logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2013
37m 27s

Risk

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

The Infinite Monkey Cage returns in the first of a new series and turns its gaze on the science of risk.

Professor Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince bring their witty and irreverent take on the world to a programme all about the science of risk. Together with guests David Spiegelhalter, Sue Ion and former Goodie, Graeme Garden, the team explores such questions as: why is seven the safest age to be? Should badgers wear bicycle helmets? How safe is nuclear power and how worried should we be by the threat of asteroid impact? Producer: Rami Tzabar.

Up next
Aug 20
Illuminating Light - Jess Wade, Russell Foster and Bridget Christie
What is light? How has it shaped our understanding of the universe, our biology, and even our culture? In this illuminating episode Brian Cox and Robin Ince shine a spotlight on the fascinating science and history of light. From sun and circadian rhythms to the dazzling complexit ... Show More
42m 23s
Aug 13
Moths v Butterflies - Katy Brand, Jane Hill and Chris Jiggins
What really separates a moth from a butterfly? Is it just a matter of day and night, or is there more to this fluttering feud than meets the eye? Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince flap into the fabulous world of Lepidoptera with Professor Jane Hill, Professor Chris Jiggins, and ... Show More
42m 8s
Aug 6
Technofossils - Sarah Gabbott, Mark Miodownik and Aurie Styla
Brian Cox and Robin Ince dig deep into the strata of an imagined human history to unearth the curious concept of technofossils. Joined by paleobiologist Sarah Gabbott, material scientist Mark Miodownik and comedian and tech enthusiast Aurie Styla the panel unearth how the everyda ... Show More
42m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2018
Natural Risks
Humans have faced existential risks since our species was born. Because we are Earthbound, what happens to Earth happens to us. Josh points out that there’s a lot that can happen to Earth - like gamma ray bursts, supernovae, and runaway greenhouse effect. (Original score by Point ... Show More
37m 14s
Mar 2019
Will humans survive the century?
What is the chance of the human race surviving the 21st century? There are many dangers – climate change for example, or nuclear war, or a pandemic, or planet Earth being hit by a giant asteroid. Around the world a number of research centres have sprung up to investigate and miti ... Show More
28m 40s
Jan 2023
The Resurrection Quest
‘Can we bring back extinct species?’ wonders listener Mikko Campbell. Well, Professor Fry is pretty excited by the prospect of woolly mammoths roaming the Siberian tundra once more. And everyone is impressed with the science that might make it happen. But Dr Rutherford comes out ... Show More
38m 30s
Jan 2022
Risks on Earth, in space and in the metaverse - the Global Risks Report 2022
Climate change is the number one risk we face as a species, according to the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Risks Report. We look at what a ‘disorderly transition’ to net-zero might look like, and also examine the new risks posed by rapidly changing technology. Guests:  Pet ... Show More
29m 33s
Oct 2019
Trust Issues : Peak Fear with Ant Middleton
Does risk equal danger? Or are you in danger of playing it safe? It’s fair to say that Ant Middleton knows a thing or two about risk. After 13 years of military service, the Chief Instructor of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins has put his mind and body through the most extreme cha ... Show More
34m 14s
Aug 2021
Are we the next asteroid?
So, in the list of bad actors for the planet there's been the ice age, the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, and then … us? Yeah, it really looks like that sometimes. But we've got hope! So what can humans do to steer clear of steering the planet into seemingly inevitable doom? ... Show More
10m 33s
Nov 2022
207: Taking Risks for a Fulfilling Life w/ Alan Ying
Taking risks is terrifying. Most of us actively avoid taking risks believing that doing nothing is a safer course of action. Well, it turns out that taking risks is the least risky thing you can do to live a fulfilling life. Things might not always turn out the way you hoped, but ... Show More
1h 5m
Jun 2023
AI and human extinction
In the headlines this week eminent tech experts and public figures signed an open letter that read “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.”One of the signatories was Geoffrey Hi ... Show More
27m 44s
Jan 2021
Afraid of the Wrong Things
Around the world, people are grappling with the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. How do our minds process that risk, and why do some of us process it so differently? This week, we talk with psychologist Paul Slovic about the disconnect between our own assessments of risk and ... Show More
50m 14s