Episode 18 – James Coglan gets inside the mind of Bees with Elli Leadbeater

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.

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Episode 17 – All Change, All Change, Rachel Souhami asks James Coglan about The Rise of The Robots

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.

Episode 16 – Charlotte Riley asks Chris Good about the fairness of voting

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.

Episode 15 – Justin Bates asks Charlotte Riley to unravel the Suez Crisis

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

Episode 14 – Caitjan Gainty discovers all of the tenants’ rights with Justin Bates (there aren’t many, as it turns out)

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.

Episode 13 – Camilla Sutherland diagnoses health economics with Caitjan Gainty

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.

Episode 12 – Martin Zaltz Austwick asks Camilla Sutherland stupid questions about Frida Kahlo

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.

Episode 11 – Alexandra Lamont asks Jonathan Williams about setting standards

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.

Episode 10 – Emily Dawson probes the brain of Alexandra Lamont

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.

Episode 9 – Joanne Cole quizzes Emily Dawson

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.