The Life Scientific, presented by Professor Jim Al-Khalili on BBC Radio 4, interviews leading scientists about their lives, motivations and future-facing work. The feed lists 357 episodes, released weekly, with a median length of about 28 minutes. Estimated downloads per episode are 5,000 to 25,000 (estimated), implying a rate of $90 to $625 per mid-roll read.
Long-running BBC science interviews with an engaged, educated audience
- 357 episodes released weekly since 2011 give a stable, long-running listening base.
- Apple Podcasts rating of 4.5 from 216 ratings signals a satisfied audience.
- Brand-safe, family-friendly science content suits high-consideration categories.
Brand fit report
Content
- Formats
- interview, narrative
- Tone
- thoughtful, informative
- Language
- English
- Production
- Studio production
- Typical length
- 27 to 30 minutes
Audience
Commercial
- Brands seen
- None yet
- Categories promoted
- None yet
- Affiliate links
- No
No sponsor mentions found in the feed
Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability
Family friendly
Explicit flag is 0 and recent titles cover science, health and careers without sensitive content.
We classify content, never people. No age, gender, ethnicity, religion or political views are inferred about the creator. Audience figures are estimates unless marked verified. Creators can correct anything on their profile.
Where to listen
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Website | www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015sqc7 |
| Apple Podcasts | podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id469912037 |
| RSS feed | podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/b015sqc7.rss |
Benchmark score: 59 / 100
Public rule, same for everyone. How it works.
Recent episodes
| Episode | Date | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Edith Heard on unravelling the mystery of X-chromosome inactivation | 2026-10-13 | 28 min |
| Ginger Kerrick on manning Nasa's Mission Control and getting to Mars | 2026-10-06 | 29 min |
| Dean Lomax on discovering ichthyosaurs and defying nay-sayers | 2026-05-26 | 28 min |
| Helen Hastie on the future of human-robot relations | 2026-05-19 | 28 min |
| Seth Berkley on the importance of vaccinating the world | 2026-05-12 | 28 min |
| Hiranya Peiris on unravelling the story of the universe | 2026-05-05 | 28 min |
Last six episodes from the show's feed, latest 6 days ago, a new one about every 7 days.
Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future
About The Life Scientific
The Life Scientific is a BBC Radio 4 programme presented by Professor Jim Al-Khalili, according to the feed and the BBC programme page. Each episode is an interview in which leading scientists discuss their careers, what motivates them and what their discoveries could mean for the future. The feed lists 357 episodes released weekly, with a median runtime of about 28 minutes.
The show holds a 4.5 average rating from 216 ratings on Apple Podcasts, as listed on the Apple page. Audience size is not published. Based on these signals, estimated downloads are 5,000 to 25,000 per episode (estimated), and listeners are likely to be educated adults aged 35 and over, mostly in the United Kingdom. The feed shows no sponsors.
At an estimated $18 to $25 per 1,000 downloads, a host-read mid-roll would cost roughly $90 to $625 per episode. The show suits science education, health and premium technology brands, subject to BBC editorial rules.
Written from the show's public RSS feed, its Podcast Index listing and episode titles. Numbers updated 2026-10-19. The Life Scientific can edit or remove this page at any time.
Questions about The Life Scientific
How much does The Life Scientific charge for a podcast sponsorship?
Estimated pricing is roughly $90 to $625 per host-read mid-roll, based on an estimated 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode. Final rates depend on placement, the BBC's editorial rules and the booking terms.
What is The Life Scientific about?
The Life Scientific is a BBC Radio 4 interview series hosted by Professor Jim Al-Khalili. It explores the lives, motivations and future-facing work of leading scientists across many fields.
How do I contact The Life Scientific about sponsoring an episode?
The show's contact email unlocks on Starbooked for $0.80. Boosted shows can be booked through Starbooked.
Similar creators
Podcast and other creators in science, ranked by score.
| Creator | Niches | Est. downloads | Median views | Rate | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Two Psychologists Four Beerspodcast | scienceacademic psychology | 17k | – | $140–620 | 60 |
Seven Ages Audio Journalpodcast | archaeologyhistory | 2k | – | $40–90 | 60 |
The Rest Is Sciencepodcast | sciencemathematics | 50k | – | $360–2000 | 59 |
Google DeepMind: The Podcastpodcast | artificial intelligencescience | 15k | – | $90–620 | 57 |
Agelast podcastpodcast | regional cultureinterviews | 5.5k | – | $50–200 | 51 |
| scienceastronomy | 50k | – | $360–2000 | 50 |