Edinburgh Skeptics Presents...
156 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★ - 2 ratingsWelcome to the Edinburgh Skeptics Society podcast. We'll be bringing you talks from our guest speakers on a variety of topics in our Skeptics in the Pub podcast. There'll be talks from areas such as science, social issues, politics, and lots more, all with a view to promoting reason and critical thinking.
You'll also be able to see what makes our guest speakers tick with our 10 Questions segment, plus there'll be bonus content along the way that doesn't fit anywhere else.
Do make sure you rate or review us, and get in touch and let us know what we're doing right (or wrong!). Email us at [email protected]
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Episodes
Special: Skeptics on the Fringe 2020 details!
August 08, 2020 12:10 - 12 minutes - 4.23 MBIt's that time of year again! Only it isn't, and we're all (mostly) couped up in our homes and not having fun. But, thanks to the wonders of the internet, we're able to bring you some lockdown Fringe events! Join Mark Pentler, Sean Slater & Heather Pentler as they discuss the three events EdSkeptics will be running during what SHOULD have been the Edinburgh Fringe. The events are on 11/18/25th August at 8pm BST. For more details visit our website: www.edinburghskeptics.co.uk - or check out...
SITP: Brexit: What Comes Next?
March 15, 2020 18:20 - 1 hour - 23.8 MBWe're back! For one episode. Maybe more, we don't know. But we had a lot of interest in this talk from people who couldn't make it for whatever reason (mostly the novel coronavirus, as it turns out). So we popped a C90 in, hit record and play, and we're happy to bring you it just in time to kill 69 minutes-worth of lockdown. After its victory in the December 2019 election, Johnson’s radicalised Conservative Party succeeded in implementing the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. But le...
QEDCon 2018 Special
October 20, 2018 18:00 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBJoin us for a special episode of the podcast recorded at QEDCon 2018. QEDCon is the UK's best (only?) skeptical conference and each year a large contingent of Edinburgh Skeptics migrate south for the weekend to Manchester for it. There are talks, panels, podcast recordings, and the chance to mingle with like-minded people and swap ideas for the future. As we have done for the past few years we took the opportunity to talk to some interesting people who we bumped into over the weekend to fi...
SotF 2017: Our Friends On The Fringe
August 19, 2018 15:34 - 54 minutes - 18.9 MBAre you enjoying this year's Fringe? Why not step into our time machine and enjoy something you may have missed from last year's Fringe! Traditionally we have a few nights every year where we find the best in nerdy, scientific and skeptical content from around the Festival. Whether you like maths, music, gay animals or the power of the mind there's something in this episode for you. @BabaBrinkman - the evidence based rapper @BenDaliHypno - stage hypnotist and Edinburgh Fringe regular @ky...
SotF 2017: Mid Fringe Binge
July 23, 2018 16:55 - 36 minutes - 12.5 MBFrom the middle of last year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe run we present an amuse bouche of acts from this year's Free Fringe that have a skeptical bent. We scoured the festival to find the best in nerdy material, rationalism, skepticism and other cool stuff and the result is this podcast of three cracking acts. Go and see them if they're on near you! Your MC for this podcast is ex-EdSkeptics chair Ewan Leeming. Charlotte Mykura - Comedy spliced with genetics Kate Oliver - Real Research,...
10 Qs @ The Fringe - Dr Smith - Zombie Science
July 08, 2018 14:25 - 10 minutes - 3.64 MBTheoretical zombiologist Dr. Smith joined us during the 2017 Fringe to explore the real science behind a potential zombieism outbreak. Zombieism is a fairly new field but has great relevance in our everyday lives. Unfortunately Dr. Smith's very interesting talk was heavy on visuals/video and not really appropriate for audio release. Thankfully he very kindly agreed to answer our questions beforehand on this very important issue and its implications for the field of disease and infection cont...
