Podcasts by Science(ish)

8: Episode 100: The Invisible Man from 2020-03-06T17:29:27

Will we ever be able to turn invisible? The idea of magically disappearing has fascinated humanity for centuries. Once dismissed as impossible, a promising new wave of technologies could bring this...

7: Dark Waters from 2020-02-28T14:49:30

Have we all been poisoned? PFAS chemicals are all around us and almost certainly in your blood. But just how worried should we be? Michael sits down with Mark Ruffalo and Rob Bilott to talk about t...

6: Robocop from 2020-02-21T17:36:37

Will we inevitably all become Cyborgs? More than ever, we’re hearing from Silicon Valley types that humans are going to need to merge with machines. But just what would our augmented future look li...

5: Silence of The Lambs from 2020-02-14T16:53:11

Why aren’t there more cannibals? Through the unforgettable horror of Silence Of The Lambs, Rick and Michael discover that eating your own has all sorts of surprising evolutionary benefits....

4: Star Wars from 2019-12-20T16:45

Is the Force a real thing? Michael takes Rick on a mind bending tour through a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars! Crucial questions will be answered: did Luke Skywalker get his powers from a parasi...

3: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle from 2019-12-13T16:44:44

Looking to escape to another reality? Why not try a virtual one? In this episode Rick and Michael get sucked into the world of Jumanji, as they pose the question on everybody's mind's righ...

2: Game Of Thrones (Live) from 2019-12-06T20:23:03

Rick and Michael go full Westeros at a special live show from the Underbelly comedy festival. So, could you really build an Ice Wall that big without using magic? Could a Dragon really fly and brea...

1: Jaws from 2019-11-29T15:07

Is there such a thing as a perfect predator? Rick and Michael kick off Season 5 with the mother of all blockbusters, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 masterpiece Jaws. From a deep dive into the evo...

12: History of the World: Part 1 from 2019-03-21T16:17:43

How much does Geography inform History? Why did humanity first emerge where it did? What influence do ancient rock formations have on U.S politics? In the final episode of the season, Rick and M...

11: Deadpool from 2019-03-14T14:40:51

Will we ever be able to regrow limbs? The more we learn about the incredible regenerative abilities of salamanders and planarian worms, the closer we come to coaxing our bodies into repairing an...

10: Inside Out from 2019-03-08T12:12:17

Personality testing is a multi-billion dollar industry. But how reliable are assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator? Can we really find out which Lord of the Rings character Michael is...

9: Antz from 2019-02-28T17:29:23

Does nature prefer hierarchy? When we look out into nature, we see hierarchical systems everywhere. Is it inevitable that humans follow suit? The lads dive into the 1998 animation Antz to find o...

8: WALL-E from 2019-02-22T13:02:21

Every year we produce over 2 billion tonnes of waste. That figure is only going up. Never before has the question been more pressing: what should we do with all our stuff? From atop a giant pile...

7: Geostorm from 2019-02-14T15:29:31

What if we could control the weather? Inspired by the futuristic disaster film Geostorm, the boys delve into the contentious field of geoengineering. Can or should we tinker with the Earth’s cli...

6: Icarus from 2019-02-07T17:56:08

When Bryan Fogel’s 2017 docu-thriller Icarus exposed Russia's Olympic doping programme, it sent shockwaves through the sports community. This week the boys explore the long and bizarre histo...

5: Dante's Peak from 2019-01-31T11:00

Without volcanoes there would be no life on Earth. But just how afraid of supervolcanoes - like the one in Yellowstone National Park - should we be? Inspired by 90s disaster movie Dante’s Peak, ...

4: Westworld from 2018-12-20T18:32:19

What better way to kick off Christmas than a deep dive into the ethics of sex robots? Exploring the science and pitfalls of dystopian drama Westworld, the boys sit down with renowned computer sc...

3: Blindness from 2018-12-14T12:55:22

Could we be on the cusp of eradicating vision loss? Through the 2008 epidemic thriller ‘Blindness’, the boys explore the mind-boggling complexity of the eye and the conditions that led to its ev...

2: Moonraker from 2018-12-06T17:18:23

With the declaration of Trump’s ‘Space Force’, the domain of space is ever closer to becoming a new and potentially terrifying theatre of war. Through the Roger Moore classic Moonraker, the boys...

