Show overview
Science, Actually Presents : The Nerd and the Scientist has been publishing since 2023, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 88 episodes. That works out to roughly 75 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence, with the show now in its 8th season.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 42 min and 1h — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Science show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 weeks ago, with 17 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2024, with 36 episodes published. Published by Science, Actually.
From the publisher
Astrophysicist Kovi Rose and scicommer Benjamin Salles love space, and bad puns, and are united in their shared belief that they're brilliantly funny.
Latest Episodes
View all 88 episodesIn the beginning... : Guest : Dr. Jaiden Cook
Is That A Laser In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Happy To See Me? : Guest : Dr. Dimos Katsis
Moondial!
Things That Go Bump In The Night Sky
The Universe Is Bigger Than It Is Old : Guest : Bryan Scott
Kovi Bustin' Askap In Yo' Radio Bursts
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderdoctor : Guest : Anastasia Shavrova
Around The World In 90 Minutes : Guest : Rex Walheim
I've Got 55 Problems and Books Are All of Them : Guest : Jennifer Swanson
Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!
Floating Nutella : Artemis II
S8 Ep 7Fellowship of the Sciences : Guest : Zoe Xirocostas
Dr. Zoe Xirocostas joins Kovi and Benjamin to talk about peer reviews, getting grants for research, the effort behind getting a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), and creating mutant super plants that can survive any habitat.
S8 Ep 6Transatlantic Gravitas : Guest : Daniel Orvomaa
How do we explain this one? It's the 'Part Two' of Kovi and Benjamin's previous episode where they were waiting for their guest, Daniel Orvomaa of the Talking Ass podcast, who never showed up. It's 'Part Two' of a double episode done with the Talking Ass - 'Part One' of which is available on the Talking Ass right now. It's also Daniel's third time on the show but only his second time rapid-firing through the Questions & Quibbles at the end. Kovi kicks us off talking about islands and atoms, and then the gang discusses what's going on with our moon missions?
S8 Ep 5Oh Danny Boy, The Nerds, The Nerds Are Calling...
Hot Dogs and Toilet Paper and Action Figures, OH MY! All studied up and ready to record a double episode with the Talking Ass' very own Daniel Orvomaa - Daniel had a scheduling mix up, didn't make it, and that left Kovi and Benjamin just riffing. Well, we didn't get all dressed up for nothing! The boys talk about Vegas shows and try out some new Questions & Quibbles questions for future guests.
S8 Ep 4When Protoplanetary Disks Start Throwing Things : Guest : Naman Bajaj
There are 1.5 million freshly minted engineers in India every year. One of them, this week's guest Naman Bajaj, said, "well, I guess they've got enough of those," changed course, became an astronomer, scored an insane amount of time on JWST (that, in itself, is amazing - which totally rocked Kovi's and Benjamin's minds), and found that protoplanetary disks - baby solar systems - lose 85-90% of their original mass by the time they're done forming. They do so in tremendous, huge jets - some of which, in turn, spark the beginnings of other baby solar systems.
S8 Ep 3Zel’Dovich Pancakes
Kovi and Benjamin were getting their questions and notes in order, preparing for another amazing episode with another amazing guest - when there was a sudden reschedule that left the boys alone, unprepared, and unsupervised. Join the gents as they just talk... well... they way they usually talk - NERD TALK. From NORAD, to data science, to something that goes great with maple, strawberry or blueberry syrup - Zel’Dovich Pancakes!
S8 Ep 2I Know You Are But What Am Ion?
In this episode, Kovi and Benjamin dive headfirst into the Ig Nobel Prize, science’s annual celebration of research that makes you laugh first and think later. The lads cover everything from the prize’s origins and its wonderfully weird traditions to the unforgettable “winners” themselves, all while celebrating the curious, human side of scientific discovery. It is a reminder that science is not just serious. Sometimes it is very, very funny.And because the Ig Nobels deserve a little swagger:Iggy Iggy Iggy, can’t you seeSometimes your prize entertains meThank you, Biggie.
S8 Ep 1Just Shooting The Shtars : Guest : Space Case Sarah
Everybody look busy! Our boss is back. For those of you who don't know, Kovi and Benjamin first nerded together as co-hosts on the Space Case Sarah Show, hosted by our return guest - the space case herself - Sarah Treadwell. Tune in to hear about her PhD journey, being a professional science communicator, what her son's favorite planet name is (nope, not what we thought either), and what does one actually do with a space inflatable planetarium?
S7 Ep 1099 Problems And Nerds Aint One : Guest : David Ezrakhovich
Do you think about databases? Do you think like a databse? This week's guest David Ezrakhovich does. Listen to Kovi and Benjamin's 70th episode (holy moly 70!) as David shares with us how his journey and his mindset led him to becoming a multi-disciplinary engineer. ...and all that happens somewhere in the middle of three nerds being nerds.
S7 Ep 9Say Hello To My Lunar Friend! : Guest : Howard Isaacson
Where do 'nearby stars' end and 'distant stars' begin? Learn the answer to that question from UC Berkeley astronomer Howard Isaacson! Kovi and Benjamin swoon as Howard gets romantic about astronomy, his love of exoplanets, black holes, and the search for life in the universe.