Cambridge Ideas: Henry VIII - King of Tunes
King Henry the VIII is chiefly associated with gluttony, lechery and murder. Surprisingly, it turns out he was also a deeply sensitive soul, who liked to express himself by penning his own musical compositions. Even more surprisingly, he was rather good at it. Love, longing, desire and passion; this is Henry as you've never heard him before. In this podcast you can hear a selection of this stunning early music, sung by the group Alamire, to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry's coronation.

Cambridge Ideas: Bird Tango
Professor Nicky Clayton researches the social behaviour, intelligence and dance credentials of birds! As an accomplished dancer in her own right she has fused her passions by collaborating with Ballet Rambert to produce a Darwinian inspired ballet called The 'Comedy of Change'.

Cambridge Ideas: The Music In Me
Dr Jason Rentfrow, from the University's Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, explores the links between personality and musical taste.

Cambridge Ideas: Lunar Meanderings
The latest Podcast from the University of Cambridge. Lord Rees, the Astronomer Royal and master of Trinity College, marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings with an interview that reflects on the legacy of the lunar expedition and considers the future of space exploration. Image courtesy of NASA.

Cambridge Ideas: The Silent Aircraft
We’re all well used to the roar of the jet engine. Those living under flight paths or near our airports have even learnt to live with its regular intrusions. But the search is now on for something that will revolutionise the aviation industry – the silent aircraft. A prototype plane is still some time off, but a team headed by researchers from the University of Cambridge and MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts is developing a design for a low fuel burn and ultra-low noise level aircraft. It’s also going to have a dramatic effect on the debate over aircraft sustainability.

Cambridge Ideas: Strange Seas of Thought
What goes into the creative process?  Using the notebooks of William Wordsworth, Cambridge researcher Ruth Abbott studies the editing, the notes in the margin and the constant revisions that are a vital part of any creative endeavour.

Cambridge Ideas: How Many Light Bulbs?
Cambridge University physicist David Mackay, in a passionate, personal analysis of the energy crisis in the UK. He debunks some myths about energy saving and goes on to show what will make a difference at home. But, his big point is that this will not be enough - individual efforts are not enough. Instead we need to make sweeping national changes to our energy production.

Cambridge Ideas: The Genetics of Obesity
Genetics and the brain play a key role in predisposing some people to obesity. In this Cambridge ideas podcast, Catherine Carr looks at how biochemists and neuroscientists are working together to discover the triggers to weight gain. Professor Stephen O’Rahilly of the Institute of Metabolic Science at Cambridge University describes how key genes can contribute to severe cases of obesity, while Dr Sadaf Farooqi a Senior Clinical Fellow at the University, recalls the eureka moment of singling out the first gene to be directly linked with obesity. Psychiatrist Paul Fletcher, meanwhile, considers how genetics can directly affect our feelings and behaviours around food.

Cambridge Ideas: Can Science Beat Terrorism?
Global terrorism should be shrugged off as a low level risk allowing us all to get on with our lives. Katie Derham introduces this podcast with a look at how scientific understanding of risk is influencing our thinking on the fight against global terror. Professor Ross Anderson of the University of Cambridge describes our battle with violent political extremists as like a skin complaint that we can’t cure, but which we can’t help scratching. In a lively panel discussion as part of the Science Festival, we hear from others including John Adams of University College London, Tom Sorrel of the University of Birmingham and Brooke Rodgers, from Kings College London.

Cambridge Ideas: The Perfect Crew?
Striving for, and achieving, high performance in teams has become a major business imperative. Drawing on two years of ethnographic research with the Cambridge University Boat Club, this film examines the causes of team failure and success. The mix of differing personalities, skills, motivations, career aspirations, and leadership styles as well as the complexities of the task means that building and shaping high performance teams is fraught with difficulty.