Science Shambles

The type of science stories that make the mainstream headlines are usually those that feature big, flashy discoveries or something that means we can spend a few hours pretending we found aliens. But what about that long running research that’s taking place in background. Not in any sinister way, it’s just happily taking small steps and quietly changing the world, it just never gets a bold, all caps ‘A-HA’ headline moment. Helen Czerski, Lucie Green, Suzi Gage and Linda Cremonesi, find out more about some of the most exciting, under-reported science happening in the world today. Support the podcast at https://patreon.com/bookshambles

Recorded live at this year's Blue Dot Festival after the play Signals, Helen Czerski is joined by Matthew Cobb, Suzie Imber and Chris Lintott to talk about life. What is life? What are its origins? Why is it on Earth? Where else might it be? What might it look like? Are we alone? What is the cosmological importance of squid rings? Signals is on tour in the UK throughout October. Dates at https://cosmicshambles.com/signals Support the podcast at https://patreon.com/bookshambles

With the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landings this week, we took the chance to record an episode of Science Shambles at none other than the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Helen Czerski, still in the host chair, chats with our astrophysicist Dr Katie Mack about her research into the impending heat death of the Universe (It's ages away, don't stress) and from the Royal Observatory itself, astronomer Dr Emily Drabek-Maunder about our fascination with the Moon and the stars. Support the podcast, and the Cosmic Shambles Network by pledging at http://patreon.com/bookshambles

Marek Ziebart is a Professor of Space Geodesy (the science and engineering of using satellites). Andrew Steele is a doctor of physics, who moved into computational biology, and is now writing a book on aging. We left it to Helen Czerski to find where all of that intersects on another fascinating episode of Science Shambles with a conversation that goes from Elon Musk to immortality to health research funding to the very simple task of reinventing humanity... Support the podcast, and the Cosmic Shambles Network by pledging at http://patreon.com/bookshambles

Science Shambles is back from its mini break and Helen Czerski has taken over hosting duties while Robin is on tour! Today she's joined by two of our favourite mathematicians, Matt Parker and Rob Eastaway to chat about the difference between maths puzzles and maths problems (and which is better), the underlying problems with sports rankings, Matt's new number one bestseller Humble Pi and much more! Then at the end Helen is joined by Eve Cowely of Footprint Theatre, and Shambles producer Trent Burton, to briefly talk about Signals, the radio telescope based comedy on tour through the CSN this year. Tickets and dates for that are at https://cosmicshambles.com/signals Support the podcast, and the Cosmic Shambles Network by pledging at http://patreon.com/bookshambles

Robin is joined in studio by Professor Gina Rippon and Dr Julia Shaw to talk about their new science books, The Gendered Brain: The New Neuroscience That Shatters the Myth of the Female Brain and Making Evil: The Science Behind Humanity's Dark Side. They dive into topics like the lack of women in STEM, the myth of the male and female brain, false memories, why we are all capable of doing awful things, toxic masculinity, prison libraries and much more. Support the podcast, and the Cosmic Shambles Network by pledging at patreon.com/bookshambles

In this episode of Science Shambles, Robin Ince tries to find the bit of the Venn diagram where archaeology and particle physics overlap. He's joined in the studio by archaeologist and one quarter of the Trowelblazers, Dr Brenna Hassett and neutrino physicist Dr Linda Cremonesi. They bounce around from the birth of the Universe to digging up 7000 years of human history in Turkey. Support the CSN by visiting and pledging at patreon.com/bookshambles

On this episode of Science Shambles, Robin Ince chats climate change and the Artic with physicist Dr Helen Czerski, just returned from the Arctic, and sea ice researcher Dr Sammie Buzzard. They chat about melting glaciers, climate change, polar bears and why the thickness of the sea ice is even more important than ever. Support the podcast on Patreon at patreon.com/bookshambles