    Mon 26 Feb 2018

    Why do bullies do what they do?

  • Interviews

    Mon 19 Feb 2018

    Why do we rely on the interview process when it's proven to be ineffective?

  • Pain

    Mon 12 Feb 2018

    The Why Factor asks why we need to understand more about pain.

  • Hypnotism

    Mon 5 Feb 2018

    Why would anyone allow a stranger to access their mind?

  • Vegans

    Mon 29 Jan 2018

    Why are more and more people giving up all food produced from animals?

  • Dreaming

    Mon 22 Jan 2018

    Why do some sleep disorders turn normal dreams into terrifying nightmares?

  • Noise

    Mon 15 Jan 2018

    Why high levels of noise affects all of us and how to make our lives more tranquil

  • Why do People Hear Voices in Their Heads?

    Mon 8 Jan 2018

    Around 2% of people claim they regularly hear voices in their heads. Are they all sick?

  • Sleepwalking

    New Year's Day 2018

    Bizarre bedtime behaviours that include a woman who went motorbiking while asleep

  • Alcohol Addiction

    Christmas Day 2017

    Catherine Carr asks why excessive drinking can sometimes seem to be socially acceptable

  • Witches

    Mon 18 Dec 2017

    Why do so many societies demonise women by branding them witches?

  • The Crowd

    Mon 11 Dec 2017

    Why we take courage from a crowd

  • Initiations

    Mon 4 Dec 2017

    Initiations can involve ordeals yet people put up with the pain. So why do we need them?

  • What Can Chimps Teach us About Politics?

    Mon 27 Nov 2017

    What politicians might learn from chimps and other primates about politics

  • Men, Women and Language

    Mon 20 Nov 2017

    Women apologise too much, men interrupt more. Are these stereotypes true?

  • Dubbing Movies

    Mon 13 Nov 2017

    Rhianna Dhillon finds out why so many films are dubbed into another language

  • Dark Tourism

    Mon 6 Nov 2017

    Why do we visit sites of death, disaster and atrocity?

  • Imposter Syndrome

    Mon 30 Oct 2017

    Why do some of us often feel like frauds?

  • Serial Killers

    Mon 23 Oct 2017

    Why do many of us find serial killers and their crimes so intriguing?

  • Breath-holding

    Mon 16 Oct 2017

    Lucy Ash goes in search of her inner dolphin, as she asks why people hold their breath

  • Staying Put

    Mon 9 Oct 2017

    Why do people decide to stay put when faced with a natural disaster?

  • How to Live Small

    Mon 2 Oct 2017

    Why is living space important and how much do we really need?

  • Surrogacy

    Mon 25 Sep 2017

    Why would a woman choose to carry a baby for a complete stranger?

  • Romance

    Mon 18 Sep 2017

    Why is it such an enduring concept and what does it mean in the modern world?

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