Smiling

Whether a toothy grin, a megawatt beam or a faint curve of the lips, why do we smile?

• 17 mins

Stammering

Why does this speech disorder cause so much shame amongst the millions affected by it?

• 17 mins

Listening

Why is listening different from hearing? And how can we develop that skill?

• 17 mins

Hands

Whether it is making or fixing something, why do we enjoy working with our hands?

• 17 mins

Why I’m Not Just Blind

Lee Kumutat asks why blind people must either be inspirational or deserving pity

• 17 mins

Yoga

Valley Fontaine asks why do we do yoga, and how has it become so popular?

• 17 mins

Why do Men Want Six Packs?

Why do men all over the world crave these six bumps on their stomach?

• 23 mins

Clapping

Becky Milligan uncovers the secrets of applause and how it can be used to infect us all.

• 23 mins

Underground

What lures people to delve deep beneath the earth, into the dark recesses underground?

• 23 mins

Why Words Matter

Lane Greene explains how the words we choose can tell us a great deal about ourselves.

• 23 mins

Short

Why do some short people lie about their height?

• 23 mins

Habits

Shiulie Ghosh explains why we are all creatures of habits.

• 23 mins

Goths

Why would anyone be a goth? What is the appeal of this dark and spooky subculture?

• 23 mins

Are you a numbers person?

Are you a numbers person? Timandra Harkness explains how we get intimidated by numbers.

• 23 mins

Thankless Tasks

Dotun Adebayo discovers why anyone does a job where lots of people hate you

• 23 mins

Why Do We Talk To Ourselves?

In this Why Factor, Matthew Sweet asks who are we talking to when we talk to ourselves

• 23 mins

Self-Harm

Why do some people cause physical pain to themselves as a way to manage their emotions?

• 23 mins

Exams

Are exams a fair judge of ability and understanding, or just a memory test?

• 23 mins

Returning Home

Why do foreign migrants yearn to go home and does returning make them happy if they do?

• 23 mins

Polygamy

Why would anyone share their husband or wife with another partner?

• 23 mins

The kiss

Why do humans kiss?

• 23 mins

Childlessness

Why do some people choose to remain childless?

• 23 mins

Male Violence

Why are men more violent than women?

• 23 mins

Why Do Some People Crave the Limelight?

Why do some people crave the limelight and what does it do to our bodies?

• 23 mins

Sign Language

Lee Kumutat explores why deaf people are divided on the significance of Sign Language

• 23 mins

Why Raise Other People's Children?

Raising children is demanding, so why do we choose to raise other people’s children?

• 23 mins

Eavesdropping

Why do we eavesdrop?

• 23 mins

News

News has a powerful effect on people. But why do we have it? And what's it for?

• 23 mins

Human Remains in Museums

Why is storing and displaying human remains in museums contentious?

• 23 mins

Complexity

Why do potentially life changing devices often feel so frustrating?

• 23 mins