Mysteries of Science

In this monster-sized episode, Dan and Ciaran lace up their hiking boots to probe one of North America’s most legendary mysteries: Bigfoot. Is this giant, hairy, mysterious figure a real creature stomping through the forests, or is it just a brilliant tale best told around the campfire? We begin by tracking the legend back a thousand years to Indigenous cave art to modern-day giant footprints and strange noises in the woods... 

Can you believe everything you see and hear online? Dan and Michael navigate the fascinating and unsettling world of deepfakes: images, videos, and audio so realistic you might not know they’re fake. With help from tech experts and researchers, they reveal how deepfakes are made, why they’re getting better and harder to spot and challenge you to outsmart the fakes yourself. Along the way, find out how deepfake tech brings movie characters back to life and why we all need to sharpen our digital detective skills for the future.  Test your skills, learn the science behind AI trickery, and discover how to stay savvy in a world where seeing (or hearing) isn’t always believing... 

Dan and Michael don their detective hats and head into the Nevada desert to investigate one of the biggest mysteries on Earth: Area 51. Some say it’s just a top-secret US military base for testing new aircraft. Others believe it’s the hiding place for crashed UFOs and even extraterrestrial visitors... 

Hosts Dan and Michael investigate the curious lives of octopuses: a creature with three hearts, colour-changing skin, and arms that almost think for themselves... Why are octopuses such masters of disguise? Just how smart are they? And what secrets lurk within bodies?

Over the past few decades, our ideas about what dinosaurs looked like have changed. Dinos were once thought of as scaly creatures, closely related to reptiles. Now, they are thought to have come in a beautiful array of colours, some with flashy feathers. The Science+Nature team, along with expert guests, unpack this mystery as we ask: what did dinosaurs look like?

Clever machines have appeared in countless films and are making headlines all the time, but what exactly does it mean? How does it actually work? And could computers ever become so intelligent that they end up doing everything for us?

Join Dan and Michael as they dive into Mysteries of Science, the children’s science podcast spotting the universe’s strangest phenomena. In this episode they explore black holes—from how stars collapse to form them, to the event horizon where nothing escapes. The episode also features a tour of how radio waves reveal black holes, what spaghettification means, and whether Earth is at risk. 

The team investigate the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle – a patch in the Caribbean that's well-known for swallowing up airplanes 

Dun dun... Dun dun... Dun dun dun dun dun... Michael and Jenny dip their toes into a the water and go searching for sharks. Scary and sinister or seriously misunderstood?

A transmission from the past: Dan and Ciaran ask whether it's possible to talk to aliens. 

Weather systems can be weird and wonderful. In this episode of Mysteries of Science, Michael and Stevie float among the clouds in an effort to understand more. 

If you could transform into anything, what would you become? And could shapeshifting ever be possible? That's what we're asking in this archive episode of Mysteries of Science

Sutton Hoo is one of Europe's most amazing discoveries. This ancient burial site once held a ship packed with treasure – but no body. Who was buried there? And why have ghostly visions of helmeted warriors been reported on the site? With the help of expert archaeologists, Dan and Stevie explore the story.

Ciaran and Dan look at what makes a planet in this classic episode of Mysteries of Science, and whether there's a mysterious extra planet – Planet X – just beyond Neptune, lurking in our cosmic neighbourhood. 

We’re diving into one of the greatest mysteries of all time – The Loch Ness Monster. From ancient legends to modern scientific investigations, we explore the history, sightings, and possible explanations for Nessie. Could she be a prehistoric creature, a giant eel, or just a trick of the imagination? 

We're off to the deepest part of the ocean today – the Mariana Trench – on the quest to find out what lurks in its waters and why it's so hard to explore... 

Michael and Stevie become interplanetary detectives as they investigate the solar system's hottest and most deadly murder mystery. Venus is often referred to as Earth's twin because the two planets are so similar. But if that's the case, then why is Venus is so inhospitable to life? We take a trip into space and find out what killed Venus... 

