BBC Learning English - Feature: 6 Minute English

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are saunas good for you?

Have you ever tried a sauna?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Weight loss drugs

How do weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro help people lose weight?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How do we adapt to the cold?

Would you prefer to be too hot or too cold?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should we pay more for chocolate?

Is chocolate becoming more expensive?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why are some animals black and white?

The answer is not as black and white as you might think!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The power of pepper

How many varieties of pepper do you know?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Dreaming of being a chef

Do you enjoy cooking?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Artistic swimming

Do you think you could do gymnastics... underwater?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Rethinking dyslexia

Is dyslexia actually a kind of superpower?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why are billionaires building bunkers?

Is the end of the world closer than we thought?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Scared of speaking English?

Beth and Pippa talk about why we often find speaking a new language scary.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What English phrases really mean

Why don't British people say what they mean, or mean what they say?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is social media dead?

How has AI affected social media?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is it OK to disagree?

Are we becoming a divided society?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Was Christmas better in the past?

Beth and Neil talk about a strange emotion we can feel at Christmas called nostalgia

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Finding and eating wild food

Would you know how to spot a Death Cap mushroom?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How are horses helping to heal humans?

Could your next therapist be a horse?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What’s your favourite flavour of crisp?

Have you ever tried a crisp sandwich?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How are influencers affecting politics?

Do you follow politics on social media?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do you have good dining etiquette?

What's the worst thing someone can do while eating?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How important is play?

Would you ever consider playing in a bomb site?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do you like garlic?

Have you ever had garlic breath?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

Do you usually have a big breakfast, or do you skip it?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Did a civilisation exist on Earth before humans?

Have you ever heard of the Silurian hypothesis?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are we too fixated on protein?

Is our enthusiasm for protein taking our attention away from other important food groups, like fibre?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What makes a good citizen?

Is a good citizen someone who votes and follows the law? Or is there something more to it?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Have you ever seen a whale?

How have humans treated whales throughout history?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The criminal trade in ancient objects

How are criminals making money from stolen artefacts?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Would you like a robot companion?

How would you feel if you shared your home with a robot?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What causes hearing loss?

As we get older, our hearing naturally gets worse. But what are the causes of this decline?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The joys of writing lists

Shopping lists, to-do lists, check lists – when was the last time you made, or followed, a list?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What's it like to be a twin?

What question would you most like to ask a twin?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What's your favourite snack?

Do you prefer healthy, homemade snacks... or modern, packaged goodies?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Grown-ups buying kids’ toys

Did you know that some adults play with children's toys too?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you flourishing?

What can we do to help ourselves flourish?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What is the manosphere?

Have you ever come across a so-called masculinity influencer on social media?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What is degrowth?

Should we shrink the economy to save the planet?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How can we help wild bees?

Did you know that many species of wild bees are endangered in the UK? What can we do to help?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do you need to declutter your home?

Is your home neat and tidy? Or is it full of stuff you no longer need? You might need to declutter!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How do you say sorry?

Different cultures apologise in different ways. How do people say sorry where you are from?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are plant-based substitutes healthier than meat?

Processed meat has been shown to be bad for our health, but are plant-based meat substitutes any healthier?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How do babies communicate?

What does it mean when newborn babies wave their arms and legs about?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can climate change affect our mental health?

Is your mental health being affected by climate change?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How important is politeness?

How would you greet somebody you didn't know?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What's your favourite kind of noodle?

How much do you know about noodles?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Foods that go crunch

Would you ever eat an insect?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Which cooking oil is the best?

Are some cooking oils better for your health than others?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should animals be kept in zoos?

Are zoos an important scientific resource, or an unnecessary abuse of animal rights?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can cows prevent wildfires?

How are cows helping to prevent wildfires in Spain?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How climate change affects animal migration

How is climate change affecting animal migration?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can AI solve crime?

Could artificial intelligence be used to solve a murder?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Learning multiple languages

Is learning languages good for you?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are we getting more allergic to things?

Do you know anyone who has 50+ allergies?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can we boost the immune system?

Can ginger shots, turmeric and cold water swimming boost your immune system?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Healthy meals on a budget

Is eating healthily always expensive?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should we eat less rice?

Is it possible to grow rice in a more eco-friendly way?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The country that measures happiness

Is happiness the key to success?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / A vaccine for cancer

Could a vaccine for cancer soon be a reality?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Young women on social media

How do women in different countries experience the online world?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Rage bait: How online anger makes money

How do people make money from rage bait?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why smells make us feel at home

How can smells make you feel at home?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Becoming a musician

Hear about life as a professional musician

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How the world learned to love fast food

How did fast food spread around the world?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Which country has the best schools?

