Small Screen Science

Spores at the ready! In this thrilling episode of Small Screen Science podcast dives into the fungal apocalypse of HBO's hit series, The Last of Us. We explore the fascinating science behind this critically acclaimed adaptation of the popular video game that took the world by storm in 2023 and ask, could a fungal pandemic really happen? How accurate is the show's portrayal of fungal behaviour? And why oh why do we just LOVE Joel and Ellie's relationship?Hosted and produced by Karen Collins and Emma Brisdion. Edited by Merlin Mee. Created with support from GCSE Pod.

Hold on to your hoods, folks, we’re pulling up a seat at the round table to chat about the BBC’s hugely popular reality show, Traitors. We're diving into the science of sociopaths, asking if psychology can help us spot (or be!) a good traitor, and wondering what chemistry goes into the extreme shininess of Claudia Winkelman's fringe.Hosted and produced by Karen Collins and Emma Brisdion. Edited by Merlin Mee. Created with support from GCSE Pod.

Can you learn more about the world around us through the medium of our small screens? As it turns out, absolutely! Coming up in this series, we’ve taken the microscope to Ted Lasso, The Last of Us, Traitors and even Dr Who. Join Karen and Emma for fortnightly episodes to explore the brilliant (and silly) science behind some of our favourite TV shows.Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks). It helps new listeners find the podcast! For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

Mother of God! We take another look at the science behind Line of Duty. This time for the Northern Ireland Science Festival in Belfast. We’re going undercover and turning on our burner phones and investigating both AC-12 and the OCG as we ask, how do the police actually process a crime scene in real life? If they find a bullet, how can forensic ballistics investigators track it to one exact firearm? What’s the deal with examining a body? Are DNA and fingerprint samples always reliable? And why does DI Steve Arnott just LOVE meeting up for clandestine chats in grimy underpasses?   Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, and Twitter.   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica… We’re heading (virtually) to a mid-sized regional paper company named Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania to ask, can science tell us what the deal is with office romances? How do we make jelly hard enough to hide a stapler in? How would your body react if Dwight pepper sprayed you? Why do Kevin’s feet smell so bad? Can Angela really talk to her cats? And, what really happens to our bodies when we eat beetroot? Join us to explore the surprising science behind the hugely popular American TV sitcom, ‘The Office’ and, maybe, you too will feel God in this Chillies tonight.   Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

This episode is 'The one where...' we did a live show on the science behind Friends at science festivals in Wrexham and Swansea. We ask the kind of questions about the 00's favourite sitcom that you never knew you needed answers to. What would happen to your body if you actually spent all your money on coffee in Central Perk? How do they put the smell in gas? Can you whiten your teeth so much that they glow in the dark? Were Ross and Rachel on a break? Lets find out… Join us for 18 pages (FRONT AND BACK!) as we explore the science behind one of the world's most popular sitcoms, Friends.   Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

Season 4 is all about our LIVE shows. We've recorded our 2022 live podcasts as episodes, and we're starting this series with the incredible show Derry Girls. We were lucky enough to be invited by the Northern Ireland Science Festival to do this show none other than in Derry itself in February (and we loved it)!  In this episode we join the girls from Our Lady Immaculate as they turn their eyes on Father Peter to find out why we fancy hot priests. Plus, we use science to find out why we find Orla’s oddball character so funny, how hash scones would affect our bodies, and what happens when we watch high-octane thrillers in the cinema.  Oh and this funny noise we’re making? We’re English, it’s just the way we talk…   Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

Hello! This year we're delighted to have been part of some of the UK's best science festivals, taking our podcast show on the road to live audiences. For Series Four of Small Screen Science, we've turned our live shows into podcast episodes for you to enjoy, even if you couldn't see us in person. Make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss upcoming episodes on the science behind shows like Derry Girls, The Office, and Friends. Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

We end season 3 with a bang of apocalypse proportions, the hit TV show Chernobyl. What were the consequences of that fateful day in 1986? How accurate was the portrayal of the nuclear disaster in the TV show Chernobyl? And what has that got to do with bees, bras and bananas? The atom is a humbling thing. We investigate the impact of the explosion of the local environment, both then and now and debunk common myths about radioactivity. Did you know mould found at the Chernobyl reactor site has been taken to the International Space Station? Or that bananas are radioactive? Find out more in our explosive season finale. Oh and by the way, if you are thinking one of those bras might come in handy you can buy them here: EBbra   Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

