Best Royal Astronomical Society Podcasts (2024)

1
Richard Ayoade 1:04:35

13m ago1:04:35

1:04:35

Richard Ayoade is Gyles's guest this week. A director, writer and actor, Ayoade is well known for his portrayal of Maurice Moss in cult sitcom The I.T. Crowd. He's also an acclaimed film director (the award-winning Submarine was his debut, and his next film The Double starred Jesse Eisenberg), a writer of books, and a TV personality. Gyles and Rich…

1
54: BONUS - Overmassive Galaxies 22:39

1h ago22:39

22:39

The Supermassive Overmassive Podcast has a special bonus episode. Join Izzie, Dr Becky, Dr Robert and Richard as they discuss the last two years of JWST and share their recommendations for Space Book Club. Recommendations: Unseen Universe: New Secrets of the Cosmos Revealed by the James Webb Space Telescope by Dr Caroline Harper The Possibility of …

1
It's our 50th episode! Dame Maureen Lipman 1:10:42

4m ago1:10:42

1:10:42

It's a big day for Rosebud, as it's our 50th episode. No, we can't quite believe it either! We started Rosebud in September 2023 with Dame Judi Dench, and so we wanted to bring you another theatrical dame for our 50th show. And so it's with pride that we give you one of our greatest actresses, and an old friend of Gyles's, Dame Maureen Lipman. Maur…

1
Omid Djalili 59:37

1d ago59:37

59:37

The comedian, actor, star of The Mummy, and activist Omid Djalili talks to Gyles about his life and memories. From his childhood, growing up in an unconventional home in Kensington surrounded by the Iranian convalescents his parents took in as guests, to discovering his skill for comedy at secondary school, to his days at university in Northern Ire…

1
Life Story Of 74-Year-Old Ironman Finisher | The Human Podcast Ep 36 (Eddie Brockelsby) 30:07

6d ago30:07

30:07

At age 74, Eddie Brockelsby became the oldest British woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon. She started running at the age of 52. She is the founder and director of Silverfit, a charity dedicated to the promotion of the health benefits of physical activity for older people. Silverfit - https://www.silverfit.org.uk/ Donate Here: https://justgiving…

1
Kathleen Stock 1:08:02

9d ago1:08:02

1:08:02

This week's Rosebud guest is Professor Kathleen Stock, the philosopher and writer. As Gyles says in his introduction, Stock has, at times, been a controversial figure in the debate about gender identity, but in this episode, we aim to get behind the headlines and find out about her life. The conversation takes us from her early years, playing games…

1
54: Q&A - Black Hole Special 50:18

10d ago50:18

50:18

Have black holes existed since the beginning of the Universe? Could we produce a black hole in the lab? Could we use gravitational waves to probe beyond the event horizon? It's a black hole Q&A as Izzie put your questions to Becky and Robert. Plus, author and broadcaster, Marcus Chown, runs through a potted history of discovering black holes. His l…

1
Artificial Intelligence & The Coming Moral Crisis | The Human Podcast Ep 35 (David Papineau) 50:39

14d ago50:39

50:39

David Papineau is amongst the world’s most prominent philosophers. In this episode I ask about his belief that we are on the brink of a moral crisis concerning artificial intelligence (AI). David's a professor at King’s College London, having previously worked at Cambridge and City University of New York. His research focuses on the philosophy of m…

1
Robert Lindsay 1:06:52

16d ago1:06:52

1:06:52

Robert Lindsay is Gyles's guest this week, and the conversation they have is brilliant: evocative, revealing, and funny. Robert takes Gyles back to his working class childhood, growing up as the son of a carpenter in a two-up-two-down house in Derbyshire; he reminisces about his parents' love for each other and for dancing and laughing together, an…

1
53: BONUS - Lumpy Space Potatoes 14:04

1M ago14:04

14:04

In this month's bonus episode Izzie, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey tackle questions on pulsars, woo woo sounds from black holes, imperfect spheres and alien aurorae. Send your questions to: podcast@ras.ac.uk, and we’re also on instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive podcast is produced by Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham and is a …

