logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2025
28m 11s

What will we be wearing in the future?

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

What are you wearing today? What processes, chemical and otherwise, have gone into creating the garments in your wardrobe? And how might they be improved, honed, transformed in the future?

Professor of Materials & Society at UCL, Mark Miodownik, Dr Jane Wood, Lecturer at the University of Manchester and expert in textile technology, and materials scientist, writer and presenter Dr Anna Ploszajaki join Marnie Chesterton to take a closer look at possibly the most familiar materials we own, our clothes.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Clare Salisbury and Lyndon Jones Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Up next
Feb 5
Where do forever chemicals come from?
This week the UK Government decided it was worried enough about so called ‘forever chemicals’ to bring in it’s first ever plan to tackle them. Environment Minister Emma Hardy called PFAS "one of the most pressing chemical challenges of our time". Stephanie Metzger, policy adviser ... Show More
26m 28s
Jan 29
Should we rethink navigating by GPS?
This week 14 European countries warned that “maritime safety and security” was being put in jeopardy by Russian interference. The Royal Institute of Navigation says GPS is so vulnerable to so called ‘spoofing’ and ‘jamming’ that we need to rethink the navigation systems on which ... Show More
26m 28s
Jan 22
How is air travel returning to supersonic speeds?
It’s exactly half a century since two Concorde jets took off from Paris and London respectively. The supersonic jet would come to define top end luxury travel. But Concorde has also been retired for nearly half that time, famously making its final flight to Bristol, UK where it w ... Show More
26m 29s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
Do Mitochondria Talk to Each Other? A New Look at the Cell’s Powerhouse
Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell—but new research suggests they might be far more complex. Columbia University’s Martin Picard joins Scientific American’s Rachel Feltman to explore how these tiny organelles could be communicating and what that might mean for e ... Show More
27m 4s
Nov 2024
PRETTY CURIOUS | What’s The Chemistry Of Cleanser? with The Beauty Brains Podcast
This week, we have an unbeatable cosmetic chemistry duo - Perry Romanowski & Valerie George from The Beauty Brains Podcast! We’re coming to you today with the 411 on a fundamental element of any skin care routine: cleanser. But what’s the deal with cleanser anyhow? How many kinds ... Show More
36m 11s
Jul 2023
Does it take 10,000 litres of water to make a pair of jeans?
Various claims have been made about how much water is used in the production of a pair of jeans, that cornerstone of casual clothing. With growing worries over the environmental impact of denim production, More or Less decided to investigate - with the help of journalist and rese ... Show More
9m 41s
May 2023
Fashion Re-imagined
FASHION RE-IMAGINED: Laurie Taylor talks to Angela McRobbie, Emeritus Professor at Goldsmiths, University of London about the working lives of independent designers in London, Berlin and Milan, at a time when fashion is under the spotlight due to concerns about the environment an ... Show More
28m 17s
Jan 2025
Going Outside Can Change Our Hormones and Improve Microbiome Diversity
Going outside has many benefits, from positively affecting our nervous system to diversifying our microbiome. But you don’t need a forest preserve to benefit from nature—sometimes even a houseplant or the smell of lavender can improve our life. Kathy Willis, a professor of biodiv ... Show More
18m 11s
Sep 2025
The Dead Composer Whose ‘Brain’ Still Makes Music
In a hauntingly innovative exhibit, brain cells grown from the late composer Alvin Lucier’s blood generate sound. Set in a museum in Perth, Australia, the installation blurs the line between art and neuroscience. Host Rachel Feltman and associate editor Allison Parshall explore t ... Show More
25m 25s
Sep 2025
The Dead Composer Whose ‘Brain’ Still Makes Music
In a hauntingly innovative exhibit, brain cells grown from the late composer Alvin Lucier’s blood generate sound. Set in a museum in Perth, Australia, the installation blurs the line between art and neuroscience. Host Rachel Feltman and associate editor Allison Parshall explore t ... Show More
25m 25s
Nov 2024
Humans Inherited a World That Insects Made
What does the Declaration of Independence have in common with Vincent van Gogh’s sketches? The ink used to produce them came from wasps. From pests to products, insects have played an enormous role in human history. Entomologist and animal behaviorist Barrett Klein encourages a h ... Show More
17m 1s
Jan 2025
Titans of Science: David Baker
Dr Chris Smith and the Naked Scientists look at the year ahead, and asking leading experts from the world of science what we can expect to hear about in 2025.Plus, a conversation with the 2024 chemistry Nobel laureate David Baker, about his pioneering working on proteins. 
51m 17s
Nov 2022
Plastic and Clay
It revolutionised domestic chores, signified modernity and has been made into packaging, textiles, electrical machinery but plastic has also contributed to our throw-away society. Clay is turned into bricks, cookware and used in industrial processes including paper making, cement ... Show More
44m 7s