Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Are you tired of hearing about coronavirus? Has lockdown left you worn out? Then perhaps it’s time to escape. Join Rowan Hooper and the team at New Scientist in this covid-free space, as they discuss all that’s right with the world - the stories that remind us of how wonderful this planet really is. Find out more at newscientist.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Science-based escapism • Nature and animal adaptations/communication • Physics and astronomy basics • Perception, sound and music phenomena • Psychology of flow and metacognition • Scientific history, discovery sites and unsung researchersThis podcast is a themed science show from the New Scientist team that aims to provide a “covid-free” escape by focusing on phenomena that highlight the strangeness and richness of the natural world, human ability, and scientific discovery. Across episodes, the hosts pick a single concept—such as sound, mass, speed, warmth, flow, perception, or “escape”—and explore it through a mix of biology, physics, psychology, mathematics, and technology.
Listeners can expect accessible explanations of scientific ideas alongside vivid examples drawn from nature and everyday experience. Animals and ecosystems feature often, including topics like bat echolocation, elephant infrasound, lichen symbiosis, spider silk strength, bee thermoregulation, and predator evasion strategies. The show also ventures into space and fundamental physics, touching on subjects like moons in the solar system, dark matter, neutrinos, the speed of light, and thought experiments about infinity.
A recurring element is how humans measure, sense, and interpret the world, with discussions of hearing (including binaural effects and audio illusions), metacognition, and the psychology and neuroscience of being “in the zone.” The podcast also weaves in stories from the history and culture of science, highlighting overlooked contributors to major breakthroughs and the places and processes behind elemental discovery. Sound and sonification appear as tools for making hidden patterns and data perceptible, reinforcing the show’s emphasis on revealing the unseen and inspiring curiosity.
