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Wonder Cupboard asks what science is, how it works, and how it came to be. Elena Falco and Ian Bridgeman present a new topic on the history and philosophy of science every episode.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ History and philosophy of science • How science works, realism vs instrumentalism • Scientific culture and symbols (lab coats, language) • Public health and biology (vaccines, viruses) • Everyday technologies and climate control (ice, A/C, sunbathing) • Beauty in nature and theories • Mathematics and numbers • Pseudoscience, hypnosis, cosmology debatesThis podcast explores what science is, how it produces knowledge, and how scientific ideas and practices have developed over time. Hosted by Elena Falco and Ian Bridgeman, it blends history of science with philosophy of science, using familiar topics and objects as entry points for examining how scientific concepts gain authority and how they interact with culture, politics, and everyday life.
Across the episodes, the show traces the origins and consequences of technologies and practices that shape modern living, including ways people manage heat and cold and how comfort, health, and infrastructure have been transformed by innovations like cooling and climate control. It also examines contested questions in biology and medicine—such as what counts as “alive,” and why vaccination has long been tied to public trust, power, and disagreement.
Alongside these practical themes, the podcast returns to foundational and abstract issues: what numbers are, why science “works,” what it means to call a theory or a natural form “beautiful,” and how to think about provocative philosophical possibilities such as simulated reality. Recurring attention is given to the social side of science—its symbols and institutions (from lab coats to peer review), the language used to communicate discoveries, and historical figures and communities who influenced what gets accepted as knowledge. The overall emphasis is on how scientific reasoning is shaped by human values, historical context, and changing definitions of evidence and explanation.
| Episodes: |
018 – Sunbathing2020-Jul-31 55 minutes |
017 – Air Conditioning2020-Jun-29 56 minutes |
016 – Ice2020-Jun-04 74 minutes |
015 – Are Viruses Alive?2020-Apr-27 48 minutes |
014 – Beauty Part 2 with Simon Watt2020-Apr-04 69 minutes |
013 – Beauty Part 1 with Sabine Hossenfelder2020-Feb-04 51 minutes |
012 – Merry Christmas2019-Dec-26 23 minutes |
011 – Vaccines and Power2019-Dec-01 50 minutes |
010 – Do We Live in a Simulation?2019-Oct-13 59 minutes |
009 – Lab Coats2019-May-19 48 minutes |
008 – Valentine's Special: Mamie & Kenneth2019-Feb-14 27 minutes |
007 – What Are Numbers?2019-Jan-29 48 minutes |
006 – Mesmerism2018-Dec-12 69 minutes |
005 – What's the Language of Science?2018-Sep-11 38 minutes |
004 – Flat Earth2018-Aug-30 67 minutes |
003 – Sexy Plants2018-Jul-15 54 minutes |
002 – Why Does Science Work?2018-Mar-22 42 minutes |
001 – Galileo2018-Mar-19 57 minutes |