2013 Podcasts
The podcast is presented by Gareth Mitchell, a lecturer on Imperial's MSc Science Communication course. He’s also a longstanding BBC presenter and reporter. Gareth is joined each month by our roving reporters in the Communications Division.
If you have feedback that you'd like to share or ideas for future editions, we'd love to hear from you; please contact Gareth Mitchell.
You can also find the podcasts on most major platforms, including YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify.
Check out other podcasts produced across the College in our podcast directory.
archive 2013
11 December 2013
Scientists report that pop music can improve the efficiency of solar cells and students tell tales of scaling huge rock faces in California.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 11 December 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: HIV and Mars – Scientists in the Department of Medicine prepare to test a possible HIV cure and the latest reports from the Curiosity rover suggest Mars once had lakes that could have sustained life.
- High adventure – We speak to four students who took part in a climbing expedition in Yosemite National Park, California with support from the College Exploration Board.
- Good vibrations – Dr Safa Shoaee on her recent finding that solar cells are more efficient when music is played, and prefer Adele to Beethoven.
- Braced for impact – Dr Matthew Genge explains how astronomers monitor the sky for objects like the Chelyabinsk meteor that could collide with Earth.
20 November 2013
In this edition, a Nobel laureate drops in at Imperial to talk about the science of ageing and students wrestle with the problem of putting motion sensors on crocodiles.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 20 November 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: designer drinks and curious cats - Professor David Nutt seeks support for research into alcohol alternatives, and Imperial researchers in Borneo capture a rare and elusive cat on camera.
- Talking telomeres - Nobel laureate Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, who delivered this year’s Schrodinger lecture at Imperial, explains how our chromosomes are worn down as we age.
- Croc stars - Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan talks about how undergraduate students in Mechanical Engineering are using webcams and motion sensors to monitor the behaviour of crocodiles.
- Herding cats? - Professor Carol Propper (Business School) discusses her research on the importance of good university management.
30 October 2013
A special edition with commentary from Imperial scientists on the winners of this year’s Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry and physiology or medicine.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 30 October 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- Higgs glory - Professors Jerome Gauntlett, Tom Kibble and Tejinder Virdee give their thoughts on the big ideas behind the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics.
- Computational chemistry - Dr Ian Gould on how the winners of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry developed a method to combine quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics, and how these tools are used in the agrochemical, pharmaceutical and materials industries.
- Vesicle traffic - The winners of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine helped us understand how materials are packaged and transported in cells, as Dr Anita Hall (Life Sciences) explains.
9 October 2013
Expert commentary on the IPCC’s latest climate change report and a ride on Imperial’s public engagement tricycle.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 9 October 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: ballerinas and bears - Why ballet dancers don’t ge t dizzy and why EU membership might spell trouble for Croatia’s brown bears.
- Dr Simon Buckle on the fifth IPCC report - Dr Simon Buckle, Policy Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, dissects the latest conclusions from the IPCC.
- Research in Motion - Imperial scientists get on their trike to bring science to the streets of South Kensington.
- Kabaddi Club - Prajesh Jadeja invites students to try a new sport at the 2013 Freshers’ Fair.
18 September 2013
Our latest Fringe event explored the science of your identity, with DNA origami, 3D brain images, and a look at stress inside the womb. Gareth Mitchell and Simon Levey were there to capture the evening for the podcast.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 18 September 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: healthy texts and anaemia diagnosis – How mobile phones can help prevent type 2 diabetes, and a new way to measure haemoglobin in the blood.
- Imperial Fringe on tour – Our series of evening events travels to the Imperial West campus. Among the attractions was DNA extraction from strawberries.
- Stress in the womb – Professor Vivette Glover explains how stress during pregnancy can have a lifelong effect on the child’s biology.
- 3D brain images and DNA origami – Dr John McGonigle reveals what’s in his head and Mike Paul-Smith shows visitors how to build DNA models from paper.
