Best EUSci Podcasts (2024)

1
Maths of the Missing 38:17

3M ago38:17

38:17

If you need reminding why maths and statistics are fun and fundamental to all areas of science, look no further! Our guest this episode, Professor Ruth King, uses statistics to understand populations where it’s impossible to count every single individual. She explains how similar mathematical tools can help fill in the blanks regardless of missing …

1
Sustainable Science with Greiner Bio One 40:14

5M ago40:14

40:14

Scientific research depends on some of the most environmentally destructive practices to ensure high-quality science: single-use plastic, thousands of tonnes of packaging, quick delivery of equipment just to name a few. Many would say manufacturers have a responsibility to try and reduce the impact their products have on the environment but questio…

1
Magnetic Secrets of the Northern Lights 30:53

6M ago30:53

30:53

What causes the Northern Lights? Why are they becoming more common in the UK? How can you maximise your chances of seeing them? In this episode, Kelsey and Katie talk to geomagnetism PhD student Frederik Dahl Madsen about all things aurora. Find out why these pretty lights appear in the sky, understand the magnetic science behind the phenomenon, an…

1
Queer Data with Dr Kevin Guyan 41:45

7M ago41:45

41:45

Queer Data: who decides who counts? Can we accurately count and capture everyone's identities, and do we always need to? Who does it help? And how can methodology for collecting data on LGBTQ+ people be used in other, completely unconnected fields? In this episode we’re joined by Dr Kevin Guyan, a researcher and historian focusing on the intersecti…

1
The Predictive Power of Panda Pee 38:29

8M ago38:29

38:29

Are giant pandas really just too lazy to breed? To kick off season six, new hosts Kelsey and Katie are joined by Dr Kirsten Wilson, who has spent her PhD studying panda reproduction with the aim to unlock the predictive power of their pee. Marking the departure of the panda pair at Edinburgh Zoo, we delve into the quirky biology of these cute and c…

1
Reduce, Re-use, Robotics with Amy Ma 21:46

10M ago21:46

21:46

Could artificial intelligence and robotics revolutionise recycling? How do you go about creating a start-up as a student? We talk to Amy (Xiaoyan) Ma, CEO of Danu Robotics and a High Performance Computing MSc graduate from the University of Edinburgh. Danu Robotics’ technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to identify and s…

1
Future fertility: hope after cancer -Reproductive Health #3 with Dr Kathleen Duffin 30:55

10M ago30:55

30:55

Cancer treatment in children is clearly vital and lifesaving, but can unintentionally impact the future fertility of cancer survivors. In this episode, Emily Southworth talks to Dr Kathleen Duffin about her research on the provision of fertility preservation services for childhood cancer patients and the different methods that can be used to achiev…

1
The tale of the 8-year diagnosis: the endometriosis ‘enigma’ -Reproductive Health #2 31:53

1+ y ago31:53

31:53

Endometriosis can cause debilitating pain beyond what a ‘normal’ period might feel like, caused by tissue that would normally line the womb growing in places it shouldn’t. We talk to Professor Philippa Saunders to find out why endometriosis can take so many years to diagnose, why progress in treatment development has been so slow, and what level of…

1
New Perspectives on Male Contraceptives: Reproductive Health #1 with Dr John Reynolds-Wright 31:19

1+ y ago31:19

31:19

Why has the development of male contraceptives been so slow in comparison to female methods? Would current female contraceptives pass a modern day clinical trial? Dr John Reynolds-Wright is part of a team in Edinburgh running clinical trials for a gel that reduces sperm count. He gives us a brief history of contraceptive development, digging into t…

1
The Fuel Behind Climate Conversations 37:27

1+ y ago37:27

37:27

How strongly tied to the fossil fuel industry is the University of Edinburgh? Where should the responsibility lie in trying to minimise destruction caused by climate change? What role should the university be playing in combating the climate crisis? Elizabeth Simmons, Alys Daniels-Creasey and Sarah Manning are postgraduate Earth Fellows with the Ed…