This week we are delving into the science behind the classic British Sci-Fi sitcom Red Dwarf. How did Cat evolve from Lister’s pregnant domestic cat Frankenstein? What does sustainable space travel look like? Are we any closer to a holographic AI Rimmer? And what is a red dwarf anyway? We are joined by Royal Observatory astronomer Jake Foster to discuss all things space science, including sustainable space travel, aliens and navigating in space. Toasted tea cake anyone? Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back for breakfast! Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

Could you really kill someone with perfume or a hair pin? Can psychology explain why Villanelle is good assassin? And how does espionage actually work? From the psychology of psychopaths to the secrets of spy craft, join us as we explore the science behind the hit BBC spy drama, Killing Eve. This episode was recorded live as part of Cardiff Science Festival. We guarantee you'll never look at your eyebrows the same way again! Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

This week we are donning our best garms to discuss the science of clothes and the perils of fast fashion, all through the lens of the charming show that is The Great British Sewing Bee! We’re bursting at the seams to talk to you about all the latest inventions designed to help reduce the impact of fashion on the environment. We take a look at fast fashion, recyclable shoes and how polyester affects sperm production (no really!) We also talk to an expert in the use of Artificial Intelligence in fashion design. Are you thready to go? Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

'Title of your sex tape?' This week we're exploring the science behind one of our all time favourite sitcoms: the hilarious police drama set in NYC, Brooklyn 99!    Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

Dearest Listeners. The ton are abuzz with the latest on-dit, indeed Small Screen Science has officially returned for a third season. The incomparable Lady Brisdion and Lady Collins welcome you to the first show of the new season. Yes, that’s right! We kick off the latest season of Small Screen Science by investigating corsets, sex and health in the early 19th century, all through the lens of the Netflix regency smash hit Bridgerton. Were you in one of the 83 million households who saw the series in its first 28 days? Yeah, us too! After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman of science in possession of curiosity, must be in want of a corset-ripping romp through the regency!   Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.   If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.   Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience   For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.

🎧 Why do we just LOVE a sitcom? Can you tell if someone is a psychopath from their eyebrows? Is there such thing as aliens? Was sex in the Regency period as steamy as Bridgerton portrays?   All this and MORE in the next series of Small Screen Science Podcast, where we explore the science of Bridgerton, Brooklyn 99, Killing Eve, Great British Sewing Bee, Red Dwarf and Chernobyl... starting next Tuesday!   Subscribe to Small Screen Science on your podcast platform today so you don't miss an episode.   And don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.   For more from Small Screen Science, you can support the show for just a few 'squid per month on Patreon and get access to lots of bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience   Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.

This week we try our hand at one of the oldest crafts in the world, and talk to people who know much more about ceramics than we do! We learn how to make pottery with Kim at Blue Leaf Ceramics and chat to the President of  the European Ceramic Society. Did you know Johnny Vegas has a piece of pottery at the V & A museum? Did you know ceramics are used in space exploration and jet engines? Why are some pots terracotta and others white? How do glazes work? Why do they put pots in big pits in the ground? How might ceramics help in the fight against cancer?Join us for the answers to all these questions and much more…Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.For more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.And don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

From trying to understand how parallel universes might work to asking 'Why do we love a good conspiracy theory?' and looking for creatures that act like the Demogorgon, we're on a curiosity voyage through the science of The Upside Down. Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.For more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.And don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Have you ever wondered whether the meth labs created are accurate? Or if you could REALLY dissolve a body in a bath of acid? Well, then this is the episode for you!We might be a far cry from a home-made meth lab in a caravan in the desert, but we’re speaking to someone much closer to the Breaking Bad action in this episode - we’re joined by amazing Prof. Donna J Nelson, the scientific advisor to the show!Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.For more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.And don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

When you’re talking about the paranormal and the science behind ghosts ‘who ya gonna call?’ Well it turns out that would be Chris French - our ghostbusting expert this week is the Professor behind the ‘Haunt’ project; an attempt to build a haunted room.  Tune in to discover what we found when we visited Shepton Mallet Prison, the UK’s oldest and most haunted prison, in search of ghosts…Plus, we discuss the science behind magic pendulums, ghostly rituals and haunted houses. Listen out for our proposal for the Brisdion-Collins ghost particle - surely a new breakthrough in physics?Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.For more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.And don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Our guests for this episode help us explore the evidence of zombie fears and folklore in our own history by looking at human burials, and exploring how viruses and pandemics can spread through a global population. (Sounds familiar these days, right?)Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast.For more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.And don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.