Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel explore the elusive science of consciousness – what it is, how it arises, whether it can be observed in the brain, and the most compelling theories explaining it. 

In a deep, often mind-bending discussion, the panel tackles the many ways of interpreting consciousness itself, and how fields like psychophysics can be used to quantify imagination and perception.    

With questions from the audience, the conversation delves into hallucinations and reality, how memory helps to build identity, and whether AI could ever be conscious too. 

Panellists 
Anil Seth – Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, University of Sussex
Katharina Schmack – Consultant Psychiatrist and Group Leader, Neural Circuits and Immunity in Psychosis Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute
Steve Fleming – Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL
Alex O’Connor – Host of ‘Within Reason’ podcast 

Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/consciousness 

A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.   

Music by John Biddle

© BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025 

 

Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel explore the elusive science of consciousness &ndash; what it is, how it arises, whether it can be observed in the brain, and the most compelling theories explaining it.&nbsp;
In a deep, often mind-bending discussion, the panel tackles the many ways of interpreting consciousness itself, and how fields like psychophysics can be used to quantify imagination and perception.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
With questions from the audience, the conversation delves into hallucinations and reality, how memory helps to build identity, and whether AI could ever be conscious too.&nbsp;
Panellists&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Anil Seth &ndash; Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, University of Sussex</li>
<li>Katharina Schmack &ndash; Consultant Psychiatrist and Group Leader, Neural Circuits and Immunity in Psychosis Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute</li>
<li>Steve Fleming &ndash; Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL</li>
<li>Alex O&rsquo;Connor &ndash; Host of &lsquo;Within Reason&rsquo; podcast&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/consciousness">www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/consciousness</a>&nbsp;
A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Music by John Biddle
&copy; BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.  

Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world’s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today. 

Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a live audience and it’s their questions that drive the debate. 

Hear from the experts who actually know what they’re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C’s Lauren Mahon.  

With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don’t, and where science might take us next. 

A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab. 

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world&rsquo;s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today.&nbsp;
Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a live audience and it&rsquo;s their questions that drive the debate.&nbsp;
Hear from the experts who actually know what they&rsquo;re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C&rsquo;s Lauren Mahon.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don&rsquo;t, and where science might take us next.&nbsp;
A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab.&nbsp;

A Question of Science

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.  

Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world’s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today. 

Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a lively audience and it’s their questions that drive the debate. 

Hear from the experts who actually know what they’re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C’s Lauren Mahon.  

With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don’t, and where science might take us next. 

A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab. 

Science you can trust. Questions that matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Join Professor Brian Cox and a panel of the world&rsquo;s top scientists and experts as they tackle your questions about some of the biggest science challenges facing society today.&nbsp;
Can we cure cancer? How do you separate nutrition fact from fiction? What do climate change and the march of AI mean for our future? Could we live forever? Each episode is recorded in front of a lively audience and it&rsquo;s their questions that drive the debate.&nbsp;
Hear from the experts who actually know what they&rsquo;re talking about, including Adam Rutherford, Helen Sharman, George Monbiot, Giles Yeo, Jeanette Winterson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Paul Nurse, Kevin Fong and You, Me and the Big C&rsquo;s Lauren Mahon.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With a focus on accuracy, openness, and debate, A Question of Science brings you the latest on what we know, what we don&rsquo;t, and where science might take us next.&nbsp;
A BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute, an independent charity and world-leading research lab.&nbsp;

What is consciousness?

Introducing More Questions of Science – bite-size episodes where we revisit some of the biggest ideas from the first 12 episodes of the series and take the conversation even further.

Professor Brian Cox will be in his home studio, catching up with some of the expert panellists from earlier in the series. Together, they’ll tackle your follow-up questions, explore new angles and go deeper into the topics that sparked your curiosity.

And because science never stops, we’ll also bring you the latest breakthroughs, discoveries and developments.

Send your follow up questions on cancer, fertility, ageing, ancient DNA, climate change and nutrition to the team: aquestionofscience@bbc.co.uk

More Questions of Science arrives on YouTube and podcast platforms in early 2026.