How do you compare education systems?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Eating 50-year-old stew

Would you eat a stew that's been in a pot for 50 years?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you drinking enough water?

How much water do you drink every day? Is it enough?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Embarrassed to go to the doctor?

Have you ever been embarrassed to go to the doctor?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Call centres: Are you talking to AI?

Have you ever phoned up a company and had your call held in a queue? Could AI make this less painful?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Making 'mum friends'

Is making new ‘mum friends’ the positive experience it’s often described as?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can you trust ancestry DNA kits?

Are DNA ancestry tests a reliable way to trace your ancestry?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How babies learn to talk

What do babies need to learn to do to be able to talk?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The secrets to a healthy old age

How can we stay healthy in old age?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The bond between sisters

Are the stereotypes about older and younger sisters true?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Having acne

What is acne and how can it affect someone's confidence?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why you need a good night's sleep

Why is it so important to get a good night's sleep?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Divorce: Why does it happen?

How is divorce talked about in different countries?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Tech that refuses to die

Technology is always changing! Or is it...?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Did Taylor Swift fans cause an earthquake?

Did Taylor Swift move the Earth?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What decides our taste?

What makes us like the flavours we like?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Learning a new food culture

Would you find it different to adapt to a new food culture?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Saving water in the driest place on Earth

How do farmers in the driest place on Earth manage to grow crops? With this solution!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Keeping kids off smartphones

Should we stop under 14s having phones?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Less salt, better health

Why do we need to reduce our salt intake?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Chocolate: Meet a real Willy Wonka

Would you like to be a chocolate maker, like Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why we love dumplings

Warning! This episode might make you very hungry...

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Kids and climate change

What are young people's thoughts on climate change?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Birthday cakes

Do you remember your childhood birthday cakes?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The science of falling in love

What's really happening in our brain when we fall in love?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why read books, not screens?

Why is it better to read from a book than a screen?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / AI to reduce animal testing

Could AI reduce the need for animal testing?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The school that puts the kids in charge

What happens when you put the kids in charge of the school?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What can we learn from toddlers?

Learn to speak to yourself in the way that toddlers do!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How learning to read changes lives

How can literacy change people's lives?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Building a better world with wood?

How can buildings made from wood help our mental health?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How names can tell painful stories

Could our name have painful baggage?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / E-rickshaws driving away pollution

Could E-rickshaws give us cleaner air?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Too old to have a baby?

Is it OK to be older parents?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How bubble tea got its bubbles

How was bubble tea invented?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can you keep a secret?

Is it always negative to keep a secret?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Bitter food, better health?

Could bitter foods be better for your health?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Talking at the table

What do you talk about while having dinner?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Eating for two

Is it OK to eat unhealthy food during pregnancy?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Dancing for the brain

Do you love to dance?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Nudges: The secrets of persuasion

Are nudges good or bad?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why sitting is bad for health

Could sitting be damaging to our health?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why everyone loves the underdog

Could it be best to be the underdog?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Disability in music and theatre

Learn about the people who are making it easier for disabled musicians and music fans to perform and see live music

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What makes a great library?

What makes a library a library?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sewing to fight period poverty

Period poverty affects over 500 million people worldwide. How can a volunteer project help?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Plastic waste eaten by enzymes

Plastics can be difficult to recycle. Could a recently discovered enzyme help?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Feed your brain

Food is fuel for our brains. So, what should we be eating?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Food for new mums

Having a baby is exhausting! What do mothers need to eat after giving birth?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Fighting loneliness with soup

Hear how a project in the Netherlands is helping in the fight against loneliness

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What is the future of work?

Is AI going to take away your job?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How the language of menus matters

Why is the language used on menus important?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The psychology of greed

Is it ever OK to be greedy?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Addicted to sugar

Are we addicted to sugar?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Our love of pets

Are you a dog or a cat person?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sexism: Female farmers fighting back

How can female farmers beat rural sexism?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Learning lessons from the Moon

What can the Moon tell us about Earth?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can we live without plastic?

Do we even want to live without plastic?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Invasive species: Why don't we eat them?

Could we eat invasive species?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What and where is Little Italy?

Mozzarella, ricotta, cannolis and focaccia... Where are we? Little Italy of course!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Social media and teenage health

What are the health risks of social media for teenagers?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Mystery flying objects

Have you ever seen an alien?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Elephant-proof farming

How can you stop elephants eating your crops?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should we farm octopus?

Is it OK to eat animals that can feel emotion?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Ways to live for 100 years

How do people live to 100?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How green is your money?