1: Fight Club from 2018-11-29T18:19:01

To kick off Series 4, Michael asked Rick to hit him as hard as he can… with knowledge! Through the Brad Pitt/Ed Norton classic Fight Club, the boys dive headfirst into the uncomfortable world of...

33: Is LIGO right? from 2018-11-02T11:24:28

The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics went to ‘a discovery that shook the world’, gravitational waves. These were detected by the LIGO experiment, a century after Einstein first predicted them. But be...

32: First Man from 2018-10-19T15:39:20

Just 66 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, humans somehow managed to put a man on the moon. How did this happen? In this bonus episode, the boys mark the release of the film First Man b...

31: Pi from 2018-09-13T17:55:43

Do some numbers have special significance? Inspired by Darren Aronofsky’s film Pi, Rick and Michael explore the greatest numbers known to humankind. From the mercurial zero which medieval Italy ...

30: Doctor Strange from 2018-09-07T09:29:50

Can meditation change your brain? Rick and Michael take a moment to reconnect with their breath and journey into the mystical science behind the film Doctor Strange. Exploring how monks use medi...

29: Frankenstein from 2018-08-30T16:24:55

Could we create Frankenstein’s monster? The boys celebrate the 200th year anniversary of Mary Shelley’s genre-defining novel with a deep-dive into the underbelly of science: from grave-robbing a...

28: Rounders from 2018-08-23T16:51:21

Can science beat the casino? Through the Matt Damon-Ed Norton classic Rounders, the boys explore how mathematicians have tried to conquer the world of gambling. From gaming the national lottery ...

27: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy from 2018-08-16T14:56:02

What if our universe is just a giant computer? In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy the Earth is just a computer calculating the meaning of life, and in this episode the boys tackle one of th...

26: The Dead Zone from 2018-08-09T16:41:13

Are we any good at predicting the future? Through David Cronenberg’s film The Dead Zone, the boys explore the fiendishly difficult science of foretelling the course of history. Why do the profes...

25: Nightmare on Elm Street from 2018-08-02T17:53:02

‘Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep...’ These iconic words from the 80s classic A Nightmare on Elm Street have got the boys thinking: from sleep paralysis to insomnia to narcolepsy, what’s actua...

24: Knight Rider from 2018-07-26T15:58:22

With the utopian vision of a driverless world hitting the headlines, the boys cut through the hype by exploring the science of fully autonomous vehicles through the TV series Knight Rider. Will ...

23: Get Out from 2018-07-19T17:22:27

Does hypnosis work? Science(ish) explores the mend-bending neuroscience behind the Oscar-winning film Get Out. If you think your brain perceives reality in an fixed way, it’s time you opened the...

22: Enigma from 2018-07-12T17:18:13

Can we create an unbreakable code? Through the film Enigma, Science(ish) delves into the murky history of cryptography and the hunt for the perfect cipher. Our modern world so fundamentally reli...

21: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom from 2018-07-05T17:07:41

Inspired by the latest blockbuster Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, the boys explore the alarming science of extinction. Humans may have conquered the planet, but have we also triggered the “6th M...

20: Still Alice from 2018-06-29T18:04:18

Could we ever cure dementia? Science(ish) takes on one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century: unravelling the science of Alzheimer’s disease. From chance discoveries to nex...

19: Ice Age from 2018-06-21T16:03:46

Is there another ice age coming? And if so, when? Delving into the science behind the animated film Ice Age, Rick and Michael explore the most fundamental question that we all ponder while eatin...

18: Good Will Hunting from 2018-06-14T17:06:15

It’s the question all Science(ish) listeners have asked themselves: what’s makes me a genius? With the all-time classic Good Will Hunting, Rick and Michael explore the neuroscience of truly exce...

17: Chain Reaction from 2018-06-07T15:21:48

If Keanu Reeves can create a revolutionary new energy source in the film Chain Reaction, then why can’t we do the same in real life? Rick and Michael tackle the challenge of getting nuclear fusi...

16: Demolition man from 2018-05-31T14:19:09

Coming straight from the very 90s classic Demolition Man, Rick and Michael tackle the science of freezing yourself in time: from human cryogenics to anti-freeze frogs who scoff in the face of wi...