To celebrate the release of Moana 2, coming soon to cinemas, Dan and Stevie go on a journey to Polynesia to find out how thousands of islands thousands of miles apart were settled without the use of typical instruments using a technique known as wayfinding... 

Stevie and Michael sit down and chat with some top experts to find out how animals experience the world. From dolphins to octopuses to pets and more, we ask the question: are animals smarter than us?

Hosts Dan and Michael delve into the enigma of Oumuamua, a mysterious object that passed through our solar system in 2017. Initially thought to be a comet or asteroid, Oumuamua's unusual characteristics led to speculation about its origins, including the possibility of it being an alien spacecraft...

Michael and Stevie get answers to your burning questions in another episode of Mysteries of Science including a phenomena all about rainbows at night as well as what caused the extinction of the dinos.

Inspired by the Harry Potter series, hosts Stevie and Michael explore magic potions! They uncover the real-life inspiration behind Professor Snape, revealing that a real potions master named Henry Lloyd Snape existed in the late 19th century... We also meet illustrator Johnny Duddle and ask you for your own ideas for magical potions!

Are insects in our diets the new sustainable food source? We're sharing parts of our talk from Cheltenham Science Festival plus chatting to exports like dairy farmer, Rich.

Dan and Stevie break down some of the biggest mysteries around – as asked by you! Professor Brian Cox and a host of other special guests answer your questions on everything from the temperature of space to jellyfish stings.

Dan and Michael explore the concept of altruism. From vampire bats who share food to prevent each other from starving, to giving money to charity: why are people kind?

Dan and Michael are going down under to hunt for a thylacine. Also known as the tasmanian tiger or tasmanian wolf, could this supposedly extinct creature actually be secretly lurking in the nation's forests? 

Michael and Dan are back after a mid-season break to take on perhaps one of the strangest mysteries we’ve ever encountered… What’s being hidden in a top secret US military base, thousands of miles from anywhere, in the middle of a desert? Could it be aliens? 

In the middle of the desert in Nevada, USA, sits a top-secret military base. You probably know it as Area 51. Today, Michael, Dan, and a team of top experts are peeking over the fence to see what they can spot...  Will they find mysterious alien spacecraft? And what's this about a strange airline? Or is the whole thing nothing more than a good story?

This week we're investigating a mystery requested by one of our listeners – could dinosaurs still walk among us? These terrible lizards went extinct after an asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago, but is there more the story? Join us and some expert guests as we find out whether or not we're walking with dinosaurs...

Stevie and Michael dive into the topic of telepathy – the (supposed) strange ability to transmit thoughts or read minds! Joining the team to probe the psychic powers of the human mind are emeritus professor Chris French, and journalist and author Kathryn Hulick.  We chat about Elon Musk's futuristic Neuralink project, which claims to be able to harness the power of the brain, and hear the story of a clever horse. Are you ready for things to get weird?

Hosts Dan and Michael kick off this new season of Mysteries of Science with a Big Bang: the theory that explains the origin of the universe. Fred Hoyle coined the term to mock a theory he didn't believe in. Now, expert guests Dr. Maggie Lieu and Ethan Siegel shed light on the Big Bang theory and its evidence – and what might happen next...

It's a Mysteries of Science season finale! In this episode, Michael and Dan tackle some of your biggest mysteries including ones about intelligent species and the first ever living organisms. We even have an answer from the one and only Professor Brian Cox!

We're going under the sea and chatting to top tentacle geniuses in the form of Chris Packham and friends as we investigate the mystery of octopuses... There's something incredibly unique about these eight-legged creatures that's got us suckered. Can Dan and Michael get to the bottom of it?

Jenny and Michael venture into the cosmos to unravel the secrets of dark matter. As astronomers observe stars and galaxies moving under the influence of an unseen force, we ask: What is dark matter? Why can't we see it? And just how much of the universe does it comprise?

