Me, Myself and the MRI

Me, Myself and the MRI

From Illuminated by BBC Radio 4

April 26, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

Ciaran Tracey confronts his claustrophobia during an MRI scan, exploring the technology and science behind it.

MRI machines are a miracle of modern medicine. A long white tube that can scan inside our bodies, detecting all manner of illnesses. Getting into one though can leave many people anxious. Something called 'scanxiety'. When it's his turn to lie down and be rolled inside, presenter Ciaran Tracey must confront his claustrophobia and submit to the machine that can see what's inside his body. His scan becomes a journey through quantum physics, electromagnetism and - most surprisingly - a space age machine that can talk back. This MRI is a little different - even a little sarcastic. Not least when it comes to telling him whats actually going on inside his own body. Writer & Presenter: Ciaran Tracey MRI Voice: Hattie Hayridge Sound Production: Barney Rowntree Executive Producer: Innes Bowen MRI sample sounds by Pond 5 With thanks to the Christie NHS Foundation Trust (Samuel Curley, Steven Jackson, Victoria Donahue, Amelia Cargo); University Of Manchester Preclinical & Clinical Imaging (Denise Ogden); and Daniel Sodickson (NYU, Function Health). A Big City Nights production for BBC Radio 4

People in this episode

Host: Ciaran Tracey

Topics covered

  • MRI
  • scanxiety
  • claustrophobia
  • quantum physics
  • electromagnetism
  • medical technology

Keywords

  • MRI
  • scanxiety
  • claustrophobia
  • quantum physics
  • medical technology
  • electromagnetism
  • healthcare

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Radio 4, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, University Of Manchester Preclinical & Clinical Imaging, NYU, Function Health

Products: MRI

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