Science Fact, Science Fiction and Everything Inbetween
Episodes
Monday Jul 16, 2018
Monday Jul 16, 2018
Ahead of their performance at The Blue Dot Festival, Public Service Broadcasting's J Wilgoose joins Andrew in this very special episode of the Cosmic Shed.
The Race for Space is a simply glorious piece of work.
Blue Dot Festival takes place at the iconic Jodrell Bank site in Cheshire. We brought you a podcast from the festival before. You can hear that here.
Blue Dot Festival - Just brilliant.
At the festival, Public Service Broadcasting will be performing songs from across their catalogue including their brilliant new album Every Valley. The album is themed around the tribulations of the miners of South Wales under Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government.
Every Valley is far from a mining disaster.
We'll be at Blue Dot this weekend. See you there. Get your tickets here.
Show notes
Some day tickets are still available for the Blue Dot Festival.
J Wilgoose and Public Service Broadcasting are on the Friday.
Andrew buys CDs. This is a thing people do. You can do it here.
PSB and Andrew will also be at The Green Man Festival
Saturday Jun 16, 2018
Saturday Jun 16, 2018
How did the birds survive the Asteroid Strike that wiped out the Dinosaurs? Is Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom better than Jurassic World...or even Jurassic Park? Is the Cosmic Shed really surrounded by Dinosaurs?
We answer all these questions (apart from the last one) in this brand new episode of The Cosmic Shed.
Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. Image Credit: Universal Pictures
We are joined by Dr. Daniel J Field from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the Univeristy of Bath who led the group who made some recent breakthroughs in our quest to find out just how the birds did survive the Asteroid strike.
Dr. Daniel J. Field. He likes birds and bones.
You can't talk about Jurassic Park without talking about music so we also hear from Pete Harrison, conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Richard Jacques, the composer of 007 Blood Stone ahead of the concert Heroes and Monsters.
Heroes and Monsters. Image credit: Colston Hall.
And there's even more than that but you'll have to listen to find out what.
It's Dinosaurs. It's Science. It's a lot of fun.
Show notes
There's plenty more Dinosaur science on our Jurassic World episode from 2015.
Andrew's hayfever has kept him out of the garden and it seems that maybe, just maybe, the Shed has been transported to Jurassic World...
The plants are breaking through. Life finds a way.
Saturday May 26, 2018
Saturday May 26, 2018
Noam Chomsky and Douglas Vakoch are in the business of universal communication. In the case of Doug Vakoch, it's literally Universal as he seeks to communicate with potential alien life out there among the stars.
Doug talks to the Cosmic Shed in this special episode about the language and forms of communication that might enable us to speak with aliens.
Douglas Vakoch is the President of METI - Messaging Extra Terresttrial Intelligence
Noam Chomsky is co-author on a paper that argues that the universality of language that he identified decades ago might just extend out into the Cosmos.
Noam Chomsky - A Universal Language
Doug Vakoch was talking to Andrew ahead of a workshop organized by METI called “Language in the Cosmos,” held on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Los Angeles.
Is Klingon more human than alien? Would aliens sing? Would aliens speak Dothraki? None of these questions are answered but don't let that stop you listening to this brand new episode of the Cosmic Shed.
show notes
Douglas Vakoch joined us previously to discuss Star Trek Discovery
Andrew mentions our episode on Lost in Space
Thursday May 03, 2018
Thursday May 03, 2018
Happy Star Wars Day everybody. We gathered in the Cosmic Shed with Cavan Scott, the author of a number of official Star Wars books and stories (and Doctor Who, Pacific Rim, Star Trek, Blakes7, Vikings and more) to talk all things Star Wars and what it means to be an official writer for these much loved series.
Choose your own adventure with Han and Chewie
Cavan is the best selling author of books and comics, including web comics for the Pacific Rim universe. His 2016 book Star Wars:The Escape became the UK's number one bestseller and has contributed to the forthcoming The Missy Chronicles.
Star Wars and Pacific Rim
Ti and Andrew were keen to pick Cav's brain about what it takes to get inside the characters we know and love in this wide-ranging chat. We also find that Cav is just as much of a fan of all this as we are. No wonder his work is such a joy to read. Thanks Cav.
