The Cosmic Shed

Welcome back to The Cosmic Shed! In this episode, host Andrew is thrilled to bring you a fascinating interview with Fabrice Schnoller, an engineer, biologist, and filmmaker known for his exploration of ocean life and the study of dolphin and whale communication. Fabrice joins Andrew after they met at the Wild Screen Festival in Bristol, where Fabrice's film "Valdimir: Conversation with a Spy Whale" captivated audiences with the story of Valdimir, the charismatic beluga whale. Andrew and Fabrice discuss the complexities of animal communication, the philosophical questions it raises, and the potential implications of unlocking these mysteries. Fabrice Schnoller in the wild. Fabrice also delves into his unique approach to studying whales, including the innovative use of technology and the challenges of marine research. He shares some fascinating stories of the eperiences he and his fellow researchers have had with whales and dolphines and we discuss the emotional connections between humans and whales, as well as the broader significance of understanding these majestic creatures. Hvaldimir spyhopping to inspect a boat...or is he looking at the people on it? Join us for this fascinating conversation that bridges science, storytelling, and the quest for deeper connections with the natural world. show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Planet Earth III is the latest and greatest installment in the BBC's landmark Natural History series and we are joined by three of the people behind this stunning new television event. Abi Lees is the Director of the Forests episodes Producer/Director Abigail Lees, Assistant Producer Georgie Ward and Junior Production Manager Georgie Collingwood join Andrew and Steve to talk the making of, and our deep love of, Planet Earth 3. Georgina Collingwood is a Junior Porduction Manager of Planet Earth III As the shed is currently a little worse for wear, this podcast was recorded on a 117 year old Dutch Barge in Bristol Harbour. Georgina Ward is the Assistant Producer of the Coasts and Extremes episodes Just what does go into making such an amazing series? Download and listen or simply press play on this page to find out now. show notes Planet Earth III is here We did 2 episodes on Planet Earth II - The Science and The Producers You can find our episode on Blue Planet II here Our episode on Seven Worlds One Planet is here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Screens of Matter is a cinema development project, specialising in screening science fiction films. The long-term aim of the company is to secure permanent premises in Bristol (UK), to build on venue capacity in the city. The project also aims to attract and support neurodiverse audiences by testing ideas to create more inclusive cinema environments. Founder/Producer | Emmeline Rodman Emmeline is a Bristol based producer who currently works in the charity and education sectors. She is an experienced events manager and lectures in events management and design. She is proudly neurodiverse, diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia. Science fiction films provide her with a place of solace from these conditions. Programme advisor | Owen Van Spall Owen is a London based film programmer for a major arts venue. He has worked in a variety of cinemas for nearly a decade, from pop-up events to community projects across the UK. He is a film history postgraduate and has also worked in the comic book publishing industry. Their launch event is a double bill of Judge Dredd films. To get your tickets and find our more visit www.screensofmatter.com show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Daniel Huertas is a Natural History and conservation filmmaker with Studio Silverback who has worked on films and projects including Our Planet and the Earthshot Prize. In this episode of The Cosmic Shed, Daniel joins Andrew to discuss his work including the fascinating films Our Planet Our Business and Our Planet Too Big to Fail. Films which take the environmental and conservation message to the heart of the decision makers who have such an impact on our home. Download and listen now. show notes You can find out more about Studio Silverback here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Lizzie Daly is a wildlife biologist, wildlife filmmaker and conservation filmmaker who is currently on our screens on The One Show and will be hosting many lovely panels and events at Wildscreen Festival in Bristol and online 10-14 October 2022. Andrew and Lizzie at Cheltenham Science Festival Lizzie first joined Andrew for the Cosmic Shed for our episode exploring the Spirit of Apollo but was talking to Andrew as they arranged something rather interesting which will be taking place at Wildscreen this year. Listen to this episode to find out more. Lizzie and the Giant Barrel Jellyfish show notes Lizzie can also be heard on our Spirit of Apollo episode Lizzie mentions the 27s orca pod an d The Celtic Deep The Territory from Dogwoof is here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