1
Björn Ulvaeus - ABBA legend 1:03:31

23d ago1:03:31

1:03:31

Björn Ulvaeus is pop music royalty, a founder member of one the most successful pop groups in history - ABBA. So when Gyles was given the opportunity to interview him at a special event in Bridlington, the Rosebud team hotfooted it up there to record it. What you're going to hear is a very special, wide-ranging and fascinating conversation about Bj…

1
Life Story of Cognitive Neuroscientist | The Human Podcast Ep 34 (Dr Hugo Spiers) 48:07

30d ago48:07

48:07

Dr Hugo Spiers is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London and the director of the Spiers Lab. His work focuses on spatial cognition: how we remember, navigate and imagine space. WATCH NOW: https://youtu.be/9eTzGgW5FCk GUEST: 𝕏: https://x.com/hugospiers Spiers Lab: https://spierslab.com/ UCL Page: https://profiles.ucl.ac.u…

1
Suzy Eddie Izzard 57:46

30d ago57:46

57:46

This week's guest is the stand-up comedian, actor, marathon-runner and political activist Suzy Eddie Izzard. Suzy tells Gyles about her new name, and why she's relaxed about what people to choose to call her. She then takes Gyles back into her childhood, spent in Aden, Northern Ireland and South Wales, until the sudden death of her mother changed e…

1
Chris McCausland 1:08:48

1M ago1:08:48

1:08:48

Gyles gets together with comedian Chris McCausland to record a really special episode of Rosebud. Chris takes Gyles back to his childhood days, playing football and messing about in the streets of West Derby Village in Liverpool, part of a close-knit family and friendship group. Chris talks about the beginnings of the problems with his sight, which…

1
53: The Major Lunar Standstill 47:52

2M ago47:52

47:52

Every 18.6 years, our moon reaches its farthest northern and southern point, known as a major lunar standstill. This month, Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring why this might be significant to Stonehenge in the UK and another historical site in the US called Chimney Rock. With special thanks to Dr Heather Sebire, Dr Amanda Chadburn and Dr Erica Elling…

1
Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal 1:03:26

1M ago1:03:26

1:03:26

Who is the cleverest person in Britain? When Gyles asked this question to readers of his columns last year, one name was mentioned more than any other; that of Martin Rees, Lord Rees of Ludlow, the Astronomer Royal. Lord Rees is one of the most distinguished scientists in the country, a former President of the Royal Society and a Cambridge fellow. …

1
Alexander Armstrong 1:00:34

2M ago1:00:34

1:00:34

Gyles and Alexander Armstrong reminisce about Alexander's idyllic childhood in Northumberland, the son of a country GP. They talk about his school years, when he was an 'odd little boy' who sang in the school choir and was obsessed with Gilbert and Sullivan. They discuss the joy of Evensong, and the delights of PG Wodehouse, and Gyles finds out wha…

1
Life Story of Mathematician & Philosopher of Infinity | The Human Podcast Ep 33 51:41

2M ago51:41

51:41

Joel David Hamkins is a Mathematician and Philosopher who researches infinity. He is the O'Hara Professor of Philosophy and Mathematics at the University of Notre Dame. WATCH NOW: https://youtu.be/hAWzBgx7t40?si=IDEjWyVN9C9RJZIL GUEST: 𝕏: https://twitter.com/JDHamkins Website: https://jdh.hamkins.org/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_D…

1
52: BONUS - Why does the Aurora Borealis look better on my phone? 19:50

2M ago19:50

19:50

The UK witnessed the most amazing Northern Lights in years.... And Izzie missed it. In this bonus episode, Dr Becky Smethurst, Dr Robert Massey and Izzie Clarke talk about those Northern Lights and answer your questions. What is Jupiter's giant blue dot? If the sun is losing mass (by giving out energy) will that affect the gravity and orbit of the …

