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History & The Arts
Humphry Davy, laughing gas and the era of self-experimentation
When Humphry Davy wanted to explore the properties of nitrous oxide, he decided the best way would be to experiment upon himself.
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Does counting calories work?
If you're finding your new diet frustrating because you can't make the calories add up, you're not alone. Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley investigate why the calorie might be broken.
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History & The Arts
Desert Island Discs at 75: An OpenLearn listening list
This weekend, BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs celebrates its 75th anniversary. Join us for a rummage in the archives.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Can you predict the outcome of a Brexit deal with a little logic and a bit of arithmetic?
Three short equations may help determine the likely outcome of Theresa May's dealings with the EU, believes Kalypso Nicolaïdis.
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Money & Business
It's 1892, and the future's bright for gas lighting
The new electric lighting will never be more than a luxury product, stockholders in the Gas Light & Coke Company are reassured at the company's 1892 meeting.
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Will burnt food give you cancer?
Reports warn that burnt food - from overdone toast to too-crispy roast potatoes - can give you cancer. Simon Cotton explains what we really know.
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Digital & Computing
Can we overcome cyber-fatigue to secure ourselves online?
Richard Forno says focusing on short-term fixes might make us too exhausted to shape a long term solution to the challenges of cybersecurity.
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Society, Politics & Law
Is Tinder changing the way the world dates?
Research suggests that - far from taking the anxiety out of dating - apps like Tinder introduce a new set of worries.
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Science, Maths & Technology
How do planes survive lightning strikes?
As planes carry us through the sky, they can - and do - come under attack from lightning strikes. Good design keeps us safe, though, in the City In The Sky.
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Science, Maths & Technology
How do planes take off?
They're massive, and heavy. And yet they fly in the air. City In The Sky gets to grips with the physics of flight.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Why do planes get dumped in the desert?
Our series City In The Sky travelled to Arizona to see a plane come to its final destination.
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Science, Maths & Technology
How was the Moon made, and when did it happen?
Dave Rothery shares some new thinking about our nearest neighbour.