The Why Factor

The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

World Service,408 episodes

Episodes

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Driving
As auto-piloted cars begin tests Mike Williams asks if we will miss driving
29 Jul 2016,17 mins
Violence
Why are men more violent than women?
22 Jul 2016,17 mins
Why Are We Getting Smarter
Mike Williams examines the Flynn Effect and finds out why we are all getting smarter.
15 Jul 2016,17 mins
Newspapers
Digital news is threatening newspapers, so why do they survive and what is their future?
08 Jul 2016,17 mins
Why Do We Love the Bicycle?
How did the bicycle change the world?
01 Jul 2016,12 mins
Attraction
Why are we attracted to some people and not to others?
24 Jun 2016,17 mins
Loneliness
What is loneliness and why do we feel it?
17 Jun 2016,17 mins
Copying Art
Why do people copy famous works of art and who buys them?
10 Jun 2016,17 mins
Safe Space
Mike Williams asks what exactly is a safe space?
03 Jun 2016,17 mins
Thin
Mike Williams asks why so many people want to be thin in a world grappling with obesity.
27 May 2016,17 mins
Why Are We Afraid of Robots?
They help us in homes, hospitals and factories, so do we have reason to fear robots?
20 May 2016,17 mins
Time Perception
Mike Williams asks why some weeks just fly by but sometimes minutes can seem like hours?
13 May 2016,17 mins
Statues: Why we put people on pedestals
To some statues pay homage to gods, to others they are attempts at immortalising man
06 May 2016,17 mins
Life, Liberty and the American Identity
What is the American Identity and why is it a portrait recognized around the world?
30 Apr 2016,49 mins
How the Rest of the World Sees America
What does the world see when it looks towards America?
29 Apr 2016,17 mins
Dolly, Dylan or Daft Punk
Gemma Cairney explores our eclectic tastes in music and where those tastes come from
23 Apr 2016,49 mins
How America Sees Itself
How America's sense of national identity is perceived by the American people
22 Apr 2016,17 mins
Radio Requests
Music fans and radio stations from Mexico to Myanmar explain the appeal of radio requests
15 Apr 2016,17 mins
Why I’m Not Just Blind
Lee Kumutat asks why blind people must either be inspirational or deserving pity
08 Apr 2016,17 mins
Identity
The Why Factor examines one simple question: Who are you?
01 Apr 2016,17 mins
Fanfiction
What is fanfiction and who writes it?
25 Mar 2016,17 mins
Supernatural Powers
Mike Williams asks why supernatural beliefs have such a hold over different societies
18 Mar 2016,17 mins
Magicians: Inside their Minds
Who are the magicians and why do they enjoy performing for us?
11 Mar 2016,17 mins
Conspiracy Theory
The Why Factor asks why some people believe in conspiracy theories and whether it matters.
04 Mar 2016,12 mins
Why We Search for the Origins of Life
Why do humans need to understand the infinite and the infinitesimal?
26 Feb 2016,17 mins
Addiction: Why Do Some People Succumb to it?
Why does pleasure and desire lead to addiction in some people but not others?
19 Feb 2016,17 mins
Pleasure: Why We Like the Things We Like
The science of pleasure and why we like the things that we like
12 Feb 2016,17 mins
Why is Water Exceptional?
What does water mean to us?
05 Feb 2016,17 mins
Impersonators: Why do People Pretend to be Someone Else?
Examining the world of the Impersonators, con-artists and entertainers
29 Jan 2016,17 mins
Age of Consent
Why does the age of consent for homosexual relationships differ?
22 Jan 2016,17 mins