Star Wars Adventures #1 features Rey before she met BB8
It's May 4th. It's the Cosmic Shed. Punch it, Chewie.
Show notes
Cavan has a wikipedia page and a wookieepeda page
He also has a website and a twitter account
Cavan and Ti were drinking Yorkshire Tea who, sadly, don't sponsor us.
If you wanted to sponsor us, you could consider becoming a patron here.
You can hear our chat with the "real" Chewbacca here
The shed is sporting new lovely posters gathered at Space Rocks
Sunday Apr 29, 2018
Sunday Apr 29, 2018
Tim Peake, Bryan May, Maggie Lieu, Dallas Campbell, Beth Healey, Matt Taylor and Mark McCaughrean feature in this special episode of the Cosmic Shed as Andrew and Steve return from Space Rocks at the o2 in London.
The Cosmic Shed's Andrew talking to Tim Peake at Space Rocks
Steve, Bryan May and Andrew play Who's Got The Best T-shirt
Beth Healey is pleased to see the Sun again
Star Wars, Science Fiction and Rosetta - Matt Taylor talks The Cosmic Shed crew
Dr Maggie Lieu tells us about her love of Contact and the search for Dark Matter
Mark McCaughrean didn't want to play "Who's got the best shirt?"
Space Rocks is a festival of Space, Science Fiction and Music from the European Space Agency. We bloody love it.
Show Notes
Dr Maggie Lieu works on the EUCLID space telescope, set to launch in 2021 and map the geometry of the dark matter in the Universe.
Dr Beth Healey "lost the Sun" when she went to Antarctica and it disappeared below the horizon for four months
Dallas Campbell's book Ad Astra is actually really very good indeed.
Tim Peake was talking about the European Service Module
Matt Taylor talks about Rosetta, BepiColumbo
Mark McCaughrean was talking about The Deep Space Gateway and first joined us for our episode on Ambition, the Rosetta Science Fiction.
Andrew mentions this episode of the Physics World podcast
Friday Apr 27, 2018
Friday Apr 27, 2018
Huge excitement in the shed as we are joined by Territory Studio to talk about their work on the stunning Ready Player One film, based on Ernie Cline's book which was loved by (the vast majority of) us. They tell us about working for Steven Spielberg and how their ideas were incorporated into the characters in the film as part of what we see on the big screen.
Steve, Andrew Popplestone and Andrew on the terrace at Territory - Photo by Willie Runte
Ti joins Andrew in the shed and the less said about that the better. You'll just have to listen.
Steve marvels at Territory's art for Ex Machina - Photo by Willie Runte
You'll also hear from Nolan North and Troy Baker, two men who make their living playing computer Avatars in games like Uncharted and The Last of Us. Ti and Andrew met them at MCM ComicCon in Birmingham recently and this seemed as good a time as any to bring you that chat.
Nolan North and Troy Baker sharing a joke at MCM ComicCon, Birmingham
Will the film live up to the hype? Will Andrew ever stop playing classice 80s games ever again? Will Ti get all grumpy because Wade is even more knowledgable about nerd culture than he is? Listen now to this long awaited (by us) episode of The Cosmic Shed.
We're Ready
Show notes
Joust is a video game
Willie Runte is a Photographer
Territory Studio joined us for our episode on BladeRunner 2049
We have mostly been playing Galaga
Monday Apr 23, 2018
Monday Apr 23, 2018
Aurora Station is the dream of a hotel in Space straight from the mind of Frank Bunger, CEO of Orion Span. Frank joined Andrew to talk about this ambitious new venture to launch a hotel into space in the early 2020s with guests getting 12 days in space for an "affordable price".
A really special episode of the Cosmic Shed.
The Space Hotel is slated to take its first guests in 2022
Frank dreams big and Andrew loves big dreams, particularly when they are in Space. Guests will arrive via more traditional means, using partners - clients Frank is working on relationships with at the moment.
On board - where the Holodeck is a reality
Frank tells us that they are developing a VR experience on board, which they call the Holodeck. That's one Star Trek fantasy we'd love to see made real. Now we just need a Spore Drive.
