The Life Scientific
Podcast

The Life Scientific

BBC Radio 4

361 episodes

ScienceSociety & Culture

Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future

What this show covers

deep-sea explorationhydrothermal ventsocean scienceRobert BallardTitanic

What listeners will find here

Robert Ballard’s life beyond Titanic: vents, shipwrecks and six decades at sea
Robert Ballard’s career stretches far beyond finding the Titanic in 1985. This episode follows his role in proving hydrothermal vents exist, the technologies he pioneered, and the deep-ocean mysteries he’s still exploring with Jim Al-Khalili.

Episodes

Robert Ballard on finding the Titanic and other deep-sea discoveries
Robert Ballard on finding the Titanic and other deep-sea discoveries
3 Nov 2026 · 28 min
Gillian Forrester on gesturing gorillas, babbling babies and the origins of human language
Gillian Forrester on gesturing gorillas, babbling babies and the origins of human language
27 Oct 2026 · 28 min
David Canter on how psychology can save lives and catch killers
David Canter on how psychology can save lives and catch killers
20 Oct 2026 · 28 min
Edith Heard on unravelling the mystery of X-chromosome inactivation
Edith Heard on unravelling the mystery of X-chromosome inactivation
13 Oct 2026 · 28 min
Ginger Kerrick on manning Nasa's Mission Control and getting to Mars
Ginger Kerrick on manning Nasa's Mission Control and getting to Mars
6 Oct 2026 · 28 min
Dean Lomax on discovering ichthyosaurs and defying nay-sayers
Dean Lomax on discovering ichthyosaurs and defying nay-sayers
26 May 2026 · 28 min
Helen Hastie on the future of human-robot relations
Helen Hastie on the future of human-robot relations
19 May 2026 · 28 min
Seth Berkley on the importance of vaccinating the world
Seth Berkley on the importance of vaccinating the world
12 May 2026 · 28 min
Hiranya Peiris on unravelling the story of the universe
Hiranya Peiris on unravelling the story of the universe
5 May 2026 · 28 min
Washington Yotto Ochieng on the navigation tech that keeps our world moving
Washington Yotto Ochieng on the navigation tech that keeps our world moving
28 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Lucy Carpenter on how our oceans are destroying ozone
Lucy Carpenter on how our oceans are destroying ozone
21 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Jens Juul Holst on the gut hormone discovery behind weight-loss drugs
Jens Juul Holst on the gut hormone discovery behind weight-loss drugs
14 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Jim Ashworth-Beaumont on how a near-fatal accident made him a better clinician
Jim Ashworth-Beaumont on how a near-fatal accident made him a better clinician
7 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Jehane Ragai on the science of authenticating artworks
Jehane Ragai on the science of authenticating artworks
27 Jan 2026 · 28 min
Tony Juniper on parrots, princes and environmental protection
Tony Juniper on parrots, princes and environmental protection
20 Jan 2026 · 28 min
Pierre Friedlingstein on carbon’s pivotal role in climate change
Pierre Friedlingstein on carbon’s pivotal role in climate change
9 Dec 2025 · 28 min
Julia Simner on tasty words and hearing colours
Julia Simner on tasty words and hearing colours
2 Dec 2025 · 28 min
Caroline Smith on meteorites and potential ancient life on Mars
Caroline Smith on meteorites and potential ancient life on Mars
25 Nov 2025 · 28 min
AP De Silva on building molecular fluorescence sensors for healthcare
AP De Silva on building molecular fluorescence sensors for healthcare
18 Nov 2025 · 28 min
Peter Knight on quantum technologies
Peter Knight on quantum technologies
11 Nov 2025 · 28 min
Eleanor Schofield on conserving Tudor warship the Mary Rose
Eleanor Schofield on conserving Tudor warship the Mary Rose
4 Nov 2025 · 28 min
George Church on reimagining woolly mammoths and virus-proofing humans
George Church on reimagining woolly mammoths and virus-proofing humans
28 Oct 2025 · 28 min
Gareth Collett on a career in bomb disposal
Gareth Collett on a career in bomb disposal
21 Oct 2025 · 28 min
