Played
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The Periodic Table
How well do you know your Fe from your Cu, and what the heck is Np?? Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Katy Brand, Prof Polly Arnold and Prof Andrea Sella to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Dmitri Mendeleev's great achievement. They find out how scientists first realised that the elements that form the ingredients that make up our planet , are able to be organised in such a logical and ordered way, and whether its still a useful tool today. They also discover why one of the guests has been called the Free Solo equivalent of chemists because of the skill and danger involved in their work.
Producer: Alexandra Feachem
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Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series of their multi-award winning science/comedy show. They kick off with arguably any child's first interest in science - dinosaurs! They are joined by comedian Rufus Hound and palaeontologists Susannah Maidment from the Natural History Museum and Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh to find out what the latest research and exciting fossil finds have revealed about these epic creatures. Are we in a new age of dinosaur discovery? What are the big questions that dinosaur hunters are hoping to uncover, and did they go extinct at all?
Producer: Alexandra Feachem
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Those Clever Creatures
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by comedian and author Danny Wallace, ornithologist Professor Tim Birkhead and marine biologist Helen Scales to look at animal intelligence. We have all heard about clever chimps that can count, and about how we can compare the intelligence of humans and the great apes - but have we underestimated many of the other animal species? It would seem so, with remarkable examples of cunning, smart behaviour from animals as diverse as birds, octopuses and even fish. So how do you test a guppies IQ and can a crow really outsmart a gorilla, or even a human...prepare to be amazed.
Producer Alexandra Feachem
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Thom Yorke has been the front man of Radiohead, one of Britain’s most successful British bands, for 34 years. They have sold over 30 million albums worldwide, and have won three Grammys and four Ivor Novello awards. Their debut studio album, Pablo Honey, was released in 1993, with their debut single, Creep, becoming a big international success.
Thom decided on his career at the age of seven, when he lay on the floor between large speakers at a friend’s house and listened to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. He made his own electric guitar when he was 10, and wrote his first song at 11. At his secondary school he joined up with fellow pupils and they formed a band called On a Friday, as that was the only day they were allowed to rehearse. They all went their separate ways as university students, but then signed to Parlophone in 1991 and renamed themselves Radiohead.
Thom has collaborated with artists including PJ Harvey and Björk and has composed for film and theatre. His first feature film soundtrack, Suspiria, was released last year. His first classical piece, Don’t Fear the Light, was premiered in Paris this year, and he has also been touring his latest solo album Anima. He is an activist on behalf of human rights, animal rights, environmental and anti-war causes.
DISC ONE: Ravel - Le jardin féerique – the Labèque sistersDISC TWO: Scott Walker - It’s Raining TodayDISC THREE: Talking Heads - Born Under Punches DISC FOUR: Squarepusher and Aphex Twin - Freeman Hardy & Willis Acid DISC FIVE: Neil Young - After the Gold RushDISC SIX: REM – Talk about the PassionDISC SEVEN: Sidney Bechet - Blue HorizonDISC EIGHT: Nina Simone - Lilac Wine
BOOK CHOICE: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu SuzukiLUXURY ITEM: A recording studioCASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) by Talking Heads
Presenter: Lauren LaverneProducer: Cathy Drysdale
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Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Bridget Christie, neuroscientist Professor Penny Lewis and psychologist Richard Wiseman to explore the science of dreaming. Our dreams have fascinated humans for millennia and then Freud came along and told us they really did mean something, and mostly they were about sex and anger. Was he right? Why do we dream and can we find meaning in the content of our dreams? Can our dreams help us solve problems, give us new ideas, help us write a symphony, even if they can't predict the future? The panel also discuss what is going on in the brain whilst we sleep, and how memories are formed and consolidated while we snooze. It turns out the phrase "better to sleep on it" has a strong scientific argument.
Producer: Alexandra Feachem
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'Taskmaster' star Phil Wang – everyone's favourite Wang – visits the restaurant this week. Let's just hope he doesn't roast Ed again.
Recorded and edited by Ben Williams for Plosive Productions.
Artwork by Paul Gilbey (photography) and Amy Browne (illustrations)
Check out Phil Wang's latest live dates are philwang.co.uk.
Ed Gamble is on tour. See his website for full details.
James Acaster is on tour. See his website for full details.
James’s TV show ‘Hypothetical’ is on Dave, Wednesdays, 10pm.
Watch Ed and James's YouTube series 'Just Puddings'. Watch here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Order, order! The podcast gets political as MP Jess Phillips orders her dream meal. Will her menu get the genie's vote?
Recorded and edited by Ben Williams for Plosive Productions.
Artwork by Paul Gilbey (photography and design) and Amy Browne (illustrations).
Jess Phillips MP's new book, 'Truth to Power: 7 Ways to Call Time on B.S.', is out this week. Buy it here.
Follow Jess on Twitter: @JessPhillips.
Follow Off Menu on Twitter and Instagram: @offmenuofficial.
And go to our website www.offmenupodcast.co.uk for a list of restaurants recommended on the show.
Ed Gamble is on tour, including a date at the Shepherd's Bush Empire. See his website for full details.
James Acaster is on tour. See his website for full details.
Watch Ed and James's YouTube series 'Just Puddings'. Watch here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Travel back to the land of the Aztecs to discover that they’re not that dissimilar to the Tudors, but with more human sacrifices.
Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Joel Dommett and historian Dr Caroline Dodds Pennock to ask just how much food can be traced back to the Aztecs? Was cannibalism really a respectful process? And at what age were Aztec children expected to contribute to the family? It’s history for people who don’t like history!
Produced by Dan MorelleScript by Greg JennerResearch by Emma Nagouse assisted by Josh Daniels
A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4