 

Introducing More Questions of Science &ndash; bite-size episodes where we revisit some of the biggest ideas from the first 12 episodes of the series and take the conversation even further.
Professor Brian Cox will be in his home studio, catching up with some of the expert panellists from earlier in the series. Together, they&rsquo;ll tackle your follow-up questions, explore new angles and go deeper into the topics that sparked your curiosity.
And because science never stops, we&rsquo;ll also bring you the latest breakthroughs, discoveries and developments.
Send your follow up questions on cancer, fertility, ageing, ancient DNA, climate change and nutrition to the team: aquestionofscience@bbc.co.uk
More Questions of Science arrives on YouTube and podcast platforms in early 2026.
&nbsp;

Introducing.... More Questions of Science

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the frontier of human bioengineering and building, replacing, and enhancing our bodies.  

Will we ever have bionic brains and cloned humans? Is there a danger of science fiction getting too close for comfort?   

From mechanical implants to lab-grown organs to whether humans could evolve to live in space, the discussion delves into what’s possible today and where science might take us next. 

Panellists 
Mark Pollock – Explorer, motivational speaker and Chairman of Collaborative Cures
George Malliaras – Prince Philip Professor of Technology, University of Cambridge
Madeline Lancaster – Group Leader, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology   
Robin Lovell-Badge – Group Leader, Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute 

Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/buildahuman  

A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.  

Music by John Biddle 

© BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025 

 

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the frontier of human bioengineering and building, replacing, and enhancing our bodies.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Will we ever have bionic brains and cloned humans? Is there a danger of science fiction getting too close for comfort?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
From mechanical implants to lab-grown organs to whether humans could evolve to live in space, the discussion delves into what&rsquo;s possible today and where science might take us next.&nbsp;
Panellists&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Mark Pollock &ndash; Explorer, motivational speaker and Chairman of Collaborative Cures</li>
<li>George Malliaras &ndash; Prince Philip Professor of Technology, University of Cambridge</li>
<li>Madeline Lancaster &ndash; Group Leader, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology&nbsp; &nbsp;</li>
<li>Robin Lovell-Badge &ndash; Group Leader, Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/buildahuman">www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/buildahuman</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Music by John Biddle&nbsp;
&copy; BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Can We Build A Human?

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel dive into the complex world of diet, nutrition and food choices. 

With new probiotic and high-protein products appearing on supermarket shelves every day and conflicting nutritional advice coming from every direction, it’s difficult to cut through the noise when it comes to what we eat. 

Our panel uses expertise from their roles as nutritionists, geneticists, gastroenterologists and policymakers to answer audience questions about food advertising, wellness advice, and whether it’s really possible – or worthwhile – to avoid food ‘additives’.  

Panellists 
Giles Yeo – Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, University of Cambridge
Christina Vogel – Professor in Food Policy and Director of the Centre for Food Policy, City St George’s, University of London
Saliha Mahmood Ahmed – Gastroenterologist and MasterChef winner, 2017
Nita Forouhi – Professor of Population Health and Nutrition, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge 

Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/nutrition  

A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.   

Music by John Biddle

© BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025 

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel dive into the complex world of diet, nutrition and food choices.&nbsp;
With new probiotic and high-protein products appearing on supermarket shelves every day and conflicting nutritional advice coming from every direction, it&rsquo;s difficult to cut through the noise when it comes to what we eat.&nbsp;
Our panel uses expertise from their roles as nutritionists, geneticists, gastroenterologists and policymakers to answer audience questions about food advertising, wellness advice, and whether it&rsquo;s really possible &ndash; or worthwhile &ndash; to avoid food &lsquo;additives&rsquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Panellists&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Giles Yeo &ndash; Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, University of Cambridge</li>
<li>Christina Vogel &ndash; Professor in Food Policy and Director of the Centre for Food Policy, City St George&rsquo;s, University of London</li>
<li>Saliha Mahmood Ahmed &ndash; Gastroenterologist and MasterChef winner, 2017</li>
<li>Nita Forouhi &ndash; Professor of Population Health and Nutrition, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/nutrition">www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/nutrition</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Music by John Biddle
&copy; BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025&nbsp;

What is consciousness?

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