Are boys doing better than girls at maths and science?

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 10 April 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There’s a big “gender gap” between boys and girls in maths and science - that’s according to a new report out this week.

Boys in England in years five and nine are now “significantly” outperforming girls in both subjects, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study suggests.

Ben Garrod is joined by physicist Dr Jess Wade, from Imperial College London, and maths teacher and National Numeracy ambassador Bobby Seagull, to discuss the issue.

Also this week, we discuss the mind-blowing effects of living in space on the human body and science journalist Caroline Steel joins us with her picks of the week’s science news, including the environmental impact of the North Sea collision and a study that suggests scientists should be cracking more jokes...

Presenter: Professor Ben Garrod Producers: Sophie Ormiston & Gerry Holt Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth 

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Why would anyone want to steal a toilet?
0:05.0	If they think they can get away with it, they'll get away with it.
0:08.0	But this isn't any old toilet.
0:11.0	This is a solid gold toilet, worth nearly five million pounds, stolen from a palace.
0:17.0	A solid gold toilet has been stolen.
0:20.0	Police are trying to flush the robbers out.
0:23.0	It's a tale of security failures, ruthless robbers and missing millions.
0:27.7	Crime next door, the golden toilet heist.
0:30.4	Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:34.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:38.2	You're listening to BBC Inside Science, first broadcast on 13th of March 2025.
0:43.9	Hello, I'm Professor Ben Garrett. This week, have boys really jumped ahead of girls in maths and science?
0:49.6	And what mind-blowing effect to spending a long time in space have on the human body?
0:54.6	Science journalist Caroline Steele is here with me to bring her favourite stories of the week.
0:58.8	And she's also going to help us with a bit of a spinny, space-themed studio experiment later on to find out.
1:06.5	Hi, Caroline.
1:07.5	Nervous?
1:08.2	Yes, I get every kind of travel sick.
1:10.2	So anything involving spinning? Yeah, not feeling great about that.
1:14.6	Can't see a problem there at all.
1:16.5	Can you give us a little taste of what we've got this week lined up?
1:19.5	So I've got an update on the Athena lander.
	...

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