Do you know how your money is being invested?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Mushrooms: Medicine or myth?

Should we be using mushrooms as medicine?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Saving dead languages

How can dead languages be revived?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sounds that make you want to scream

Are there any sounds you find upsetting?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How fans talk about their passions

What language do fans use?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Making male friends

Do men find it hard to make and keep friends?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Space-saving solar hacks

How can we find space for more solar panels?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The stories behind our names

What do our names reveal about our culture and family history?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Heatwaves: can we adapt?

Can we adapt to heatwaves?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you unhappy at work?

Does work leave you feeling bored and exhausted?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do you have eco-anxiety?

What is eco-anxiety and do you have it?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can you stop a disaster?

Can natural disasters be prevented?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The right way to say sorry

Different ways to say sorry.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Foraging for wild food

Do you pick the fruit you eat from trees?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Plants fighting pollution

Can plants clean up our mess?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should we fear chatbots?

How human are chatbots?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is it wrong to eat plants?

Should we treat plants with the same consideration we treat animals with?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sonic seasoning

Does sound make food taste better?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The benefits of doing nothing

Would being lazy have a purpose in life?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The art of subtitling

Hear how subtitles can help bring TV and movies to life

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Ecotourism: good or bad?

We discuss the growing popularity of ecotourism.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can climate change cause more disease?

With warming temperatures, mosquitos are now spreading to new areas, including Europe.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Food shortages

Listen to an expert on the global food system.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Addicted to war

BBC war correspondent Fergal Keane tells his story.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Ice and the origins of life on Earth

We talk about an essential element for life to thrive.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Women in politics

We discuss some of the reasons why women make up only 26% of the world's politicians.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What's the point of museums?

We discuss the role of museums in the 21st century and the items taken from different countries.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How culture affects sadness

What ways do you think culture can influence sadness?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Would you eat a Kalette?

Hear about a new kind of vegetable making an entrance in British kitchens

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do you get jealous easily?

Let's talk about the ugly green-eyed monster

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Crowds

We discuss the role of crowds in modern life

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Food and mood

We look at the link between what you eat and how you feel.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How to talk to a climate denier

The dos and don'ts of trying to discuss science with someone who doesn't believe in it

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Losing your mother tongue

Hear the story of a woman who replaced her native Czech for English.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The health benefits of apples

Could 'an apple a day keep the doctor away'?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do we procrastinate?

Do you leave your work until the last minute?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Doomscrolling: Why do we do it?

What is doomscrolling and why are we attracted to bad news? Listen to find out!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Exercise for the lazy

What's the least amount of exercise you should do to stay healthy?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can AI have a mind of its own?

Hear about the software engineer who became 'friends' with his computer

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Climate change: Are there too many people?

Does the size of your carbon footprint depend on where in the world you were born? Listen to find out!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The hidden life of buffets

Neil and Sam discuss buffet meals and the history behind them.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Songwriting

Writing a memorable song isn't easy. So is there an art to good songwriting?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / United against food waste

According to the UN, one third of the food we grow ends up in the rubbish bin - how can we stop this?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / 3D printers

How are 3D printers providing solutions to some of our medical problems?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are opinion polls accurate?

What can opinion polls really tell us?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Deep-sea mining: Good or bad for the planet?

Learn about an idea to deal with climate change that could affect marine ecosystems.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can music mend a broken heart?

Is music really a cure for a broken heart?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The art of conversation

We discuss whether the art of conversation is being lost in the era of social media

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Qatar's World Cup workers

Hear about the workers who built the World Cup stadiums

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Controlling the weather

How people are trying to manipulate the weather

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Meet the flavourists

We talk about the people who make flavours

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are Halloween costumes too scary?

We discuss whether Halloween costumes are now too scary to be fun.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Does climate change make you anxious?

We discuss how extreme weather events are affecting our mental health.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Translating recipes

How to adapt dishes from other countries

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are artistic brains different?

We talk about Mozart, Jimi Hendrix and teach you vocabulary.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why are prices going up?

Learn vocabulary to talk about inflation

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / English for dating online

We discuss the language used for online dating

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Man vs beast: Who is more efficient?

We discuss the advantages of the design of the human body

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you following your dreams?

Hear the inspiring story of people who are doing it

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do emojis make language better?

Are emojis turning us into lazy writers?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Being a beauty influencer

Hear about women who are using social media to change attitudes to beauty

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Women in the workplace

Hear about the career-killing tasks that are holding women back in the workplace

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Connecting remote communities

How can you connect the unconnected?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How pandemics end

We talk about previous periods in which deadly diseases went global

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Confused by modern idioms?