Show notes
Emma Watkins sings the first verse of a reworked version of Stacey Kent's Ice Hotel. We'd love to record a full version but, you know, the shed isn't a money making exercise. If Stacey Kent happens sees this and wants to record a version, here's the words as adjusted by Andrew:
The Space Hotel
Let's you and me go away to The Space Hotel
The Caribbean's all booked out
And that's just as well
Once I'd have been much keener
On Barbados and Antigua
But now I think Low Earth Obit will suit us well
Let's you and me go away
To The Space Hotel
They've put it up beyond our atmosphere
The sofas, the lobby
Even the chandelier
The towels as well. All bolted down
To stop them floating all around.
What other place could serve our needs so well?
Let's you and me go away
To The Space Hotel
Romantic places
Like Verona or Paris
They'll always lead you astray
You'd have to be a novice
To ever trust Venice
And those dreamy waterways
And what the tropics can do
I know only too well
So, let's you and me go away
To The Space Hotel
Spacey clothing at all times
Is the expected norm
We’ll read Artemis, Arthur Clarke
And let them float around our dorm
And when the time comes for us to sleep
We'll let go of our gravity leash
And float off together
In a spacedock carved for two
But then in the morning
Provided we've made it through...
We'll step out together
To watch the sun rise over
That vast expanse of Earth
And who knows if we're lucky
We may find ourselves talking
Of what the future may hold
This is no whim of the moment
I want you to realize
Let's go away
To that palace made in Space
Let's you and me go away to The Space Hotel
The Bahamas are all booked out
And that's just as well
I don't think we're quite ready
For Hawaii or Tahiti
And when we will be
Only time will tell
Let's you and me go away
Wednesday Apr 18, 2018
Wednesday Apr 18, 2018
The Lost in Space reboot has landed on Netflix and we gathered in the shed with Prof Ethan Siegel to discuss our first impressions of this big budget new show. A brand new episode of The Cosmic Shed for your listening ears.
Lost in Space is found on Netflix
Nostalgia for the original series is never far away but are we enjoying this new version more?
The original Lost in Space, arguably, wasn't always 100% brilliant
Ti tells us about the ill-fated John Woo directed 2003 reboot that never got beyond pilot and starred Adrienne Palicki.
Was it better than the film?
We couldn't let Ethan go without picking his brains about life in the Universe, the Big Bang and, of course revisiting Star Trek Discovery.
Ethan likes Star Trek
Ethan tells us that The Drake Equation is broken...and how to fix it, and answers a question from Andrew's daughter about where the Big Bang happened. In short, you don't want to miss this.
Will we still be watching this is decades to come? Will Ethan escape without us talking about Star Trek Discovery again ? Will Robinson? There's only one way to find out. Listen to this episode now.
A good way of finding out why time only goes in one direction is to read Starts With a Bang.
Show notes
Ethan first joined us for our episode on Star Trek Discovery. Listen again here
Ti mentions Drunk Histories
Andrew and Ethan get very excited about TESS
You can join Ethan on his Astrotour of Iceland by getting your tickets here
Thursday Apr 05, 2018
Thursday Apr 05, 2018
The British Interplanetary Society was founded in 1933 with its primary goal to make space travel happen more than it currently is, even today. We're joined by the current president of the society, Mark Hempsell, who is full of fascinating stories and, at times, controversial opinions about science fiction...
Steve and Maddy sat down with Mark Hempsell after we gathered in the shed to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey.
2001 in the Cosmic Shed (in 2017).
We were planning to celebrate what would have been Arthur C. Clarke's 100th birthday but this conversation with Mark was enough in its own right...and, anyway, what more is there to be said about all that?
Mark has worked on some amazing space missions including the Sklyon
Mark also tells us about another project he worked on to land rockets vertically, way before Elon Musk managed it...
DC-X Flight 8
The BIS is immortalised in the classic book from Arthur C Clarke, "Tales from the White Hart". Mark shares with us the nickname they had for Arthur...listen to the episode to find out what it is and why.
A very special episode concludes with a rather wonderful song from the Wardrobe Ensemble, a theatre group in Bristol who, among other things, make plays with a fair bit of science in them for families. 