ESA Astronaut Tim Peake joins us to discuss the wonderful new Pixar film Lightyear. Ben Wheatley reports back from the Leicester Square Premiere at Cineworld...which he shared with Taika Waitiki and Chris Evans among others. Tim Peake speaks to Ben Wheatley for The Cosmic Shed podcast "While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source." Lightyear is in cinemas from July 17th in the UK and we recommend you find yourself a screening as soon as you can but feel free to listen to this episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast before you do as it is spoiler free. show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Mary Anning Rocks was born when 11 year old, fossil mad, Evie Swire asked her mother, ‘Why isn’t there a statue to Mary mummy?’ Well now there is. Crowds flock to see the unveiling of the Mary Anning Statue in Lyme Regis We're big fans of Mary Anning Rocks here at The Cosmic Shed so when they invited us to the unveiling of the statue of Mary Anning in Lyme Regis we jumped at the chance. Dr Hannah Little reports back from the event for The Cosmic Shed. show notes You can support Mary Anning Rocks here You can listen to our episode with Kate Winslet and Anya from Mary Anning Rocks here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Ilan Eshkeri's Space Station Earth with Tim Peake comes to the Royal Albert Hall on May 15th 2022. Ilan joins our Andrew to talk about this stunning new live event which promises to take audiences on a film and audio journey to see Earth and Space through the eyes of astronauts on the International Space Station. Tim Peake joins Ilan Eshkeri for Space Station Earth in May 2022 As well as talking about Space Station Earth, Ilan and Andrew discuss Ilan's other work which includes winning a BAFTA for his narrative score for Ghost of Tsushima, scoring films like Stardust and Still Alice and his most recent work for the BBC Natural History Unit, A Perfect Planet. Award winning composer Ilan Eshkeri Sit back, relax (once you've got your tickets) and listen as Ilan Eshkeri comes to The Cosmic Shed podcast. show notes Ilan Eshkeri has a website here Space Station Earth has a website here You can view the trailer here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

The Cosmic Shed has hosted some fairly big names over the years from Tim Peake and Nichelle Nichols to Benedict Cumberbatch and Alice Roberts but right now, the shed is housing a litter of hedgehogs. Those hedgehogs have been filmed for BBC's Winter Watch by Dr. Jack Richardson and Jack joins Andrew to talk all about how he took that lovely footage of them. Dr Jack Richardson on set You'll also hear about how the shed became home for these wonderful little hedgehogs and hear from the woman who almost single-handedly made it possible; Claudia Bonney. Tufty - one of the Hedgehogs currently residing under The Cosmic Shed. Prickles down, relax and listen now. show notes Claudia Bonney is a contemporary artist and hedgehog lover. Dr Jack Richardson has a vimeo account where you can see more of his work. You can see some of the trail cam footage of the hedgehogs here Andrew is a Lecturer at UWE Bristol The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