Having a Groundhog Day? Keen to break the internet? Learn some modern idioms.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Which are more dangerous: sharks or humans?

How sharks have become an endangered species.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Climate change and animal evolution

Can today's animals evolve quickly enough to survive a changing climate?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Preserving traditional recipes

Missing your mother's cooking? We talk about traditional dishes.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Restoring trust in science

Astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson's quest to highlight the difference between opinion and fact

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The Manhattan Project

In this episode, we discuss the events leading to the creation of the first atomic bomb.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Island life: Is it paradise?

What is life really like in the Pacific islands?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The technology of translation

What is the relationship between translation, technology and the human brain?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Queen Elizabeth II: What is the Platinum Jubilee?

We talk about a very British tradition

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / People who can taste words

Living with synaesthesia

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Finding your way in space

Is there north and south in space?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can VR treat fears and phobias?

Hear how tech is helping people change their behaviour for the better

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Life in the modern office

How do you mark your personal territory?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Remembering Desmond Tutu

Deep convictions and a sense of humour - we talk about a man who helped end apartheid in South Africa.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Discoveries of the Deep Sea

We talk about an extreme environment which is stranger than fiction

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Rhetoric: How persuasive are you?

We talk about an art that started with ancient Greek philosophers

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Britain's love affair with coffee

It's not all about tea. Britons love coffee too!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Optimists vs Pessimists

Listen to a conversation about optimists and pessimists

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The world of Agatha Christie

Hear a chat about the queen of murder mystery, who had her books translated into over 100 languages

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Mars: Mysteries of the Red Planet

Is there life on Mars?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why laughter is the best medicine

Shouldn't we take laughter more seriously?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is being kind good for you?

Listen to what scientists are saying about the benefits of giving others a helping hand

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Eating bugs

Would you eat a cricket? How about a portion of nice crunchy ants?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The benefits of boredom

Why not put your idle brain to good use?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do our pets care about us?

We wonder what all that licking is really all about

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sleepy in South Korea

Life in a place where people work, study longer hours and get less sleep than anywhere else

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Preparing for the Beijing Winter Olympics

Artificial snow, coronavirus and controversy surround the Beijing Games starting soon.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are personalised diets the best way to be healthy?

Learn how microbes help digest food and have an impact in our bodies.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Inventing languages

How do languages get invented?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Welcome to the 'metaverse'

What will future technology be like?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do trees have memories?

We talk about the defences plants might develop after facing periods of stress.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Algorithms

We talk about the maths formulas that are increasingly part of our lives

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Changing the Earth's climate

Diamonds and poo - could these be used to help prevent climate catastrophe?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Body language online

How can we make video conferences feel more natural?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The Human Library: Life as an open book

Hear about a project through which you can borrow a person to have a candid chat with

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How green is nuclear energy?

Questions about the safety of nuclear plants remain for many people.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why we forget the things we learn

Georgina and Rob talk about memorising things.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why is Super Mario so popular?

We talk about a famous video game character from the 80s.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should fast food sponsor sport?

Should athletes be sponsored by companies that produce unhealthy food?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Grime: Music from architecture

We talk about the music of Wiley and Stormzy, inspired by derelict housing in London

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Where do your tips go?

We discuss what happens to the extra money you give at restaurants

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Angela Merkel

Why is the German leader Angela Merkel called 'Mutti'?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Smart tech and climate change

Could AI be the answer in the fight against climate change?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Going through the menopause

Why don't people talk more about this aspect of women's lives?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Bitcoin's energy cost

Bitcoin: is it an investment option for ordinary people?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / I love my language!

Hear about a woman's effort to keep her language alive

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why are people collecting NFTs?

What are non-fungible tokens?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Robot Artists

Could robots be artists?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Bats: Friend or foe?

Learn more about these furry flying mammals

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is the planet warming up faster?

Some extreme weather events are puzzling scientists

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is technology harmful to youngsters?

Can spending hours online affect the new generation's mental health?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is chimp politics like ours?

They make coalitions and have a desire for power. Are they like us?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Making sense of the census

What's behind counting people in a country?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The fear of numbers

How much maths do you need to know to get by?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / A future without doctors?

We discuss if AI could replace human doctors and nurses

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Lights! Camera! Kiss! - Intimacy on screen

How actors are made to feel more comfortable in intimate scenes

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Concussion in sport

We discuss the long-term effects on players who make a career taking heavy tackles

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Inside the head of Jeff Bezos

What goes in the mind of the richest person in the world?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The history of swimming

How a fun activity was discouraged by religion and in the name of school discipline

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do consumers care about carbon footprint?