1
Mould-breaking Musical Theatre with Dr Meghan Perry and Robin Hiley 35:55

2y ago35:55

35:55

What do you get when you mix musical theatre with antimicrobial resistance -and throw in Alexander Fleming for good measure? To kick off season five of Not Another Science Podcast, we talk to Dr Meghan Perry, an infectious diseases doctor and researcher who embarked on a somewhat unusual scientific adventure to spread the word about the growing thr…

1
Mapping the Mysteries of the Galaxies, with Professor Romeel Davé 41:38

2y ago41:38

41:38

This week, NASP host Alix meets with universe-ready Professor Romeel Davé - computational and theoretical astrophysicist and Chair of Physics from the University of Edinburgh's School of Physics and Astronomy - for a special extended episode. He takes us "Around the Galaxies in 80+ Computer Models" by introducing us to galaxy-creating computer simu…

1
The Secret Science of Hosts, with our co-host Hannah Muir 40:40

2+ y ago40:40

40:40

In this week's episode we say a big farewell and thank you to Hannah Muir - our awesome co-host who is moving onto starting her PhD candidacy studying blue carbon (the carbon trapped in the ocean) at the National Oceanography Centre in Swansea University. Travelling through her multidisciplinary life, we learn about the motivations that led Hannah …

1
Life on Mars?! 29:20

2+ y ago29:20

29:20

This is the moment you've been waiting for since your childhood and probably into your adulthood. Not Another Science Podcast hosts, Hannah and Lili, reveal the answer to the question: "Is there, and has there ever been, life on Mars?" by talking to Ophelia Gunn, PhD student and researcher at the University of Edinburgh's UK Centre for Astrobiology…

1
Engage Your Stem Cells 33:59

2+ y ago33:59

33:59

How does the history of trust in scientists play a role in understanding the current ethical and practical dilemmas within communicating science? Join hosts Alix and… well, just Alix this time… as she speaks with Dr. Jan Barfoot about the power of two-way communication in science communication & public engagement. With a background in cancer cell b…

1
Arts, Crafts, and Soft Robotics 28:57

2+ y ago28:57

28:57

What do you get when you cross a passion for knitting, the intricacies of nature’s movements, and the love of engineering robots? In conversation with Ruby Marshall, a PhD student in the Soft Systems Group at the University of Edinburgh, we discover the diverse set of skills that knit together to become the cross section of biomimicry and soft-robo…

1
Less Commotion in the Ocean 34:59

2+ y ago34:59

34:59

Dive into the noisy + wet world of the marine environment with Dr. Lauren McWhinnie and PhD student Emily Hague from Heriot-Watt University. These two are self-professed whale-geeks and researchers on the stressors that humans put on our cetacean friends. Turns out, whales don’t want anything to do with big boats who make annoying acoustics, nor pa…

1
Follow the Maths 28:13

2+ y ago28:13

28:13

We kick off season 4 of Not Another Science Podcast with a mind-blowing conversation about Dr. Ana Rita Pires’ journey in unfolding origami - not the paper kind as we previously thought, but being of the symplectic mathematical manifolds type. Ana Rita is a lecturer at the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh and (in our opinion) - …

1
Plastic is the new Vanilla 22:41

2+ y ago22:41

22:41

Ever been so hungry that you have considered eating a mound of plastic as your next meal? Dr. Jo Sadler is a newly appointed Principal Investigator at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Biological Sciences and an innovative builder of new molecules. Synthetic biology - the ability to manipulate biological systems using chemistry and biological…

1
Feeding Whisky to Fish 27:15

2+ y ago27:15

27:15

Get ready for this second food-themed episode to lift your spirits as Dr. Jane White - research scientist and Director of Undergraduate Studies for Distilling and Brewing at Heriot-Watt University - deep-dives into the pot of knowledge behind the ale and whisky industry in Scotland. Find out what happens chemically to the by-products of whisky and …

1
Putting the Me in Gastronomy 27:34

3y ago27:34

27:34

Think you know a lot about food? Wait until you have met Stan Blackley: Co-Programme Leader of the MSc in Gastronomy at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. In this episode, we hear about the importance of diverse food in creating healthy lifestyles (it’ll surprise you to hear how many types of potatoes there are in the world!), how to tackle th…

