If Keanu Reeves can create a revolutionary new energy source in the film Chain Reaction, then why can’t we do the same in real life? Rick and Michael tackle the challenge of getting nuclear fusion - the ‘Holy Grail of Energy’ - to work on Earth. From superheated plasma to doughnut-shaped magnetic fields, will fusion always be the energy of the future? Or could it actually save us all?
Featuring: Prof Steve Cowley
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17: Chain Reaction

Flâneur and irrepressible commentator, Rick Edwards, and "Indiana Jones in a lab coat" Dr. Michael Brooks, delve into the science behind popular culture.

Natural Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science

Will we ever be able to turn invisible? The idea of magically disappearing has fascinated humanity for centuries. Once dismissed as impossible, a promising new wave of technologies could bring this dream one step closer to reality. Rick and Michael wrap up in bandages and plunge into HG Wells’ seminal work: The Invisible Man.
Featuring Professor Sir John Pendry
Produced by Eli Block
Sources: http://bit.ly/Scienceish_The_Invisible_Man_Sources
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8: Episode 100: The Invisible Man

Have we all been poisoned? PFAS chemicals are all around us and almost certainly in your blood. But just how worried should we be? Michael sits down with Mark Ruffalo and Rob Bilott to talk about the shocking true story behind Dark Waters.
Link to Rob Bilott’s excellent book: bit.ly/Rob_Bilott_Exposure
Sources: bit.ly/Scienceish_Dark_Waters_Sources
Produced by Eli BlockAssistant Producer: Holly Aquilina
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7: Dark Waters

Will we inevitably all become Cyborgs? More than ever, we’re hearing from Silicon Valley types that humans are going to need to merge with machines. But just what would our augmented future look like? Rick and Michael plug in to the techno-dystopian classic Robocop to find out whether we’ll radically alter our bodies or risk being left behind.
Featuring: Professor Kevin Warwick
Produced by Eli Block and Ivor Manley
Sources: http://bit.ly/Scienceish_Robocop_Sources

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6: Robocop

Why aren’t there more cannibals? Through the unforgettable horror of Silence Of The Lambs, Rick and Michael discover that eating your own has all sorts of surprising evolutionary benefits. So why have humans (for the most part) given it up? Time to settle back with some fava beans and a nice Chianti… fffthff..fftsf.ffthf...
Featuring Bill Schutt - billschutt.com
Sources: http://bit.ly/Silence_Of_The_Lambs_Sources

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5: Silence of The Lambs

Is the Force a real thing? Michael takes Rick on a mind bending tour through a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars! Crucial questions will be answered: did Luke Skywalker get his powers from a parasite? Can we use quantum entanglement to summon a lightsaber? Did George Lucas cheat on his homework? All will be revealed...

Featuring: Patrick Johnson
Sources: http://bit.ly/StarWars_Sources

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17: Chain Reaction

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