logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2020
40m 41s

The Sun

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by a dazzling panel of sun worshippers from actor, comedian and musician Tim Minchin to solar scientist Professor Lucie Green and biologist Professor Steve Jones. They look at how the evolution of life was only possible because of our position relative to the sun and its possibly unique behaviour, and how rare that situation might be across the rest of the universe. They also look at how the sun makes you feel and its vital importance to all creatures, especially snails.

Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Up next
Dec 2025
The North Pole Unwrapped - Russell Kane, Felicity Aston and Lloyd Peck
In this Christmas episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian Cox and Robin Ince head to the North Pole to explore the dazzling science behind the northern lights, the extreme adaptations that help animals - and even Santa Claus - survive the Arctic cold, and how the Earth’s magne ... Show More
42m 22s
Dec 2025
Monkey Business - Robin Dunbar, Dave Gorman and Jo Setchell
In perhaps the monkiest Infinite Monkey Cage episode there’s ever been, Brian Cox and Robin Ince attempt to uncover the secrets of love, lust and friendship in primates. Swinging by to offer a hand (or tail) are evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, anthropologist Jo Setchell, ... Show More
42m 30s
Dec 2025
Head in the Clouds - Owain Wyn Evans, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Amanda Maycock
Robin Ince and Brian Cox look up to the heavens as they try to ‘de-mistify’ the foggy science of clouds. They’re joined by Cloud Appreciation Society founder Gavin Pretor-Pinney, climate scientist Amanda Maycock, and former weather presenter and drummer Owain Wyn Evans, for a whi ... Show More
42m 24s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
Sunshine
The time has come for us to board the Icarus II (awful name for a spaceship) and stare directly into the sun. First mentioned as a movie that rules way back when we were only a podcast about the Star Wars Prequels, Griffin and David finally get to cover Danny Boyle’s 2007 Science ... Show More
2h 32m
Jun 2023
What color is the Sun?
Daniel and Katie talk about the amazing physics, chemistry and biology that determines how we see the Sun.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
53m 22s
Jul 2014
The Sun
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Sun. The object that gives the Earth its light and heat is a massive ball of gas and plasma 93 million miles away. Thanks to the nuclear fusion reactions taking place at its core, the Sun has been shining for four and a half billion years. ... Show More
47m 27s
Jul 2017
SYSK Selects: How the Sun Works
<p>In this week's SYSK Select episode, amateur astrophysicists Josh and Chuck break out the stats and attempt to explain the complex, boiling ball of gas that we call the sun.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://w ... Show More
27 m
Aug 2024
Sun, sea... and science
It’s election time but over here in Science Land, we’re heading off to the seaside for our summer special. We chat seagulls with Professor Paul Graham on Brighton beach and find out why they are so misunderstood - from what we call them to why they pinch our chips. We bust some s ... Show More
28m 4s
Jun 2024
85 - Our Sun: Present, Past and Future
Today&apos;s episode is all about the star in our front yard - the sun. Learn how it came to be, how it has changed, and how will it change in the future.For ad free episodes and other exclusives, join us for just $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.com/whythisuniverseOur merc ... Show More
37m 23s
Jun 2024
Sun Explosions with Lika Guhathakurta
<p>Could a coronal mass ejection wipe out all electronics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen learn about The Carrington Event, eclipses, and how the Parker Solar Probe doesn’t melt with heliophysicist Lika Guhathakurta.</p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this ... Show More
57m 48s
Jul 2018
Episode 2: Some Like it Hot
Even though our Sun shines bright in the sky, it is shrouded in mystery. In this episode, we'll sit down with scientists working to get us closer to the Sun than ever before. 
50m 24s
Sep 2024
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 138: The Sun, Star of Our Cosmic Show
The Sun is the ultimate source of life in our solar system, a radiant powerhouse that bathes Earth in the energy necessary for everything from photosynthesis to weather patterns. Its warmth and light sustain us. However, the Sun’s influence isn't always benign. Its solar wind—a s ... Show More
21m 34s