Companies are considering using carbon labelling the same way as they use nutrition information

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are humans a messy species?

Learn the language of going to the toilet

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The language of wine

A toast to the vocabulary you'll learn here!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How colour affects us

Which colour makes you happy?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Flexible working

Is there a stigma attached to not wanting to work the 9-to-5 shift?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Hypnotism

Can anyone be hypnotised?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Saving the white rhinos

We talk about a breeding programme with the last individuals of the species.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Making old things last longer

Shouldn't we stop throwing things away and start fixing them?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Building rapport with others

Do you 'read' people easily?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Food superstitions

Does carving scary faces into pumpkins really frighten away evil spirits?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The Rosetta Stone

We talk about the famous piece of rock that was key to translating the writing system created in ancient Egypt.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Compassion fatigue

Covid-19: Are we tired of feeling sorry for others?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Hermits

Why do people decide to be alone for long periods of time?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / When males are not needed

Learn about self-cloning animals

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Mermaids

Sirens, mermaids, mami wata... we talk about different representations of these intriguing water creatures.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / A quieter world

Hear about whether noise is bad for our health

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / US and China vs climate change

Can the two biggest polluters work together?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Naked in nature

Hear about why being naked in nature might be good for you

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The language of biscuits

Learn why this tasty snack became popular with the Industrial Revolution

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is English really English?

Where did today's English language really come from?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Astronauts on strike?

Hear all about the Skylab astronauts’ disagreement with mission control

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Digital help for blind people

Hear about digital technology which helps blind people improve their lives

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What’s the key to happiness?

Hear about what small things you can do to feel happier about life

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Looking for utopia

Hear about how to create a happy place

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Covid: One year on

Hear about Covid-19 and how our knowledge has changed

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Singing in tune

Hear about singing and why it’s good to do it

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Working for yourself

Hear about why some people are choosing to freelance

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The woman whose cells never die

Hear about a woman whose cells never die

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What makes a good story?

Hear about storytelling and how it helps us to connect and communicate

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / For the love of foreign languages

Is learning languages good for head, heart and soul?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Comfort Food

Hear about comfort food and why we eat it

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What is fat-shaming?

Hear about why fat-shaming is on the rise

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Coronavirus vs other pandemics

Hear about coronavirus and how it isn’t that bad compared to historical pandemics

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are trees intelligent?

Hear about how trees can communicate with each other

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can jellyfish help us solve our problems?

Could jellyfish could reduce plastic pollution?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do we choose to text instead of talk?

Hear how texting has become more popular than talking

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Loneliness

Hear about how loneliness can affect everyone

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is punctuality important?

Hear about different people's attitude to being on time

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Could you be a victim of online fraud?

Hear about online fraud and how it is becoming more common

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Melting ice sheet: Is it too late?

Scientists worry about this year's global heating and melting polar ice

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Walkman: the music player revolution

About 40 years ago, portable music players became a craze with the launch of the Sony Walkman.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Could humans live in underwater cities?

Hear about projects to create liveable underwater habitats

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Hacking help for US elections

Volunteer hackers are invited to prevent election cyber-attacks

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do chimps have the same emotions as us?

Hear the iconic environmentalist Jane Goodall talk about the deep connections between humans and the great apes

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How can we make the web a better place?

Learn about Web Science, a new academic subject about the internet

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Coronavirus: Dealing with mass unemployment

What will the jobs market look like after the coronavirus pandemic ends?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Grandma therapy in Zimbabwe

Local project trains grandmothers to help Zimbabweans mental health

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is there a future without bees?

The number of bees is declining at an alarming rate, with serious consequences for humans.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How to talk about conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories: Don't be fooled!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What’s the point of blood types?

What does your blood type say about you?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Will Covid-19 change cities?

The future of cities after the Covid-19 crisis

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is this the era of distrust?

What is trust? And who should we place our trust in?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / No more bosses

Can companies operate better without managers?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The medicine of coronavirus

Neil and Georgina talk about the origins of Covid-19 and teach you related vocabulary.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Food made in space

Could plant growth studies in the ISS help feed people on Earth in the future?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sport against poverty

Surf in South Africa, skateboarding in Afghanistan – are making poor children more assertive.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Covid-19: The office after lockdown

Lots of companies are rushing to install technology to make offices and workplaces safer.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should we wear a face mask?

Is wearing a face mask necessary?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Millennials and business

Why are millennials so attracted to starting their own businesses?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is being thrifty a virtue?

We talk about being a saver in a consumer culture and discuss the meaning of 'thrift' through history.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The food delivery revolution

New apps are transforming the way people order food from home

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What difference has #MeToo made?