1
We have liftoff! Space microbiology, with Dr. Rosa Santomartino 39:34

3y ago39:34

39:34

This final episode of the season is truly out of this world. The team speaks to Rosa Santomartino, a space microbiologist in the School of Physics and Astronomy. Rosa was one of the lead scientists on the BioRock and BioAsteroid experiments, which sent microbe samples to the International Space Station, to study how the microbes reacted to differen…

1
Turn Up the Base: Making Music From Scientific Data, with Professor Colin Campbell 37:11

3y ago37:11

37:11

It’s time to let your creativity juices flow with this bonus episode for international music day. New host Alix speaks to Professor Colin Campbell who wants to bring science out of the lab and into the recording studio. But how do you take some scientific data and turn it into music? There’s no one answer, but Colin takes us through the thinking be…

1
A Welshman On Whales: A World Ocean Day Special with Tom Grove 37:54

3y ago37:54

37:54

Ever wondered what drones and whales have in common?... In honour of World Oceans Day 2021, guest host Jake talks to PhD student Tom Grove about his inspiring research, investigating the ecological impacts of the Icelandic whale-watching industry. Get ready for some whaley-good chat covering everything from spirituality and icelandic cultural histo…

1
Bonus material: A physics medley, with Daniel Brener 23:50

3y ago23:50

23:50

In this bonus to the main episode, we bring you extra sections of our conversation with Daniel Brener, including why he's the black sheep of the family, what PhDs used to be like, the origin of the "butterfly effect", concerns over communicating complexity, and the metaphysics of quiche. Daniel is on Twitter @daniel_brener. To find out more about h…

1
Ramance isn't dead: Raman Spectroscopy, with Heather McEwan 28:13

3+ y ago28:13

28:13

Ramen? Raman! We all love Ramen noodles, but this week is about Raman spectroscopy with PhD student Heather McEwan. It’s time to explore the ups and downs of starting a PhD and how to move from Physics to Chemistry. Heather has used her Physics background to move into an exciting multidisciplinary project which uses the light scattering technique R…

1
A Physics Medley: Panspermia, Weather Forecasting, and General Chaos, with Daniel Brener 34:34

3+ y ago34:34

34:34

A self-described "cloud guy", Daniel Brener has been fascinated by weather forecasting for years. But he is also an all-around physics nerd (a compliment we do not bestow lightly). As part of Prof. Arjun Berera's group at the University of Edinburgh, Daniel has been working out whether panspermia — the idea that particles from Earth could be knocke…

1
Recording the Dawn Chorus, with Ben Porter 22:31

3+ y ago22:31

22:31

This spring, Ben Porter, Lucy Hodson (AKA Lucy Lapwing), Nina Constable and Indy Greene are running a project for people to make their own DIY parabolic reflectors to record birdsong, encouraging people to get out on their doorsteps and connect with the avian chorus in a way they might not have before. Then, on May 2nd — International Dawn Chorus D…

1
A Future Without Plants? No thanks!, with Carlos Magdalena (Plants and Our Health #10) 47:44

3+ y ago47:44

47:44

This week we close the series with Carlos Magdalena, Senior Horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Carlos is known widely as The Plant Messiah for his innovative successes assisting rare and endangered plants to reproduce and for thereby saving them from extinction. Together we muse on everything to do with The Future of Plants, from the …

1
Masterclass: the art of Science Communication, with Dr. Sarah-Jane Judge and Dr. Farrie Nzvere 35:32

3+ y ago35:32

35:32

The place where science and creativity meet: the diverse and wonderful world of Science Communication! Dr Sarah-Jane Judge, Public Engagement Manager at the Wellcome Centre for Cell Research, and Dr Farrie Nzvere, ChatSci Manager for InterSci, talk about the importance of sharing science with different audiences, teaching scientists to communicate,…

1
The Future of Plants, with Pete Hollingsworth (RBGE) (Plants and Our Health #9) 23:22

3+ y ago23:22

23:22

What will the future of plants look like if currently 2 in 5 are threatened with extinction? That depends on how we act now! Join us as we dive into our last theme of the mini-series, Conserving Plants, with Dr Pete Hollingsworth, Director of Science and Conservation at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Pete shares with us a diversity of ways plants …

