It's getting dark in here as we talk to Roberto Trotta about Dark Matter and Dark Energy. These two subjects are some of the most mysterious in the world of physics, as yet unconfirmed, but the subject of much research. Roberto tells us what our best theories are at the moment and how we are testing our current understanding of these elusive concepts.

Mixtape

Jack Devlin talks about the electron, one of the fundamental particles that makes up our universe. We explore some of the properties that we know it has and some of those that we don't. Jack tells us about his experiments trying to measure how round the electron is and explains some of the consequences of a ellipsoidal electron.

Mixtape

This week Matilda talks psychedelics with Dr Robin Carhart-Harris, the first scientist to do a brain-imaging study with LSD! He shares what it's revealed about the ego vs the unconscious mind, as well as his exciting new research into how magic mushrooms might be an effective treatment for depression. Come and take a trip with us, and discover the brain on LSD.

Mixtape:

#science #mixtape #lsd #brain #drugs #consciousness #depression #magicmushrooms #psilocybin #psychedelics

Today we are joined by ex-immunoparisitologist Khalil Thirlaway discussing parasites of all shapes and sizes. We do our most successful experiment ever and khalil gives us a lesson in the kind of chemical detective work that he used in his research to develop new drugs from the extract of plants from the Malaysian rainforest.

Mixtape

1 Pharoahe Monch - Push

This week we explore how perceptions of mental health have changed over time, and the power of stories to shape and change those ideas, in honour of Mental Health Awareness Week 2017. Our fantastic guest is Dr Jon Day from King's College London, who specialises in philosophy of mind, neurology, and modern literature. From Virginia Woolf and PTSD, to Freudian analysis and neuromania, it's a though-provoking look at our concept of 'the mind'. Plus we discover a poet who came up with the Big Bang Theory before any of the scientists!

Mixtape:

#science #mixtape #mind #philosophy #psychiatry #literature #novel #story #brain #neurology #neuromania

This week we're joined by neuroscientist Elodie Chabrol who's on a mission to cure untreatable forms of epilepsy with gene therapy. When she's not in the lab she's busy bringing science to pubs and bars around the world through the fantastic Pint of Science festival in May. We get a sneak preview of some of the talks this year, including Elodie's own one - 'Sex, Voles, and Oxytocin' - as well as an icy challenge in the studio, does swearing help you withstand pain? Only one way to find out... BEEEEEPPPP

Mixtape:

#science #mixtape #ice #epilepsy #pintofscience #swearing

This week we are joined by Janice Wang an experimental psychologist who is an expert on the boundaries between taste and all of our other senses. We have a little chocolate based experiment and try a few wines with unconventional pairings.

Mixtape

1 Air - Cherry Blossom

It's a seminal show this week as we are joined by Simon Watt, founder of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, "raising the profile of some of Mother's Nature's more aesthetically challenged children". Simon shares fascinating facts about his favourite ugly animals, as well as why frogs are every biologist's dream, and how to imitate an insect with just a balloon and a coin. Plus we announce our very own Ugly Animal Science Mixtape Mascot as voted by YOU our listeners! Who will be victorious - the Aye Aye, the Saiga Antelope, the Wart-Biter Cricket, or the Axolotl...?!

Mixtape:

#science #mixtape #ugly #animals #frogs #ants #axolotl #saiga #cricket #ayeaye