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Podcast Profile: The Infinite Monkey Cage

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220 episodes
2009 to 2025
Median: 42 minutes
Collection: Science


Description (podcaster-provided):

Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince host a witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists’ eyes. Joined by a panel of scientists, experts and celebrity science enthusiasts they investigate life, the universe and everything in between on The Infinite Monkey Cage from the BBC.
From the smallest building blocks of life to the furthest stars, the curious monkeys pull apart the latest science to reveal fascinating and often bizarre insights into the world around us and what lies beyond. Can trees talk to each other? Can science help you commit the perfect murder? What might aliens look like and the burning question of our time, are strawberries alive or dead? Join them as each episode they put a different scientific topic under the microscope, from aliens, black holes and hedgehogs, to bacteria, poison and the Big Bang.

With past guests including actors Dame Judi Dench and Sir Patrick Stewart, comedians Steve Martin and Conan O’Brien, astronaut Tim Peake, primatologist Jane Goodall and mathematician Hannah Fry, The Infinite Monkey Cage promises to make you laugh, enrich your knowledge and leave you with a deeper appreciation for the universe that we call home.

Whether you’re a seasoned scientist or someone who nodded off in physics class, listen in to learn all about funny, fascinating and sometimes ridiculous topics – with the occasional monkey business.


Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

➤ Science and humor • Astronomy and space exploration • Biology and evolution • Physics and the universe • Technology and AI • History and ancient DNA • Animals and ecosystems • Human quirks and behavior

This podcast, titled "The Infinite Monkey Cage," offers a diverse array of episodes that combine humor with science, featuring hosts Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince. The central theme revolves around exploring scientific topics in an engaging and often comedic manner. Each episode delves into a unique subject matter across the vast landscape of science, presenting insights into both natural and artificial phenomena.

Recurring topics include the mysteries of the universe, such as black holes, asteroids, and cosmic dust, as well as the potential of extraterrestrial life. The podcast also investigates the history and future of science, with episodes discussing ancient DNA findings and cutting-edge technological advancements like artificial intelligence. Other episodes focus on life sciences, examining the biology and behavior of various creatures, from octopuses to microbes, and questioning the implications of de-extinction.

Physics and mathematics frequently appear as core subjects, with discussions on quantum theory, the scale of life, and coincidence. Elements of the everyday world, including board games, trees, and the elastic nature of materials, are also scrutinized from a scientific perspective. Not limited to the empirical, the show sometimes ventures into speculative territory, reflecting on the intersection of science with the supernatural, philosophy, and even the art of magic.

The podcast features a wide range of guests, including scientists, comedians, and experts from various fields, who bring additional perspectives and anecdotes. Whether discussing the ethical dimensions of scientific pursuits or the comedic potential of seemingly mundane topics, "The Infinite Monkey Cage" provides an entertaining yet thought-provoking exploration of science and its many intersections with human curiosity and culture.


