Podcasts and radio

Working as a science broadcaster allows me to bother incredibly interesting people with my questions. Alongside scientists, I’ve searched for Burmese pythons in a swamp, driven deep into Romanian mountains to see the impacts of illegal logging, and helped plant shrubs to slow coastal erosion in Puerto Rico.

Many of my shows are broadcast nationwide on BBC Radio 4 or worldwide on The BBC World Service to 95 million unique listeners per week.

CrowdScience

I present CrowdScience, a weekly science documentary show on The BBC World Service. Each episode begins with a question from one of our listeners, and I track down scientists across the globe to find the answer.

Here are a few of my favourite episodes:

Wind Down Wisdom

I’m part of Radio 3’s Classical Wind Down with Niall Breslin, where I add a smattering of science into a beautiful evening of classical music. In each episode I share a science-backed way to relax: from going on a run, to stroking a pet. To be honest, I could do with practising a bit more of what I preach…

Unexpected Elements

I often present Unexpected Elements, a weekly BBC World Service show where I’m joined by an international panel of journalists to look at the science hiding behind the news.

Here’s how one episode begins: after Nepal announced that 97 Himalayan peaks would be free to climb, we explored the science of mountains and the effect so many climbers have on the environment.

Science expert

I often appear on other shows as a guest science expert.

I regularly contribute to Radio 4’s Inside Science, where I bring along whatever science stories have caught my eye that week. They could be anything from a new version of the periodic table for physicists, to what science says about cutting onions tear-free.

You can hear me on the BBC World Service’s climate change show, The Climate Question. Recently I featured on an episode about why coral reefs are surprisingly important for protecting our changing planet.

You can also hear me on What in the World, a daily news podcast for the BBC World Service. Recently, a huge, red-hot metal ring fell from the sky and landed in a small village in Kenya. I explained why space junk is such a big issue, and how people are trying to get rid of it.