In this episode, recorded at Bristol Con 2021, our Hannah chats to a host of wonderful science fiction authors. We'll let you listen to find out exactly who. It feels more like a Bristol Con that way - you're never quite sure who you'll bump into. Hannah at Bristol Con 2021 One thing we will tell you though is that you'll hear from Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky. Download and listen now. show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Robin Ince is quite well known for something called The Infinite Monkey Cage and something else called The Cosmic Shambles. As such, we were rather delighted to welcome him to The Cosmic Shed. Robin joins Hannah and Steve to talk about his new book The Importance of Being Interested. Robin Ince and Hannah in Bookhaus for The Cosmic Shed This episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast was recorded at Bookhaus, an independent bookshop in Bristol. Robin was in conversation with our Hannah. The book is a delight and so too is this conversation. Download and listen now. show notes You can buy Robin's book here You can get tickets to Robin's next variety show here Hannah is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE Bristol Bookhaus is an independent bookshop in Bristol The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Rosie Miles is truly the Girl of the Wild and her first book tells some of the stories of the last 10 years of her life working with wild animals in Africa. We read of encounters with snakes, big cats, elephants and so much more in this riveting book and Rosie joins Andrew for this episode of The Cosmic Shed. Rosie Miles (Girl of the Wild) @safari_smiles on Instagram Rosie and Andrew met several years ago when Rosie was studying science communication at UWE Bristol and the book is just the latest in Rosie's adventures. In this episode, you will hear about a potential second book which we all believe needs to become a reality... Rosie and colleagues hard at work @safari_smiles on Instagram You can buy the book here and, while you wait for it to arrive, you can listen to this spoiler free episode of The Cosmic Shed. show notes Buy Girl of the Wild: Misadventures in the African Bush here Apply to study Science Communication at UWE Bristol here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Jim Al-Khalili returns to The Cosmic Shed to talk about his new series which launches today on Magellan TV. Big topics in the new series from Jim Al-Khalili Jim is the Distinguished Chair of Theoretical Physics at the University of Surrey, broadcaster, novelist and Vice-President of Humanists, UK. He's also making his third appearance on The Cosmic Shed as he joins Andrew to talk about the new series and all things life and physics. Jim Al-Khalili and Andrew at Cheltenham Science Festival Download to your favourite podcast app and listen now. Then pop over to Magellan TV and watch the new series from Jim. show notes Jim Al-Khalili featured in our Jurassic World episode back in 2015 Andrew met Jim at Cheltenham Science Festival to talk Sun Fall Get your copy of Sun Fall by Jim Al-Khalili here Magellan TV is a streaming service for documentaries The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Sherryl Vint is Professor of Science Fiction Media Studies at University of California, Riverside and the author of Bodies of Tomorrow, Animal Alterity, and Science Fiction- A Guide for the Perplexed. Don't worry. You don't have to be perplexed to enjoy it. Professor Vint joins Andrew to talk all things science fiction in this episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast. Professor Vint's books explore science fiction from some fascinating angles Download to your favourite podcast app and listen now. show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Samantha Baines joins Andrew for this episode of The Cosmic Shed and has a new book out called The Night the Moon Went Out. She's also an award-winning comedian, actress, broadcaster, hearing aid wearer and the author of Harriet Versus the Galaxy. As an actress, Samantha has appeared in Netflix’s The Crown, Call the Midwife, Silent Witness or Magic Mike Live (directed by Channing Tatum). Samantha Baines and her books with a spacey theme You can also hear Samantha on BBC Radio London, BBC Radio Kent, Virgin Radio, hosting Q and A's at the BFI or hosting her award nominated podcast The Divorce Social. In this episode of The Cosmic Shed, Samantha and Andrew discuss a host of things including The Crown (does anyone know if Prince Andrew appears in it?), Sound of Metal starring Riz Ahmed and, of course, The Night The Moon Went Out which you can buy here. show notes Samantha and Andrew are also on the Physics World Stories podcast You can hear our episode with Marina Sirtis here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Catriona Silvey is an author whose new book Meet Me in Another Life has been optioned for a new film starring Gal Gadot...even before the book came out... Catriona joins Dr. Hannah Little for this episode of The Cosmic Shed. Gal (left) will produce and star in the film of the novel by Catriona's (right) Meet Me in Another Life is a story of love and connection in every possible form that will captivate fans of Stuart Turton, Claire North, and Audrey Niffenegger. Gal Gadot says it is "Beautifully explored and deeply complex". The book is released on July 8th 2021. You can get it here but you can listen to Catriona right now on this episode. Download to your favourite podcast app or simply press play. show notes Dr Hannah Little is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE Bristol Catriona Silvey has a website here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Kate Winslet plays legendary fossil hunter Mary Anning in Ammonite, the new film (in cinemas now) from Francis Lee, the director of God's Own Country. For this episode, Kate Winslet makes her debut on The Cosmic Shed podcast and we are also joined by Anya Pearson of Mary Anning Rocks. Kate Winslet tells us about working with Saoirse Ronan in Ammonite Mary Anning Rocks is the hugely successful campaign to get a statue of Mary Anning in Lyme Regis, where she made her name finding all those wonderful fossils. It was started by Evie Swire three years ago and Evie's mum Anya joins us to discuss the film and tell us all about the wonderful campaign. Evie and Anya from Mary Anning Rocks Download to your favourite podcast app or simply press play. show notes You can support Mary Anning Rocks here Anya mentions this film about Mary Anning by Natasha Mattocks The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

We're joined by Andy Weir to talk about his latest, and quite possibly greatest (so far) novel Project Hail Mary. One lone astronaut holds the future of humanity in his hands. If you've read it, you know what happens next. Either way, download and listen now to this interview with, friend of The Cosmic Shed podcast, Andy Weir. Andy Weir, Andrew, Ti and Steve chat about Project Hail Mary There are some spoilers later in the episode so do feel free to read the book first. You won't regret it and you can buy it from all good book shops including here. show notes Project Hail Mary is published by Penguin Random House You can listen to our live event with Andy Weir here You can listen to our episode on the Martian (book) here You can listen to our episode on the Martian (film) here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

