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EUREKA! The podcast getting under the skin of science…

GENERAL INTERVIEW

EUREKA! The podcast getting under the skin of science…

From Issue #020 of the Pod Bible magazine, the regular column from Stak looked at the latest addition to the Football Ramble Presents feed. This is Breaking Bread.

Last month, Stak launched its latest high profile entry into the world of science podcasts: Eureka! Science enthusiast Rick Edwards (5 Live Breakfast) and actual real-life scientist (and author) Dr. Michael Brooks make their long-awaited return to the podcasting world with Eureka!, mixing expert insight with playful humour and relentless curiosity.

Every Wednesday, Rick and Michael ask a new and puzzling question: Should we fear an alien invasion? What makes a psychopath? Will we ever talk to animals? From face transplants to AI robot takeovers, our brainy duo have the answers. Well, one of them does…

WHEN DID YOUR INTEREST IN SCIENCE FIRST BEGIN?

MICHAEL: I wasn’t that into science until just before I left school, when I had an amazing physics teacher called Mr Sumner. He ‘wasted’ class time discussing the uncertainties and the difficulties science creates, like nuclear waste or genetic modification. I’ve been channelling Mr Sumner ever since, I think.

RICK: I was one of those infuriating kids who constantly asked: “Why?!” And I really meant it. I was always interested in understanding why things were true, why things happened – I was never satisfied with someone telling me “That’s just how it is.” This led me to doing some quite eccentric things, like teaching myself calculus – aged 14 – in order to try and get a more precise value of pi (at this point the idea of irrational numbers was beyond me). Really obnoxious stuff. But I realised quite early on that science was the thing that might provide the answers I was looking for.

M: My favourite moment in science, the one that made me realise how ridiculous it can be, was during my PhD, when I’d had a few lunchtime pints and went back to the lab and connected my equipment up wrong. I asked a senior scientist in the lab for help, and he genuinely said the strange signal on my oscilloscope could be a sign that the experiment was altering the space-time continuum. I’ve struggled to take science seriously ever since.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO DISSECTING ON EUREKA!?

M: We haven’t planned or even discussed the episode yet, but I’d really like to get into a scientific breakdown of what is the world’s most difficult sport – and why it’s cricket!

R: I am very excited to discuss, A) The likelihood that Elon Musk will successfully upload himself to a computer and B) How quickly we would all collectively decide to switch him off at the mains. Whatever Rick and Michael discover, one thing is certain: their search will make you fall in love with science all over again. So strap yourself in, plug into the matrix and prepare for a wild ride through the wonderful world of scientific discovery.

Eureka! cover art

Listen to EUREKA! now via Apple PodcastsSpotify and all podcasting platforms.

Stak produces podcasts that entertain and inform, including some of the UK’s biggest and most popular shows – boasting a combined 4 million monthly listens and over 45 years of podcasting experience. Whether recording remotely or in our broadcast-grade London studio, we specialise in every stage of the podcasting process. To find out more or get in touch, visit our website at stak.london!

This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com.

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