Astro-physicist Dr Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the parallel worlds of science and sci-fi.

Starting with the latest books and films, they discover real life science that sounds too strange to be true - from babies grown in bags, via black hole Jacuzzis, to flowers that behave like our ears.

Each programme starts with imagined futures and ends with today’s latest scientific research, exploring along the way how each impacts the other. This episode dives into the science behind Anne Charnock's book, Dreams Before The Start Of Time, which imagines a future where babies can be grown in artificial wombs. How close is modern technology to making this a reality?

Jen and Alice talk to Anne Charnock, Science Fiction historian Lisa Yaszek, research scientist Matt Kemp and investigative journalist Jenny Kleeman.

Produced by Joe Sykes and Rich Ward
Executive Producer: Peggy Sutton
A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4 Show less