28 August 2013
Vice Provost Debra Humphris and Student Union president David Goldsmith discuss the National Student Survey results, and we visit the Energy Futures Lab to discover new ways of powering motorbikes and guitar amps.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 28 August 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: losing appetite and cutting fertilisers - Gastric bypass surgery has surprising effects on the brain and Imperial researchers contemplate how to help crops thrive without nitrogen fertiliser.
- National Student Survey 2012: results - Vice Provost Debra Humphris and Student Union president David Goldsmith discuss the National Student Survey results, which showed an overall satisfaction rating of 86 per cent.
- Clean energy for amps and bikes – Rosemary Peters visits the Energy Futures Lab to see how students are using hydrogen fuel cells to power guitar amps and building powerful electric vehicles.
- Sailing on sunlight – Dr Jonathan Eastwood explains how Nasa are planning to launch a spacecraft propelled by solar pressure.
7 August 2013
In the latest edition of the Imperial Podcast, we hear from leading researchers in synthetic biology and fetal development.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 7 August 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: Imperial inventions - An intelligent surgical knife and a new generation of display screen technology.
- Engineering life - Jenna Stevens-Smith reports from a major conference on synthetic biology held at Imperial.
- Baby steps - Imperial scientists talk about their research on movements in the womb, brain development before birth, and how stress in mothers can affect their children.
- Bright business ideas - The winning teams in a Business School competition explain their plans to provide water purification units and an app to connect distant loved ones.
10 July 2013
Students get their hands on real construction projects and Imperial researchers take part in a public science exhibition at the Royal Society.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 10 July 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: cannabis and Twitter - New research on how cannabis influences dopamine production in the brain and a program that predicts which tweeters are human.
- “A massive field trip with a difference” - Civil engineering students visit a 14-acre outdoor classroom to build 4-storey steel structures, bridges and underground shafts.
- Good business - MBA student Mike Follett summarises his award-winning essay on how businesses can be a force for social good at the same time as maximising profits.
- Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2013 - Imperial researchers tell visitors about the unsung role of sugars in fertilisation, the Planck satellite’s view of the early universe, and how bacteria make decisions without having a brain.
19 June 2013
In this edition: Insights into antibiotic prescribing and a hypothetical mission to Mars.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 19 June 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News - A study highlights a big rise in hospital admissions linked to child obesity, and a look ahead to the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.
- Prescribing etiquette – Professor Alison Holmes and Esmita Charani discuss their research into the factors that influence doctors’ decisions to prescribe antibiotics.
- Does research spending benefit the economy? - Researchers from the Business School explain how their research is shedding light on the relationship between the research sector and the rest of the economy.
- Mission to Mars – Dr Simon Foster on how he and other Imperial researchers are plotting to send astronauts to Mars.
22 May 2013
In this special edition from the Imperial Festival: An electric motorbike, an intelligent knife, and a trip up the Queen’s Tower.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 22 May 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- Algae and an electric motorbike – Morgane Valles (Life Sciences) and Billy Wu (Earth Science and Engineering) explain their exhibits in the Research Zone.
- The intelligent knife – Professor Roger Kneebone explains how a new diagnostic tool might change the way surgical teams work.
- Climbing the Queen’s Tower – Gareth makes the 324-step ascent to the top of Imperial’s most famous landmark.
- The Reach Out Lab – Young visitors to the festival extract DNA from strawberries and build towers from spaghetti.
- Knots and chemical photography - Senja Barthel on the maths of unsolvable knots and Jen Dougan on how infrared light can be used to reveal the chemical composition of samples.
1 May 2013
In this edition: a look ahead at the Imperial Festival, where robotic grasshoppers and a plasma globe will be among the many exhibits. Plus, school students hear from women who have led successful careers in space science.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 1 May 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: diabetes and galaxies - A new study highlights how sugary drinks can increase type 2 diabetes risk and a new galaxy that could be the last ever discovery from the Herschel space telescope.
