Door Three - The Cosmic Shed Advent Calendar

It's the third day of the Cosmic Shed Advent Calendar and we've brought you a somewhat stellar name today. Open the door by clicking play above or simply subscribe and let each episode of the Shedvent Calendar arrive in your phone each morning for a treat while you shower/walk/cycle/lie in bed/make breakfast/eat breakfast/make tea/drink coffee/open the post/stand still/lie down with your eyes closed or however you listen to podcasts.

Again. we're filling up space here to allow people who would like today's guest to be surprise when they listen to the episode to not have that surprise spoiled. One of the ways we'll make the identity of the person appear further down the page (and therefore less likely to be visible before you press play) is by adding this image.

The Shed is awful on the outside and actually quite lovely on the inside. Like a TARDIS but far more spiders...and the TARDIS also looks great from the outside.

Behind Door Number Three is Lord Martin Rees, The Astronomer Royal. Perhaps best known for this work on the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, Lord Rees was the 60th President of the Royal Society and was in Bristol to talk about his new book "On the Future".

The Cosmic Microwave Background is thermal radiation coming from every part of the sky. Lord Rees, in 1968, made a significant contribution to our understanding of why it isn't uniform.

During his talk, Lord Rees made some rather fun soundbite quotes so we thought we'd share some of our favourites with you here:

"I don't think we should fear artificial intelligence. There's actual danger from real stupidity"

"As a society we tend to look to America as a place to learn from. I think we would do better to look to Scandinavia and some socialist societies around the world"

"I'm a political pessimist but a technological optimist"

Lord Rees, pictured talking at Jodrell Bank

Not a bad guest for Day Three of our Advent Calendar, we think you'll agree. Day Four tomorrow and, well, let's see whose behind the door tomorrow...

We do have some pretty wonderful things lined up for you but, like most advent calendars, while you occasionally get pictures of bears and Santa himself, occasionally, it's a rubbish snowflake or something. We won't give you a rubbish snowflake but just don't expect Lord Martin Rees every day.

show notes

Lord Rees has a new book On the Future and was appearing in Bristol as part of Bristol's Festival of Ideas.