Gin and Topic

How can fantasy literature and media benefit wellbeing and mental health? This week we’re joined by Dr Anna Mackenzie, a post-doctoral researcher at Lancaster University who is employed as deputy head of events while she continues her research.  Anna will join us in a glass of Brewdog’s Lonewolf gin as we chat. Prepare for some serious nerding from Áine… Cheers! Support this show http://supporter....

Maths! Why do people love to hate it? This week Lucy Rycroft Smith,  a maths education researcher and writer, is joining us to talk all things maths. She may even manage to make notorious maths hater, Áine, feel a little more warmly towards the subject… Lucy will also join us un a glass of Mother’s Ruin Damson Gin as we chat Cheers! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/gin-and-topic . Host...

This week we don't have a guest, and we don’t have any gin… That’s because we’re taking a break! Or rather, our editor, Ben, is.  Ben has a brand new job that’s keeping him busy, so we’re taking a week or two off to let him settle in, and then we’ll be back with the rest of series two!  See you again soon Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/gin-and-topic . Hosted on Acast. See acast....

Plants! What do they even do for us? And how do we make them work for us? This week we’re joined by Dr Emily May Armstrong, a geneticist and plant scientist who specialises in building conversations around disability, plant knowledge, and scientific understanding in modern life.  Emily will also join us in a glass of Isle of Harris gin while we chat Cheers! Support this show http://supporter.acast...

This week we’re talking all thing’s children’s literature, with a focus on the question: are we representing the diversities of life enough?  We’ll be joined by Dr. B.J. Epstein, who is a senior lecturer in Literature and Translation in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing at University of East Anglia.  B.J will also join us in a glass of Gyre and Gimble’s Queen of Hearts cherry gi...

How have feminists created their own media, and what role does the internet play in feminist media today? This week we’re joined by Dr Claire Sedgwick, an Honorary Research fellow at University of Nottingham… with a PHD in Feminist Media Studies!  Claire is going to be chatting all things Feminist media with us over some cans of Moth Negroni, a Gin & Topic first… Cheers!  Support this show htt...

Nanoscale Molecular Machinery… or as Áine put it ‘ya what?!’ This week we’re talking to Dr Rivka Isaacson, Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies in the Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences and Reader in Chemical Biology in the Department of Chemistry at Kings College London, who’s going to explain all and try to answer ‘How can we view the invisible?’.  And of course, we’ll be drinking! To...

Tinnitus: More than just a noise?  This week we’re joined by Dr James Jackson,  Reader in Psychology in the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the School of Social and Health Sciences at Leeds Trinity University.  James will be chatting all things tinnitus with us over a glass of Jacqsons gin, chosen for the play on his name… and it involves the rhubarb triangle. We promise, all will...

Why are periods so bloody important?!  This week we’re joined by Mandi Tembo, a PhD research fellow with London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine… but she’s based in Zimbabwe!  Mandi will be chatting all things menstrual health with us over a cucumber and gin fizz, made using Bombay Sapphire. Get ready for some serious oversharing… Cheers!  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/gin-an...

Surprise, it’s an extra shot!  We loved chatting with Suw so much that it was an extra long recording, which meant some bits had to be cut out… This is one of our particular favourite cut clips about George Dunn. Cheers! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/gin-and-topic . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we improve gender equality in the work place?’ Well, this week we’re going to try to answer that with Suw Charman-Anderson, the founder of Ada Lovelace Day… and our first guest with her own Wikipedia page! Suw will also join us in a glass of Prairie gin, as she speaks to us all the way from America.  Cheers!  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/gin-and-topic . Hosted on Acast. See...

This week we’re joined by Dr Clare Jonas, who’s going to be taking to us about synaesthesia! Something which Áine never manages to spell right first time… but what is it? And why does it exist? Join us as we try and answer those questions over a glass of Tarquins gin.  Cheers!  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/gin-and-topic . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah’s been waiting for this one… This week we’re talking all things climate (specifically climate justice) with Dr. Natalie Jones!  Natalie is a Research associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge, and she’ll be joining us for a glass of climate positive Nàdar gin.  So join us as we ask, who decides how to fix the climate? Cheers! Support this...

