Not Another Science Podcast

This is the moment you've been waiting for since your childhood and probably into your adulthood. Not Another Science Podcast hosts, Hannah and Lili, reveal the answer to the question: "Is there, and has there ever been, life on Mars?" by talking to Ophelia Gunn, PhD student and researcher at the University of Edinburgh's UK Centre for Astrobiology and the School of Physics and Astronomy. Ophelia studies whether or not the salt structures in Martian brines (not the olive kind) would have ever held Martian life (Mars aliens!) in the past. She joins us to bust long-held myths about space and gives us the best answer to "Do you think aliens are real?". Ophelia works in an interdisciplinary department dedicated to extraterrestrial life; join us to discover how much out-of-this-world research is being done on this tiny blue planet we call home.

Visit Ophelia's Research Portal here!

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The hosts are Alix Bailie (@alixbailie) and Hannah Muir (@hannahcmuir). Our podcast manager is Lili Paradi (@liliparadi). The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs).

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod:

https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama;

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music by Professor Colin Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhfAZ-gCEQ&ab_channel=ChemistryEdinburgh

How does the history of trust in scientists play a role in understanding the current ethical and practical dilemmas within communicating science? Join hosts Alix and… well, just Alix this time… as she speaks with Dr. Jan Barfoot about the power of two-way communication in science communication & public engagement. With a background in cancer cell biology, an extensive history communicating complex topics, and an affinity towards lichen, fungi and mosses, Jan engages us with top tips and insights that she has accumulated as she works on making science more accessible to you and I. Who knew you could cross face painting, story-telling and stem cell research?

Jan’s Socials: @Jangarooo

Check out more about Jan here: https://www.eurostemcell.org/jan-barfoot

Hope Beyond Hype: https://www.eurostemcell.org/hope-beyond-hype

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The hosts are Alix Bailie (@alixbailie) and Hannah Muir (@hannahcmuir). Our podcast manager is Lili Paradi (@liliparadi). The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs).

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod:

https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama;

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music by Professor Colin Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhfAZ-gCEQ&ab_channel=ChemistryEdinburgh

What do you get when you cross a passion for knitting, the intricacies of nature’s movements, and the love of engineering robots? In conversation with Ruby Marshall, a PhD student in the Soft Systems Group at the University of Edinburgh, we discover the diverse set of skills that knit together to become the cross section of biomimicry and soft-robotics. Think, taking the motion of a jet-propelled squid and using mechanical engineering to transform it into a functional robot using tightly woven textiles. While we discover that creating bionic mermaid tails is not yet the future of her work, Ruby shares the importance of soft robotics to other fields, and we hear about her experience as a female phD student within a largely male-dominated field.

Ruby’s Socials: @RubyMResearch

Check out the Molly Fergusson Initiative here: https://www.mollyfergusson.eng.ed.ac.uk/

Ruby's and Other Scientist's CreateWorks Audio Dramas: https://createworks.eng.ed.ac.uk/audio-dramas

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The hosts are Alix Bailie (@alixbailie) and Hannah Muir. Our podcast manager is Lili Paradi. The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs).

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod:

https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama;

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music by Professor Colin Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhfAZ-gCEQ&ab_channel=ChemistryEdinburgh

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Originally posted on March 1st, reposted March 7th

Dive into the noisy + wet world of the marine environment with Dr. Lauren McWhinnie and PhD student Emily Hague from Heriot-Watt University. These two are self-professed whale-geeks and researchers on the stressors that humans put on our cetacean friends. Turns out, whales don’t want anything to do with big boats who make annoying acoustics, nor particularly enjoy being entangled in fishing nets, nor do they fancy being run over by these larger vessels. Our hosts coast down the fascinating and challenging world of marine conservation - learning about the response that the UK, Russia and Arctic indigenous communities have to this increase in marine animal fatality. Lauren and Emily are a power-duo for the species that they are passionate about, informing us with optimistic realism about the lockdown’s impact on the creatures of the deep waters. Who knew that decreasing our noise and listening to whales would help us understand them better?

You can find out more about Lauren’s research here: https://researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/persons/lauren-helen-mcwhinnie and here:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lauren-mcwhinnie-759a9191

And Emily’s profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/emily-hague-a55411110 and

https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/schools/energy-geoscience-infrastructure-society/research/iles/hague-emily.htm

Follow Lauren on Twitter: @Lhm3Lauren

Follow Emily on Twitter: @emilyhague

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The hosts are Alix Bailie (@alixbailie) and Hannah Muir (@hannahcmuir). Our podcast manager is Lili Paradi (@liliparadi). The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs).

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod:

https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama;

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music by Professor Colin Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhfAZ-gCEQ&ab_channel=ChemistryEdinburgh

We kick off season 4 of Not Another Science Podcast with a mind-blowing conversation about Dr. Ana Rita Pires’ journey in unfolding origami - not the paper kind as we previously thought, but being of the symplectic mathematical manifolds type. Ana Rita is a lecturer at the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh and (in our opinion) - the most recent reason why we love talking about maths.

