Episodes
Shining a light on the invisible forces that surround us, this episode is all about the unseen world. Normally we don’t notice bats flitting above our heads at night, and we certainly can’t hear their ultrasonic squeaks. But the team listens to three...
Published 04/26/21
This episode celebrates some of the world’s most important sites for the discovery of elements. A quarry in the village of Ytterby in Sweden is first up, where almost 10% of naturally occurring elements have been discovered. The team then takes a trip...
Published 04/19/21
Making sense of the many weird and wonderful interactions that inform our view of the world, this episode is all about perception. The team opens with the incredible noise of a binaural sound, to illustrate the subtle complexity of the way we hear the...
Published 04/12/21
Making sense of the many weird and wonderful interactions that inform our view of the world, this episode is all about perception. The team opens with the incredible noise of a binaural sound, to illustrate the subtle complexity of the way we hear the...
Published 04/12/21
Celebrating the forgotten people behind history’s biggest scientific breakthroughs, this episode is an ode to unsung heroes. Starting with the American chemist Alice Ball, the team discusses her groundbreaking work on leprosy in the 20th century. They...
Published 04/05/21
From music to nature to infinity, this episode is all about scales. The team opens with a keyboard ditty as they explore the science behind musical scales - and why major chords sound happy, while minor chords sound sad. They then find themselves...
Published 03/29/21
Get in the zone and find your zen - this week’s episode is all about flow. It may sound vague, but there’s a lot of fascinating science behind the concept. The team starts by explaining what’s going on in your brain when you find the “sweet spot” in an...
Published 03/23/21
We’re shuttling you off planet for some true escapism this week to visit a few of our team’s favourite moons. Starting close to home, let’s sing the praises of our moon, Luna, which might be boringly inert but is too often taken for granted. Moving...
Published 03/16/21
From beetle explosions to the deep dark depths of the ocean, this episode is all about escape. The team discusses the amazing (and sometimes disgusting) way bombardier beetles escape predators. They explain what it takes for an object to reach escape...
Published 03/09/21
From the quickest animal in the world to the fastest supercomputer, this episode is all about speed. Opening with the cries of the peregrine falcon, the team finds out how the bird has evolved to endure flying at more than 200mph. Then they explain how...
Published 03/02/21
Keeping you cosy this week is an episode all about warmth - emotional, physiological and geological. We have an unexpected start to the show, with bees taking the spotlight, but it turns out these cold-blooded little insects can generate immense warmth...
Published 02/23/21
Prepare to feel relaxed, tingly and amazed all in the space of 20 minutes. This episode is all about sound. We start with the musical tones of an elephant trumpeting, followed by a recording from Cornell University’s Elephant Listening Project, showing...
Published 02/16/21
From some of the lightest creatures on earth, to the heaviest things in the cosmos, this episode is all about mass. It’s a magical opening to the show as the team discusses a group of insects called fairy wasps which are so light it’s near impossible to...
Published 02/09/21
This episode is all about music, so today’s journey of escapism comes complete with odd, relaxing, soothing and interesting sounds to guide you through. The team opens with the sounds of animals, specifically the singing - if you can call it that - of...
Published 02/02/21
The theme of this episode is alliances - human, biological and atomic. We start by celebrating the amazing properties of lichen, the symbiotic relationships it forms, how it shaped the earth and simply how beautiful it is to look at. Then we explore how...
Published 01/26/21
This is the first in a series of episodes designed to celebrate the beauty of this planet, whisking you away from the woes and hardships of modern life… a covid-free space. We start by discussing the self awareness of dolphins and whales, and the...
Published 01/19/21
Published 01/12/21
Are you tired of hearing about coronavirus? Has lockdown left you worn out? Then perhaps it’s time to escape. Join Rowan Hooper and the team at New Scientist in this covid-free space, as they discuss all that’s right with the world - the stories that...
Published 01/12/21