Listen to civil rights activist, Tarana Burke, who coined the phrase

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is the recycling system broken?

Is recycling a guilt-free way of encouraging us to use more plastic?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The soothing power of books

How can books help us relax and feel more alive during troubled times?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Shocking facts about electricity

How do electric systems differ across the world?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The importance of handwashing

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Tips for parents coping with kids at home

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The power of crying

Does crying make you feel better?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are bucket lists always a good thing?

Bucket list dilemma

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is the pasty really Cornish?

Where does a pasty come from?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Touring bands and climate change

Music with a smaller carbon footprint

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Training artificial intelligence

How smart is artificial intelligence?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Meditation and the brain

Free your mind

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Will humans become extinct?

How long will we survive for?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The circular economy

Who's responsible for recycling?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Eating pond scum

Pond scum - the new superfood which could benefit your health and the planet

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Could you give up fast fashion?

Cheap production of clothes is being blamed for contributing to global warming.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How resilient are you?

Are we born with the ability to cope well with difficult situations? Can we learn it?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is it good to disagree?

Can a battle of ideas be a constructive exercise?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The benefits of low emission zones

What are low emission zones and why are more cities adopting these cleaner-air initiatives? Clean up your English by listening to this discussion

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Women in politics

What's inspiring women to get involved in politics?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Could you give up booze for a month?

Giving up beer, wine and spirits is a challenge many people include in their New Year's resolutions.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The decline of the apostrophe

Apostrophe misuse

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why does seeing someone yawn make you yawn?

Why is yawning contagious?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Fake or real: What’s the best tree to have at Christmas?

What's the carbon footprint of your Christmas tree?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The calming power of nature

Can ecotherapy heal our urban woes?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Chatting to new people

Anxious about talking to people you don't know? Listen to what a social psychologist has to say about it.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why take a gap year?

Does delaying university to travel help you get a job in the future?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The joy of free diving

Diving without air

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can robots care for us?

Robots with a heart?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Mental health in the workplace

How small changes can make a big difference to people with mental health issues at work.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do people like sad music?

What goes on in the brain and the body when we listen to Adele?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why's it called 'mother tongue'?

Do we only learn language from our mother?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is it a good idea to have a tattoo?

Are you prepared to be the canvas for a painting that might last forever?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Working for free

Internships: exploitation or valuable work experience?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can you tell when someone is lying?

How lying helps society

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you good at complaining?

Consumers are less keen to keep quiet when they are not happy with the service.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Does your name start with the wrong letter?

Learn about alphabet disadvantage!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Faking it: Computers that spot a real smile

Something to smile about

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is tourism harmful?

Everyone loves a holiday, but what damage can tourists do? Sam and Rob find out.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The future of food

How are we going to feed ourselves?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How can I help the environment?

Being more environmentally friendly

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Does your age affect your political views?

Age and political views

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Cryptocurrencies

Libra, Bitcoin... would you invest in digital money?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The art of tipping

How much should you tip?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Coffee cups: Do you use your own?

Does recycling coffee cups make a difference?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you at risk from online fraud?

Falling for fraud

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is shame always bad?

Why is 'shame' the emotion of now?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do you care if you're poor when you're old?

Are you planning for a comfortable retirement?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Women’s football

FIFA Women's World Cup 2019

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The business of eSports

Game on for eSports!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can death metal bring you joy?

Does fast, loud, aggressive, guitar-based music inspire violence or happiness?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is talking on the phone embarrassing?

Is talking on the telephone embarrassing?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Women and motorbikes

Why do we associate motorcycles with men?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Vampire shoppers

Shopping online in the middle of the night is becoming popular but, is it always a good idea?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What to do when you can't sleep

Is there anything more frustrating?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Being slim: Is it in our genes?

Studies have shown that about 40% of the variation in a person's weight is influenced by genes.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can we trust a smart speaker?

Do smart speakers make life easier or spy on you?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Evolution and anxiety

Has anxiety been good for humans?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The rise in popularity of the comfy shoe

Everyone's wearing them!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Rabbits: cuddly friends or cunning tricksters?

Neil and Rob talk about the animal symbol of Easter in literature and in the real world.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The decluttering trend

Is it time you decluttered?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do we feel awkward?

Do you know that cringey feeling?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Side hustles

Do you have a second job?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How your eyes predict your personality

Be careful where you look!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Debating veganism: How to change someone's opinion

Debating veganism

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What's on your to-do list?

How much do you enjoy doing housework and paying bills?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Unicorns

Why are these magical creatures back in fashion?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are food allergies more common now?

