Curious Cases

Mathematician Hannah Fry and comedian Dara O Briain team up to tackle science questions sent in by listeners, and the pairing works better than it has any right to. Hannah brings the academic rigor -- she is a professor at UCL who studies mathematical patterns in human behavior -- while Dara brings the comedic timing of a seasoned stand-up who also happens to hold a degree in mathematical physics. So when a listener asks something like "Why do we get deja vu?" the answer is both scientifically grounded and genuinely funny. Episodes clock in around 28 minutes, which is a sweet spot that keeps things focused without feeling rushed. The BBC Radio 4 production quality is excellent -- clean audio, well-edited segments, and occasional expert guests who add depth to topics that need it. The show has been running since 2016 and has built up 176 episodes across multiple series. The question selection is part of the appeal. Listeners tend to submit the kind of everyday mysteries that nag at you in the shower: Why does time seem to speed up as you age? Why is the sky blue at noon but red at sunset? Hannah and Dara never talk down to the audience, and they are happy to admit when a question genuinely stumps them before working through the answer together. The 4.8 rating from nearly 740 reviews suggests they have found a formula that science fans and comedy lovers both appreciate.