The Infinite Monkey's Guide To… Failure
Why being wrong can sometimes be right - we learn why scientific failure has led to some amazing innovations, including artificial sweeteners and Viagra.
Brian Cox and Robin Ince embrace failure in its many forms, with a frank look at the importance of making mistakes. They examine the flaws in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution with the anthropologist Alice Roberts, as she tells them no idea is totally watertight. And sometimes scientific error even leads to important discoveries – just ask the heart patients who took a pill that did nothing for their medical condition but did boost their libido and which we now know as Viagra. But other failures in the field of medicine have had more serious consequences, and Dr Chris van Tulleken questions why we’re not better at drug development for the poorest parts of the world.
New episodes will be released on Wednesdays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the full series on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sounds: bbc.in/3K3JzyF
Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
Episodes featured:
Series 15: Science’s Epic Fails
Series 11: Serendipity
Series 25: What Have We Learnt From Covid?
Watch: UFO Special
Brian Cox and Robin Ince ask if UFOs and aliens have visited Earth.
10 reasons why aliens probably exist
Does alien life exist? Probably yes. But will we be making contact anytime soon?
Why we laugh: 9 things you didn’t know
What makes us laugh, why we do it, and how a good guffaw can help us feel healthier.
Download this programme
Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.
Podcast
-
![]()
The Infinite Monkey Cage
Brian Cox and Robin Ince host an irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes.