May the Fourth be with you. It's Star Wars Day and we have something of a special guest for you today. You'll have to listen to find out who it is. This episode is all about Chaos Walking, the new film starring Daisy Ridley, who you may know as Rey from Star Wars. We've got a surprise guest for you this May 4th... Andrew, Steve, Tushna and Russell are joined by Hannah Little, a senior lecturer at UWE Bristol with a PhD in linguistics. In the film, everyone can hear all the men's thoughts and conversation in the podcast swiftly moves to discuss the science behind such ideas. Ti also pops in to tell us about the chaos of making Chaos Walking. What is the dog thinking? The film also stars Spiderman himself, Tom Holland, and is based on the books by Patrick Ness. Download and listen now and find out who that surprise guest is this May 4th... show notes You can find out more about Neuralink here You can find out more about how people think here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Seaspiracy is, sadly, not about Seas Piracy but about an alleged conspiracy in the fisheries sector which is trying to conceal the damage done to our oceans by fisheries. It's available on Netflix and is a film by Ali Tabrizi, following on from Cowspiracy. Conspirasea? Andrew is joined in "the shed" by Marine Cusa, Natalie Dyer, Emma Brisdion and Russell Arnott to discuss the film, the science of the film and the film making practices employed. Just how much can we trust it? Andrew, Marine, Natalie, Emma and Russell. Scientists involved in the protection of our oceans, even those interviewed for the film have spoken out against the film's accuracy. Prof Christina Hicks speaking out on Twitter Marine has dived even deeper into the science in her two part YouTube review of Seaspiracy which we urge you all to watch here but, before you do, download and listen to this episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast. Marine Cusa's review is excellent and on YouTube. show notes You can follow Marine, Natalie, Emma and Russell on Twitter. Marine is speaking in her own capacity and her opinions do not necessarily reflect that of her employers. The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast The Marine Conservation Society provide a useful document on fish to avoid

ESA are looking for new astronauts and you can apply. Dr Jennifer Ngo-Anh is Team Leader in the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration at the European Space Agency and joins Andrew for this episode of The Cosmic Shed. Jennifer Ngo-Anh tells us about the science done in Space Jennifer, a medical doctor with a PhD in neuroscience, joined ESA in 2006, and tells Andrew what ESA are looking for in the new astronaut candidates and what the new space faring recruits will have to look forward to...including ESA's plans to return people to the Moon. ESA's missions for robots and humans in the near future Jennifer and Andrew discuss the Lunar Gateway, a space station planned to go in orbit around the Moon, which the successful candidates for this round of astronaut recruitment may well find themselves on one day. Strap in and download this episode of The Cosmic Shed. show notes You can apply to become one of the new crop of astronauts here Image credits ESA/NASA and pictured is Luca Parmitano The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Jon Boden has won 11 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. His new album Last Mile Home, from Hudson Records, is the final instalment in his trilogy of concept albums set in a post-climate change future. You might also know him as the lead singer and arranger of the legendary folk band Bellowhead. He joins Andrew for this special episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast. Jon Boden, in his Potting Shed, talking to Andrew of The Cosmic Shed Jon's trilogy of post-apocalyptic albums began with Songs from the Floodplain in 2009, followed by Afterglow in 2017 and, this month, Last Mile Home. You can get your own copies of them here. Jon and Andrew talk about science in folk music, the process of songwriting, quite how you make a concept album that is actually really brilliant and a whole lot more besides. Download and listen now. show notes Jon Boden's Last Mile Home is available from Hudson Records The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

S.B. Divya is a Hugo nominated science fiction author, an A.I. engineer and an editor of Escapepod. She joins Andrew for this episode of The Cosmic Shed. Machinehood builds upon S.B. Divya's love of science fiction and experience and knowledge of Artificial Intelligence from her extensive experience as an engineer in the field. Download and listen to S.B.Divya on The Cosmic Shed. show notes Machinehood is from Saga Press The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

