The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry

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The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry

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Factual: Science & Nature

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries.

Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.

BBC Radio 4 Extra

BBC Radio 4 LW

The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry: Series 19: The Mystery of the Teenage Brain

The Mystery of the Teenage Brain

Series 19

BBC Radio 4 - The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry, Series 19, The Mystery of the Teenage Brain

Why do my teens struggle to get out of bed in the morning? asks Michelle.

4 Extra Debut. Why do my teens struggle to get out of bed in the morning? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate adolescence. From 2022.

‘Why are teens prone to risky behaviour?’ asks Dr Mark Gallaway, ‘especially when with their friends?’ 

13 year old Emma wonders why she’s chatty at school but antisocial when she gets home. 

And exasperated mum Michelle wants to know why her teens struggle to get out of bed in the morning. 

Swirling hormones and growing bodies have a lot to answer for but, as Professor of Psychology from the University of Cambridge Sarah-Jayne Blakemore explains, there’s also a profound transformation going on in the brain.

Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry discover how the adolescent brain is maturing and rewiring at the cellular level and why evolution might have primed teens to prefer their peers over their parents.

Frances Jensen, Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, tells us how all these brain changes can impact social relationships. 

And Dr Rachel Sharman, a sleep researcher from the University of Oxford, reports the surprising findings from her sleep study tracking 100 teenagers around the UK. 

Producer: Ilan Goodman

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2022.

The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry: Series 19

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry

Series 19

The Mystery of the Teenage Brain

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