15: Rick and Morty from 2018-05-24T16:55:07

Rick and Michael delve into the world of the animated sitcom which (very nearly) bears their name: Rick and Morty. It’s time for quantum theory, parallel realities, and the end of physics as we ...

14: Seven Pounds from 2018-05-17T12:45:34

Donating a kidney to a total stranger you’ll never meet sounds crazy - but then why do hundreds of people voluntarily do it every year? This week Rick and Michael tackle the neuroscience of empa...

13: Contagion from 2018-05-10T13:43:20

Science(ish) marks the 100-year anniversary of the devastating Spanish Flu outbreak by exploring the real threat behind the film Contagion: How vulnerable are we to the next deadly pandemic? Are...

12: Altered Carbon from 2018-05-03T13:15:45

Inspired by Netflix series Altered Carbon, Rick and Michael tackle the science behind Silicon Valley’s ultimate wet dream: uploading our minds to a computer. Isn’t it time you moved beyond your ...

11: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button from 2018-04-26T14:13:48

Could we reverse ageing and live forever? Science(ish) confronts our own mortality and explores the growing field of research which is bringing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button closer to real...

10: The Machine Stops from 2018-04-19T15:28:37

Inspired by the 109-year-old novel ‘The Machine Stops’ which remarkably predicted the internet as we know it today, Rick and Michael explore whether someone could ever switch our machine off - a...

9: Dr Strangelove from 2018-04-12T13:40:46

With the Doomsday Clock now at two minutes to midnight, the boys go nuclear and explore the legendary political satire Dr. Strangelove. Could Trump fire off a nuke like he fires off a tweet? And...

8: The Cell from 2018-04-05T13:29:36

Through the sci-fi horror ‘The Cell’, Rick and Michael delve into the murky ‘grey zone of consciousness’ which separates life from death. Their quest: to discover if we could communicate with so...

7: The Day of the Triffids from 2018-03-29T11:54:14

A treat for all the vegans out there. Rick and Michael tackle John Wyndham’s ‘The Day of the Triffids’, exploring whether plants can think, feel, and learn. And of course, the most fundamental q...

6: Hackers from 2018-03-22T14:17:48

With the help of a real-life hacker, Rick and Michael go worldwide(web) by asking 'how vulnerable are we to hackers?'. We're talking Stuxnet, the internet of things, and baby monitor...

5: Limitless from 2018-03-15T12:12:47

Michael decides it’s time to get cerebral and opts for Neil Burger’s ‘Limitless’. We’re talking brain myths, we’re talking nootropics, and of course, we’re talking/taking modafinil.

Featur...

4: Flatliners from 2018-03-08T12:19:29

The boys go deadly serious with 1990 sci-fi classic ‘Flatliners’. Brain death, consciousness, and everything in between.

Featuring: Professor Leslie Whetstine

Produced By: Max Sander...

3: Children of Men from 2018-03-01T08:42:01

Michael continues the dystopia with Alfonso Cuarón’s fertility thriller ‘Children of Men’ by asking ‘could humans go infertile?’ (Includes hints of a mid-life crisis from a certain Rick Edwards ...

2: Never Let Me Go from 2018-02-22T13:35:44

After 3 years of asking, Rick finally gets his dream episode with Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’ (apparently; also a film). Ghost hearts, chimeras, and sentient pigs - what more could you wa...

1: Arrival from 2018-02-15T16:35:57

The boys start the new series with a bang. And a new format. One question, one scientist, plenty of relatively well-informed chat. To kick off, Rick and Michael go extra-terrestrial with 2016’s ...

Science(ish) Season Three Trailer from 2018-02-01T14:28:09

Science(ish) is back! As of Thursday 15th February 2018, Rick Edwards and Dr Michael Brooks will be beaming into your ears every week and tackling the biggest scientific questions behind popular fi...

Science(ish) Christmas Special, Series 2 Episode 8 from 2017-12-21T18:17:06

Rick and Michael decide to get nostalgic with a festive wrap of Season 2 by revisiting their favourite questions. We're talking fringe theories, we're talking spider goats, and we're...