George Clooney's The Midnight Sky, currently showing on Netflix, comes to The Cosmic Shed podcast. We're joined by legendary production designer Jim Bissell to discuss his work on The Midnight Sky. You might know his work from E.T. Jim Bissell, Production Designer of The Midnight Sky and our Steve Our Steve got a teensy bit excited about the engineering in the film and we've indulged him big time in this episode. Happily, he's the kind of guy you want to indulge and he's come up with something rather special. Not only does he bring you an interview with Jim Bissell, who designed the spacecraft (the Aether) in The Midnight Sky, but he got in touch with Professor Ben Hicks of the Design and Manufacturing Futures Lab at the University of Bristol. Steve and Prof Ben hatch a plan to work out the engineering of the Aether if it were a real life space craft...You can see a video of what Prof Ben and colleagues came up with on our Twitter account here Prof Ben Hicks found that the optimum design for the booms is actually straight hollow tubes as in this image: The Aether - could it really work? Prof Ben Hicks worked it out Meanwhile, in "the shed" opinions are mixed but all found something to love in The Midnight Sky. Download and listen now. show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Abigail Harrison is also known as Astronaut Abby. Since the age of 13, her eyes have firmly set on the red planet. Abby is an aspiring astronaut who dreams of becoming the first astronaut to set foot on Mars and the co-founder of the international non-profit organization The Mars Generation. Abby joins Andrew for this episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast. Abby Harrison is aiming to be the first person to set foot on Mars Dream Big! How to Reach for Your Stars is Abby's first book and it "provides helpful advice and practical tips to help readers on the path toward finding, reaching for, and achieving their goals." Abby's book is out this month. It turns out Abby is a bit of a science fiction fan too. Obviously, Andrew and Abby chatted about that and we find out which book and film she'll be taking with her when she sets off for Mars. Download and listen now. show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

This is the episode. Disney have announced 10 new films and series in the Star Wars Universe. The Mandalorian Season 2 has just finished. The Arecibo Observatory just collapsed. We're in. "Your name will be legendary" Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand Andrew, Ti and Steve settle in to talk all things Mandalorian and Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute joins us to talk about the latest in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence and the collapse of the Arecibo. Baby Yoda stole our hearts. Mando stole our Friday nights. Fair warning, this is a spoiler laden episode so make sure you watch all of the first two seasons of the Mandalorian first. Once you have done that, settle in for our last episode of 2020. The Arecibo (as featured in Contact) has collapsed You have two choices. You can download and listen at home or your can can download and listen outside. We can bring in 2021 warm or we can bring it in cold. It's up to you. We have spoken. show notes Seth Shostak has written a lovely tribute to Arecibo The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast Our episode featuring Joonas Suatamo (Chewbacca) is here Our episode with Warwick Davis is here Our episode on the Physics of Star Wars is here Our previous episode featuring Cavan Scott (Star Wars author) is here Our episode on some rather interesting Star Wars research is here

Andrew is joined by Pippa Ehrlich, Director/Producer of the wonderful documentary My Octopus Teacher now streaming on Netflix for this special episode of The Cosmic Shed. It's been stealing hearts and winning awards across the world, including winning The Golden Panda at Wildscreen Festival which leads us to be able to type the following, deeply wonderful sentence: My Octopus Teacher won the Golden Panda. Pippa Ehrlich is Director/Producer of My Octopus Teacher Pippa tells Andrew just what goes into making such a stunning film in a wide ranging conversation including diving in the kelp forests and making a film for Netflix. Pippa and Andrew in conversation. Put on your warmest wetsuit and dive in. Alternatively, wear whatever you like and download the latest episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast. show notes Pippa is also part of the Sea Change Project. Find out about their wonderful work here. The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Kellie Gerardi joins Andrew to talk about life in the Space Age and her work in the commercial space industry. Kellie is something of a social media star with over 200,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok and has set her sights firmly on reaching Space for herself. Her new book, "Not Necessarily Rocket Science - A Beginners Guide to Life in the Space Age" is out on November 24th 2020 Kellie and Andrew talk about life in the Space Age and Kellie's new book Kellie researches bioastronautics and has flown on the Vomit Comet (a plane which enables passengers to experience weightlessness) on a number of occasions as part of her research. Kellie Gerardi and Andrew talking for The Cosmic Shed podcast This being The Cosmic Shed, the conversation turns to Science Fiction and we learn of Kellie's links to a galaxy far, far away. Download, sit back and listen to this episode of The Cosmic Shed with Kellie Gerardi. show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast You can buy Kellie's excellent book here You can buy Kellie's merchandise here