Sonia Gandhi on building model brains to tackle Parkinson’s disease
Sonia Gandhi on building model brains to tackle Parkinson’s disease
14 Oct 2025 · 28 min
Mark O'Shea on close encounters with venomous snakes
Mark O'Shea on close encounters with venomous snakes
7 Oct 2025 · 28 min
Kevin Fong on medical planning for Mars and Earth-based emergencies
Kevin Fong on medical planning for Mars and Earth-based emergencies
15 Jul 2025 · 28 min
Dame Pratibha Gai on training atoms to do what we want
Dame Pratibha Gai on training atoms to do what we want
8 Jul 2025 · 28 min
Catherine Heymans on the lighter side of the dark universe
Catherine Heymans on the lighter side of the dark universe
1 Jul 2025 · 28 min
Tim Coulson on how predators shape ecosystems and evolution
Tim Coulson on how predators shape ecosystems and evolution
24 Jun 2025 · 28 min
Claudia de Rham on playing with gravity
Claudia de Rham on playing with gravity
17 Jun 2025 · 28 min
Neil Lawrence on taking down the 'digital oligarchy' and why we shouldn't fear AI
Neil Lawrence on taking down the 'digital oligarchy' and why we shouldn't fear AI
10 Jun 2025 · 28 min
Liz Morris on Antarctic adventures and the melting polar ice sheets
Liz Morris on Antarctic adventures and the melting polar ice sheets
3 Jun 2025 · 28 min
Anthony Fauci on a medical career navigating pandemics and presidents
Anthony Fauci on a medical career navigating pandemics and presidents
27 May 2025 · 45 min
Brian Schmidt on Nobel Prize-winning supernovae and the joys of making wine
Brian Schmidt on Nobel Prize-winning supernovae and the joys of making wine
22 Apr 2025 · 28 min
Jacqueline McKinley on unearthing bones and stories at Britain's ancient burial sites
Jacqueline McKinley on unearthing bones and stories at Britain's ancient burial sites
15 Apr 2025 · 28 min
Jonathan Shepherd on a career as a crime-fighting surgeon
Jonathan Shepherd on a career as a crime-fighting surgeon
8 Apr 2025 · 28 min
Doyne Farmer on making sense of chaos for a better world
Doyne Farmer on making sense of chaos for a better world
1 Apr 2025 · 28 min
Tori Herridge on ancient dwarf elephants and frozen mammoths
Tori Herridge on ancient dwarf elephants and frozen mammoths
25 Mar 2025 · 28 min
Sir Magdi Yacoub on pioneering heart transplant surgery
Sir Magdi Yacoub on pioneering heart transplant surgery
18 Mar 2025 · 28 min
Tim Peake on his journey to becoming an astronaut and science in space
Tim Peake on his journey to becoming an astronaut and science in space
31 Dec 2024 · 1h 0m
Anna Korre on capturing carbon dioxide and defying expectations
Anna Korre on capturing carbon dioxide and defying expectations
24 Sept 2024 · 28 min
Rosalie David on the science of Egyptian mummies
Rosalie David on the science of Egyptian mummies
17 Sept 2024 · 28 min
Peter Stott on climate change deniers and Italian inspiration
Peter Stott on climate change deniers and Italian inspiration
10 Sept 2024 · 28 min
Ijeoma Uchegbu on using nanoparticles to transform medicines
Ijeoma Uchegbu on using nanoparticles to transform medicines
3 Sept 2024 · 28 min
Darren Croft on killer whale matriarchs and the menopause
Darren Croft on killer whale matriarchs and the menopause
27 Aug 2024 · 28 min
Bill Gates on vaccines, conspiracy theories and the pleasures of pickleball
Bill Gates on vaccines, conspiracy theories and the pleasures of pickleball
20 Aug 2024 · 35 min
Kip Thorne on black holes, Nobel Prizes and taking physics to Hollywood
Kip Thorne on black holes, Nobel Prizes and taking physics to Hollywood
6 Aug 2024 · 35 min
Vicky Tolfrey on parasport research and childhood dreams of the Olympics
Vicky Tolfrey on parasport research and childhood dreams of the Olympics
30 Jul 2024 · 28 min
Dawn Bonfield on inclusive engineering, sustainable solutions and why she once tried to leave the sector for good
Dawn Bonfield on inclusive engineering, sustainable solutions and why she once tried to leave the sector for good
23 Jul 2024 · 28 min
Raymond Schinazi on revolutionising treatments for killer viruses
Raymond Schinazi on revolutionising treatments for killer viruses
16 Jul 2024 · 28 min

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