Moncrieff

The original Tetris game will turn 40 this year, but only yesterday did a human manage to complete it.   And it was a 13 year old boy in Oklahoma, employing a particular set of hand skills in order to cope with the speed of the falling blocks.   Elaine Burke, Host of the podcast For Tech Sake joined Tom Dunne on the show...

One woman in the UK has recently completed an extraordinary journey in one of the harshest environments on Earth, having skied solo across 1000 kilometres of ice to the South Pole. Preet Chandi, a Captain in the British Army, joined Tom Dunne from Antarctica...

While most culture is moving towards digital consumption models, is there still an inherent value in developing and maintaining a physical collection of books, DVDs and music? Journalist and writer Aoife Barry has been writing about this for the Irish Times and she joined Tom Dunne on the show today...

Hotel chain Premier Inn has designed a plate with a built-in bean barrier. They have incorporated a ceramic relief of the company’s snoozy moon logo into a plate so that the crescent can keep the baked beans at bay, separate from the eggs and bacon. But what makes a good hotel breakfast? Tom Dunne was joined by Henry McKean with this report...

Over the last few years we have produced some top class Irish music, that has been showcased and celebrated around the world.  But, some say that the best is yet to come.  Eoghan O’Sullivan, a journalist with the Irish Examiner joined Tom Dunne to look at some of the biggest Irish music for 2024...

Those melodious tones of the shipping forecast will be known to many. But did you know that this week marks it’s 100th anniversary of broadcast on radio? Apart from its essential service to sailors and the shipping community, it also has a cult following from the land-based community. Tom Dunne was joined by artist and author Roger O’Reilly... 

Did you know that you can foster animals?  The DSPCA has a foster care system, in which people can sign up to look after pets for a short term period.  Annie Doran, is a DSPCA foster carer and she joined Tom Dunne on the show today...

Irish medics are sounding the alarm because scabies cases are on the upswing and are turning into a bit of a pesky public health conundrum. What's fuelling this itchy outbreak, and more importantly, how do we stop this scratchy situation from spreading?  Tom Dunne was joined by Dr Scott Walkin, Clinical Lead in Infection Control and GP to discuss...

Last year, we had the pleasure of hosting Inbaal Honigman, the renowned celebrity psychic who dazzled us with her prediction that 2023 would be a stellar year for Leos and Capricorns. Now, as we step into 2024, the burning question on everyone's minds is: Which zodiac sign will clinch the title of the luckiest this year? Inbaal Honigman joined Tom Dunne to share her celestial insights...

The all-new Book of Kells Experience opens in Trinity from tomorrow and the hope is that it will attract not just foreign tourists but more domestic ones too. John Fardy was joined by Drew Duggan, Head of Tourism at Trinity College Dublin... 

Many movie remakes and spin-offs hit our screens this year, with the most recent, Wonka, taking more than 137 million euro at the box office last month.  The release of new movies based on our favourite old characters has been a tried and trusted way for Hollywood to keep us coming back to the cinema.  But are these remakes any good, and are they starting to lose their appeal with audien...

A new AI model has been used to help predict early death. But how does this type of tech work and how accurate is it? John Fardy was joined by Sune Lehmann, Data Scientist at the Technical University of Denmark...

When Nicholas Hellen became a victim of the notorious ULEZ pollution charge in London, he decided to ditch the car and has just celebrated one year being car free. But what has the experience been like? John Fardy was joined by Nicholas Hellen, Transport Editor for The Sunday Times...

One of the highlights of the darker evenings this time of year is getting to see houses decorated in Christmas lights, but not for one small town in Scotland. A grinch is going around and cutting the wires. Emma Lawson, Journalist with the Sunday Post joined Sean on the show to discuss...

Opening a bottle of bubbly the wrong way is not a fun occasion, as it could lead to deadly eye injuries! In a new feature in the British Medical Journal, we’re aiming for cheers, not tears. The lead author, Dr Ethan Waisberg, is an Academic Foundation Doctor at the University of Cambridge and he joined Sean on the show today...

Danny McElhinney, Music journalist Irish Mail on Sunday joined Sean to discuss how the race for Christmas number 1 works...

When much of the building of the original Abbey Theatre was destroyed in a fire in 1951, its facade stones were saved by city architect Dáithí Hanly. Those historic stones, which have been sitting in a garden in Killiney for over 60 years, are now coming into the care of the OPW. Sean was joined by Rosemary Collier, Head of Heritage and Assistant Secretary General of the OPW...

It’s Christmas day and you’ve just realised there’s no milk in the fridge! For those in county Cork, fear not, as one shop will be open for a few hours. Sean was joined by Rhyanna Curtis, of Foley’s Express Food Store in Mallow…

It’s peak hangover season but can you really cure a hangover and what is the worst hangover you have ever had? You might fancy a bacon sandwich or a Big Mac and Coke, but are there healthy strategies that can really make a difference? Henry McKean joined Sean today on the show...

It turns out, splashing cash on gifts doesn't always make them better – who knew pricey pressies don't always equal big smiles? Jeff Galak, Associate Professor of Marketing at the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business in Pittsburgh joined Sean to talk through the science behind good gift giving is… 

Although Ireland pretty much shuts down on Christmas Day, we perhaps forget that much of the rest of the world carries on as normal. And for this reason, air travel also continues. Paula Gahan, Cabin Crew for an International Airline & Host of the Bad Air Hostess Podcast, has worked on many Christmas Days over the years and she has been writing for the Irish Times about the 5 types of festive...

On this day, December 20th, we're not just marking any ordinary anniversary. It's the day James Joyce decided that words weren't enough and ventured into the cinematic world, opening Ireland's first cinema. Dr Patrick McGarty, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at Munster Technological University.joined Sean to shed light on a lesser-known chapter in the life of one of Ireland's most revered literar...

When Siobhan Davis decided to become an author in her 40s, little did she know that within ten years she would end up selling 2 million copies of her steamy romance novels. Her latest book ‘Reeve’ is released on December 30th and she joined Sean on the show today to discuss... Image: Siobhan Davis

A new study in the UK uses 4 separate pollution chambers to test their effects on humans. But how does it all work? Sean was joined by Dr. Ian Mudway, Senior lecturer in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London...

What if you have been assigned the task of cooking Christmas dinner but you’ve never done it before and you haven’t planned anything? Food writer Ali Dunworth to the rescue. Her first tip? Throw the turkey on the barbecue in the back garden...