Episodes

• 2021

• T Cells

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, they zoom in on T cells: a type of white blood cell that forms a critical part of the body’s ability to fight off infection. Xand and Kimberley discover how scientists are hacking into the immune system and hear the story of 5-year-old Zac, who has undergone an innovative form of immunotherapy for leukemia. Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  April 14, 2021

  31 min

• Serotonin

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, they explore serotonin: a chemical involved in everything from sleep to bowel function, appetite to blood clotting. Xand and Kimberley find out why serotonin’s reputation as the “happy chemical” is misleading, explore the interaction between serotonin and dopamine in sex drive, and hear about new approaches to treating depression using psychoactive drugs. Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  April 7, 2021

  31 min

• The Hippocampus

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, they peep inside the brain's temporal lobes in search of the hippocampus: the seahorse-shaped seat of memory. The pair meet a memory athlete who reveals his techniques, explore how new insights from neuroscience can help us make better memories, and Kimberley gives Xand a memory test he’ll (hopefully) never forget... Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  March 31, 2021

  31 min

• The Vagus Nerve

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, Kimberley and Xand are on the trail of the body’s longest cranial nerve – the vagus nerve – a critical highway which unites the body and brain, and a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation. They discover why you really are what you eat, find out how vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is being used to treat conditions including epilepsy and depression, and explore the future of bioelectronic medicine. And they answer the question: how much influence do our bodies have over our minds? Producer: Dan Hardoon Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  March 24, 2021

  34 min

• The Hands

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, Kimberley and Xand explore a body part they each thought they knew like the back of their hand. They hear about a neural-enabled prosthetic hand which can relay the sensation of touch, and discover the brain’s extraordinary ability to accommodate extra fingers and missing limbs. Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  March 17, 2021

  31 min

• The Liver

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, asking what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, Kimberley and Xand muse on the personal and social significance of the liver. They explore the amazing science of liver regeneration, discover the unexpected roots of our cravings for alcohol and fatty foods, and hear the poignant story of the first person in the UK to give part of their liver to a stranger. Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  March 10, 2021

  33 min

• The Nipples

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, to find out what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, Kimberley and Xand examine the nipples – the least rude naughty bits! They hear from a nipple tattooist, explore why nipples are both milk dispensers and erogenous zones, and question why some nipples spark more outrage than others. Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  March 3, 2021

  31 min

• The Appendix

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, to find out what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, Kimberley and Xand zoom in on the appendix, long written off as a useless body part. But new research reveals that this worm-shaped part of our digestive system can actually tell us a lot about human evolution, and the relationship between brain and body. Xand and Kimberley find out the surprising truth about what the appendix actually does, hear how it might be implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, and peep behind the curtains of a nightmare appendectomy. Producer: Dan Hardoon Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  February 24, 2021

  32 min

• The Heart

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, to find out what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, Kimberley and Xand focus on the heart, which has been branded the seat of emotion by generations of poets and songwriters. They find out whether it’s medically possible to die from a broken heart, hear from a woman who lived for 16 months without a human heart, and Xand opens up about how Long Covid is affecting his heart. Producer: Dan Hardoon Researcher: Emily Finch Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  February 17, 2021

  35 min

• The Spine

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, to find out what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, Kimberley and Xand pull their shoulders back and examine the spine. They debunk some myths about contortionists’ spines, ask whether standing tall can really improve your confidence, and explore how we can change our relationship with pain. Producer: Dan Hardoon Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  February 10, 2021

  36 min

• The Lungs

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, to find out what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In this episode, Kimberley and Xand take a deep breath and explore the lungs. They’re taught how to belly breathe by a champion free diver, get to grips with the science of why deep breaths relax us, and find out how air pollution affects not just our lungs, but almost every part of our body. Producer: Dan Hardoon Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  February 3, 2021

  34 min

• The Eyes

  Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken take a journey around the human body, to find out what it can tell us about our innate capacity for change. In episode one, Kimberley and Xand take a closer look at the peepers, the mince pies… the eyes! They discover why we don’t always see reality, experience the power of sensory illusions, and hear the amazing story of Jason Esterhuizen, whose sight has been partially restored with the help of a brain implant. Producer: Dan Hardoon Executive Producer: Kate Holland A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4
  January 27, 2021

  33 min

• Welcome to Made of Stronger Stuff

  As we change our world we alter our bodies. From personal to global shifts, Kimberley Wilson and Xand van Tulleken ask - a body part at a time - how much control do we truly have?
  January 21, 2021

  3 min