Read this: 22/10/2021 Radio 4 Feedback

Hello now.

Who do you think this listing is talking about just took patronising Jimmy's of course they present through the Life Scientific professor Jim al-khalili.

How does he described himself? He certainly religious the cuddly a PS I still respect people they were very smart and very brights For Whom their face is very important.

That will be very silly for me to dismiss them.

You know not being rational and something like this week.

I lost the professor whether he thinks there is enough signs programming on Radio 4 and whether the Life Scientific as a lot of life left and what's this an email to feedback from the director-general himself then baby.

It seems to be about that today interview with the Prime Minister in which Nick Rob

Boris Johnson to stop talking will come back to it a little later in the program when we have confirm that it is genuine and

are too young listings a back last week.

They put their tails rather tentatively into the shallow end of five live swimming pool this week.

Can we entice them to take the plunge into the deep dark waters BBC podcast for the first thing was when they introduced themselves and there was comedian on a program of this kind of nature.

I was quite surprised to find out if I have had there for more BBC content later in feedback.

When it started 10 years ago who were the forecast for the Life Scientific would become one of the most loved programmes on Radio 4 and network more usually associated with non scientific subjects yards to celebrate that successful decayed radio for the whole day to scientists on Tuesday the 12th of October with almost every program carrying some scientific content one of the main reasons for the success of the Life Scientific is of course.

It's presenter professor Jim al-khalili when you join me on the line from the University of Surrey I asked him whether we sorted whether the series was in danger of running out of suitable subject or guests are there many more plenty more plenty more.

No I'm not exhausted.

It's been anticipate.

It would last as long as no idea, how well it would work, but I'm now looking for the next 10 years plenty more people to interview.

Is so obviously popular in fits the Golden hour of 9 it's quite astonishing.

It wasn't sort of before but that's easy to say now 10 years ago.

Did it seemed a bit of a risk to you? I wasn't really quite sure how to take it.

I've got it wasn't my baby.

It was Griffith Williams idea then control of Radio 4 she came in and this is one of the things you wanted to bring in of course the radio science unit with very nervous because now this was their new boss telling them.

They had to make this new program work.

It was in this sort of thing as you say this goldenslut offers a day program.

No one knew it would work quantity but steep learning curve for me, but absolutely you're right.

It's been is the programme different now from the first one.

I like to think of relaxing the formatting changes.

We would often for playing clips a bit like this is your life.

You don't here's an old friend.

You haven't heard for a while say how wonderful you are that we dropped but

Phone is been is a conversation.

It's not an interview with such and I think we've kept that relax format so that the guest know this speaking to another scientist with the listeners as third-party server listening into our conversation and what comes first because obviously is a mixture of the personal the story of the individual side is and focusing on the area the main area in which they operate how do you choose the people we try and get a abroad suede of of subject matter in every run I mean as you know we also always have the gender balance for men and women which is not a difficult thing to do that.

You know what's that over.

We had an astrophysicist.

You know a few weeks ago.

We can't have another one just yet, so is that sort of thing which spreads around but the guest very some have backstories and that is what captures the audience imagination more so than the science itself others have changed our world and a very dramatic way and it's the science that people want to hear about.

Does really depends whether you have a fast backstory yourself you come from Bonnie back down to have something to say Muslim father Christian mother you ended up a scientist and of for a person of the society and how did that happen? When did you have abandoned faith and move very much towards science? I think I mean partly my parents very each other's views and so we'll brought up in a rather loose comfortable that background where it might have been inevitable that I would have at some point but why you can't be right and you and you can be right at the same time, but no it was my scientific training.

I think I felt I wanted a rational explanation of how the world works without the need for up for a creator so I'm probably in my teens.

I just stayed away from the more personal questions.

We haven't time for example in a photograph.

Your hair is longer than Brian main Queen the good old days of the 80s.

Yes, I had enough to be as it works scientist, but you had to be a sort of the Evangelist for science a lot of my friends in my social group word scientists and so I was very used to trying to explain things in a way indeed jargon eyes.

I enjoyed that enjoyed explaining something to someone having their the penny drop for them as much as I enjoyed finding out stuff myself and so ever seen enough to strike this balance between being a research cited myself learning about how the world works, but also trying to explain it to others I just ridiculous after 10 years successful Life Scientific still steaming take me to raise the question about whether the larger sense you think you've been successful as restaurant interview did last week with the government chief scientific advisor when he told you something like this.