Gattaca – Live from The Wigtown Book Festival, Series 2 Episode 7 from 2017-10-06T16:58:01

To celebrate the release of the Science(ish) book, Rick and Michael travel to the Wigtown Book Festival in Scotland to record a special live episode on dystopian classic 'Gattaca'. Are w...

Armageddon, Series 2 Episode 6 from 2017-07-26T20:01:03

Rick and Michael cast their eyes to space and go asteroid-hunting as per Michael Bay’s 1998 disaster classic ‘Armageddon’. How can we spot ‘em? How can we destroy ‘em? And how can an army of pai...

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Series 2 Episode 5 from 2017-07-14T18:11:25

Rick and Michael take a trip down memory lane, as told through the romantic science fiction comedy-drama (yes; that’s a thing) ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’. What is a memory? How reli...

The Fly, Series 2 Episode 4 from 2017-05-17T17:51:53

The Brooks-Edwards hybrid delves into the world of chimeras, as seen in David Cronenberg’s classic ‘The Fly’. We’re talking teleportation. We’re talking spider-goats. We’re talking the “Brundlef...

Perfume, Series 2 Episode 3 from 2017-04-24T20:23:13

Rick and Michael delve into the world of olfaction, as seen through the lens of Patrick Süskind’s psychopathic thriller ‘Perfume’. How do we smell? How can it affect us? And is Lynx Africa the w...

Special(ish) 023 – Big Data Brother from 2017-04-21T17:04:28

Co-founder of The Open Data Institute, Sir Nigel Shadbolt, elaborates on the themes explored in the latest Scienceish,1984:

How easy has surveillance become in an age of Big Data and – co...

1984, Series 2 Episode 2 from 2017-03-17T17:51:16

Rick and Michael delve into the 1949 classic in search of answers. Are humans fatally vulnerable to authority? Does our behaviour change when we think we’re being watched? And are we currently l...

The Matrix, Series 2 Episode 1 from 2017-02-14T20:30:35

Taking a trip down a Matrix-inspired rabbit hole, the boys ponder the potential for ‘bullet time’, the science behind becoming an instant Kung Fu expert, and whether our universe is, in fact, a ...

Scienceish Season Two Trailer from 2017-02-07T13:22:17

Scienceish is BACK! On VALENTINE'S DAY! With that classic love story...THE MATRIX. Listen to the trailer now.

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Special(ish) 018 – Harmon-E from 2016-10-05T21:16:39

In this episode, eHarmony’s data scientist Jon Morra discusses the ways in which machine learning and data science are applied to help connect people for successful long term relationships.
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Special(ish) 017 – The Uncanny from 2016-09-21T18:08:11

Is flesh and blood still necessary to be considered alive? Writer and psychotherapist Dr Aaron Balick and web psychologist Nathalie Nahai draw on Freud’s definition of 'The Uncanny’ to ponder t...

015 – Big Data from 2016-09-13T19:43:57

Science(ish) goes live as part of Science Museum Lates. In this special podcast recording, Rick and Michael delve into the blockbuster data movies Her, Ex Machina and Enemy of the State live on ...

Special(ish) 016 – Finding Your Voice from 2016-09-08T09:00:58

In advance of our next Science(ish) on ‘Her’, a film starring Scarlett Johansson’s disembodied voice, we speak to leading speech therapist Christella Antoni. Here Antoni explains the process of mal...

Special(ish) 015 – Back to Reality from 2016-08-31T16:17:33

How realistic is the classroom staple Lord of the Flies? Would children really devolve from civilised schoolboys to murderous prepubescents in a matter of days? We talk to teachers and students pas...

014 – Lord Of The Flies from 2016-08-24T16:00:54

In this episode Rick and Michael dissect the 1954 novel Lord of the Flies by Nobel Prize-winning English author William Golding.

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Special(ish) 014 – Piggy in the Middle from 2016-08-21T14:59:23

From test tube babies on Bear Grylls' 'The Island' to a violent end for poor little piggy, Rick and Michael offer an especially scientific (and potentially unethical) preview of our nex...

Special(ish) 013 – King of the Swingers from 2016-08-03T17:06:56

If you thought we were the only species capable of infidelity, think again. In this episode of Special(ish), Rick and Michael explore the cunning world of animal deception with help from primatolog...

