The Why Factor Podcast
The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions
Episodes to download
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Human Remains in Museums
Mon 28 Aug 2017
Why is storing and displaying human remains in museums contentious?
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News
Mon 21 Aug 2017
News has a powerful effect on people. But why do we have it? And what's it for?
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Why Raise Other People's Children?
Mon 7 Aug 2017
Raising children is demanding, so why do we choose to raise other people’s children?
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Sign Language
Mon 31 Jul 2017
Lee Kumutat explores why deaf people are divided on the significance of Sign Language
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Why Do Some People Crave the Limelight?
Mon 24 Jul 2017
Why do some people crave the limelight and what does it do to our bodies?
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Returning Home
Mon 19 Jun 2017
Why do foreign migrants yearn to go home and does returning make them happy if they do?
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Self-Harm
Mon 5 Jun 2017
Why do some people cause physical pain to themselves as a way to manage their emotions?
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Why Do We Talk To Ourselves?
Mon 29 May 2017
In this Why Factor, Matthew Sweet asks who are we talking to when we talk to ourselves
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Thankless Tasks
Mon 22 May 2017
Dotun Adebayo discovers why anyone does a job where lots of people hate you
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Are you a numbers person?
Mon 15 May 2017
Are you a numbers person? Timandra Harkness explains how we get intimidated by numbers.
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Goths
Mon 8 May 2017
Why would anyone be a goth? What is the appeal of this dark and spooky subculture?
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Why Words Matter
Mon 17 Apr 2017
Lane Greene explains how the words we choose can tell us a great deal about ourselves.
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Underground
Mon 10 Apr 2017
What lures people to delve deep beneath the earth, into the dark recesses underground?
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Clapping
Mon 3 Apr 2017
Becky Milligan uncovers the secrets of applause and how it can be used to infect us all.
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Why do Men Want Six Packs?
Mon 27 Mar 2017
Why do men all over the world crave these six bumps on their stomach?
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Hands
Fri 10 Mar 2017
Whether it is making or fixing something, why do we enjoy working with our hands?
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Listening
Fri 3 Mar 2017
Why is listening different from hearing? And how can we develop that skill?
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Stammering
Fri 24 Feb 2017
Why does this speech disorder cause so much shame amongst the millions affected by it?
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Smiling
Fri 17 Feb 2017
Whether a toothy grin, a megawatt beam or a faint curve of the lips, why do we smile?
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Why do we look the way we do?
Tattoos, trainers, jeans, hair, ties ... why?
