Science

Life Without

by BBC Radio 4

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About the show

What if, one day, something essential to our world suddenly vanished? No warning. No explanation. Just gone. What happens next? Life Without is a roundtable-style podcast that explores this fascinating and thought-provoking question with insight, evidence-based assumptions and a range of perspectives. Hosted by Alan Davies, each episode brings together 2 guests, scientists, psychologists, economists, sociologists and journalists to discuss the unexpected consequences of losing something vital to our world. Each episode starts with a bold, imaginative question: What would happen if something fundamental—like the moon, salt, sleep, or even something as random as rats—suddenly disappeared from the world? What's the immediate fallout? How does society cope? And how long would it take before things started unravelling?

Latest episodes

Life Without North America

April 17, 2026 · 15 min

What would happen to the world if the USA disappears? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies explores a planet earth without the land mass of North America. How would opening up the Atlantic impact us in the UK and what would the…
Life Without Standard Time

April 10, 2026 · 15 min

Spring Forward, Fall Back or what if we just didn’t? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at how our circadian rhythms would be impacted if we simply stopped changing the clocks. Some scientists have argued to do away with…
Life Without Sleep

April 3, 2026 · 15 min

We all know the importance of sleep, but what happens if we literally can’t? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies breaks down how long a world full of sleepy people could function. From memory loss to hallucinations, sleep is…
Life Without Writing

March 27, 2026 · 15 min

How many of us even use a pen these days and what if we never picked one up ever again? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at our ancient skill of handwriting. If we could no longer write, would it really matter? From the…
Life Without Sex

March 20, 2026 · 15 min

Gen Z are famously having less of it. Do we even need it all? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at what happens when we lose one of our most primal instincts? Where do we currently stand in reproductive technology and how…
Life Without Bees

March 13, 2026 · 15 min

No more buzzing, no more honey, no more bees – so then what? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at how dependent we are on the existence of our busy little friends. From how they impact our diets to the medicinal qualities…
Life Without Salt

March 6, 2026 · 15 min

A low salt diet is one thing, but a no salt life? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies discusses how Sodium Chloride affects our world and our taste buds. From our kitchens to our oceans, salt is everywhere and our brains and…
Life Without Worms

February 27, 2026 · 15 min

They wriggle and writhe in the earth beneath us, surely, we’d be fine if they vanished? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks beneath our feet deep into the soil and the hard workers who live there. This episode features Mark…