Series 1

The Watch

Watches have been an indicator of status since their invention. Mike Williams asks why.

• 12 mins

Series 1

Pilgrimage

Mike Williams explores why so many people take up a spiritual journey.

• 12 mins

Series 1

Nudity

Reflections on personal and political dimensions to nudity. Mike Williams presents.

• 12 mins

Why would anyone devote their life to collecting cuckoo clocks?

Why would anyone collect cuckoo clocks or violins?

• 12 mins

Why do so many societies mark the end of childhood?

Why do societies around the world mark the point when a child should become an adult?

• 12 mins

Why is our hair such an important part of who we are?

Why is hair so integral to personal identity? People without hair tell us.

• 12 mins

Why do so many men wear a tie?

Why do men wear strips of silk around their necks? Mike Williams on the tie.

• 15 mins

Series 2

Nostalgia

Why do so many people yearn for the past?

• 12 mins

Series 2

Dolls

Why do so many children love to play with dolls?

• 12 mins

Series 2

Sad Music

Why do we seem to enjoy sad music?

• 1 min

Series 2

T-shirts

They can be promotional, sometimes provocative. Mike Williams explores the T-shirt.

• 1 min

Series 2

Commuting

Why do we travel long distances to work, and what harm does the journey do to us?

• 12 mins

Series 2

Graffiti

Why do so many people want to make their mark with graffiti?

• 12 mins

Series 2

Diaries

Mike Williams asks why so many people feel the need to record the story of their day.

• 12 mins

Series 2

Gardens

Why do we garden?

• 12 mins

Series 2

Trainers

How did the sneaker become acceptable from the boardroom to the basketball court?

• 12 mins

Series 2

Long Distance Sports Fans

Mike Williams explores why some sports fans support teams based thousands of miles away

• 12 mins

Series 3

Groupthink

What makes the will of the crowd more persuasive than the wisdom of one?

• 12 mins

Series 3

Age of Consent

Why does the age of consent vary across the world?

• 12 mins

Series 3

Fear of Robots

Mike Williams asks if we have reason to fear the rise of the robots.

• 12 mins

Series 3

Drawing

Why do so many people love drawing? And what do those drawings reveal?

• 12 mins

Series 3

Cycling

Mike Williams asks why so many people have become obsessed with two-wheel travel.

• 12 mins

Series 3

Time Perception

Why do some weeks just fly by but sometimes minutes can seem like hours?

• 12 mins

Series 3

Conspiracy Theories

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? Mike Williams investigates.

• 12 mins

Series 3

Magicians

Why do some people become magicians?

• 12 mins

Series 3

Addiction

Why do some people suffer addiction?

• 12 mins

Series 3

The Circus

Why does the circus endure? Mike Williams explores its lasting appeal.

• 12 mins

Series 4

Childlessness

Why do some people choose childlessness?

• 12 mins

Series 4

The Kiss

Charlotte McDonald explores if kissing is the universal trait that people believe it to be

• 12 mins

Series 4

Hypochondria

Why do people suffer from hypochondria, and why do they attract so little sympathy?

• 12 mins