Our hosts learn more about the importance of using engaging food-related metaphors for teaching complex topics, the excitement of discovering that maths is right for you, and the discovery that the only real-world application of symplectic geometry is to capture and reroute wayward fragments of useless satellites in space.

From working with children and in American prisons to teach, to lecturing to maths students, to researching maths and being a mother at the same time, tune in to find out more about the life of Ana Rita Pires.

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The hosts are Alix Bailie (@alixbailie) and Hannah Muir. Our podcast manager is Lili Paradi (@liliparadi). The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs).

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod:

https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama;

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music by Professor Colin Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhfAZ-gCEQ&ab_channel=ChemistryEdinburgh

Ever been so hungry that you have considered eating a mound of plastic as your next meal? Dr. Jo Sadler is a newly appointed Principal Investigator at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Biological Sciences and an innovative builder of new molecules. Synthetic biology - the ability to manipulate biological systems using chemistry and biological processes - is Joanna’s way of breathing new life into so-called ‘waste’ materials. Jo’s newly released research paper uses polyethylene therapthlatate, or PET, found in plastic bottles to synthesize vanilla flavouring that is identical to the vanillin extracted from the natural plant. Listen to hear about the future of foodstuffs and the importance of public engagement in the dissemination of touchy subjects such as man-made foods.

Socials: https://twitter.com/josadler10

Find Joanna’s research here: https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/microbial-synthesis-of-vanillin-from-waste-polyethylene-terephtha

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The hosts are Alix Bailie (@alixbailie) and Hannah Muir. Our podcast manager is Lili Paradi. The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs).

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod:

https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama;

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music by Professor Colin Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhfAZ-gCEQ&ab_channel=ChemistryEdinburgh

Get ready for this second food-themed episode to lift your spirits as Dr. Jane White - research scientist and Director of Undergraduate Studies for Distilling and Brewing at Heriot-Watt University - deep-dives into the pot of knowledge behind the ale and whisky industry in Scotland. Find out what happens chemically to the by-products of whisky and beer and answer those burning questions you have about Scotland’s alcohol such as “What is pot ale?”, “Can salmon get drunk?”, “Do alcohol proteins make good protein drinks?” and “How much whisky is produced in Scotland, really?”. To top it off, our team discusses how Scotland’s alcohol industry is steeped in goals surrounding sustainability and net-zero action.

Find Jane’s research here: https://researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/persons/jane-white

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The hosts are Alix Bailie (@alixbailie) and Hannah Muir. Our podcast manager is Lili Paradi. The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs).

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod:

https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama;

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music by Professor Colin Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhfAZ-gCEQ&ab_channel=ChemistryEdinburgh

Think you know a lot about food? Wait until you have met Stan Blackley: Co-Programme Leader of the MSc in Gastronomy at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. In this episode, we hear about the importance of diverse food in creating healthy lifestyles (it’ll surprise you to hear how many types of potatoes there are in the world!), how to tackle the current climate change crisis using our stomachs and food choices, and why food sciences and production can be the key to challenging social inequalities all over the world.

To start on our food-themed series of pods, consider yourself now a foodie, as you will be transported into the delicious world of consumption as Stan puts the ‘Me’ into ‘Gastronomy’.

You can find Stan on Twitter on @stanblackley and for more info on the QMU Gastronomy course, check out https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/postgraduate-study/2021/msc-gastronomy/

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The hosts are Alix Bailie (@alixbailie) and Hannah Muir. Our podcast manager is Lili Paradi. The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs).

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod:

https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama;

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music by Professor Colin Campbell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhfAZ-gCEQ&ab_channel=ChemistryEdinburgh

This final episode of the season is truly out of this world. The team speaks to Rosa Santomartino, a space microbiologist in the School of Physics and Astronomy. Rosa was one of the lead scientists on the BioRock and BioAsteroid experiments, which sent microbe samples to the International Space Station, to study how the microbes reacted to different gravity conditions. This could impact both biomining on Earth, and potential future planet-settling missions. You can find Rosa on Twitter @RosaBioRosa. 

Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu (@helenacornu) and Tom Edwick (@edwicktom), brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). The logo was designed by Apple Chew (@_applechew), and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones (@heatherfrancs). Tom and Helena will be handing over the podcast to our new hosts, current podcast manager Alix Bailie (@alixbailie), and new team member Hannah Muir! Make sure to tune in for the next season of Not Another Science Podcast, and always keep it science. 

You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

Music by Kevin Macleod: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama; https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3787-funk-game-loop; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

It’s time to let your creativity juices flow with this bonus episode for international music day. New host Alix speaks to Professor Colin Campbell who wants to bring science out of the lab and into the recording studio. But how do you take some scientific data and turn it into music? There’s no one answer, but Colin takes us through the thinking behind some of his awesome and varied pieces of music. Check out the full songs with full animations at ChemistryEdinburgh.