Who Are Our Ancestors And Why Does It Matter?

Who Are Our Ancestors And Why Does It Matter?

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel are talking all things ancient DNA.

Over the past 50 years, new technology has allowed researchers to sequence and study centuries-old DNA taken from ancient, long-buried human remains. This new insight into our past has led to a whole new understanding of our ancestors, from our migration across the globe, to the environmental changes we’ve experienced, and even the spread of ancient deadly pandemics like the black plague. Our panel of scientists answers questions from a studio audience about the usefulness of commercial DNA tests, the true meaning of ancestry, and what our ancient genetic material could reveal about our future.

Panellists

  • Pooja Swali – Research Fellow in Pathogen Genomics, UCL
  • Pontus Skoglund – Group Leader, Ancient Genomics Lab, Francis Crick Institute
  • Adam Rutherford – Lecturer in Biology and Society, UCL
  • Tom Booth – Senior Research Scientist and Archaeologist, Francis Crick Institute

Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/ancientDNA.

If you have a follow up question about any of the episodes in the series, email us: aquestionofscience@bbc.co.uk

A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.

Music by John Biddle

© BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episoder(19)

Rethinking sex, artificial wombs and how to up your sperm count

Rethinking sex, artificial wombs and how to up your sperm count

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of fertility, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions. Should we sequence the DNA of embryos and use A.I. to choose...

25 Mar 26min

Decarbonising flying, cleaning up A.I. and the personal cost of climate change

Decarbonising flying, cleaning up A.I. and the personal cost of climate change

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of global warming and how society should adapt, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions. Will new green technologies reall...

18 Mar 26min

Cancer vaccines, tumour-killing cells and does fasting work as a treatment?   

Cancer vaccines, tumour-killing cells and does fasting work as a treatment?   

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of cancer, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions. Do tumours communicate with the brain, is glucose carcinogenic a...

11 Mar 30min

Ultra processed foods, weight loss jabs and why don’t we eat enough fibre?

Ultra processed foods, weight loss jabs and why don’t we eat enough fibre?

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of nutrition, with a panel of returning experts answering more of your questions. What is food noise, what is the impact of artificial sweete...

4 Mar 36min

Longevity by luck, vaccines for dementia and how fame ages you

Longevity by luck, vaccines for dementia and how fame ages you

Professor Brian Cox takes a deeper dive into the science of ageing, with two experts returning to answer more of your questions. How do men and women age differently? Why is it healthy to forget thing...

25 Feb 29min

Introducing.... More Questions of Science

Introducing.... More Questions of Science

Introducing More Questions of Science – bite-size episodes where we revisit some of the biggest ideas from the first 12 episodes of the series and take the conversation even further. Professor Brian C...

10 Des 20251min

Can We Build A Human?

Can We Build A Human?

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore the frontier of human bioengineering and building, replacing, and enhancing our bodies. Will we ever have bionic brains and cloned humans? Is there a...

3 Des 202538min

What is consciousness?

What is consciousness?

Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel explore the elusive science of consciousness – what it is, how it arises, whether it can be observed in the brain, and the most compelling theories explaining i...

26 Nov 202554min

Populært innen Vitenskap

fastlegen
rekommandert
tingenes-tilstand
jss
sinnsyn
rss-rekommandert
liberal-halvtime
forskningno
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
fjellsportpodden
rss-nysgjerrige-norge
villmarksliv
kvinnehelsepodden
nordnorsk-historie
rss-paradigmepodden
smart-forklart
vett-og-vitenskap-med-gaute-einevoll
nevropodden
hva-er-greia-med
aldring-og-helse-podden