Highbrow Drivel

Anthony Jeannot
  • 5.0 (21)
  • COMEDY INTERVIEWS

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. 16/04/2022

    The Neuroscience of How We Navigate W/ Christopher Kemp & Si Deaves

    We've all woken up from a night out and not remembered getting home. How does the brain do that?  On this week's ep we look into the neuroscience of navigation and spatial awareness, a completely complicated task that we take for granted all the time. So listen in and get a new found appreciation of how great your brain is for not constantly walking you into walls. Expert guest: Christopher Kemp is an English scientist and science journalist. He works at Michigan State University, overseeing a research group that studies Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. He is the author of Floating Gold: A Natural (and Unnatural) History of Ambergris and The Lost Species: Great Expeditions in the Collections of Natural History Museums and his latest book "Dark & Magical Places: The Neuroscience of How We Navigate" Comedy guest:  Si Deaves is a stand-up comedian from Southend-on-Sea, Essex and has previously been described as 'one of the greatest undiscovered acts in the country' - BFG Concerts and was also described by one of his comedy heroes as 'great and very original'. Deaves' exploration into the weird and wonderful things his mind does, serves as the perfect vehicle for him to exercise his dry, acerbic wit. Deaves is also the host of the Comedian's Tea Party Podcast. To learn more about Si and all his endeavours click here for a list of links to his various work.  ​

    55 min

  2. 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.

    1hr 9min

  3. 02/04/2022

    Disaster Management w Professor Lucy Easthope

    How do you prepare for an event that's never happened in your lifetime? What's it like to feel like the boy who cried wolf? Do we have a plan for alien invasion? And why were disaster planners called to plan for Brexit?  On this week's episode, we talk to Professor Lucy Easthope, the UK's leading authority on recovering from disaster. Lucy is a charming, expert who cares deeply about her field. Over the course of the hour we cover how experts plan for disaster, what kinds of disasters they plan for, why and how it goes wrong and what we can all expect from the disaster recovery of the pandemic. Lucy's book - When the Dust Settles is out now, you can find out more about that here.

    1hr 8min

  4. 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

  5. 16/01/2022

    Guest podcast - The Nothing Podcast - Stand up comedy

    For the last week of the break, The Nothing Podcast With Nobody Important is our guest podcast. The team put together a fascinating, fun and always interesting set of human interest stories that get you excited to find out the secret lives of the people around you. In this week, the chat to Anthony about life in comedy.

    1hr 6min

  6. 09/01/2022

    Guest pod - Sure Jan - Dating

    This week's amazing guest podcast is 'Sure, Jan', an amazing honest, endearing and funny look at modern dating. Jan talks to Anthony about his period of 53 first dates in 9 months when he first moved to London, and ultimately the journey to meeting his wife :)

    1hr 6min

  7. 19/12/2021

    Guest pod - Better Call Daddy - Magic Mushrooms

    This guest episode is from the Better Call Daddy Podcast, created by Reena Friedman Watts. The episode focuses on Anthony's use of magic mushrooms for anxiety management.

    42 min

  8. 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...

    58 min
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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.

Information

  • Creator
    Anthony Jeannot
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2022
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Highbrow Drivel
  • Show Website
    Highbrow Drivel