We're going back to the future in a brand new episode of Mysteries of Science, investigating the antikythera mechanism – a strange artefact from the past that looks like it could be made today! Plus, we're telling you how to add to the Fun Kids Time Capsule. Enter online at https://funkidslive.com/timemachine

It's a Christmas special of Mysteries of Science! We're recapping the best bits of 2023 and diving into the archive, playing some previously unheard bits from past interviews. Thanks for spending the year with us.

Two hikers stumble upon something in the ice: a mummy. Over the next few days, the mummy's extracted and examined by experts. It turns out to be 5,000 years old. Who was this person? How did they get there? And what can we learn from the body in the ice? 

Is it possible to live forever? Expert guests author Ross Welford and biologist María Pascual Torner unlock the secrets to turning back time. Could a jellyfish hold the key to anti-aging? What would the world be like if nobody died? We find out.

Cartoonist Dr. Jorge Cham and author Kathryn Hulick investigate the mystery of teleportation. Is it possible to travel somewhere else in the blink of an eye? Dan and Michael investigate what might be possible, from robots in other cities to 3D printing people and even ferrying information across the universe in a flash.

Michael, Jenny, and a team of top experts investigate one of the stickiest, gungiest mysteries we’ve ever explored: slime. From snails to slippery fish, the gang get to the bottom of this gooey, gloopy, natural puzzle. 

Michael and Jenny sit down with top scientists to talk about some of the most mind-bending mysteries in the universe — quite literally. This time, we’re answering your most pressing space-themed questions, including what shape the space is, and whether aliens might be on Jupiter’s moon. 

They look, sound, and might even move like someone you know – but they're not. Deepfakes are images, videos, and audio recordings that are increasingly used to trick people. Michael and Dan enter the mirror world and try to decipher what's real and what's deepfake. How can you tell the difference? And what does the future look (and sound) like in a world where we can't be sure of what's right in front of us?

Tales of a strange creature loping around the British countryside have existed for quite some time but is there any truth in them? Michael and Jenny investigate stories of a beast in Exmoor... 

The team behind Mysteries of Science present a very special episode, recorded live at Cheltenham Science Festival, all about magic and whether or not it's real!  You can watch some of the tricks featured in this episode at sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk/magic!

Fun Kids, the UK's children's radio station, has a brand new series called The Space Programme?  Life on the Isle of Lune is about to get out-of-this-world! It's a radio drama all about a brand new UK spaceport and the story of a soon-to-be child-astronaut. Hear The Space Programme every Friday from 4pm on Fun Kids, the UK's children's radio station, and as a podcast too.  Plus, Fun Kids Podcasts+ subscribers get all 20 episodes right now, ad-free! Listen to the whole series before anyone else. Get a 30-day free trial of Fun Kids Podcasts+ by tapping 'Try Free' in Apple Podcasts or by heading to FunKidsLive.com/plus

Knock, knock. Who's there? Another episode of Mysteries of Science! This week, Michael and Dan explore the mystery of laughter. Find out where laugher comes from and why it's surprisingly good for us. Plus, we're joined by top comedian Olaf Falafel.

Michael and Jenny dip their toes into a brand new mystery, exploring the secrets of sharks – and discover that what lies beneath the surface might not be all that sinister after all... 🦈

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? If you're not sure, it's a UFO! With World UFO Day right around the corner, Michael and Dan explore the mysteries of Unidentified Flying Objects. Could these ariel phenomena be aliens from another planet or could it be something more easily explained? We're also launching a podcast survey for parents and guardians to help us better understand our listeners. It's 24 questions and will take just 10 minutes. You can also enter a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon gift card! The survey is open until 18 August: https://sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk/podcast-survey

Barry Allen – The Flash – can run pretty fast... but can you? Kicking off season six of Mysteries of Science, Michael and Dan chat to top experts from a fitness trainer to a physics professor to try and work out what the speed limit of the human body is.

It's the end of Season 5 of Mysteries of Science and we've had a blast! In this final episode, the team answer mysteries you are desperate to know the answers to...