Special: Fringe 2018 Lineup Reveal
July 01, 2018 11:00 - 48 minutes - 16.7 MBJoin the current members of the Edinburgh Skeptics committee for the official unveiling of our Skeptics on the Fringe 2018 programme. This year’s diverse roster includes talks on blasphemy, historical medical woo, fracking and many other interesting and varied topics. Plus we have details of our super special Fringe competition! All of our events are at The Banshee Labyrinth Chamber Room (Venue 156) on Niddry St. (just off the Royal Mile near North Bridge) from 4th-26th August and all even...
10 Qs @ The Fringe: Dr. Paul Dimeo
June 10, 2018 14:44 - 16 minutes - 5.74 MBHere's our interview with Dr. Paul Dimeo from the University of Stirling on drug testing in sport. In it we introduce Paul to skepticism, hear what a mess cycling is, and generally have one of the most depressing conversations about sport that might have ever taken place. But it was a good one. Dr Paul Dimeo has been a lecturer at Stirling since 2002. He began researching drug use in sport and testing from a historical perspective. In essence, he wanted to find out when and why athletes us...
SotF 2017: Why Drug Testing in Sport is Such a Failure
June 10, 2018 14:39 - 49 minutes - 17 MBDrug testing is a perennial topic in sports these days. High profile suspensions, accusations at world champions and a clamour for "clean competition" in the face of apparent state-sanctioned doping has seen the subject's importance to the public seemingly increase in recent years. This talk - part of our 2017 Edinburgh Fringe run - will explore the reasons why drug testing fails to catch organised cheats, and in many cases punishes the wrong people. Dr Paul Dimeo has been a lecturer at S...
10 Q's @ The Fringe: Heather Pentler
May 27, 2018 14:52 - 21 minutes - 7.4 MBNote: Bit of mic trouble in this one - sorry! Quite some time after the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe our chair Mark Pentler sat down in his own living room with his fellow committee member Heather Pentler to chat about autism and the many myths surrounding it. They also talk about Issac Newton and the ghosts, plus there's a preview of our 2018 Meadows Festival stall. Heather has been an active skeptic for the last 7 years and is currently on the committee of Edinburgh Skeptics. She has previous...
SotF 2017: Autism Myths
May 27, 2018 14:43 - 23 minutes - 8.18 MBEver wondered what is the difference between Aspergers and autism but been too embarrassed to ask. There are many myths and misunderstandings about people with autism. EdSkeptics' very own Heather Pentler is here to fill your knowledge holes. Heather's talk seeks to dispel some of the myths and expose some of the awful practices and "cures" that are on offer. Heather has been an active skeptic for the last 7 years and is currently on the committee of Edinburgh Skeptics. She has previously...
10 Q's @ The Fringe - Dr Katie Steckles
May 22, 2018 11:00 - 14 minutes - 5.06 MBDr Katie Speckles spoke for us during the 2017 Fringe about Mathematical Life Hacks. It's a talk she's done for lots of SITP groups across the country and we were very pleased to welcome her to Edinburgh. Unfortunately her talk was quite visual in nature, so there's no real point podcasting it. However, we did interview Katie about maths and it's use in real life, her own life as a maths communicator, and of course we asked her our incredibly tough regular questions as well. Katie Steckle...
10 Q's @ The Fringe: Tamasin Cave
April 17, 2018 19:49 - 10 minutes - 3.48 MBIn part two of our "we're actually releasing an episode!" special we sit down with Tamasin Cave from Spinwatch to delve even deeper into the murky world of politics and corporate lobbying. Tamasin is a writer and campaigner with Spinwatch, which investigates corporate PR and lobbying. She is co-author of A Quiet Word: Lobbying, Crony Capitalism and Broken Politics in Britain, which shines a light into one of the darkest and least-understood corners of our political culture: the UK’s £2 bil...
