Accessibility links

Skip to content
Accessibility Help

Home
News
Sport
Weather
iPlayer
Sounds
Bitesize
CBeebies
CBBC
Food

Home
News
Sport
Business
Innovation
Culture
Travel
Earth
Video
Live

Home
News
Sport
Weather
iPlayer
Sounds
Bitesize
CBeebies
CBBC
Food

Home
News
Sport
Business
Innovation
Culture
Travel
Earth
Video
Live

.sc-c-sounds-nav { position: relative; } .sc-c-sounds-nav__menu-button { display: none; } .sc-c-sounds-nav__items { max-height: 500px; visibility: visible; position: static; } .sc-c-sounds-nav__overlay { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 659px) { .sc-c-sounds-nav__wrapper { padding-bottom: 0px; } .sc-c-sounds-nav__wordmark-link { padding-bottom: 18px; } }

Sounds home page

Home
Music
Podcasts
My Sounds

The Why Factor - Listening - BBC Sounds

The Why Factor - Listening - BBC Sounds

ListeningListening

Released On: 03 Mar 2017

Available for over a year

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

Programme Website

Coming Up Next

now playing
The Why Factor
Listening
Why is listening different from hearing? And how can we develop that skill?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Hands
Whether it is making or fixing something, why do we enjoy working with our hands?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why I’m Not Just Blind
Lee Kumutat asks why blind people must either be inspirational or deserving pity
17 mins
The Why Factor
Yoga
Valley Fontaine asks why do we do yoga, and how has it become so popular?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why do Men Want Six Packs?
Why do men all over the world crave these six bumps on their stomach?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Clapping
Becky Milligan uncovers the secrets of applause and how it can be used to infect us all.
23 mins
The Why Factor
Underground
What lures people to delve deep beneath the earth, into the dark recesses underground?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Why Words Matter
Lane Greene explains how the words we choose can tell us a great deal about ourselves.
23 mins
The Why Factor
Short
Why do some short people lie about their height?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Habits
Shiulie Ghosh explains why we are all creatures of habits.
23 mins
The Why Factor
Goths
Why would anyone be a goth? What is the appeal of this dark and spooky subculture?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Are you a numbers person?
Are you a numbers person? Timandra Harkness explains how we get intimidated by numbers.
23 mins
The Why Factor
Thankless Tasks
Dotun Adebayo discovers why anyone does a job where lots of people hate you
23 mins
The Why Factor
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
The Why Factor
Self-Harm
Why do some people cause physical pain to themselves as a way to manage their emotions?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Exams
Are exams a fair judge of ability and understanding, or just a memory test?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Returning Home
Why do foreign migrants yearn to go home and does returning make them happy if they do?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Polygamy
Why would anyone share their husband or wife with another partner?
23 mins
The Why Factor
The kiss
Why do humans kiss?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Childlessness
Why do some people choose to remain childless?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Male Violence
Why are men more violent than women?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Why Do Some People Crave the Limelight?
Why do some people crave the limelight and what does it do to our bodies?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Sign Language
Lee Kumutat explores why deaf people are divided on the significance of Sign Language
23 mins
The Why Factor
Why Raise Other People's Children?
Raising children is demanding, so why do we choose to raise other people’s children?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Eavesdropping
Why do we eavesdrop?
23 mins
The Why Factor
News
News has a powerful effect on people. But why do we have it? And what's it for?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Human Remains in Museums
Why is storing and displaying human remains in museums contentious?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Complexity
Why do potentially life changing devices often feel so frustrating?
23 mins
The Why Factor
What Do You Do?
How much emphasis do we place on our jobs defining our identity?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Romance
Why is it such an enduring concept and what does it mean in the modern world?
23 mins
The Why Factor
Surrogacy
Why would a woman choose to carry a baby for a complete stranger?
23 mins

Cymraeg
Gaeilge
Gàidhlig

BBC Sounds Help
Contacts, Privacy and Information
Help with Signing In
Newsletter

Explore the BBC

Home
News
Sport
Weather
iPlayer
Sounds
Bitesize
CBeebies
CBBC
Food

Home
News
Sport
Business
Innovation
Culture
Travel
Earth
Video
Live

Terms of Use
About the BBC
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Cookies
Cookies
Accessibility Help
Parental Guidance
Contact the BBC
Make an editorial complaint
BBC emails for you
Advertise with us

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.