1
Protecting the plants of a nation, with Nicola Spence (Plants and Our Health #8) 25:29

3+ y ago25:29

25:29

Do plants need passports? And why did some members of the UK public receive mysterious seeds through the post that they didn’t order last summer? The plant health inspectors and officers of the UK are tasked with keeping the country’s plant life healthy, which means keeping an eye on, and eradicating if possible, all plant pests and diseases of con…

1
Loaf in the Time of COVID: The Quest for Sourdough, with Karl de Smedt (AKA the Sourdough Librarian) 31:26

3+ y ago31:26

31:26

Sourdough is a form of bread baking that leverages a complex community of yeasts and bacteria to give it flavour and rise. Thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt, the practice has since spread to communities all over the world, each with a unique method of creating and maintaining their starter. Behind each starter is a human story: dangerous …

1
Plants and Their Own Health, with Dr Katy Hayden (RBGE) (Plants and Our Health #7) 22:16

3+ y ago22:16

22:16

What do evolutionary ecology research, the health of plants and public engagement have in common?... Dr Katy Hayden! As a researcher and Plant Health Officer at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Katy helps safeguard the Garden’s plant collections against pests and diseases. This week, Katy takes us on an audio tour of her working life in the gardens …

1
Get with the program(ming): Accessible Data Science, with Dr. Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel 29:20

3+ y ago29:20

29:20

Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel started her maths career as an actuary, where she spent her days wrangling data and studying after work for her exams. She loved working with data, but doing the exams… not so much. So she embarked on a PhD in statistics, where she discovered a love for teaching and all things pedagogical. Mine’s career since has combined thes…

1
Bonus Episode: Dude, where's my parcel? with Ivona Gjeroska, Paula Fermín Cueto and Albert Solà Vilalta (Pi Day Special) 16:15

3+ y ago16:15

16:15

How many mathematicians does it take to optimise your internet shopping deliveries? In conversation with the Winners of the 12th AIMMS-MOPTA Optimization Modeling Competition, we hear how team NP Die Hard discovered their previously untapped skills to solve this problem in 3 months… and get a paper published from their work! From choosing your ware…

1
Why you should save yews, as yews might save you (from cancer), with Dr Ramchandra Poudel (Plants and Our Health #6) 24:55

3+ y ago24:55

24:55

Could one of the most important anti-cancer compounds really have come from the bark of infamously poisonous yew trees? And as these yews were already threatened, how did we harvest enough bark to produce the drugs we needed without killing them all off? In this second Plants as Our Medicines episode, we dive into the recent history of yews and Tax…

1
Is the Herb in Your Supplement What It Says on the Package?, with Dr Markus Ruhsam (RBGE) (Plants and Our Health #5) 25:07

3+ y ago25:07

25:07

Less than 1% of tropical plants have been screened for their potential medicinal uses. Yet many common drugs today are derived from plants. On this episode of Plants & Our Health, we talk with Dr Markus Ruhsam on the impressive potential of plants to the pharmaceutical industry and to help us look after our own health, now and in the future. We als…

1
No Bones About It: Biomineralisation, with Dr Fabio Nudelman 26:40

3+ y ago26:40

26:40

Did you know some plants grow crystals to scatter light? And some bacteria can sense the Earth's magnetic fields? This week, we chat to Dr. Fabio Nudelman from the University of Edinburgh's School of Chemistry, who tells us about how living organisms incorporate minerals into their biological structures, the wonderful uses they have for such materi…

1
How Protecting Wild Cousins of Our Crops Fights Food Insecurity, with Dr Nigel Maxted (Plants and Our Health #4) 23:09

3+ y ago23:09

23:09

Close relatives of wheat, tomato and all other major crops still grow in the wild. However, human impacts are increasingly placing these species under threat. This week on Plants & Our Health we talk with Dr Nigel Maxted, Professor of Plant Genetic Conservation at the University of Birmingham, about turning research into policy and action, the impo…

1
Community Growing for Health & Wellbeing, with Elinor Leslie (RBGE) (Plants and Our Health #3) 24:17

3+ y ago24:17

24:17

Where would we be without the plants that feed us? Why should we grow our own, and grow them together? This week on Plants & Our Health, we dive into the delicious new theme of ‘Plants on our Plates’ with Elinor Leslie, Community Gardener at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Elinor works on the Edible Gardening Project, assisting diverse groups with …

