That's Science!

Ever wonder why some scientific ideas change the world while others end up in the history books' reject pile? In part 2 of this special crossover event, we’re handing the mic to Rita (Cosmology Researcher) and Sofie (PhD Student) from the University of Sheffield, the brilliant minds behind the Good in Theory podcast.  Last time, they discussed how science is the process of being less wrong ove...

Ever wonder why some scientific ideas change the world while others end up in the history books' reject pile? In this special crossover event, we’re handing the mic to Rita (Cosmology Researcher) and Sofie (PhD Student) from the University of Sheffield, the brilliant minds behind the Good in Theory podcast. Rita and Sofie bring us some of their favourite theories that just didn’t turn out to b...

We often think of fire as purely destructive, but for some plant species, it’s actually the key to life! In our latest episode of That’s Science , we are joined by Dr Kimberley Simpson to  examine the complex relationship between wildfire and plant ecology. While fire is a destructive force, it is also a powerful evolutionary driver.

Have you ever been having a perfectly normal chat with your favorite AI large language model, only to realise it's been confidently lying to your face? In this episode of That’s Science, we dive into the glitchy, often confusing world of AI hallucinations - those moments when a large language model confidently feeds you a lie with a straight face. You aren't alone if you’ve felt misled by...

The majority of us have heard about the placebo effect and the impact it can have on the brain and body. But have you heard of the nocebo effect? Placebo’s evil twin can affect us all and it is having a real impact on our health. This episode we talk to Dr Rebecca Webster about her research on the nocebo effect, a relatively new area of psychology research, and the impact that it is having on our...

This episode we take a ride into the solar system and beyond. How are planets formed and how was our solar system formed? What are the long believed rules of planetary systems and why we now believe there is not one model that fits all.  Dr Richard Parker is an astrophysicist in our School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. During the episode he takes us around the solar system and further int...

We take a dive into the Wood Wide Web with Professor Katie Field. Katie takes us through where the theory came from, why it rose so quickly in popularity and why it isn’t exactly what we might think.  Katie Field is a professor or plant - soil processes in The School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield. She has recently been awarded a Royal Society Fellowship that will fund her research...

Join us each episode where we talk with our academics to explore common beliefs and popular myths across Science. What will we discover?