1
Reverend Richard Coles 1:06:42

2M ago1:06:42

1:06:42

Gyles meets the writer, clergyman and former member of the Communards Reverend Richard Coles. Together they talk about Richard's childhood, growing up as the musically gifted youngest son in a family of shoe manufacturers in Kettering, about how he discovered his sexuality and became part of London's gay scene in the 1980s, and about how he found h…

1
Katherine Ryan 1:07:00

2M ago1:07:00

1:07:00

Gyles has fun talking to Katherine Ryan about her early memories and formative experiences, with added discussions about the rights and wrongs of plastic surgery, whether you should tell anecdotes during sex, and what, exactly, is phallic swagger. This is a frank, open, revealing and sometimes inspiring conversation that's possibly slightly more ad…

1
John Cleese 1:01:43

3M ago1:01:43

1:01:43

This week, Gyles has John Cleese in the Rosebud hotseat. Gyles finds out about John's childhood, growing up in the Westcountry during the war, with a father whose surname was actually 'Cheese' and a mother who was suffering from post natal depression. John also shares stories about his school days, what it was like being the tallest boy in the form…

1
52: Voyager: Where no-one has gone before... 47:58

3M ago47:58

47:58

Two of the most remarkable spacecraft ever launched are the stars of this month’s episode: Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Izzie and Dr Becky talk to Dr Jamie Rankin, the mission’s current Deputy project scientist, and editor Richard gets to chat to Ann Druyan, the original Creative Director of the Golden Record project, who worked alongside her husband C…

1
TREAT EPISODE: Dermot O'Leary 55:34

3M ago55:34

55:34

Dermot O'Leary and Gyles know each other from the This Morning sofa, but here they get the chance to sit down for a proper in-depth conversation. Dermot tells Gyles about his childhood, growing up in a warm and loving Irish family, and about how important his heritage is to him. He talks about his first communion, his love of poetry and Gyles finds…

1
Life Story Of World Leading Autism Researcher | Ep 32 (Prof Simon Baron-Cohen) 58:27

3M ago58:27

58:27

Professor Simon Baron Cohen is a professor of clinical psychologist and professor of clinical psychopathology at the University of Cambridge. He is the director of the Autism Research Centre (ARC) and one of world's leading autism researchers. WATCH NOW: https://youtu.be/fwC1rzgmPtw SOCIAL: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumanpodcasttiktok Ins…

1
Sir Keir Starmer 41:02

3M ago41:02

41:02

In this episode Gyles talks to the Leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer. This isn't a political interview, instead it's an in-depth and fascinating conversation about Keir's background and personal history. Keir reminisces about his childhood in a village in Surrey; he remembers cramped car journeys in a Ford Cortina with four kids and four…

1
Philosopher Discusses AI, ChatGPT, LLMs... | The Human Podcast #31 (David Papineau) 46:04

3M ago46:04

46:04

David Papineau is one of the world’s leading philosophers. He's a professor at King’s College London, and previously worked at Cambridge and City University of New York. His research focuses on the philosophy of mind, science, metaphysics and sport. The Human Podcast is a new show that explores the lives and stories of a wide range of individuals. …

1
Merlin Holland: Grandson of Oscar Wilde 55:11

3M ago55:11

55:11

21st April is the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, and in celebration of this we're giving you an interview with Merlin Holland, who has an unusual claim to fame. His mother, Thelma Besant, was the late Queen's beauty advisor - her personal makeup artiste - who was present at the Coronation in 1953, as was our guest (then a young boy). Merlin is als…

1
Twiggy 1:00:22

3M ago1:00:22

1:00:22

Gyles's guest this week is Dame Twiggy Lawson, and this episode is recorded live at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, Surrey. Twiggy shot to fame as a 16 year-old, when her headshots - showcasing her newly cropped hair, boyish looks and signature dark eye makeup - were spotted in a London hair salon. Within weeks her face was on the front page of the E…