Episodes:
Brian and Robin introduce the new series
2025-Feb-13
4 minutes
An Unexpected History of the Body
2024-Dec-25
42 minutes
Is Extinction the End?
2024-Dec-18
42 minutes
Fantastic Elastic
2024-Dec-11
42 minutes
The Science of Baby Making
2024-Dec-04
42 minutes
Starless World
2024-Nov-27
42 minutes
Hedgehogs
2024-Nov-20
42 minutes
The Cyber Codebreakers
2024-Nov-13
42 minutes
Alien Life - Russell Kane, Lisa Kaltenegger and Chris Lintott
2024-Aug-21
42 minutes
An Unexpected History of Science - Rufus Hound, Matthew Cobb, Victoria Herridge and Keith Moore
2024-Aug-14
42 minutes
What a Gas! - Dave Gorman, Mark Miodownik and Lucy Carpenter
2024-Aug-07
42 minutes
Extreme Exploration - Anneka Rice, Mike Massimino, Britney Schmidt and Jess Phoenix
2024-Jul-31
43 minutes
'Beastly Bodies' Kids Special - Steve Backshall, Jess French and Adam Kay
2024-Jul-24
42 minutes
Science of Board Games - Jess Fostekew, Marcus du Sautoy and Dave Neale
2024-Jul-17
43 minutes
The Wonder of Trees - Dame Judi Dench, Tony Kirkham and Tristan Gooley
2024-Jul-10
42 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Audience Favourites (Pt 2)
2024-May-29
22 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Tiny Things
2024-May-22
22 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… The Future
2024-May-15
19 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Failure
2024-May-08
16 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Gambling
2024-May-01
19 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… The Gods
2024-Apr-24
22 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Talking to Aliens
2024-Apr-17
19 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Gardening
2024-Apr-10
18 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Love
2024-Apr-03
19 minutes
Episode Image The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Murder
2024-Mar-27
20 minutes
Higgs Boson
2024-Mar-20
42 minutes
Cats v Dogs
2024-Mar-13
42 minutes
Poison
2024-Mar-06
42 minutes
Asteroids
2024-Feb-28
42 minutes
Could it be magic?
2024-Feb-21
42 minutes
Egyptian Mummies
2024-Feb-14
42 minutes
The Monkeys meet The Sky at Night
2023-Dec-20
57 minutes
Jo Brand's Quantum World
2023-Dec-13
42 minutes
Hollywood in Space
2023-Dec-06
42 minutes
The Scale of Life (or were dinosaurs just too big?)
2023-Nov-29
42 minutes
How I is AI?
2023-Nov-22
42 minutes
The Science of Coincidence
2023-Nov-14
42 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Audience Favourites
2023-Nov-08
23 minutes
Octopuses!
2023-Nov-08
42 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Infinity
2023-Nov-01
18 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Being Human
2023-Oct-25
17 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Oceans
2023-Oct-18
23 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Building a Universe
2023-Oct-11
19 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... Strawberries
2023-Oct-04
23 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... The Movies
2023-Sep-27
22 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide To... Space Travel
2023-Sep-20
20 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide To... The Apocalypse
2023-Sep-13
18 minutes
The Infinite Monkey’s Guide to... The Supernatural
2023-Sep-06
21 minutes
Welcome to The Infinite Monkey's Guide To...
2023-Sep-05
2 minutes
Cosmic Dust
2023-Aug-05
42 minutes
Ancient DNA Secrets
2023-Jul-29
42 minutes
The Secret Life of Sharks
2023-Jul-22
42 minutes
The Magic of Mushrooms
2023-Jul-15
42 minutes
Bees v Wasps
2023-Jul-08
42 minutes
Supervolcanoes
2023-Jul-01
43 minutes
Are we what we eat?
2023-Jun-24
42 minutes
Magic Materials
2023-Mar-25
42 minutes
How Far Can the Human Body Go?
2023-Mar-18
42 minutes