- Robots inspired by nature - Dr Mirko Kovac will show visitors at the Imperial Festival how animals are teaching engineers to make robots that can move across outdoor terrains.
- Women in Space Science - Scientists from Imperial and Nasa told school students about their exciting careers at an event at the American embassy.
- What is plasma? - PhD student Arthur Turrell on an unusual state of matter, and what it cou l d do for us.
10 April 2013
In this edition: Dr Anna Andreou talks about her research on headaches and two business leaders discuss diversity in the corporate world.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 10 April 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: Bird flu, bosons and the Big Bang - New research on the H5N1 virus, confirmation of a Higgs discovery and a glimpse of the fledgling universe.
- Diversity: issue or opportunity? - Marianne Fallon, Head of Corporate Affairs at KPMG, and Professor Dorothy Griffiths, Dean of Imperial College Business School, discuss how diversity can benefit business.
- The science of headaches - Dr Anna Andreou explains how her research investigates how migraines arise in the brain and how they can be treated more effectively.
- Charity Insights - Physics student Peter Quicke took part in a new programme that gives students a taste of working in the charity sector during the summer holiday.
20 March 2013
In this edition: Scientists launch a project to map babies’ brains and two rock superstars return to their old haunt at Imperial College Union.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 20 March 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: The Imperial West campus is officially launched and Professor Tom Kibble, one of the godfathers of the Higgs boson, celebrates his 80th bi rthd ay.
- Tiny minds: Professor Daniel Rueckert (Computing) discusses the Developing Human Connectome Project, a major effort to map babies’ brains.
- While you were seeping: Nitrates from fertilisers used decades ago are polluting our water supply – and it’s all because of how slowly water passes through chalk, according to Dr Adrian Butler (Civil & Environmental Engineering).
- Rock formation: Brian May and Roger Taylor return to Imperial College Union for the unveiling of a plaque to mark their first gig as Queen.
27 February 2013
This edition features the latest research on flu pandemics and asteroid strikes, and we hear from students taking part in a charity bungee jump on campus.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 27 February 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News - Why staff satisfaction is a reliable indicator of hospital performance, and how the mathematics of randomness can help predict climate change.
- Lessons from the 2009 flu pandemic - Dr Maria Van Kerkhove (MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling) explains how a WHO-led project analysing the 2009 pandemic will help us plan for future flu outbreaks.
- Binary asteroids - Dr Gareth Collins’s (Earth Science & Engineering) research looks at what happens when the Earth is hit by two asteroids orbiting each other.
- RAG Week at Imperial - A week of fundraising activites at Imperial began with 125 people participating in a bungee jump.
6 February 2013
In this edition: Imperial College podcast interviews a star and a gets the lowdown on a diamond award for the Faculty of Engineering.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 6 February 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: Brian May publishes research modelling zodiacal in the solar system, how your whale shark snaps help track these gentle giants and news about recent global flu outbreaks.
- Regal reward for Imperial: Interview with Professor Chris Toumazou (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Imperial's first Regius professor. This prestigious award from Her Majesty, The Queen, recognises the highest standard of research and teaching in the Faculty of Engineering.
- Strictly science: Dr Aldo Faisal (Bioengineering and Computing) talks about an upcoming event celebrating the 100 year centenary of the UK's Medical Research Council and how you can get involved at Imperial.
16 January 2013
In this edition: How signals from the gut affect our appetite and what the future holds for space travel and the economy.
Listen to the complete streamed podcast - 16 January 2013
Or listen to individual chapters
- News: New insights on miscarriage and a look at upcoming events at Imperial.
- The year ahead: Professor Steven Schwartz (Physics) offers his thoughts on the future of space travel and Professor Jonathan Haskel (Business School) considers whether Harry Potter can conjure an impact on the UK economy. (Read more from these interviews in Reporter.)
- The full effect: Professor Gary Frost (Medicine) explains how chemicals secreted by the gut influence our appetite and how understanding these signals could help us prevent excessive weight gain.