1
51: BONUS - Wobbly Planets and Baby Names 13:50

4M ago13:50

13:50

Can wobbly planets have more than two solstices? Are we earthlings receding from the sun and the other planets? What is dark flow and why is it controversial? When stars die, is their energy lost forever? Send your questions to podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for the …

1
Anneka Rice 59:58

4M ago59:58

59:58

This week Gyles hears the reminiscences of the presenter, writer and painter Anneka Rice. Rice grew up in Surrey, the daughter of a builder and a frustrated housewife who went back to college and left 11 year-old Anneka to look after her baby sister and do the household chores. Anneka distracted herself by playing games with Action Men and dinky tr…

1
Charles Dance 1:02:22

4M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

The actor, director, and Game Of Thrones star Charles Dance tells Gyles about his childhood, adolescence and the early years of his career: which are possibly not what you'd expect. Dance was born to working class parents in the Midlands, lost his father when he was only 3, and then moved to Plymouth where he developed a stammer. He didn't train to…

1
51: Into The Interstellar 45:45

4M ago45:45

45:45

Izzie and Dr Becky are venturing into interstellar space. What is it? Where is it? And what do we know about it? With special thanks to Professor Martin Barstow from University of Leicester and Professor Chris Lintott from the University of Oxford. Chris' new book "Our Accidental Universe" is out now. Check out the RAS's video on Pons Brooks here: …

1
Understand The Smartest Human Ever: John Von Neumann | The Human Podcast #30 (Ananyo Bhattacharya) 39:12

4M ago39:12

39:12

Ananyo Bhattacharya is the chief science writer at the London Insitute for Mathematical Sciences. He is the author of the Financial Times & TLS book of the year, The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann. The Human Podcast is a new show that explores the lives and stories of a wide range of individuals. New episodes are releas…

1
Rupert Everett 1:03:51

4M ago1:03:51

1:03:51

Gyles takes Rupert Everett back to his childhood and teenage years, and be warned: not only is this episode hilarious, but it's also slightly more adult than our other shows. And it is genuinely one of the funniest Rosebuds yet. The son of an Army Major, Rupert didn't do any of things his parents expected. He was obsessed with Julie Andrews, loved …

1
Val McDermid 1:02:09

4M ago1:02:09

1:02:09

Val McDermid tells Gyles her remarkable story. An only child from Kirkcaldy in Fife, the daughter of a welder and a shop assistant, Val became obsessed with books after being read to by her mother as a young child and, when the family moved opposite the town's Central Library, she read every book on the shelves. It was her favourite books - The Cha…

1
50: BONUS - Dust, stars and alien streetlights 12:17

5M ago12:17

12:17

What is cosmic dust? Could we reignite a dying Sun with a nuclear weapon? How do we know what galaxies stars are in, and can the JWST see streetlights on alien worlds? If you have a question for the Supermassive team, send them to podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for …

1
Elizabeth Day 1:05:37

5M ago1:05:37

1:05:37

This week, Gyles talks to Elizabeth Day, host and creator of the hit podcasts How to Fail and Best Friend Therapy, and author of multiple best-selling fiction and non-fiction books, including Magpie, The Party and Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, which is released in paperback in March 2024. Elizabeth tells Gyles about her childhoo…

1
Dame Jilly Cooper 43:08

5M ago43:08

43:08

It's the fifth of the Rosebud Dames, and in this episode Gyles is talking to Dame Jilly Cooper about her life and times. They talk about her childhood, when she was horse mad and wasn't even put off by being bitten by her first pony. They talk about her early days as an office worker, when she got fired from 22 jobs. They talk about leaving the man…

1
50: Quakes in Space 53:40

5M ago53:40

53:40

Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring shaky ground, whether that’s on Earth, other planets and even on our neighbour the Moon. This month is all about quakes. With special thanks to Mark Panning, the project scientist for NASA's InSight mission, and Dr Jess Johnson from the University of East Anglia. Join Izzie and the UK Space Education Office for Mars…

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