013 – The Abyss from 2016-07-27T15:08:14

Rick & Michael delve into the underwater world of James Cameron’s 'The Abyss'. Ignoring, as Michael puts it “those silly wet aliens” this episode explores the limits of the human bod...

Special(ish) 012 – Stuck in the Mud from 2016-07-20T12:25:07

In 1990 Professor Cindy Lee Van Dover became the first woman to pilot deep-ocean submersible Alvin. In anticipation of Science(ish) episode 'The Abyss’, Cindy recalls a particularly sticky dive...

Special(ish) 011 – The Deep from 2016-07-13T14:53:07

In this Specialish, world scuba diving record holder Verna Du Preez describes her experiences of the deep and talks about just how difficult it is to ascend. Dr Oliver Firth offers insight into the...

012 – Alien from 2016-07-06T12:16:20

The boys return to the outer expanses of the universe. This time, they’re not after black holes but ET, as depicted in Ridley Scott’s classic ‘Alien’. Are we alone? What will ‘it’ look like? And...

Special(ish) 010 – The Great Escape from 2016-07-03T10:42:18

Rick and Michael deliver some strong science chat about Inky the escaping octopus, a slippery little fella who managed to slide out of his tank and make a break for the pacific ocean. But what does...

Special(ish) 009 – Here Be Dragons from 2016-06-22T10:15:26

Throughout the centuries, stories of monsters and mythic creatures have remained a constant narrative presence. But what role have they played? And is the search for ET just the latest chapter in t...

Special(ish) 008 – Dark Night from 2016-06-15T17:30:57

Chris French, a professor of psychology who specialises in paranormal belief and ostensibly paranormal experiences, takes us through the terrifying ordeal of sleep paralysis and its surprising link...

Special(ish) 007 – Area 51 from 2016-06-08T10:30:39

At the southern tip of the Nevada Desert lies an area shrouded in mystery. With aliens, spaceships, and mind control, all said to be part of its history – Area 51 is a melting pot of conspiracy. Listen

011 – Minority Report from 2016-06-02T11:39:17

Michael and Rick gaze into the criminal crystal ball, as per Spielberg’s 2002 thriller Minority Report. Can we predict a criminal? Should we pre-convict them? And is the Universe pre-determined?...

Special(ish) 006 – A Criminal Mind from 2016-05-25T15:48:53

Neuroscientist Jim Fallon spent years searching for patterns in the brain scans that he saw. But it wasn’t until he turned to the scans of his own brain that he stumbled upon his biggest discovery ...

Special(ish) 005 – Pale Blue Dot from 2016-05-18T11:07:29

Milan Kundera once wrote; “While pondering the infinity of the stars, we ignore the infinity of our father.” We asked experts from our Interstellar episode if they agree.

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009 – Planet of the Apes from 2016-04-19T19:27:19

The boys go back to basics with an exploration of the 1968 classic Planet of the Apes. How did we humans end up on top? Could the apes ever take over? And of course will dolphins ever have hands...

Special(ish) 002 – Rise of the Machines from 2016-04-13T17:58:51

Following AlphaGo’s trouncing of the World ‘Go’ champion, we’ve pulled some unheard material from our Ex-Machina episode about the potential impacts of the ever-extending arm of AI, as told by cont...

Special(ish) 001 – Sticks & Stones from 2016-04-06T08:20:36

The very first instalment of our Special(ish) sees the boys dwell on some recent field research that blurs the line between animal and human. A sign of things to come in the next episode of Science...

008 – The Circle from 2016-03-15T18:28:53

What’s the Internet doing to us? Are we being controlled by our office spaces? How transparent is online transparency? Michael, Rick and web psychologist Nathalie Nahai dissect Dave Eggars’ dyst...

007 – Ex Machina from 2016-02-16T21:48:26

Dr Michael Brooks and Rick Edwards delve into the murky world of Artificial Intelligence as depicted in Alex Garland's masterpiece Ex Machina.

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006 – The Time Machine from 2016-02-08T03:44:48

Dr Michael ‘Morlock’ Brooks and Rick ‘Eloi’ Edwards transcend time and explore the future of humanity.

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