Next up on The Cosmic Shed, we explore Alice Winocour's fascinating new film, Proxima starring Eva Green and we hear from Alice Winocour herself. Eva Green's character is surrounded by men Andrew, Ti, Tushna and Achintya gather in the virtual shed, wishing they were next to each other and not separated by a lockdown and virus. All rather fitting for the film which you'll know if you've seen it and you should. Achintya, Andrew, Ti and Tushna discuss Proxima Strap in, escape under a fence or blast off into space. Do what you need to do but make sure you download this first. show notes You can read Andrew's review of Proxima in Physics World The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast Very special thanks to Achtintya Rao for editing this episode.

In this long in development episode, we look back at the ground-breaking, record-breaking and undeniably beautiful Avatar. We see you, Cosmic Shed listeners. Andrew, Ti and Steve are joined by the hosts of the For What it's Earth podcast Emma Brisdion and Lloyd Hopkins to discuss the science and storytelling of Avatar. Steve, Andrew, Ti, Emma and Lloyd You'll also hear from Christopher Conselice whose research revealed the likely number of alien civilisations out there. Christopher is an American astrophysicist who is currently a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. The floating mountain of the Valley of Mo'ara is an inspiration for Avatar's Pandora. Settle in under your favourite tree and listen to this brand new episode of the Cosmic Shed podcast. Oh and you might as well watch Avatar again too. It's been too long. show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast Very special thanks to Achtintya Rao for his help in editing this episode. Steve and Lloyd mention this

For Small Creatures Such As We is a wonderful book by Sasha Sagan. The title of the book comes from Contact, the science fiction novel written by her father Carl Sagan and her mother, Ann Druyan. Sasha's love for them, and vice versa shines throughout the book and she joins Andrew to discuss her life and work so far. How can we find meaning in a secular world? Are traditions and rituals still relevant today? Just what made Andrew and Sasha laugh so much? Find out in this episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast. Sasha Sagan and our Andrew For Small Creatures Such as We is part memoir, part guidebook, and part social history and sees Sasha exploring the world around us, searching for...and finding...meaning, romance and humour in the rituals and everyday that punctuate our lives. Sasha is an author and television producer and joins us for this special episode of The Cosmic Shed. Carl Sagan's Contact is dedicated to Sasha. Have we? Download to your favourite podcast app or simply press play on this page. Black Lives Matter This podcast was recorded before the Black Lives Matter protests began and we, The Cosmic Shed, wish to add our voices and support to the protests. There are so many wonderful podcasts on the topic, so many books, so many films. But our request to you, dear listeners, is that you don't let that be the sum total. Add your voice through whatever means you have. Donate if you can. Speak out if you can. We can't put it better than Sonequa Martin-Green (Michael Burnham in Star Trek). Sonequa Martin-Green is @therealsonequa on Instagram. Black Lives Matter show notes The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast Very special thanks to Will Mountford of the Eureka Nerd podcast for editing this episode. If you are interested in helping yourself to be anti-racist, there's another great list of things you can do here.

Assassin 33 AD is a Christian Science Fiction film in which a group of Muslim Extremist Terrorists go back in time to stop the Resurrection of Jesus (as reported in The Bible) from happening. We tracked down the writer/director Jim Carroll and talked to him about just why he made it. Assassin 33AD - it's got Time Travel in it. A Time Travel film about religion. The Cosmic Shed couldn't really avoid it so we invited Jordan Collver, former Creationist, to join us once again as we delve into the storytelling and science behind this...errm...compelling film. Ti, Andrew, Steve, Jordan and Tushna discuss Assassin 33AD A lot of fun. Thanks Jim. show notes Jordan first joined us to discuss the Spectrum between Science and Religion Jordan's comic is free to read here The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast

