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Curious Cases

The Horrible Hangover

Curious Cases

BBC

Science

4.84.1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 December 2018

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

"My name is Ava and I've never had a hangover," writes Ava Karuso. "I'm a 25 year-old Australian and I enjoy going out for drinks. However, the next day when everyone else sleeps in and licks their wounds, I get up early and get right back to my normal routine.”

Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate the ancient origins of alcohol, from Sumerians drinking beer through straws, to Aristotle's teachings ‘On Intoxication’.

But what can modern science tell us about how alcohol affects our brains? What causes the morning-after hangover and do some drinks make you feel worse than others? Are there any hangover cures that have been scientifically validated?

Featuring health psychologist and hangover researcher Sally Adams, chemist Andrea Sella and science writer Adam Rogers, author of 'Proof: The Science of Booze'.

Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2018.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:04.6

MUSIC

0:10.6

I'm Dr Adam Rutherford.

0:12.3

And I'm Dr Hannah Fry.

0:13.6

And you are going to send us your everyday mysteries.

0:16.5

And we are going to investigate them.

0:18.4

Using the power of...

0:19.8

Science!

0:20.4

Science!

0:21.2

Science!

0:22.2

I like it.

0:28.0

Oh!

0:29.0

Yeah, that was a good question.

0:30.0

Michelle, put it back.

0:31.0

Surprise!

0:32.0

We didn't know it was straights on it.

0:33.0

Yeah, it suddenly felt extremely Christmassy.

0:35.0

Yeah.

0:36.0

Which is because this show went out on Boxing Day

0:39.0

and if you're listening to it on the podcast, Boxing Day

0:41.0

was four weeks ago.

0:43.0

Or four weeks in the future.

...

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