10% of the elite stream if you like going to the silver service come from a science background, you know how many civil servants that we have currently had a scientific background, but one of the first things I did was asked the question of The Fast Stream civil Service Fast Stream so that the scheme that attracts the Bright Young things were going to be leaders of tomorrow, what proportion that group had a science or Engineering degree and the answer was 10% little while to find that that is clearly clearly not right.

I don't know what the right number is but let's say for the sake of argument 50/50 and it's important.

It's not 90ten the other way, you know social sciences humanities incredibly important, but 10% is not the right number so we know you think you made or with many significant advances regarding the weather popularity of science my ambition was always particularly the Life Scientific to in bed size.

In popular culture that people would feel comfortable talking about scientific matters and the same way they talk about sport and politics or or musical the Arts and I'd like to think this is something that we've been successful because things get married now because of the pandemic because we've very familiar and had been over the last 80 months hearing voices of Sciences expert opinion standing on rostrums next to the prime minister comment on how we deal with with with the pandemic and so I think why does Society have a much better understanding of how scientists think and how they work certainly for example in policymaking in Govan I think there is now an understanding that you can't just a list of the Apache pallets himself said in the interview with me.

We don't want politicians and civil services say right.

We have a science problem.

Let's go find someone in a white coat size becomes part of how we deal with problems in our Society is a question from the origin of the statement the question from Bill during the week.

Broadcast front room and 5 evenings 45 minutes each program this contrast with periodic short series of what I describing science technology content 30-minute programs couple of times a week including repeat given that the country has a shortage of stem personnel.

It's all that the BBC doesn't reflect this in its programming is dominated by arts coverage.

Would you like to see a very substantial increase in scientific coverage and do you think the store is and the people are there? I have seawell time is 50.

Thank you bill for that and I certainly agree that you know but I would say this wouldn't I have course I want more science technology programs on on radio but we we have come a very long way compared with 10 years ago to look size output of radio for the other BBC platforms BBC World Service for example.

There is a lot of sites content in a way that there was it true that BBC's donated by the

Most of personal staying with them with other institutions in our country, but it is changing and I think things are improving dramatically commission on the whole what they know all they're interested in a most of me including anyway.

Have a nice background.

So actually what needs to happen in the way is that the commissioner more of the commissioners have a science background, so that's a real question for the BBC is need in terms of its recruitment, but I think I think a lot of people even those with an arts background.

Get it now think that we had our day of the sides is last week where science and science stories and science scientist was in bed out the day scheduling on Radio 4 that wouldn't I don't think I think it would have been too scared to do anything like that 10 years ago, but that's the Life Scientific responses to the increase in Oxfordshire never having been very interested in science my shoulders sank when the Life Scientific first launched.

I will be boring I thought

Wrong, I was I absolutely nothing it it informs educates and entertains.

It's reethi and principles in Action Amanda Zoe from Seaford the Life Scientific is one of the most interesting programmes on Radio 4.

It makes signs accessible to non-scientists to give that a human face great presenter more please Dave Bush as a retired physics science engineering teacher at secondary and tertiary education.

I have enjoyed prof al-khalili programs over the years particularly the Life Scientific I might have missed it, but what about featuring a secondary and primary school educationalist on your programme.

They are extremely instrumental in the science teachers are scientists as well the point is there are many many thousands of people out there who I would define a scientist whether teachers with a working industry weather engineers.

Whatever their profession what we try to do in the science in Life Scientific is fine those remarkable people who changed our world in some way or have a fascinating story to tell and I don't care where the school teachers or Cambridge research astrophysicist.

I'm Alan Winters from Lewes in East Sussex I'm a big fan of the Life Scientific it's not the sign say that interests me so much as the intellectual journeys which these fine scientists have travelled it made me wonder whether you've ever considered extending the coverage to other disciplines such as social sciences.

I would expect the practitioners in these areas have store is every bit as interesting as those of the scientist home you actually cover is economics a science is Professor winter correct in thinking.

That's a really interesting ways to take the program and which is absolutely correct.

We should have in a social science is a science as well.

You know.

It's not like the hard exact natural sciences, but we do have sociologist and psychologists on the programme economics is one of those subjects which really has one foot in both camps both devices in the ass, but if you think about that was that the film That Beautiful Mind John Nash mathematician developing things like game theory that there's nothing hard science than that so absolutely those economist mathematical modelling work.

That is no different someone trying to model the climate for example.

I would have to do you have a conversation on the programme Lyndsay Higgins is there anyone that you really wish was still around to be a guest on the Life Scientific who and why I am often asked this and I try to avoid the obvious ones you like that.