Join NASA Astronaut and Artist Nicole Stott for this episode of The Cosmic Shed. The first person to paint a watercolour in Space. The last person to return to Earth from the International Space Station in the Space Shuttle and now, the most recent guest on The Cosmic Shed podcast - it's been quite a life for Nicole Stott so far. Nicole chats to Andrew for this very special episode of the Cosmic Shed as America prepares to launch people to the ISS once more. Nicole talks with Andrew about her Space missions, her art and what we can all learn from Astronauts as we find ourselves in this unprecedented lockdown. Download, listen and be inspired. Nicole Stott on her Spacewalk outside the International Space Station Nicole Stott was launched to the International Space Station with the crew of STS-128, participating in the a spacewalk that lasted over 6 hours. When Nicole returned on STS-129, she became the last Expedition crew-member to return to Earth via the space shuttle. Nicole completed her second spaceflight on STS-133. One for the quiz buffs - STS stands for Space Transportation System or The Shuttle as it's more commonly known. Nicole Stott painted the first watercolour in Space Nicole served as a Flight Engineer on ISS Expedition 20 and Expedition 21 and was a Mission Specialist on STS-128 and STS-133. Nicole is also part of the wonderful Space For Art Foundation who put together large-scale community art projects to inspire and unite children in hospitals, refugee centers, and schools around the world. They have a new project called BEYOND which we'd recommend anyone who knows any children or is a child to get involved in. Go here to see how. Nicole Stott talking to our Andrew You can see Nicole's Artwork here and, if you are really clever, you'll notice that you can actually email to ask about how you might go about actually owning some... The Cosmic Shed. Science Fact, Science Fiction and Everything in between. show notes Nicole Stott is also a founding director Space for Art The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast Very special thanks to Will Mountford of the Eureka Nerd podcast for editing this episode.

On something of a locked down Planet Earth, we turn our attention to the massive science fiction hit film The Wandering Earth. Set in the far future, The Wandering Earth follows a group of astronauts and rescue workers guiding the Earth away from an expanding Sun, while attempting to prevent a collision with Jupiter. The film was theatrically released in China on 5 February 2019 (Chinese New Year's Day), by China Film Group Corporation, followed by North America and Australia on 8 February 2019. The film has grossed $700 million worldwide. It is China's third highest-grossing film of all time and the third highest-grossing non-English film to date. Now it's the subject of an episode of The Cosmic Shed podcast. The original poster for the Chinese Theatrical Release. The film is loosely based on the 2000 novella of the same name by multi-award-winning author Liu Cixin, he of the Three-Body Problem. It stars Qu Chuxiao, Li Guangjie, Ng Man-tat, Zhao Jinmai, Wu Jing and Qu Jingjing. Andrew, Ti, Tushna and Steve gather in the virtual shed to discuss it and wonder just how plausible is taking the planet on a one way trip to Alpha Centauri, using Jupiter to get us there? show notes The Wandering Earth is on Netflix The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network You can subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast Very special thanks to Will Mountford of the Eureka Nerd podcast for editing this episode.

Dr Rebecca Harrison is the author of the BFI's forthcoming book to mark the 40th anniversary of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, out in October 2020. Her project Decoding Star Wars explores the use of code, such as software and algorithms, to produce and distribute the Star Wars franchise. She is a Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at the University of Glasgow and a film critic for places such as Screen Queens and Sight and Sound. Dr Rebecca Harrison's book on The Empire Strikes Back is out in October 2020. Rebecca is the founder of the Glasgow Feminist Arts Festival, which launched in November 2018 at the Centre for Contemporary Arts. The biannual festival provides a platform for women (including non-binary people and trans women) to share film, performance (theatre, dance and spoken word poetry), music, and other visual arts in the city. This is the tweet by Rebecca which caught our attention: I have FINALLY ranked all of #StarWars based on screen time for women. This is now canon. Don't @ me. 43% Last Jedi 37% Force Awakens 35% Rogue One 23% Return of the Jedi 22% Empire Strikes Back 20% Phantom Menace 18% Attack of the Clones 17% Revenge of the Sith 15% A New Hope — Becca Harrison (@BeccaEHarrison) May 28, 2018 Download this episode of The Cosmic Shed to your favourite podcast app and listen now to find out where The Rise of Skywalker comes in this list. The answer might just surprise you... show notes You can read Dr Rebecca Harrison's review of Rise of Skywalker here Our episode featuring Joonas Suatamo (Chewbacca) is here Our episode on the Physics of Star Wars is here Our episode featuring Cavan Scott (Star Wars author) is here C3PO is played (in this episode of the podcast) by Alfie Wearn Our episode on some rather interesting Star Wars research is here In other words, you might as well subscribe to The Cosmic Shed podcast. The Cosmic Shed is part of the Stimulus Network