Jo Durrant's Beautiful Universe

It's a milestone edition of the award-winning podcast - episode 90. Jo's special guest is writer, broadcaster, Oxford Academic and President of the Gloucester History Festival, Dr Janina Ramirez. Janina talks about her career, latest book 'Femina', passion for art and history, plus she answers the Quick Six. Jo also visits Gloucestershire Archives to find out the story behind a selection of record...

In episode 89 Jo is joined by Anna Bailey, author of the novel 'Tall Bones', who talks about the inspiration behind it and the importance of representation in the characters. Anna also answers Jo's Quick Six. Plus science communicator & public engagement trainer Dr Jamie Gallagher is back with another story from the Periodic Table - the only element to have been discovered twice.   Presented, prod...

Jo's special guest in episode 88 is theatre maker and producer Rachel Adams, who is based in the Forest of Dean. She talks about her work including a film on the Mushets, as well as 'Passing The Baton'. She also shares her love of yoga and answers the Quick Six. Jo also finds out the story of a watch found in Wakefield Museum in West Yorkshire, which was stopped at a specific time in World War I. ...

In episode 87 Jo welcomes back Dr Emma Yhnell, a neuroscientist and senior lecturer at Cardiff University. Emma is myth busting neuroscience and biomedical topics, and talks about exam stress, trusting experts and the size of our brains. Jo also learns about an item that's found in the collection of the Royal College of Physicians Museum in London, with a label that doesn't quite tell the whole st...

In episode 86 Jo's special guest is Dr Brenna Hassett, an archaeologist, anthropologist and researcher at University College London. She's also an author and discusses her latest book 'Growing Up Human: The Evolution of Childhood.' Plus she answers the Quick Six. Jo also visits Gloucestershire Archives to trace the story of one woman through the census.       Presented, produced and edited by Jo D...

Jo welcomes back Jeff Downes & Graham O'Dwyer from At The Flicks in episode 85. We continue the series looking at science fiction films decade by decade, this time it's the 2000s. Films discussed include Avatar, District 9, Donnie Darko and Minority Report. Plus Paul Rincon, Professor Jo Verran and Paul Scott share their favourite science fiction films from this decade.      Presented, produced an...

In episode 84 Jo's special guest is writer Cheryl Burman, who is based in the Forest of Dean. She talks about her love of the area and how it's inspired her work, as well as her early life in Australia, and she answers Jo's Quick Six. Jo also visits the home of Dr Edward Jenner in Berkeley, to find out the story behind a book that has a surprise at the end.   Presented, produced & edited by Jo Dur...

Jo's special guest in episode 83 is Jules Howard, a zoology correspondent and writer. He talks about his career highlights such as working on a frog helpline, discusses his latest book 'Wonderdog' and answers Jo's Quick Six. Jo also finds out the story of a stethoscope found in the collection of the Royal College of Physicians Museum in London.    Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music...

In episode 82 Jo is joined by Dr Jessica Barker and FC who are cyber security experts. They're back to do some myth busting on topics like deep fakes and the dark web. Jo also chats to pharmacy historian Briony Hudson about a painting found in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society that tells a story of friendship.   Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet. 

Jo's special guest in episode 81 is Dr Kathryn Harkup who is a former chemist and now a writer. She talks about her work in particular her book 'Death By Shakespeare', looking at the science behind the Bard's work, plus she answers Jo's Quick Six. Jo also visits the John Moore Museum in Tewkesbury to find out the story behind an object used by midwives in Tudor times.    Presented, produced & edit...

It's a milestone edition of the podcast - episode 80. Jo's special guests are singer-songwriters Megan Henwood & Findlay Napier, who are The Story Song Scientists. They talk about the science stories that have inspired their music, their live shows and they answer the Quick Six. Jo also visits the Museum in the Park in Stroud to find out of the story of a piano in the collection.     Music license...

Jo is joined in episode 79 of the podcast by Professor Adam Hart from the University of Gloucestershire, who is busting myths around trees, including their biology, diseases and carbon capture. Jo also visits the Forest of Dean with historian Dr Roger Deeks to find out the story of a distillation works that used the trees over a hundred years ago but has now been reclaimed by nature.   Presented,...