SotF 2017: Lobbying and the Distortion of our Democracy
April 17, 2018 19:46 - 47 minutes - 16.3 MBSorry for the long break. We'll really try our best to get out this last few podcasts and then we'll probably take an even longer break... who knows. Here's a full talk and interview from last year's Edinburgh Fringe run. Tamasin Cave will talk about the UK’s £2bn lobbying industry and the tactics they use to bend government to their will: how lobbyists build relationships with government; their manipulation of the media; the way that they use academics, scientists, think-tanks, front grou...
10 Q's @ The Fringe: Lydia Finch
January 22, 2018 20:40 - 14 minutes - 5.14 MBBefore her talk on the dangers of the Jehovah's Witnesses and cults in general our chair Mark Pentler sat down for a conversation with Lydia Finch to learn more about her life both in and out of the church, along with some silly stuff as well to lighten the mood a bit... Lydia Finch was born and raised a Jehovah's Witness (JW), but left the organisation at age 18 over twenty years ago. Recently, she has directed her attention to the harmful practices of JWs and other cults, such as shunnin...
SotF 2017: Cults and Skepticism
January 22, 2018 20:39 - 44 minutes - 15.2 MB[A few tech issues on this one, folks. Sorry about the audio quality] Cults and Skepticism: How one ex Jehovah's Witness fell into the 'trap of independent thinking' Historically the purview of atheist, secular, and humanist organisations, Ms. Finch wants to expose the workings of these cults to the scientific and skeptical communities and show why although, Jehovah's Witnesses are considered a small fringe religion, their policies should concern the wider community. Lydia Finch was ...
10 Q's @ The Fringe: Dr. Dean Harris
January 14, 2018 23:43 - 27 minutes - 9.48 MBOn a cold and raining late-December evening EdSkeptics chairperson Mark Pentler sat down with ex-Beagle 2 team member Dr Dean Harris to talk about space, the perils of going to Mars, and whether a failure is really a failure if you learn from it. Also some silly stuff... Dean started his career working on the British-built Beagle 2 Mars at Leicester University. Although it was declared lost, 11 years later the craft was found to have made it in one piece to the Martian surface and most pro...
Beagle 2: How the UK Landed on Mars
January 14, 2018 23:37 - 45 minutes - 15.6 MBIn the early 21st century, a group of British adventurers, scientists, engineers and explorers launched a mission to Mars. The mission was called Beagle 2 and was led by the late Professor Colin Pillinger. The mission attempted to answer one of the most profound questions asked by humanity (and David Bowie): Is there life on Mars? Beagle 2 was expected to land in 2003, but fell silent. A core of enthusiasts continued the hunt for Beagle 2 and, 11 years later, it was found. Beagle 2 had not c...
10 Q's @ The Fringe: Deborah Hyde
January 06, 2018 21:16 - 8 minutes - 2.99 MBBefore her talk for us as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017 Deborah Hyde sat down with Heather Pentler to talk about her love of vampires and her skeptical history... Deborah Hyde wants to know why we believe in things that probably aren't there. What's the story behind the folkore of the macabre, from fairies to ghosts to werewolves to vampires? Using history, folklore and psychology, she has spent many years writing, talking and broadcasting to shine a light on the dark half of ...
SotF 2017: Interview with a Vampire Expert
January 06, 2018 21:13 - 50 minutes - 17.3 MBThe Vampire has fascinated Western Europe from the early 1700s, but the tradition was a real part of Eastern European lives for a considerable time before that. In the last three centuries, the icon has been taken up in art of all kinds – literature, film and graphics – and it has had a lasting effect on fashion and culture. But what is the authentic story behind tales of the predatory, living dead, and can we understand a little more about being human by studying these accounts? We will loo...
10 Qs @ The Fringe: Dr Louise Todd
January 02, 2018 17:45 - 8 minutes - 3.04 MBBefore her talk for us on the relationships that people have with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Dr Louise Todd sat down with Heather Pentler to talk more about her research and how it came about, plus her thoughts about events and festivals in general and their future. Dr Louise Todd is a lecturer and researcher in Festival and Event Management based in the Tourism and Languages subject area at Edinburgh Napier University. Having previously studied and worked in the arts, Louise’s relation...
