The Why Factor

The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

World Service,408 episodes

Episodes

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Smiling
Whether a toothy grin, a megawatt beam or a faint curve of the lips, why do we smile?
17 Feb 2017,17 mins
Hypochondria
What is hypochondria, and why don’t we take this misunderstood malaise more seriously?
10 Feb 2017,17 mins
Torture
Does torture actually work, and can its use ever be justified?
03 Feb 2017,17 mins
Cryonics
Why do some people choose to be frozen at death, hoping to be brought back to life?
27 Jan 2017,17 mins
Conspiracy Theory
The Why Factor asks why some people believe in conspiracy theories and whether it matters
20 Jan 2017,17 mins
Regret
Why do we feel regret – is it right to live with it, or should we get over our mistakes?
13 Jan 2017,17 mins
Carrying Guns
In the countries where it’s legal, why do people choose to bear arms?
06 Jan 2017,17 mins
Vigilantes
Why do some people take the law into their own hands?
30 Dec 2016,17 mins
Why Do We Make Lists?
From shopping lists to to-do lists – why do we make lists and what do they say about us?
25 Dec 2016,16 mins
Forgiveness
Could you forgive the person who killed your child or who raped or tortured you?
23 Dec 2016,17 mins
Why do we Get Road Rage?
Why does driving bring out the worst in some people?
16 Dec 2016,17 mins
Revenge
Why did this type of aggressive behaviour evolve? And what purpose does it serve?
09 Dec 2016,17 mins
The Female Orgasm
Why do we understand so little about female sexual pleasure?
02 Dec 2016,17 mins
Why Do Cities Make Us Rude?
Why do cities make us rude? What makes us behave so badly in urban areas?
25 Nov 2016,17 mins
The Family Tree
Why are so many people obsessed with discovering their family origins?
18 Nov 2016,17 mins
Hoarding
Why do some people fill their homes and their lives with stuff?
11 Nov 2016,17 mins
Unconscious Bias
Why do we make judgments about people without even realising?
04 Nov 2016,17 mins
Eye Witness Identification
Mike Williams asks why scientists and courts are so worried about eye-witness testimony
28 Oct 2016,17 mins
Organ Donation
Why do we donate organs and will we still need to in the future?
21 Oct 2016,17 mins
Farewell Letters
Why do we write farewell letters? And how do we find the words to say goodbye?
14 Oct 2016,17 mins
Grief
Why do we feel so many different emotions when someone close to us dies?
07 Oct 2016,17 mins
Assisted Death
Is it ever right to take a life? Mike Williams explores the dilemmas of assisted death.
30 Sep 2016,17 mins
Comic Book Superheroes
Why are we so fascinated with the superheroes which populate our comic books and movies?
23 Sep 2016,17 mins
Why do Crazes Take Off?
What explains the success of the Hula-Hoop, Rubik’s Cube and Pokemon Go?
16 Sep 2016,17 mins
Why do we find some voices irritating?
Why is it that we find some voices more annoying than others?
09 Sep 2016,17 mins
The Voice
What do our voices reveal about ourselves?
02 Sep 2016,17 mins
Why not celebrate introvert personalities?
People are often labelled as shy, but introversion is very much misunderstood. Why?
26 Aug 2016,17 mins
Why do pet videos go viral?
The strange success of pets on the internet. Why?
19 Aug 2016,17 mins
Fear of Animals
What lies behind our often overwhelming fear of harmless animals?
12 Aug 2016,17 mins
Fear vs Fact
Are we living in an age where messages of fear dominate and the truth goes unheard?
05 Aug 2016,17 mins