How to Commit the Perfect Murder
2023-Mar-11
42 minutes
How to think like a mathematician
2023-Mar-04
42 minutes
Australia’s Scary Spiders
2023-Feb-25
42 minutes
Southern Skies
2023-Feb-18
42 minutes
Why does wine taste good?
2022-Dec-24
42 minutes
The Deep Space Network
2022-Dec-17
43 minutes
The Age of Conspiracy?
2022-Dec-10
42 minutes
Can we cure ageing?
2022-Dec-03
42 minutes
Hunting for Exoplanets
2022-Nov-26
42 minutes
Exploring our solar system
2022-Nov-19
42 minutes
What have we learnt from Covid?
2022-Nov-12
42 minutes
How to Teach Maths
2022-Sep-03
42 minutes
Brains
2022-Aug-27
42 minutes
Astronauts
2022-Aug-20
42 minutes
Black Holes
2022-Aug-13
42 minutes
The Wood Wide Web
2022-Aug-06
42 minutes
Exploring the Deep
2022-Jul-30
42 minutes
Bats v Flies
2022-Jul-23
42 minutes
A History of Rock
2021-Feb-15
42 minutes
The Fundamentals of Reality
2021-Feb-08
41 minutes
The Science of Cooking
2021-Feb-01
43 minutes
Neanderthals
2021-Jan-25
38 minutes
Under our Night Sky
2021-Jan-18
57 minutes
In Praise of Flies
2021-Jan-11
38 minutes
Does Time Exist?
2020-Aug-26
43 minutes
What is Life?
2020-Jul-20
28 minutes
When the Monkeys Met the Chimps
2020-Jun-29
50 minutes
The Sun
2020-Jun-22
40 minutes
An Astronaut's Guide to Isolation
2020-Jun-15
45 minutes
Space Archaeology
2020-Jun-08
56 minutes
Black Holes
2020-Jun-01
34 minutes
The End of the Universe
2020-May-25
28 minutes
UFO special
2020-Feb-12
42 minutes
Lucy Beaumont's Close Encounters
2020-Feb-12
12 minutes
Quantum Worlds
2020-Feb-10
43 minutes
Fire
2020-Feb-03
37 minutes
Coral Reefs
2020-Jan-27
45 minutes
Conspiracy Theories
2020-Jan-20
33 minutes
Science of Laughter
2020-Jan-13
43 minutes
Brits in Space
2019-Oct-14
59 minutes
Anniversary of the Periodic Table
2019-Oct-07
37 minutes
Science of Dreaming
2019-Sep-30
44 minutes
Clever Creatures
2019-Sep-23
41 minutes
Dinosaurs
2019-Sep-16
46 minutes
The Infinite Moonkey Cage
2019-Jul-20
58 minutes
How We Measure the Universe
2019-Feb-11
38 minutes
How to Build a Bionic Human
2019-Feb-04
42 minutes
Are humans still evolving?
2019-Jan-28
47 minutes
Origin of Numbers
2019-Jan-21
35 minutes
The Future of Humanity
2019-Jan-14
35 minutes
Microbes: Secret Rulers of the World?
2019-Jan-07
46 minutes
GCHQ
2018-Aug-13
38 minutes
Special Bonus Edition
2018-Aug-09
17 minutes
The Human Voice
2018-Aug-06
38 minutes
Immune System
2018-Jul-30
40 minutes
Invasion
2018-Jul-23
41 minutes
Big Data
2018-Jul-16
44 minutes
The Infinite Monkey Cage 100
2018-Jul-11
57 minutes
Volcanoes
2018-Feb-12
42 minutes
How Animals Behave
2018-Feb-05
43 minutes
Teenage Brain
2018-Jan-29
43 minutes
Antibiotics
2018-Jan-22
38 minutes
The Secret Life of Birds
2018-Jan-15
46 minutes
When Two Stars Collide
2018-Jan-08
40 minutes
Christmas Special 2017: The Science of Magic
2017-Dec-25
47 minutes
The Mind v the Brain
2017-Aug-07
50 minutes
Are We Living in a Simulation?
2017-Jul-31
38 minutes
Will insects inherit the earth?
2017-Jul-24
43 minutes
Oxygen: A Matter of Life and Death
2017-Jul-17
39 minutes
Astronaut Special
2017-Jul-10
44 minutes
What Particles Remain to be Discovered?
2017-Jul-03
45 minutes
Making the Invisible Visible
2017-Feb-13
46 minutes
The Human Story: How We Got Here and Why We Survived.
2017-Feb-06
40 minutes
Oceans: What Remains to Be Discovered?
2017-Jan-30
44 minutes
Science's Epic Fails
2017-Jan-23
46 minutes
How to Beat the House and Win at Games
2017-Jan-16
42 minutes
The Science of Everyday Life
2017-Jan-10
45 minutes
Christmas Special 2016
2016-Dec-27
41 minutes
The Universe: What Remains to Be Discovered?
2016-Aug-01
46 minutes
200 Years of Frankenstein
2016-Jul-25
51 minutes
Battle of the Sexes
2016-Jul-18
45 minutes
Science of Sleep
2016-Jul-11
38 minutes