SotF 2017: The Fringe: My BFF
January 02, 2018 17:44 - 32 minutes - 11.2 MBEdit: had to take a few clips out of this one. Sorry! Often skeptics are charged with only concentrating on hard, physical sciences. Well, that shouldn't be the case. Recorded during our 2017 Edinburgh Fringe run, this talk from Dr Louise Todd is the perfect antidote as we hear her describe her research into the Fringe itself... Everyday branded products, from instant coffee to cars, have long been imbued by marketers with human traits as a means of appealing to consumers’ self-image. In...
10 Qs @ The Fringe: Martin Corley
December 22, 2017 16:50 - 8 minutes - 3.06 MBIs Martin Corley a big fat liar? Will his knowledge of speech disfluency manage to trick our host Danny Robertson into accepting his answers as the God's honest? Find out in this week's 10 Questions @ The Fringe! Martin Corley is Head of Psychology at Edinburgh University. His research centres on the information that is normally overlooked in human speech, from the particular ways in which the mouth moves to make sounds, to the "ums", "ers", and self-corrections that pepper our everyday co...
SotF 2017: If You Say Um, You're Lying
December 22, 2017 16:49 - 41 minutes - 14.3 MBHow does the way you speak influence others' judgements? What is it about the way that someone speaks that makes you think they're lying? In this talk, Martin presents a series of experiments looking at speech disfluency ("um" or "er") and how it affects listeners' judgements. In particular, he shows that judgements are affected *fast*: Listeners may have made their minds up long before the speaker has even got to the "lying" bit of what they're saying. He goes on to explore the basis of ...
10 Qs @ The Fringe: Madeleine Berg
November 30, 2017 20:57 - 9 minutes - 3.4 MBBefore her talk for us on the wonders and the dangers of plastic Dr. Madeleine Berg sat down with Claudia Schaffner to discuss her career and current job, her work with Edinburgh Skeptics on their cinema nights and her adorable-sounding guinea pigs. Coming from a geosciences background, Dr Berg completed a PhD in geology before deciding to use her experience in science research and communication in a more applied setting. She now works at Fidra, an environmental charity based in East Lothi...
SotF 2017: How Fantastic is Plastic?
November 30, 2017 20:54 - 46 minutes - 16.1 MBWhen plastic was invented, it was hailed as a wonder material, promising to completely transform our lives, which indeed it has. None of us can truly imagine a life without this hygienic, durable and flexible material. But as a society, we're beginning to realise the consequences of the plastic world we have created, as our environment, wildlife and even potentially our bodies accumulate plastic waste. How big is the problem of plastic pollution? What's the solution? Should we swear off plas...
10 Qs @ The Fringe: Dr. Grant Ritchey
November 16, 2017 20:00 - 12 minutes - 4.23 MBLet it not be said that we don't pull out all the stop at Edinburgh Skeptics. All the way from Kansas we welcome Dr. Grant Ritchey. Before his excellent talk for us on dental pseudoscience we sat down with the Skeptical DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) to hear about his "favourite" dental quackery, his journey into skepticism and his made-up-on-the-spot superpower. Author, Science Based Medicine blog (www.sciencebasedmedicine.org) Co-host (with Dr. Clay Jones) of The Prism Podcast (www.pri...
SotF 2017: Dental Pseudoscience
November 16, 2017 19:53 - 28 minutes - 9.92 MBMost of us are familiar with unproven and pseudo-scientific medical practices, but they are also prevalent in the dental field. From misinformation about fluoride, mercury in fillings, and “toxic” root canals, to fringe treatments such as oil pulling, cranial osteopathy, and acupuncture, there is a plethora of dental pseudoscience out there. In this talk, dentist and science based medicine activist Grant Ritchey will discuss so-called “alternative” dental practices, and how the dental con...
