Highbrow Drivel

Anthony Jeannot

Hilarious takes from serious experts. Each week I'm joined by a new stand up comedian and a new expert to discuss their field of expertise. We're talking the big topics, the brain, space, climate science, psychedelics and all the areas you're most likely to end up when you're drunk, at the end of a party, just trying to figure it all out. . It's a light, funny and easily accessible way to hear the latest from some seriously mind blowing experts.

  1. 09/04/2022

    You're So Lucky - w/ Dr Sean Carroll & Bryan James

    You and everyone you know and love are the beneficiaries of a series of fortunate events. From the planet bursting into existence, to the dinosaurs being wiped out by a once-in-a-ever (hopefully) asteroid, to the 1 in 70 billion chance that you would end up with your exact genetic material. And that's before you even think of how much luck impacts success and failure on a day-to-day basis. In this episode, we speak to Dr Sean B Carroll and comedian Bryan James about the impact of luck. Expert guest: Sean B. Carroll is an award-winning scientist, author, educator, and film producer. He leads the Department of Science Education of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the largest private supporter of science education activities in the US, is the Head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, and is the Andrew and Mary Balo and Nicholas and Susan Simon Endowed Chair of Biology at the University of Maryland. He is also Professor Emeritus of Genetics and Molecular Biology at the University of Wisconsin. An internationally-recognized evolutionary biologist, Carroll's laboratory research has centered on the genes that control animal body patterns and play major roles in the evolution of animal diversity. In recognition of his scientific contributions, Carroll has received the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences, been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and elected an Associate Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization. Interesting links Sean's new book - A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You Sean's website  Sean's Twitter Comedy Guest: Bryan James was a finalist in the Bath Comedy Festival New act Competition 2021. He is from the Northeast of England, but has been performing comedy  nationally in the U.K. since early 2020. Thanks to comedy sketches, and silly songs he’s got thousands of followers on Tiktok. He's also on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.Bryan also runs a new material comedy night in Darlington - North East England.

    1h 9m
  2. 29/03/2022

    Quantum Steampunks w/ Dr Nicole Yunger Halpern & Isabelle Farrah

    What do steam punks and modern quantum physicists have in common? What is quantum entanglement? How did the hippies save science? And we come up with a brilliant idea for the next Pixar blockbuster. All that & more in this week's episode. Expert Guest: Nicole re-envisions 19th-century thermodynamics for 21st-century settings—small - using the mathematical toolkit of quantum information theory. Nicole uses quantum thermodynamics as a new lens through which to view the rest of science. She calls her research “quantum steampunk,” after the steampunk genre of art and literature that juxtaposes Victorian settings with futuristic technologies. She has just realised an exciting new book to make this field of thinking available and accessible to a wider audience. You can learn more about her new book here. Comedy guest: Isabelle Farrah is a British Lebanese actor, comedian, and writer. After an undergraduate in French and Film studies, she trained at Drama Studio and on the Soho Theatre Comedy Lab. As an actress she has performed in theatre in the West End and on Tour and she has gigged across the UK and in Lisbon and New York City. Her short, Breakfast, was a finalist in the Funny Women Shorts Prize. Her debut show, Ellipsis, was commended for the Screenshot Award in 2020. It was later named one of the best shows of EdFringe 2021 by Chortle and invited for an encore run at the Soho Theatre.  You can find important links to all upcoming stuff including her new show here.

    53 min
  3. 12/12/2021

    Quantum vs Cosmic - Small answers to big questions

    When you think about how the universe works, most people start from the cosmic perspective, but what about the little guys? Literally! This week we talk to Dr Chris Ferrie about what quantum physics brings to our understanding of the universe and how things work. Expert guest:  Chris Ferrie is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney and the Centre for Quantum Software and Information. His research interests include quantum learning and control. He obtained his PhD in Applied Mathematics from the Institute for Quantum Computing and University of Waterloo (Canada) in 2012. Chris’s passion for communicating science has led from the most esoteric topics of mathematical physics to more recently writing children’s books, such as Quantum Physics for Babies, and a whole collection of other titles that make science accessible even for the youngest children. His latest book – Where did the universe come from? And other cosmic questions – explores how the connection between the quantum and cosmos provides our understanding of the universe. You can find Chris online at csferrie.com. Comedy guest:  David Rose is a stand up comedian and writer based in Melbourne, Australia. His solo work has been featured on the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC)'s Radio National, as well as ABC TV's Tonightly. His comedy has generated millions of views across YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Reddit and he has opened for internationally renowned comedians across the world. David is currently performing in the U.S.A, he takes no responsibility for the current state of America. You can find David on Instagram and TikTok

    58 min
5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Hilarious takes from serious experts. Each week I'm joined by a new stand up comedian and a new expert to discuss their field of expertise. We're talking the big topics, the brain, space, climate science, psychedelics and all the areas you're most likely to end up when you're drunk, at the end of a party, just trying to figure it all out. . It's a light, funny and easily accessible way to hear the latest from some seriously mind blowing experts.