The Recipe to Build a Universe
2016-Jul-04
51 minutes
The Sound of Music
2016-Jun-27
42 minutes
Brian and Robin's Infinite Inbox
2016-Feb-25
46 minutes
Climate Change
2016-Feb-15
49 minutes
Maths of Love and Sex
2016-Feb-08
46 minutes
What Is Reality?
2016-Feb-01
41 minutes
Invisible Universe
2016-Jan-25
39 minutes
What is Race?
2016-Jan-18
46 minutes
Artificial Intelligence
2016-Jan-12
43 minutes
Christmas Special 2015
2015-Dec-25
46 minutes
Episode 2
2015-Dec-15
27 minutes
Episode 1
2015-Dec-08
29 minutes
Forensic Science
2015-Aug-10
49 minutes
Speed
2015-Aug-03
47 minutes
The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: San Francisco
2015-Jul-27
47 minutes
The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: Chicago
2015-Jul-20
45 minutes
The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: Los Angeles
2015-Jul-13
45 minutes
The Infinite Monkey Cage USA Tour: New York
2015-Jul-06
47 minutes
Serendipity
2015-Feb-23
43 minutes
What Is the Point of Plants?
2015-Feb-16
35 minutes
When Quantum Goes Woo
2015-Feb-09
44 minutes
Solar System
2015-Feb-02
54 minutes
Fierce Creatures
2015-Jan-26
42 minutes
Deception
2015-Jan-19
43 minutes
Christmas Special 2014
2014-Dec-25
50 minutes
Irrationality
2014-Aug-11
44 minutes
Before the Big Bang
2014-Aug-04
41 minutes
Can Science Save Us?
2014-Jul-28
53 minutes
Does Science Need War?
2014-Jul-21
39 minutes
Are Humans Uniquely Unique?
2014-Jul-14
46 minutes
Numbers Numbers Everywhere
2014-Jul-07
45 minutes
Brian and Robin's Infinite Inbox
2014-Mar-10
27 minutes
Science and Spin
2013-Dec-23
38 minutes
Should We Pander to Pandas?
2013-Dec-16
35 minutes
To Infinity and Beyond
2013-Dec-09
34 minutes
Science Rocks!
2013-Dec-02
42 minutes
Through the Doors of Perception
2013-Nov-25
41 minutes
Risk
2013-Nov-18
37 minutes
Science Museum
2013-Jul-29
44 minutes
Alfred Russel Wallace
2013-Jul-22
28 minutes
What Makes Science a Science?
2013-Jul-15
37 minutes
Space Tourism
2013-Jul-08
41 minutes
Glastonbury
2013-Jul-01
43 minutes
What Is Death?
2013-Jun-24
28 minutes
Christmas Special: The Science of Christmas Behaviour
2012-Dec-24
28 minutes
Creating Life
2012-Dec-17
28 minutes
Brain Science
2012-Dec-10
28 minutes
Secret Science
2012-Dec-03
28 minutes
Improbable Science
2012-Nov-26
28 minutes
Space Exploration
2012-Nov-19
28 minutes
Science v Art
2012-Jul-23
27 minutes
Parallel Universes
2012-Jul-16
28 minutes
The Science of Symmetry
2012-Jul-08
28 minutes
Does Size Matter?
2012-Jul-02
28 minutes
Science Mavericks
2012-Jun-25
28 minutes
Oceans: The Last Great Unexplored Frontier?
2012-Jun-18
28 minutes
The Science of Christmas
2011-Dec-26
28 minutes
I'm a Chemist Get Me Out of Here
2011-Dec-19
28 minutes
The Science of Sound
2011-Dec-12
28 minutes
The Origins of Life
2011-Dec-05
28 minutes
A Balanced Programme on Balance
2011-Nov-28
28 minutes
What's the North Ever Done for Us?
2011-Nov-21
28 minutes
Science vs The Supernatural: Does Science Kill the Magic?
2011-Jul-05
28 minutes
Is There Room for Mysticism in a Rational World?
2011-Jun-27
30 minutes
Is Cosmology Really a Science?
2011-Jun-20
28 minutes
So You Want To Be An Astronaut?
2011-Jun-13
28 minutes
Six Degrees
2011-Jun-06
30 minutes
What Don't We Know?
2011-May-30
27 minutes
Philosophy
2010-Dec-06
30 minutes
Randomness
2010-Nov-29
28 minutes
Modern World
2010-Nov-22
28 minutes
Apocalypse
2010-Nov-15
28 minutes
Things Can Only Get Better?
2010-Jul-05
28 minutes
Science Fiction, Science Fact
2010-Jun-28
28 minutes
Trust me, I'm a Scientist
2010-Jun-21
28 minutes
Popular Science
2010-Jun-14
28 minutes
Science and Religion
2009-Dec-21
25 minutes
Quantum Physics
2009-Dec-14
25 minutes
Extraterrestrial Life
2009-Dec-07
25 minutes
Science and Comedians
2009-Nov-30
25 minutes