10 Qs @ The Fringe: Hayley Stevens
November 01, 2017 21:39 - 13 minutes - 4.62 MBBefore her talk for us on how to we sat down with Hayley Stevens to talk women in skepticism, smug people in skepticism, and her thoughts on dismissing things without checking them out first (especially when investigating the paranormal). Plus we learn how one of the country's most recognised members of the skepticism community got into it in the first place. Described as 'the Scully end of the Mulder-Scully X-Files spectrum' by The Times, Hayley Stevens has been investigating ghosts and m...
SotF 2017: A Skeptic's Guide to Ghost Hunting
November 01, 2017 21:37 - 46 minutes - 15.9 MBA Skeptic’s Guide to Ghost Hunting offers an entertaining, funny and at times scary introduction to the world of modern paranormal research. Audiences have laughed, gasped and even cried... Lifting the lid on sham ghost-hunting claims, showcasing the latest not-so-amazing paranormal evidence, and exposing the tricks of the trade, paranormal researcher Hayley Stevens will show how not all is what it seems when it comes to things that go bump in the night. Described as 'the Scully end of ...
10 Qs @ The Fringe: Prof Kathy Whaler
October 18, 2017 19:59 - 7 minutes - 2.75 MBWith tales of moving plates, swirling magma and rabbits, Prof. Kathy Whaler from the University of Edinburgh tackles 10 Questions from Heather Pentler. Kathy Whaler has been Professor of Geophysics at the University of Edinburgh since 1994. Her main research interests are using permanent geomagnetic observatory and low Earth orbit magnetic satellite data to study the origin and maintenance of the Earth’s magnetic field; the magnetic field of the near-surface rocks of the Earth and other so...
SotF 2017: Why The Compass Needle Points North
October 18, 2017 19:55 - 41 minutes - 14.2 MBMagnetic compasses may have been used by the Chinese as early as the first century AD, and natural magnets were known to the Greeks in classical times. Knowledge of the magnetic field has been routinely used in navigation (and measurements have routinely made) since the 18th century, soon after Henry Gellibrand discovered that it changed with time. Nowadays, the geomagnetic observatory network is supplemented by measurements from space – in November 2013, ESA launched a constellation of t...
10 Qs @ The Fringe: Prof Tim Whitmarsh
October 11, 2017 20:51 - 13 minutes - 4.75 MBAs well as full-length talks we're bringing you interviews with our Fringe 2017 speakers to find out what makes them tick and to grill them in forensic detail about their fields. First off is writer and history Prof Tim Whitmarsh. Tim sat down with our own Heather Pentler to discuss gods, cats, and atheists in the comfortable surroundings of the Royal Mile Radisson. Prof. Whitmarsh is the author of *Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World*, described by the New York Times as ‘excel...
SotF 2017: Atheism in Ancient Greece
October 11, 2017 20:48 - 48 minutes - 16.8 MBEdit: You know when you've given the podcast gear to your vice-chair to do interviews at QED and you realise you needed it to record a welcome message for the very first Fringe 2017 podcast? Yeah, that... It's a very special time here at Podcast HQ as we start to bring you some episodes from our 2017 Edinburgh Fringe lineup. Normally we'd start with our compilation evening Our Friends On The Fringe, but that must wait for another day (and because we forgot to ask if it was ok. Oops!). So o...
10 Questions: Michael Dougan
September 29, 2017 19:31 - 10 minutes - 3.77 MBIn this episode of 10 Questions we sit down with Prof. Michael Dougan to ask some searching, evidence-based questions on Brexit. Are we really screwed? What's the process? And most importantly: how will Scotland fare? Michael Dougan is Professor of European Law and Jean Monnet Chair in EU Law at the University of Liverpool. He is an established academic authority on EU constitutional law and Joint Editor of Common Market Law Review - the world's leading scientific journal for European lega...