Of course it would have to be Albert Einstein in the history of Science and the left we knew about the universe.

Fascinating it would be to get inside the Minds of someone smart and an impressive achievement on the way back to Aristotle is probably the thinker in the history of humankind a great sides as well as his face as I explained to him or the new things we've learnt about the last 2 plus that has a new no plans to slow down and noticed you just completed a 10 mile run in the big continue to run the Life Scientific well, if it doesn't give my knees too much of a problem.

So it's more relaxing in that way.

Thank you very much.

Pleasure was all mine and please do let us know your thoughts about anything else to do with BBC Radio and podcast spaces how you get in touch you can send an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk.

Feedback PO Box 67234 London se1p 4ax you can follow activity on Twitter by using at BBC R4 feedback, we can call us and leave a phone message on 03345 standard landline charges apply, but it could mobile network all these details are on our website.

We've been asking to people to step out of their comfort zone and some business were pregnant that would normally be on their radar this week for the second time.

We have 20 BBC listeners.

Will try and tempted to listening to this sum of the output enjoying by brother and sister Sophie and Hamish McCurdy from Oxford and what sort of things do you listen to and where do you find mostly music and I listen to that via Spotify and occasionally YouTubers I can't find the version.

I want on Spotify play Hamish is vastly over in fact is almost middle aged 25 similarly I listen to what is YouTube but more sofa podcast and took it the educational videos and things like that right.

Well, of course we asked you to listen to something completely different and episode of the BBC podcast.

And this was episode 40 called Hungry Like the Wolf can we ever understand filicide to The Sidings the murder of one's children so a bad mum have very bad mum.

I feel I'm not going to be talking about you know and Instagram Badman well for someone who's like, so I just I sometimes drink a glass of wine before 6 p.m.

Is that is about talking about our get me some strong language now Sophie how would you describe this program explain what it's about so essentially they obtained two posts one of whom was a psychologist and the other a comedian and got them to discuss a case in which a mother has murdered her three children.

Sorry to spoil it for everyone but basically just discussed that and how what psychological varying factors can lead to Phyllis whether that excuses it almost well the two presenters with Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen is a Danish comedian living in this country Hamish was there any surprising about the program the first thing was when they introduced themselves in there was a comedian something it on a program of this kind of nature.

I was quite surprised, but it turned out that they had a nice balance together and it kept it lighter didn't get too dark although.

It's talking about quieter dark situation.

I mean seems to be that podcast that's BBC looking at what works they seem to want to create an ambience before the program gets underway and they want to have a couple of people of chatting and whatever as it were to relax the listening.

Yeah.

If you doing that making jokes any other subject is the murder of children do you think there's a problem of tone and transition? Yeah? I mean that's what I was thinking and there was one part the comedian spoke about it can be excused because because you can get too angry at your children and I mean I kind of cringe to bit of that but other than that.

I think it works quite well.

It was it was quite smooth.

What about the structure of the format? I mean? Did you feel uncomfortable with the nature of the programme that the chatty and jokes are the Beginning well? I mean I'm quite into psychology and true Crime play so I admire you studying today.

I might be a bit biased towards the fact that slightly in a blind to maybe the gruesome aspects of it.

I understand how a lot of people might find that there's a really sensitive topic and I understand that but also find it was quite a nice way to basic.

Not as a depressing show it's you know when talking about the subjects like that if you want people to listen you can't just sort of shove horrible things in people's faces.

That's what people want to listen to his entertainment on a daily basis, and I think it was a good way in which to cut through that and make it more palatable as we said it's it's a very difficult subject matter which might explain the the Lightness of the beginning to draw people in about 25 minutes or so, did you feel the right length the length of it for me? It was ideal they managed to get in a hell of a mound of information in such a small time and I was surprised coming out of it and and kind of reflecting on it, how much I've learnt in just 25 minutes sometimes so for you think that the podcast the world is just full of real crime actually detective stories but murder and music.

The up intentions on and do you think there's a danger that that's the reality the awful reality this program dealt with in a people missing if they just listen to detective stories.

Are you? I think probably a lot of people what they don't understand is there is a lot of external factors that influence people's behaviour and as well as the innate drives and like that, so I didn't work programme did well in contrast to dramas and the over dramatize Steven true Crime Stories is the day actually included the psychological facts of why and that statistic which allows basically you to understand.

What's happening rather than just focusing on all.

That's a horrible thing.

