Curious Cases Folgen

"Why do we have middle aged spread?" asks Bart Janssen from New Zealand.From obese mice to big bottoms, the duo discovers what science can tell us about fat. Why do we put on weight in middle age? And are some types of fat better than others?Hannah meets Prof Steve Bloom at Imperial College, London to discuss apples and pears. Adam talks to Dr Aaron Cypess from the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, who has created a 'fatlas' - an atlas that maps fat inside the body.Please email your Curious Cases for the team to investigate to: curiouscases@bbc.co.ukPresenters: Hannah Fry & Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin.

In the previous episode the team started investigating the following enquiry, sent in to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk: "What determines left or right handedness and why are us lefties in the minority?"They considered cockatoos, chimpanzees and Hannah's dog, Molly, to discover that humans are unique, with just one in ten of us being left-handed.Today, they look inside the left-handed brain. Some researchers point to a link between left-handedness and impairments like autism or dyslexia. Others claim that lefties are more creative and artistic.So what's the truth? The team consults Professors Sophie Scott, Chris McManus and Dorothy Bishop to find out.Presenter: Adam Rutherford & Hannah Fry Producer: Michelle Martin.

Neal Shepperson asks, "What determines left or right handedness and why are us lefties in the minority?"When we started investigating this question it became clear that there were just too many scientific mysteries to squeeze into one episode. So there are two whole episodes devoted to this very Curious Case.One in ten people are left-handed, but where does this ratio come from and when did it appear in our evolutionary past?Hannah talks to primatologist Prof Linda Marchant from Miami University about Neanderthal teeth and termite fishing. Adam consults handedness expert Prof Chris McManus from University College London. He's been trying to track down the genes responsible for whether we're right or left handed.If you have any Curious Cases for the team to investigate please email curiouscases@bbc.co.ukPresenter: Adam Rutherford & Hannah Fry Producer: Michelle Martin.