SITP: Brexit: Where have we got to? And where are we going?
September 29, 2017 19:30 - 1 hour - 22 MBThe UK's negotiations on withdrawal from the EU are now underway. And so Leave campaigners are now facing a form of accountability they have never experienced before: the accountability of reality. What are the key issues in the UK-EU negotiations? What will be their likely outcomes? What will the Repeal Bill mean for democracy and accountability here in the UK? Our speaker will provide an overview of the current legal and political situation, leaving plenty of time for questions from the fl...
SciFest 2017: Forensic Anthropology and its Use in Criminal Investigations
September 13, 2017 20:49 - 57 minutes - 19.7 MBEdit: Bit low effort this one on my part. But next week... The Fringe! - Mark For another trip back to 2017's Edinburgh International Science Festival we'll be hearing from Dr Lucina Hackman. Forensic anthropologists are crucial in helping to identify the deceased when there are limited clues to their identity. Dr Hackman's talk will examine how her work has helped give victim's their identity to assist with the investigation of crimes. Dr Hackman is a senior lecturer at the Centre for A...
SciFest 2017: Niamh Nic Daeid Interview
September 06, 2017 20:55 - 19 minutes - 6.62 MBYes, it's us again. Remember us? We do podcasts and then take massive breaks to put on public festivals of science and rationalism. But we're here again! We'll have some podcasts from most of our Skeptics on the Fringe 2017 talks over the coming months and there's so much good stuff coming up. It'll keep you going for aaaages. Before that we have a few other podcasts to put out from the Science Festival, starting with this interview with Niamh Nic Daeid. She'll be telling us all about her ...
10 Questions: Paul Zenon
July 28, 2017 21:05 - 28 minutes - 9.71 MBThe morning after the birthday cake-infused Skeptics In The Pub before, Mark Pentler sat down with Paul Zenon to discuss the world of psychics and mediums in more detail. Plus they reminisce about Blackpool, the place where they both grew up. It's like Portabello, only with more Scottish people. We're probably taking a break now before our month-long Fringe Binge - there may be time to squeeze in one last podcast. If you're good and eat all your dinner, obviously.
SitP: Secrets Of The Psychics
July 28, 2017 21:02 - 56 minutes - 20 MBEdit: A birthday surprise at the end of this talk. The picture attached should hopefully provide some context... From long-running TV series to sold-out theatre shows and premium rate phone 'advice' lines, the business of 'Love and Light' and talking to the dead is very much alive and well. How are psychics able to convince the public that their other-worldly insight is genuine? Why do people insist on believing, despite the lack of evidence of an afterlife? Paul Zenon presents a potted hi...
Special: Skeptics on the Fringe 2017 Preview!
July 05, 2017 20:00 - 48 minutes - 16.7 MBThe podcast returns for one week only! (Probably. Hopefully a few more before the Fringe). Join Mark, Sean & Heather as they go through each night of the Skeptics on the Fringe 2017 lineup and discuss the people, the topics, and generally lark about for 50 minutes. Skeptics on the Fringe 2017 began in 2009 and is our contribution to the world's biggest arts festival. We bring a dose of scientific skepticism, critical thinking, and rationalism to the city during the month of August. Ske...
SciFest 2017: Emma McClure Interview
May 18, 2017 19:59 - 9 minutes - 3.18 MBIn this interview with EdSkeptics Science Festival speaker Emma McClure we delve deeper into some of the issues with the reliance on certain types of forensic evidence, hear about her journey into skepticism, and find out what happened to her first pet - featuring special guest star Emma's mother. Emma McClure is a solicitor specialising in prison and public law whose work sees her regularly representing prisoners during parole hearings and bringing judicial reviews against public bodies. ...
