This episode, killer robot designer James Coglan wants to know whether he can harness the power of insect intelligence to carry out his evil plans. Elli Leadbeater from Royal Holloway University
stalls for time until the cops arrive.
This episode, killer robot designer James Coglan wants to know whether he can harness the power of insect intelligence to carry out his evil plans. Elli Leadbeater from Royal Holloway University
stalls for time until the cops arrive.
Brain Train driver Alice Bell steps aside and hands her whistle over, as our new co-host, museums polymath Rachel Souhami, steps up to the plate. It’s like when The Doctor regenerates.
In her inaugural episode, Rachel asks programmer James Coglan whether computers are going to kill us all, and host Martin Zaltz Austwick worries about robots kicking down his door.
On the eve of the Scottish Referendum, (thoroughly) modern historian Charlotte Riley ask pure mathematician Chris Good about the fairness of voting systems, host Alice Bell steers them onto sewage, badgers and her aunts, and Chris wonders aloud whether he’ll ever see a locally compact first countable Dowker Space in ZFC his lifetime. There is literally something for everyone.
This episode, tenancy lawyer Justin Bates asks modern historian Charlotte Riley why cold war USA and USSR came together in 1956 to condemn Britain over an Egyptian canal. What happened next may surprise you*.
Alice Bell hosts and writes clickbait tweets.
*she provided a really fascinating explanation of the Suez crisis
Caitjan Gainty is guided by housing lawyer Justin Bates through the tangled wreckage that once was tenants’ rights in England and Wales. Brain train engineer Martin Zaltz Austwick cracks his knuckles loudly on-mic and nibbles bourbons despondently.
This episode artist Camilla Sutherland diagnoses the state of American health insurance with medical historian Caitjan Gainty, in a touching and personal story of baby scans and economics. Alice Bell is jaffa queen and podcast helmer.
This episode sociable physicist Martin Zaltz Austwick asks art historian Camilla Sutherland why people get so excited about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Alice Bell hosts and brings jaffa cakes, the quietest of all recording snacks.
This episode Alexandra Lamont asks NPL standards expert Jonathan Williams “where are you going with that massive silicon ball?” and other pressing questions about kilograms, seconds, mols and candelas. Martin Zaltz Austwick is this week’s biscuit sourcer and audio sourcerer.
Sociologist Emily Dawson asks Music Psychologist Alexandra Lamont why Bourdieu, Jolene and Natalie Merchant make her cry. Extra long episode of Brain Train this time, as host and editor Martin Zaltz Austwick could not bring himself to cut out any more fascinating music chat. Saucer of biscuits Alice Bell was otherwise engaged, Brain Train went hungry.
Back after a lengthy hiatus, Brain Train returns as whizz physicist Jo Cole asks Science Education expert Emily Dawson why there aren’t more women whizz physicists. Martin Zaltz Austwick provides the experimental control as a stereotypical white male physicist whose childhood obsession with Levar Burton propelled him into science.