Steve's copy of 2001 is heavily annotated.
Show notes
Steve mentions an article but can't remember who wrote it. It's here.
Mark mentions Project Daedalus
This stunning artwork is Dawn of Man by Jordan Collver. Get your own print of his work here and be the envy of all your friends.
Tuesday Apr 03, 2018
Tuesday Apr 03, 2018
Michaela Musilova's Mission to Mars has come to an abrupt end. Andrew caught up with Michaela to find out why and to see what lessons might be learned and what happens next.
Photo Credit: Michaela Musilova.
Michaela landed a new role back on Earth. Find out what it is in this brand new episode of the Cosmic Shed...which also features our thoughts on Valerian, The City of a Thousand Planets.
Show Notes
Michaela appeared on our Martian episode back in 2015 as well as this special episode a few weeks ago
Tuesday Mar 13, 2018
Tuesday Mar 13, 2018
Charlotte Hatherley's True Love album is a Science Fiction infused exploration of heartbreak and love. The single, A Sign, has a video which is essentially a science fiction short by Gavin Rothery (Moon, The Last Man).
If that weren't brilliant enough, Charlotte is also appearing at ESA's Space Rocks at the o2 in London on April 22nd 2018 so we are more than a little excited to bring you this episode of the Cosmic Shed as Andrew and Charlotte talk music, science fiction and space.
A Sign - Charlotte Hatherley's music is infused with science fiction
Charlotte's career began when she joined Ash (Girl From Mars, Star Wars references etc.) and and seen her tour and record with the likes of Bat for Lashes, KT Tunstall and even Bryan Ferry.
Space Rocks - Charlotte will be at the o2 in London on April 22nd
Space Rocks is a new event organised by the European Space Agency mixing music and science with some added science fiction. Along with Charlotte Hatherley, there's Tim Peake, Beth Healey, Mark McCaughrean and much more. Yes, we are going. At the time of writing, there are still some tickets available. Join us
How Deep is Your Love? Let's track the movement of the stars of Orion over 3 million years
The video for Charlotte's cover of How Deep is Your Love features ESA imagery showing the way the Orion constellation will change over the next 3 million years and begins with a quote from Carl Sagan.
Will Andrew try to show his love for space is deeper? Is there really More Than This? Has there ever been a more perfect fit for The Cosmic Shed? How excited are we about Space Rocks? There's only one way to find the answer to these questions...listen to this episode of The Cosmic Shed now.
show notes
You can order Charlotte Hatherley's True Love album here
You can get tickets for Space Rocks here
Charlotte mentions a film but couldn't remember the name of it. She can now.
Mark McCaughrean joined us for our Ambition episode
Beth Healey joined us for our Blue Dot episode
Dallas Campbell joined us for our Gravity Fields episode
Thursday Mar 08, 2018
Thursday Mar 08, 2018
It's an undeniable classic. It allegedly changed the course of Ronald Reagan's policies on computer safety. It's painfully relevant even today and it's the subject of this episode of The Cosmic Shed.
Ally Sheedy (Jennifer) can't keep her eyes off the "Amazing Looking" John Wood (Dr Falken).
Steve and Andrew are joined by Ti (from a theatre) to discuss the film before Steve brings us his conversation with Prof Jan Noyes from The University of Bristol's School of Experimental Psychology and Andrew brings us his chat with Dr Dave Tholen from the University of Hawaii's Insitute for Astronomy.
With a real life (albeit a false alarm) ballistic missile threat in Hawaii, we discuss the impact on society of the real life War Games our politicians play. Dave Tholen PhD is a man who researches real threats to life on earth - Asteroids which may collide with Earth. Prof Jan Noyes researches human interactions with technology and her CV includes NASA and GCHQ.
Dave Tholen keeps us safe from Asteroids. Jan Noyes keeps us safe from system error...
We discuss the Hawaian missiles alert including what some people did when they thought they had 30 minutes left, we hear why Steve is thinking of joining a survivalist cult and no, it's not because he heard (as you will) about Andrew running naked down a street...
