IFLScience The Big Questions: Answering Some Of The Biggest...

In Season 5 of IFLScience's podcast The Big Questions, we’ve deep-dived into some of the most intriguing (and biggest) scientific puzzles of 2025, from whether or not de-extinction is really possible to the reasons why people believe in the paranormal. Oh, and we searched for Nessie too.

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Hosts Dr Alfredo Carpineti, Katy Evans, Eleanor Higgs, Laura Simmons, Rachael Funnell, Dr Russell Moul, and Tom Hale were joined by international guest experts to investigate questions and problems at the very limit of our knowledge. What did we learn? And did we find Nessie? Find out below.

Episode 1 – Would You Rather Go To Space Or The Bottom Of The Sea?

The expanse of space and the oceanic abyss hold a fascination for humanity, but which would you rather visit? We pose this question to astronauts and explorers who have done both, including Luca Parmitano, Dr Kathy Sullivan, and Victor Vescovo.

Episode 2 – Are We Living Through A Sixth Mass Extinction?

We’re joined by palaeontologist Professor Michael Benton to discuss Earth’s history of mass extinctions, and how we can use this to understand whether it’s happening again now – and what might be done to stop it.

Episode 3 – How Do Black Holes Shape The Universe?

Of all the celestial bodies, none induces awe and fear in equal measure quite like black holes. We sit down with astrophysicist, science communicator, and author Dr Becky Smethurst to find out how they shape the universe.

Episode 4 – How Has The Internet Changed The Way We Use Language?

Explore how language has evolved in the Internet Age, as linguist Dr Gretchen McCulloch takes us through the origins of online acronyms, interpreting tone via emojis, memes in real life, and the universal need for ironic punctuation marks.

Episode 5 – Will We Ever Have A Universal Flu Vaccine?

Imagine: rather than having to line up year after year for a seasonal flu shot, there’s a vaccine that could protect us against all current and future strains. We speak with vaccinology professor Dr Florian Krammer to find out whether that’s a sci-fi pipe dream, or a reality closer than we might think.

Episode 6 – What Will The Fossils Of The Future Look Like?

Today’s trash may well end up as the fossils of tomorrow – a new class of geological evidence dubbed “technofossils” – but as we discuss with Professors Sarah Gabbott and Jan Zalasiewicz, it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way.

Episode 7 – Are We In The Anthropocene?

We speak with Professor Erle Ellis about the idea that we are in a new geological era called the Anthropocene, how this idea came about, and how it has value outside of debates over geological time.

Episode 8 – Is De-Extinction Really Possible?

In this episode, we take a deep dive into de-extinction, joined by Ben Lamm, Beth Shapiro, and Matt James of Colossal Biosciences to discuss where we are with bringing back long-extinct species, and historian Professor Sadiah Qureshi to explore some of the questions we should be asking as this new branch of science marches on.

Episode 9 – What Is Time And How Do We Measure It?

Time is everything to us, and yet its true nature remains beyond us. We tackle the complex questions of what time actually is and how we measure it with Dr Emily Akkermans, who just so happens to have possibly the greatest job title ever – Curator of Time.

Episode 10 – Why Do People Believe In The Paranormal?

We speak with Emeritus Professor Chris French to discuss the psychology underpinning paranormal experiences, exploring everything from ghosts and psychic experiences to alien abductions and Satanic cults.

Halloween Special – Searching For Nessie: IFLScience Takes On Cryptozoology

In this special Halloween episode, join the IFLScience Investigates team – a motley bunch of intrepid sleuths – as they discuss their search for the Loch Ness Monster, and what it was like to film IFLScience's first feature-length documentary on location, exploring this weird case.