Are you allergic to anything?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Dating apps

How effective are dating apps when you're looking for a romantic partner?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / High heels

What's so special about these uncomfortable shoes?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Improving your memory

How good is your memory?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Concepts of happiness

What makes you happy?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is music getting faster?

New technology might be putting an end to instrumental introductions to pop songs

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The benefits of schadenfreude

What's the positive side of feeling good when bad things happen to people you envy?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Could you be flexitarian?

Would you all but give up eating meat to save the environment?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Michelle Obama on empowerment

The former US First Lady and her mission to inspire women

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why we push buttons

Are you a button presser?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The teenage brain

Inside a teenager's head

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why does 'x' mean 'kiss'?

What does 'x' really mean?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Photo-friendly food

Making good-looking food

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The smell of coffee

How important is the smell of coffee?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What chickens can teach us about hierarchies

What can chickens teach us about organisation?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Loneliness

Can people feel lonely in a crowded place?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Objectification

Neil and Sam discuss objectification. What is it and is there really a 'perfect body'?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How creative should we be?

Rob and Neil discuss the must-have skill of the future

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What is scumbro?

Paying a lot to look a mess!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Curbing our plastic addiction

Could we live without plastic? We discuss the issues and the progress that's being made.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Describing Generation Z

Have you grown up with social media?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / High-vis fashion

A bright new fashion trend

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Snowflakes and taking offence

The word snowflake has taken on a new meaning. We discuss this new term without causing offence!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Dating apps: How our brains react

What does our brain tell us to do when faced with a dating app?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Beating a sedentary lifestyle

Do you lead a sedentary lifestyle? Learn what made people more active in Finland.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Street food: Why is it becoming so popular?

Why is street food becoming more popular in the UK?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are smartphones killing cameras?

Do people still buy cameras when everybody is keen on selfies?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Fathers

Why do men want to be fathers?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / A tall story

Does being taller mean you earn more at work?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How intelligent is the octopus?

Learn more about this fascinating animal

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Not going out

Why are countryside walks no longer so popular?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is technology always the solution?

Why technology doesn't always know best

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Smartphone addiction

Smartphone addiction

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Surf and turf

Surf and turf shopping

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Broken hearts

A healthy heart

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is gaming a sport?

The Fortnite phenomenon

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you excited about the World Cup?

Are you a football fan?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Talking to machines

Our new virtual assistants

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Taking risks

Risky language

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Women in space

Gender equality

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Football songs: Why are crowds so quiet these days?

Why are football fans so quiet nowdays?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Hangry: are you angry when you're hungry?

hungry + angry = hangry

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Perfume: what your smell says about you

What does your smell say about you?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is the internet good or bad?

Is the internet a positive thing?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Lying to children

Is it good to lie?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you a foodie?

How much do you know about the food you eat?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The future of marriage

Marriage decline

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Who needs a manbag?

A bag for a man

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Microadventures!

A mini-adventure

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How do you learn to speak a language?

Words to learn

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Robot therapist

Would you tell a robot your deepest secrets?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Hello, hello

The history of the humble ‘hello’

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Swimming like a mermaid

A new approach to swimming

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The rise of drones

Are drones taking off?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Transport of the future

Future travel

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What’s in a name?

A new wedding trend?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Rise of the machines

Are robots and artificial intelligence taking over from humans? Dan and Neil discuss the rise of the machines

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / A dry January?

Are you trying to give up drinking this month? Catherine and Rob discuss abstaining and the benefits of a dry January

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Ethical coffee

Would you pay more for coffee if you knew it was doing some good? Dan and Catherine discuss the pros and cons of ethically produced coffee.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Bitcoin: digital crypto-currency

Bitcoin is here and it's generating interest. Is that a good or bad thing? Dan and Neil discuss the pros and cons of this digital currency.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is 'man flu' real?

Can science prove the existence of 'man flu' or are men just big babies? Dan and Neil discuss all this and give you six useful items of vocabulary.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The perfect Santa

A popular job at this time of year is playing the part of Santa. But what does it take to be the perfect Father Christmas? Neil and Dan discuss whether it's a role that would suit Dan.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Should schoolchildren have jobs?

The number of schoolchildren doing part-time jobs in the UK has fallen. Is that a good thing? Neil and Dan discuss the pros and cons of working while you're still at school.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What do you buy when you're sad?

Have you ever bought something when you're sad and then regretted it later?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do you need to upgrade your phone?

How old is your smartphone?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why more of us are getting fitter together

More people are going to the gym to get fitter but why?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How do you like your coffee?

Does a cafe's free wi-fi encourage you to go in and buy a coffee?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Pedestrianisation - is it good for cities and towns?

