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The Why Factor - Why Are We Getting Smarter - BBC Sounds

The Why Factor - Why Are We Getting Smarter - BBC Sounds

Why Are We Getting SmarterWhy Are We Getting Smarter

Released On: 15 Jul 2016

Available for over a year

Mike Williams examines the Flynn Effect and finds out why we are all getting smarter.

Programme Website

Coming Up Next

now playing
The Why Factor
Why Are We Getting Smarter
Mike Williams examines the Flynn Effect and finds out why we are all getting smarter.
17 mins
The Why Factor
Violence
Why are men more violent than women?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Driving
As auto-piloted cars begin tests Mike Williams asks if we will miss driving
17 mins
The Why Factor
Fear vs Fact
Are we living in an age where messages of fear dominate and the truth goes unheard?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Fear of Animals
What lies behind our often overwhelming fear of harmless animals?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why do pet videos go viral?
The strange success of pets on the internet. Why?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why not celebrate introvert personalities?
People are often labelled as shy, but introversion is very much misunderstood. Why?
17 mins
The Why Factor
The Voice
What do our voices reveal about ourselves?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why do we find some voices irritating?
Why is it that we find some voices more annoying than others?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why do Crazes Take Off?
What explains the success of the Hula-Hoop, Rubik’s Cube and Pokemon Go?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Comic Book Superheroes
Why are we so fascinated with the superheroes which populate our comic books and movies?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Assisted Death
Is it ever right to take a life? Mike Williams explores the dilemmas of assisted death.
17 mins
The Why Factor
Grief
Why do we feel so many different emotions when someone close to us dies?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Farewell Letters
Why do we write farewell letters? And how do we find the words to say goodbye?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Organ Donation
Why do we donate organs and will we still need to in the future?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Eye Witness Identification
Mike Williams asks why scientists and courts are so worried about eye-witness testimony
17 mins
The Why Factor
Unconscious Bias
Why do we make judgments about people without even realising?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Hoarding
Why do some people fill their homes and their lives with stuff?
17 mins
The Why Factor
The Family Tree
Why are so many people obsessed with discovering their family origins?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why Do Cities Make Us Rude?
Why do cities make us rude? What makes us behave so badly in urban areas?
17 mins
The Why Factor
The Female Orgasm
Why do we understand so little about female sexual pleasure?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Revenge
Why did this type of aggressive behaviour evolve? And what purpose does it serve?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why do we Get Road Rage?
Why does driving bring out the worst in some people?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Forgiveness
Could you forgive the person who killed your child or who raped or tortured you?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why Do We Make Lists?
From shopping lists to to-do lists – why do we make lists and what do they say about us?
16 mins
The Why Factor
Vigilantes
Why do some people take the law into their own hands?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Carrying Guns
In the countries where it’s legal, why do people choose to bear arms?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Regret
Why do we feel regret – is it right to live with it, or should we get over our mistakes?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Conspiracy Theory
The Why Factor asks why some people believe in conspiracy theories and whether it matters
17 mins
The Why Factor
Cryonics
Why do some people choose to be frozen at death, hoping to be brought back to life?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Torture
Does torture actually work, and can its use ever be justified?
17 mins

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