1
Robocrop: Seagrass Restoration with Robocean, with Niall McGrath and Isobel Harris 27:31

3+ y ago27:31

27:31

Who do you go to when you have problems with crabs? Meadows Share obviously! This was only one of the fascinating questions that arose when we spoke to the team from Robocean in our second episode of season 2. The team recently won the Edinburgh Innovations Students Business Ideas Competition with their plan to restore the UK’s seagrass — a vital n…

1
Botanic Gardens as Wellbeing Providers, with Simon Milne MBE (RBGE) (Plants and Our Health # 1) 23:53

3+ y ago23:53

23:53

What do you think of when you hear ‘botanic gardens’? In the very first episode of Plants & Our Health, a new miniseries exploring how plants support human health and wellbeing, we discuss with Simon Milne MBE how botanic gardens are much more than collections of plants. Simon is Regius Keeper at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), an instit…

1
Why Your Doctor Might Soon Prescribe You Nature, with Elaine Bradley and Dr Louise Bailey (Plants and Our Health #2) 22:49

3+ y ago22:49

22:49

How could a doctor prescribe you nature? Does it work? And who is it for? On this second episode of our new miniseries Plants & Our Health, we continue to explore the theme ‘Plants & Our Mental Health’ with Nature Prescriptions Project Development Executive Elaine Bradley, and Edinburgh GP Dr Louise Bailey. Our two guests share their experiences wo…

1
In Deep Water: Corals in a Changing Climate, with Nadia Jogee 37:24

3+ y ago37:24

37:24

Is a coral a really smart rock or a very stupid plant? In the first episode of season 2, we dive into the biology of corals with Nadia Jogee, a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Geosciences. More specifically, Nadia studies coralliths, a type of mobile coral, and the role they might play in reef recovery and expansion — a parti…

1
Everything is Better with Maths: Optimisation, with Prof. Miguel Anjos and Dr. Lars Schewe 39:53

3+ y ago39:53

39:53

For the final episode of the season, we have another joint interview! Prof. Miguel Anjos and Dr. Lars Schewe both work in the field of mathematical optimisation, looking at different aspects of energy networks. They dive into how optimisation can be used to solve problems at any scale, from sorting out your local bus route to managing the decarboni…

1
Birds of a Feather: Promoting Diversity in Birding, with Sorrel Lyall 29:36

4y ago29:36

29:36

This week’s guest is Sorrel Lyall, a third-year ecology student at the University of Edinburgh, a stupendously talented birder and artist, and president of the Edinburgh University Ornithological Society (also known as BirdSoc). We talk birdwatching, running a society during a pandemic, and about how we can promote diversity in birding. Sorrel can …

1
Teamwork Makes The (Scientific) Dream Work, with Drs Ed Hutchinson and Sara Clohisey 28:03

4y ago28:03

28:03

Dr Ed Hutchison almost dropped his cup of tea when he found out that the research he had been working on since his postdoc, on which he had founded his lab, had been scooped. What followed is a heartwarming story of collaboration, teamwork, generosity, and kindness in science. Today we bring you our conversation with Dr Hutchinson, and with one of …

1
Distilled: Lessons from a Life in Science, with Prof. Jamie Davies (Part 2) 28:29

4y ago28:29

28:29

“There’s a terrible myth that scientists are supposed to be all-knowing. And no, we’re blunderers around in the dark. The whole of science is about that: if we knew what we were doing it wouldn’t be research.” Jamie Davies has had a fascinating career in academia, and along the way he’s learned some important lessons. In this episode, he passes on …

1
From the Simple to the Complex: Building Organs with Prof. Jamie Davies (Part 1) 28:14

4y ago28:14

28:14

At school, Jamie Davies was fascinated by how impossibly complex things can arise from very simple beginnings. He decided that he would become a radio astronomer and investigate the formation of galaxies from the stars and planets of our universe. But then he went to university. During his degree in Natural Sciences at Cambridge, he came across the…

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EUSci Podcasts

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