logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
18m 10s

The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Infini...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

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 number of parallel universes that exist. This leads to an argument between astronomer royal Lord Rees and comedy producer John Lloyd, who says the whole suggestion is total speculation. Even cosmologist Carlos Frenk can’t get his head round the idea, as he contemplates the suggestion that new big bangs may be happening all the time.

Episodes featured: Series 10: Before the Big Bang Series 6: Parallel Universes Series 21: Quantum Worlds Series 9: To Infinity and Beyond Series 10: Numbers Numbers Everywhere

New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3K3Jzy

Producer: Marijke Peters Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Up next
Jul 9
201st Birthday Bonanza - Mel Giedroyc, Deborah Meaden and Nish Kumar
Get ready for a landmark episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage as we celebrate our 201st show! Brian Cox and Robin Ince invite a lively panel of celebrity guests to pose their burning scientific questions to a top-tier team of scientists. Mel Giedroyc is tunnelling into the world o ... Show More
42m 35s
Mar 2025
Nature's Shapes - Dave Gorman, Sarah Hart and Thomas Woolley
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 ... Show More
42m 27s
Mar 2025
The Sound of Music - Brian Eno, Sam Bennett and Trevor Cox
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 st ... Show More
42m 43s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2020
What If the Universe is Bouncing? - Guest: Anna Ijjas
It's easy to forget that long standing scientific theories are in fact, theories and therefore are subject to revision and change as new information comes to light or we develop new ways to understand our Universe. The current accepted theory on the creation of our Universe is, o ... Show More
32m 9s
Feb 2008
The Multiverse
Melvyn Bragg and guests will be leaving the studio, the planet and indeed, the universe to take a tour of the Multiverse. If you look up the word ‘universe’ in the Oxford English Dictionary you will find the following definition: “The whole of created or existing things regarded ... Show More
41m 46s
May 2022
13 - Does Quantum Mechanics Imply a Multiverse? (Rebroadcast)
Today we explore different interpretations of quantum mechanics, from Copenhagen to the many-worlds hypothesis, in an attempt to uncover what quantum reality really is. This episode is a rebroadcast of one of our early favorites.For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us ... Show More
34m 25s
Sep 2023
Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE) Part 1 Encore with Katie Mack
Stars. Black holes. THE GAWDANG UNIVERSE. Astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr. Katie Mack (@astrokatie) re-introduces us to this 2017 episode along with some bonus updates on astrophysics, her career, and the book she’s published since we last heard from her. Katie also tells us he ... Show More
1h 33m
Sep 2022
What The Universe Is Doing RIGHT NOW
A century ago, astronomers were locked in a debate about the scope of our universe. Were we it? The answer is no. There are other galaxies beyond the Milky Way, and they are speeding away from us. Answering that question left astronomers with an even bigger puzzle. Why is everyth ... Show More
11m 15s
Oct 2021
This is NOVA Now Universe Revealed
This is NOVA Now Universe Revealed, hosted by Alok Patel, a physician, science communicator, and somewhat of a space nerd. In this special 5-part podcast series, blast off with us to explore alien worlds, galaxies, stars, black holes, and the start of the universe itself, the Big ... Show More
2m 30s
Dec 2021
The Big Bang: started from inflation, now we’re here
For tens of thousands of years, humans have pondered eternal questions like “How does our world even exist?” and “Where did we come from?” Now, more than ever, scientists are finding answers within the Big Bang theory. About 13.8 billion years ago, in a fraction of a fraction of ... Show More
33m 1s
Mar 2022
Series | The Greatest Mysteries of the World Episode 01
Learn about the Bermuda Triangle, Atlantis and other mysteries in The Greatest Mysteries of the World, a new series from English Plus Podcast. A new series that will fire up your imagination and lead you to think about some unanswered questions in science, people, history, religi ... Show More
32m 40s
Apr 2024
Things You Thought You Knew – The Geometric Universe
What is the Sun’s ecliptic? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down the things you thought you knew about spheres in the universe, navigating the sky, and taking spacecraft out of orbit. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here ... Show More
53m 56s