iCRAGorama

In this one-hour special, Ben is joined by Dr Alfredo Carpineti from the Astroholic Explains podcast to review the impacts and consequences of the COVID-19 global pandemic. We'll be joined by special guests Christopher Jackson from Imperial College London, who had to change his whole work routine, and Divya Persaud from University College London, who is running a digital conference. Presented and...

John Walsh, former head of iCRAG, chats with Ben about his career, about how his interest for structural geology developed with time and how iCRAG came to be! We also talked mining operations in Ireland and how we think the COVID-19 pandemic might impact the world of science in the near future. Presented and produced by Ben Couvin Original music by Harry Couvin

Megan, PhD student in Galway, tells us about her research project about the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, and we learn how sensitive oceanic currents are to climate changes. We chat about her experience going offshore to collect samples and she also shares her love for lab work, team sports and animals. Presented by Ben Couvin and Jess Franklin Produced and edited by Ben Couvin; Ori...

Ben and Jess ask Dave about his experience running the iGEO 2020 Early Career Symposium and the skills that he acquired doing so. We also chat about his previous career as a geophysicist offshore and about his current PhD project dealing with soil mapping in Ireland using machine learning. Hosted by Ben Couvin and Jess Franklin Produced and edited by Ben Couvin; Original music by Harry Couvin. Rec...

Alex, graduate student at iCRAG, deals with risks associated with karstic formations in Ireland. He tells us about the way to deal with this safety hazard and shares his experience working in the industry in the United States. Presented by Ben Couvin and Laura Sinclair Produced and edited by Ben Couvin Original music by Harry Couvin

Ben and Laura ask Helen (PhD student at UCD) and Subaru (post-doc at UCD) how they are looking for new copper resources in Zambia and we learn about how ethical and how sustainable mining for metals in Africa really is. Presented by Ben Couvin and Laura Sinclair Produced and edited by Ben Couvin Original music by Harry Couvin

Trailer and announcement of iCRAGorama: season 2! 

The original theme of the opening titles of iCRAGorama, composed by Harry Couvin.

It's already Christmastime and, for the end of the season, we're introducing to you the funniest duo of iCRAG's operations team: Jana and Meadhbh! In this holiday special full of pickled shenanigans, they tell us all about what they learned while working at a geoscience research institute, give us tips for a sustainable Christmas and tell us about their childhood dreams! Presented and produced by...

In this week's episode of iCRAGorama we hear about the fascinating career of Dr Michael Philcox, one of Ireland's leading geologists and stratigraphers who works as a consultant and is affiliated with Trinity College Dublin.  In this episode, he tells Anthea Lacchia and Fergus McAuliffe what it is exactly that geologists look for inside layers of rock and what makes Ireland's Carboniferous ro...

Dr Niamh Shaw is an artist and performer with a UCD engineering background, who has lead science communication workshops in iCRAG among other things. Her main life goal: to go to space and tell her story from an artist's point of view. In this Science Week special, Niamh shares her experience of getting as close as it gets to being in space and tells us how to find the confidence to pursue our chi...

Kamila is a postdoctoral researcher in iCRAG in Trinity College Dublin. In this episode, she tells Anthea and Fergus about her new citizen science project, through which tea bags containing volcanic ash will be distributed to school children and families around Ireland in an effort to understand and test a new carbon-emission reducing technology. We also talk about hiking, dogs and the beauty of n...

Conor is a PhD student at University College Dublin and just completed an internship at a London-based oil and gas company. We talked about his experience there and how it relates to his project. He also told us some tips to successfully build a professional network and his best field trip anecdotes. Presented by Ben Couvin and Elspeth Wallace Produced by Ben Couvin and Anthea Lacchia

Shane is a lecturer at the National University of Ireland Galway and he is passionate about sand and where it comes from! He tells us what we can learn from finding out the provenance of sand grains and we also talked about Shane's past experience and his favourite field practices. Presented by Ben Couvin and Elspeth Wallace Produced by Anthea Lacchia and Ben Couvin

Aidan and Lizzie, undergraduate students in geology at University College Dublin, tell us about their recent summer internship with iCRAG investigators Prof John Walsh and Prof Peter Haughton, and let us know if they plan to pursue a career in research. Presented by Ben Couvin and Laura Sinclair Produced by Ben Couvin and Anthea Lacchia

Jess, having just finished her PhD about sand provenance at NUI Galway, tells us all about the hardships of doing and completing a PhD and gives some useful tips on how to avoid a burn out. She also tells us about the Girls Into Geoscience public engagement programme and her upcoming post-doc research. Presented by Ben Couvin and Laura Sinclair. Produced by Ben Couvin and Anthea Lacchia.

John Paul is a research assistant in iCRAG who is finishing an 8-year long project mapping the network of faults and fractures that conduct groundwater in the Irish bedrock. We also talked about becoming a parent, the GAA, speleology and superpowers. Presented and produced by Anthea Lacchia and Ben Couvin

Gaël is a post-doctoral researcher at UCD and studies the opening of the Atlantic Ocean and how its rifting affected the development of basins offshore Ireland. He tells us about the many expeditions at sea that he partook in, his passion for exploring the oceans and his interest for Icelandic witchcraft. Presented and produced by Ben Couvin and Anthea Lacchia

Dr Weimu Xu, geoscientist, and Dr Charilaos Yiotis, phytobiologist, both postdoctoral researchers at Trinity College Dublin, join forces to find out whether plants grow faster in an ash-rich soil. They told us how their project could help mitigate climate change...and more! Presented and produced by Anthea Lacchia and Ben Couvin

Dr Mark Coughlan is a postdoctoral researcher in iCRAG, looking at the potential feasibility of developing offshore wind turbines in the Irish Sea. He shared with us his passion for the works of Dostoevsky, Munch and Friedrich, and we also talked about his recent trip to Russia. Presented and produced by Anthea Lacchia and Ben Couvin.

Laura Bérdi is a PhD student at University College Dublin and does research in geophysics about the Hatton basin offshore Ireland. She tells us her passion for criminal psychology, rhythmic gymnastics and her recent experience at the ReStoRE summer school! Presented and produced by Ben Couvin and Anthea Lacchia

An introductory episode where we, the hosts, introduce ourselves and what this podcast is going to be about! What is iCRAG? What do people do in iCRAG and most importantly, who are Ben and Anthea? Presented and produced by Ben Couvin and Anthea Lacchia