SciFest 2017: The Phantom of Heilbronn
May 18, 2017 19:55 - 46 minutes - 16.1 MBWe're back but also we never really went away or something. For this double episode of the podcast we have a talk and an interview with prison lawyer Emma McClure. In this talk, she examines the issues with forensic techniques, highlighting the amusing, confusing and sometimes tragic consequences of failing to take a skeptical approach to evidence in the field of forensic science. Emma McClure is a solicitor specialising in prison and public law whose work sees her regularly representing ...
Special: A Plastic Tide talk
May 03, 2017 21:42 - 36 minutes - 12.6 MBFor the podcast this week we have some bonus content for you while we pin down some of our Science Festival speakers for interviews. We have a recording of a talk given at one of our monthly cinema nights. Over eight million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean each year, killing sea life. Now new evidence says it's entering our food chain with unknown health effects. Dr Mark Hartl - Associate Professor of Marine Biology, Director, Centre of Marine Biodiversity & Biotechnology - discusses th...
SciFest 2017: Stevyn Colgan Interview
April 27, 2017 19:58 - 13 minutes - 4.55 MB(Sorry for the slightly dodgy audio... - Ed) Time reasons scuppered our chances of having a nice chat with our old friend, QI Elf, and ex-copper Stevyn Colgan. So, to go along with his Science Festival 2017 talk we're dusting off the archives and bringing you a EdSkeptics classic - our interview with Stevyn from QED 2016. Stevyn Colgan is an author, artist, public speaker and oddly-spelled Cornishman. He has, among other things, been a chef, a brewer, a comics publisher and – for three d...
SciFest 2017: The Skeptical Bobby
April 27, 2017 19:56 - 1 hour - 24.2 MBThe podcast returns! And we're back with a corker - the first of our run of talks under the banner of the Edinburgh International Science Festival. First up is QI Elf and ex-London copper Stevyn Colgan. Stevyn was a police officer in Scotland Yard for 20 years, as part of the Problem Solving Unit finding imaginative solutions to quell tensions in communities, from dog shows to lollipops. Stevyn Colgan is an author, artist, public speaker and oddly-spelled Cornishman. He has, among other t...
SotF 2016: Mid Fringe Binge
April 19, 2017 20:44 - 23 minutes - 8.23 MBFor our final trip down the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe memory lane we're heading back to 2/3rds through the run for our Mid Fringe Binge! We always have a few nights at the Fringe where we invite our old friends to come back and do something for us, plus we scout the Fringe to find some sufficiently nerdy or sciencey shows happening elsewhere to promote to our audience. First we have some nerdy pirate-themed music courtesy of our old friends and Fringe legends Jollyboat. Arrrrghhhhhh! The boys ...
SotF 2016: Online and Offline Spaces for Democracy
March 22, 2017 21:01 - 22 minutes - 7.89 MBFor our last talk from the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe we're having a look at how online and offline spaces work both for and against democracy courtesy of Ella Taylor Smith. If we think of social media as spaces – like rooms – we get a new perspective on what’s going on and why. This talk looks at what people are doing when they’re doing democracy, in online and offline spaces. What is it about these spaces that makes them useful or worrying for our democracies? Spoiler alert – going to talk abou...
SotF 2016: Charles Cockell Interview
March 15, 2017 21:24 - 15 minutes - 5.33 MBMany, many, many months after his talk, Claudia Schaffner sits down with Charles Cockell to talk in more detail about life throughout the universe. And how the hell we're going to find it... Charles Cockell is Professor of Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology. His academic interests are life in extreme environments and the habitability of extraterrestrial environments. He is the author of the undergraduate text book, ‘Astrobiology: Unde...
SotF 2016: Life in the Universe
March 15, 2017 21:02 - 44 minutes - 15.4 MBWill we find life elsewhere in the Universe and what are we really looking for? Why has this question suddenly become more interesting? In this talk from the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Charles Cockell guides us through the possibilities and tells us what could be out there and how we can try to find it. Charles Cockell is Professor of Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology. His academic interests are life in extreme environments and the habita...