Ronald Reagan caught an early showing of WarGames but missed the whole point of the film.
Show notes
Since recording, the person who caused the alert has been sacked. Listen to the episode to find out why that is particulalry interesting.
WarGames is still as good as you remember. Sure it's a bit wonky in the odd scene but it's still wonderful.
Dave Tholen mentions the list of Near Eearth Objects which you can check here
Andrew mentions Jon Ronson's Buterfly Effect
Andrew also mentions the WarGames: WOPR game for your phone.
Wednesday Feb 28, 2018
Wednesday Feb 28, 2018
Black Panther (2018) is smashing records, delighting fans and critics and upsetting racists. Now it's the subject of the latest Cosmic Shed episode.
Andrew and Ti explore themes of the film with shed guests Alex Lathbridge and Hannah Bestwick. Alex Lathbridge is a biochemist, science communicator and "the UK's best scientist turned rapper" and yes, we tested that. Hannah Bestwick is a science communicator who presents the Love and Science radio show and co-hosts the XX Science podcast.
We are also joined by Josiah Zayner to find out if we can drink potions and get superstrength. Josiah is most well known, perhaps, for injecting himself with CRISPR technology to get bigger muscles...Yes we asked him about that. He also runs a company called The Odin and is trying to bring genetic engineering to the public.
Can we drink potions to get big muscles? Will the shed experience its first rap? Why on earth did Josiah leave NASA? Will his Mum ever forgive him? Will Andrew? Is Black Panther as awesome as everybody keeps saying?
There's only one way to find the answer to all these questions; download and listen to this episode of the Cosmic Shed now.
Show notes
Josiah Zayner runs The Odin and was talking to Andrew and Maddy
Hannah Bestwick presents Love and Science on BCFM (with Malcolm Love and Andrew)
Alex Lathbridge mentioned Cheddar Man and the Why Aren't you a Doctor Yet podcast
Tuesday Feb 13, 2018
Tuesday Feb 13, 2018
Michaela Musilova is a space scientist who has Mars in her sights. One day, she aims to set foot on the Martian surface for real and, unlike the rest of us who dream of that, she stands a pretty good chance. Michaela has been selected to live in an analogue of Mars for 8 months starting in February 2018. She and three other people will be living in this...for 8 (EIGHT) months.
The purpose of the mission is to see how people (astronauts) would cope on a 2 year mission to Mars. This 8 month experiment puts Michaela and her three crew mates in a simulated Mars environment with only supplies that they can take with them from day one or grow or fabricate from materials which would be available on Mars.
Michaela will be sending us, here at the Cosmic Shed, weekly updates from the "Martian surface" and we'll be bringing them to you in our episodes over the next 8 months. We are all just a little bit too excited about that.
IN YOUR FACE MARK WATNEY!
Listen out for Michaela in our forthcoming episodes but first, Michaela took time out to chat to Andrew about her forthcoming mission and you can listen to that here, now.
Show notes
Michaela appeared also appeared on our Martian episode back in 2015
Ben popped in for a poem.
Wednesday Feb 07, 2018
Wednesday Feb 07, 2018
A rocket fuelled episode with CEO of Rocket Lab; Peter Beck!
On the night SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy and a cherry red Tesla into space, Steve and Andrew gathered in the shed to watch it and then speak to Peter Beck, the CEO of Rocket Lab and the man who launched The Humanity Star into space.
The Cosmic Shed is a pretty decent place to watch a rocket launch...
The Humanity Star has been met with, it's safe to say, mixed reviews. Some love it. Others question it, including previous guests on the Cosmic Shed, like NASA's Renee Horton.
and BBC Astronauts' Tim Gregory
Did Peter put Renee's mind at rest? Will Tim be convinced? Will Rocket Lab launch Andrew's campervan into Space or were we all just far too excited about the SpaceX launch to even care? Listen here now and find out.
The Humanity Star looks like this on Earth, by the way...
Show notes
If you'd like to try and see The Humanity Star, you can track it here
Rewatch the amazing Falcon Heavy launch here
Dr Renee Horton joined us for our episode on Hidden Figures
Tim Gregory joined us for our episode on BBC's Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?