I let me not think about that again tonight.

Can you ask cases of mothers who intentionally kill their children rather than letting them died due to neglect or other things mental illness virtually always plays the role and Spa

Play researchers found that mood disorders including severe depression have been linked as her psychosis and paranoia skitsofrenia.

Well.

Hey Mr BBC obviously would like you to listen to Isaac where the standard broadcast networks, but also hoping that to get you really perhaps more realistically via sounds and the podcast of BBC put out there listening to this one.

Do you think you would listen to other BBC podcast as a result plan on listening to the next episode of this because they're only 25 minutes.

It's almost perfect for me on the way to work and often you get bored of recycling over your same music as they can same same same subject podcast tonight.

It's not really something that I would have listened to well the next one is sextortion.

I think that's on the list well.

We'll see what that means but this is this made you think that actually sounds on BBC podcasts may be of interest you in a we haven't talked before yeah.

I mean and once you've got.

I feel like that kind of your window to then find more things because when you're not on not on a platform you you usually find new programs by being on a platform finishing your series and then what else is Desi here and yeah, I think that will probably end up needing to me listening to that as a result of listening to this on the BBC Sounds app, will you look for the podcast on the definitely? I think I'll look for other topic areas as well as finding new less basically things that I haven't already got an active interest in trying to find varying fixed I can actually broaden my Horizons with almost and what about the specific program the series.

Are you going to listen to the next one in the line yes certainly and I will be seeking help my studies if it can teach me more about the area and give me things that I might not learning courses alright learn not learning courses that I've got coming up.

So it's a good way to give.

Topic well, Sophie and Hamish brother and sister.

Thank you very much indeed for talking to us and let us know if you would like to be put out of your comfort zone.

No after last week's program.

We received a large response from listeners to my discussion with former Conservative MP and journalist Matthew Parris about that controversial interview conducted by today's Nick Robin with the prime minister Boris Johnson the one in which he told the p.m.

To stop talking Stephen Barker on the Shropshire Union Canal Matthew Parris suggested more time be given over political interviews to make them with more value that makes obvious sense, but it ignores the fact the interview such as that of the p.m.

By Nick Robinson I conducted as part of a media round in the half hour prior to joining the day presenters Boris Johnson had been on 5 Live and ldc multiple outlets all asking pretty much the same questions each with insufficient time to establish a decent dialogue says none of their listeners of you as well another listen.

I didn't just email us to feedback John Mark took his concern.

The very top contacting Tim Davie the BBC director-general himself director-general what troubles me is this if the institution for which you are responsible continues to condone the style of aggressive and combat if reporting interviewing on sanction, then de facto the BBC is subliminally in my mind supporting a breakdown in our Society is norms of behaviour the BBC should strive to leave in question techniques not adopt shout down tactics.

And John Mars was happy with this response you received from Tim Davie you also copied us in this is what the digi till John it's voice up by an actor Tim Davie BBC director-general.

I think it is essential for us to robustly hold those in power to account but I do take the point that interview should not become unnecessarily aggressive.

It is a subject that we regularly gas internally as we try to get the balance right Nick Robinson has acknowledged that he should have used different language at one point in his today interview with the Prime Minister was also a strong reaction to the interview did William Radio 4 commissioning editor for comedy in which she did not rule out another series of Richard osman's the birthday cake Penelope Burton just need to feedback.

Just wanted to let you know that I agree with the criticism of the birthday cake game.

It's one of the worst panel shows ever I'm astonished at there's ever been commissioned.

I do hope it is scrapped.

Possible and that there is no second series of this feedback, so of course there are listening to take the office at Angel Basingstoke I couldn't believe that the last revealed that no one has said how much they like the new birthday cake game on Radio 4.

It's one of the highlights of my week and I make sure you listen live.

I love joining in even if like some of the contestants.

I don't really know who some of the celebrities are it's such good fun and definitely deserves another series lots of a solicitor's enjoy a quiz so please forgive this birthday cake the top right of your comfort zone feature last week with two young non BBC Radio listeners.

Also this is calling masih in Macclesfield BBC has to get in young people's minds that Radio = podcast so they may be more likely to discover the amazing selections of podcasts available in BBC sounds.

The programme presenters regulating Currys listeners to access the podcast but the BBC needs to find a way of appealing to younger listeners to logon first of all well, if you've any idea how to do that, please let us know and that's it the feedback for this week.

Do keep those emails rolling In telling us what you think and what we are to cover keep on keeping safe.