In episode 78 Jo's special guest is Dr Rachel Sumner from Cardiff Metropolitan University who talks about her work as a psychobiologist, including her research with the Covid-19 Heroes Project. Plus she answers Jo's Quick Six. Jo also visits the home of Dr Jenner in Berkeley to learn about a recent acquisition - the 'I've had my Covid Vaccine' stickers.     Music licensed from Purple Planet.  Pres...

Jo welcomes back Jeff Downes & Graham O'Dwyer from At The Flicks in episode 77. We continue the series looking at science fiction films decade by decade, moving into 1990s. Films discussed include Armageddon, Contact & Jurassic Park, plus more from the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises. Sue Nelson, Dr Jamie Gallagher, Paul Rincon, Paul Scott and John Putley also share their favourite science fict...

Jo's special guest in episode 76 is data scientist & machine learning engineer Dr Jonny Brooks-Bartlett. He returns to do some myth busting on things like ethical artificial intelligence and the quantum apocalypse.  Plus science communicator & public engagement trainer Dr Jamie Gallagher is back with another story from the Periodic Table - this time it's a rather beautiful element.    Presented, p...

In episode 75 Jo's special guest is Ellen Mary, a gardener, horticultural broadcaster and author of 'The Joy of Gardening: The Everyday Zen of Mowing the Lawn'. She talks about her passion for her subject, the well-being benefits of gardening and she answers Jo's Quick Six. Jo also visits the Museum in the Park in Stroud to find out the story behind the most important invention in the town - the l...

Jo's special guest in episode 74 is Dr Simone Cuff who is a translational immunologist at Cardiff University. She talks about her passion for immunology, as we learn a lot about the immune system. Plus she answers Jo's Quick Six. Jo also finds out the story of a set of anatomical tables found in the collection of the Royal College of Physicians Museum in London.    Presented, produced & edited by...

In episode 73 Jo's special guests are pharmacy historian & freelance museum curator Briony Hudson and Owen Gower, the General Manager of the Jenner Trust which looks after Dr Jenner's House in Berkeley. They discuss their careers working in museums and with collections and also reveal their favourite objects. Plus they answer Jo's Quick Six.      Music licensed from Purple Planet.  Presented, prod...

Jo welcomes back Jeff Downes & Graham O'Dwyer from At The Flicks in episode 72. We continue the series looking at science fiction films decade by decade, moving into 1980s. Films discussed include ET, The Terminator, Aliens & Blade Runner, plus big franchise film series like Star Wars and Star Trek. Dr Jamie Gallagher, Paul Rincon, Paul Scott and John Putley also share their favourite science fict...

In episode 71 Jo is joined by lecturer and science communicator Dr Emma Yhnell from Cardiff University, who is myth busting neuroscience and biomedical topics. She talks about the representation of scientists, women in STEM and she previews the 2022 Cardiff Science Festival. Jo also finds out the story of a diary that's found in the collection of the Royal College of Physicians Museum in London. ...

It's a milestone edition of the podcast - episode 70. Jo's special guest is Imperial College Research Fellow Dr Jess Wade, who talks about physics, material science and nano technology, as well as her passion for public engagement. Plus she answers the Quick Six. Jo also visits the stores of the Museum in the Park in Stroud to find out of the story behind two oak paddles, from a mill dating back m...

Jo's special guest in episode 69 is Professor Liz Stokoe from Loughborough University who talks about her career and research into conversation analysis, and she busts some communication myths. Plus she takes on the Quick Six. Jo also finds out the story of a collection of photographs by Jack Hulme in Castleford Museum in West Yorkshire.     Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licens...

In episode 68 Jo's special guest is science presenter and children's science writer Dr Sarah Bearchell who talks about her passion for sharing science, making her workshops accessible and inclusive and she answers Jo's Quick Six. Jo also returns to the object based learning lab at University College London to learn about one of the earliest diagnostic X-Ray images to be taken.   Presented, produce...

Jo's special guest in episode 67 is illustrator and science communicator Hana Ayoob who talks about her career including programming science festivals and her passion for combining arts and science in her designs, workshops, comedy and events. Plus she answers Jo's Quick Six. Jo also visits the science collection at University College London to learn about a bottle from the 19th century that tells...

In the first edition of 2022, episode 66, Jo's special guest is physicist and science journalist Laurie Winkless who is based in New Zealand. She talks about her passion for science and storytelling, including her time at NASA and her latest book 'Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces'. Plus she takes on the Quick Six. Jo also finds out the story of a diary from 1918 found in Wakefield Museum in...