Welcome back to Gin & Topic!  We’re so pleased to be back for our second series, and we’re kicking it off in style. Our guest is Dr Belinda Nicholson, a postdoctoral research assistant in the department of physics at Oxford university.  Belinda is going to join us in drinking a glass of Moonshot gin, while talking all things space! Including where the best place to drink gin in the universe is...

Introducing, Ben!  Our wonderful, and ever suffering, editor deserves his own episode.  In this special episode, you can enjoy some snippets of us ‘chatting’ to Ben, and learn a little more about the brains behind Gin & Topic.  Cheers! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/gin-and-topic . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Missing gin o’clock already? Here are the bits you didn’t get to hear!  Silly, embarrassing, or just plain nonsense, these are the snippets that didn’t make it into series one, but made us laugh anyway.  We’ll see you again soon…  Cheers! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/gin-and-topic . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the final episode of series one, and we’re going out with a bang!  We’re going to be drinking Rock Rose gin with Harriet Bartlett – a PhD student in the department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. Harriet is going to be talking to us about sustainable farming, and for those (like Áine!) who have no idea what that means, that means meeting society’s present and future food needs with...

This week we’re drinking Skegness Gin while talking to Kate Atkin! Kate is a professional speaker, trainer and facilitator who specialises – and is currently studying for a PhD in - Imposter Syndrome.  Or should we say… phenomenon. That’s right, our topic ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is the only Syndrome that isn’t a Syndrome! Try saying that five times fast…  You can find Kate on Twitter @KateAtkin, and w...

This week we’ll be drinking a gin from just down the road… and we’ve got two guests!  We’re starting with a glass of Pinksters gin with Dr Sue Bailey - a food expert, media consultant and journalist, who runs the Cambridge Foodies – as she talks to us about the history of gin.  Then, we’re going to be trying a Hedgepig gin liqueur with Stephen Marsh, the founder of Pinkster gin! You can follow Sue...

This week we’ll be joined by Annie Howitt, a PhD student in the MRC Cancer Unit at the University of Cambridge.  Together we’ll drink some Cuckoo Solace gin from the Brindle Distillery. We’re really pleased to have found this gin, as this week’s topic is Cancer, and for every bottle of this gin sold, they give a percentage of profits to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. It’s hard to sensitively talk abo...

This week we’re branching out… We’re going to be drinking some very special gin from the Cambridge Distillery… But we’ll also be drinking some of the honey distillate the went in it, and some homemade rhubarb gin! All these wonderful treats have been given to us by this week’s guest – Hamish Symington. Hamish is a PhD student in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and...

This week, we’ll be drinking the ‘world’s strongest’ gin! Join us as we try Extreme95 from the Anno Distillery, with Dr David Force, Head of Music at Saint Ronan’s School in Kent.  Dr Force will be teaching us all about early music, specifically the music from the renaissance period. No, it’s not just lutes. Get ready to learn all about Crumhorns and Rackets! While you’re here, feel free to leave...

This week we drink Elephant gin whilst talking all things cerebral with Giacomo Gattoni, a PhD student in the department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge.  Giacomo teaches us all about our great grandad lancelet… or Lancelot, and why we should all love ‘the spiny boys’.  You can find Giacomo on twitter @gattoni_giacomo, and while you’re there follow us on twitter @TopicGin and on Instagra...

It’s Friday, it’s 5 o’clock, it must be time for Gin!  This week we officially launch the Gin & Topic podcast, starting with a little trailer…  From next week, you can join us every Friday at 5pm, as we drink gin and chat about, well… something, with an expert in something!   Keep an eye on our Twitter and Instagram for an exclusive look at next week's episode. But for now, pour yourself...