There’s a fresh interest in keeping cars out of cities. Is it a good idea?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Too much sugar

Are you aware of how much of the sweet stuff you eat?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What’s wetiquette?

When you have to be polite and courteous ... even when you swim!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why pay for bottled water?

Can you tell the difference between the taste of bottled water and tap water?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Do adults exercise enough?

Neil and Rob talk about vigorous exercise – and whether adults take enough of it!

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What can't computers do?

Are you afraid of machines that copy human intelligent behaviour?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The wonders of hair

Did you know that when the entire body is aging hair can grow stronger?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Having a row or asking for directions?

Tim and Neil talk about interactions that can be misunderstood by people of different backgrounds

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Uniforms

A policeman, a pilot, a chef - what's our fascination with uniforms?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Laughing could kill you

Tim and Neil laugh their head off as they teach you useful vocabulary

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Would the world stop without clocks?

Rob and Neil are in a hurry to discuss our concept of time and teach you new words

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What makes a video go viral?

Rob and Neil discuss what makes people want to share a video

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Fancy dress funerals

Have you ever thought about what sort of funeral you would like to have?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / It's good to talk

The treatments that help people stay mentally healthy

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How honest are we?

Have you ever cheated an honesty box? Is honesty really the best policy?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / You think you're invisible?

Do you not want to be seen?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How do pets navigate?

How do lost cats and dogs find their way home?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Self-help

Want to improve your life?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Faces and first impressions

Can we trust our first impressions?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Built to fail?

Why do we throw away so much technology?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Mindfulness

Relax, slow down and breathe. Neil and Catherine explore mindfulness - what it is and what benefits it offers

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is happiness genetic?

Is happiness in the DNA?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Water Burial

A new way to rest in peace

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Could you go vegan?

Could you give up meat and animal products?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Goldfish, brains and phones

Do people now have shorter attention spans than goldfish?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How much food do you waste?

Food waste is a major problem

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The super rich

The rich are getting richer

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Miraculous survival

How did a man fall from a 47 storey skyscraper and survive?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Sighing

Why do we sigh?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Multiple Careers

What's behind the trend for having more than one career?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Food and mood

How does your food affect your mood?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Dog detectors

Can dogs be used to detect cancer?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The rise of the emoji

Are you an emoji person? We explore how simple smiley faces have become powerful communication tools.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What your lunch says about you

What do you eat for lunch? Sandwiches are the most popular lunchtime meal in the UK, but why?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Mermaids – Fact or fiction?

Are mermaids real?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Life expectancy

Can humanity really breach the 90 year limit?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Gun control without guns

Gun control with no guns? How is that possible? Join Dan and Neil to find out.

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How romance ruined love

Neil and Dan discuss romanticism

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Can you trust your own eyes?

Catherine and Neil discuss why the police and the legal system are concerned about eyewitness testimony

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do cities make us rude?

Catherine and Neil discuss how the pressures of modern living are making us hostile to each other

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Family history

Why are so many people obsessed with learning about their family history? Neil and Catherine talk about genealogy

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Life on the edge

The increased study of extremophile microbes has revealed a lot about what is and is not needed to sustain life on Earth

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / What's your superpower?

Why are we so fascinated with the superheroes that populate our cinema screens and comic books?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Driving

Alice and Neil discuss whether we would miss driving as driverless cars are tested in cities around the world

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Introvert... and proud!

What’s your personality type? If you are an introvert you’re in good company; Barack Obama, JK Rowling are introverts...

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why do crazes take off?

Why is it that some games, hobbies and activities become crazes while others don’t? Alice and Neil talk about their preferences

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / When do you feel sleepy?

Alice and Neil discuss circadian rhythms – the so-called body clock that influences an organism's daily cycle of changes

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Cleopatra

Sophie and Neil discuss why the last pharaoh of Egypt still fascinates people today

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Animal phobias

Why do we fear animals that pose no threat to us? Sophie and Neil discuss the reason why fear of spiders is so common

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Women's right to vote

Neil and Alice talk about the defiant women who fought for their right to choose their representatives

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Why we love trainers

Call them what you want – trainers, sneakers, tennis shoes – but why does everybody love them so much?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / On your bike

Sophie and Neil discuss the bike's mass appeal, from helping to widen the gene pool to blazing a trail for the women’s movement

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Hi, meet my online persona!

Sophie and Neil discuss social networks and why we often use different identities for different social media

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How do you read your news?

Free, digital news is threatening traditional newspapers. Sophie and Neil discuss the pros and cons of news in print

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English

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From the archives

All 6 Minute English programmes pre-September 2014 can be found here.