Jo Durrant's Beautiful Universe

Joanna Durrant
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Jo Durrant's Beautiful Universe

Jo Durrant celebrates and explores arts and science as part of our culture. Winner of the 2021 Sir Arthur Clarke Award: Space Achievement - Media, broadcast & written.

  1. Ep 216 The Christmas Special 2024: Dr Tracy Borman OBE & Gareth Russell

    3 DAYS AGO

    Ep 216 The Christmas Special 2024: Dr Tracy Borman OBE & Gareth Russell

    It's the Christmas Special 2024, and in episode 216 Jo welcomes back Dr Tracy Borman OBE and Gareth Russell, who are both historians, authors and broadcasters. They reflect on 2024, look ahead to their new book releases in 2025, talk about Tudor Christmases and their own festive traditions.  Faith Douglas, author of The Nature Remedy and curator at Thorp Perrow Arboretum also returns to the podcast. Jo and Faith continue the new series on the A-Z of plants, with the birch tree.      Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet.   Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

    1h 23m
  2. Ep 215 Paul Anthony Jones

    11 DEC

    Ep 215 Paul Anthony Jones

    Jo's special guest in episode 215 is Paul Anthony Jones, a linguist and author. He talks about his passion for obscure words, his books including his latest 'A Winter Dictionary' and he answers the Quick Six. Jo also visits the John Moore Museum in Tewkesbury to discuss two books by John Moore which reflect the winter season - 'Come Rain, Come Shine' and 'A Pocketful Of Acorns'.      Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet.   Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

    1h 35m
  3. Ep 214 Dee Atkins-Greig & How Storms Are Named

    4 DEC

    Ep 214 Dee Atkins-Greig & How Storms Are Named

    In episode 214 of the podcast Jo welcomes back Dee Atkins-Greig, who is a maths & meteorology tutor. She talks to Jo about various weather topics, including frost, freezing fog and how storms get their names in the UK.  Jo also visits the John Moore Museum in Tewkesbury to discuss the book by John Moore 'Season Of The Year' and how the writer observed the weather.     Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet.   Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

    1h 10m
  4. Ep 213 Lucy Jane Santos & 'Chain Reactions'

    27 NOV

    Ep 213 Lucy Jane Santos & 'Chain Reactions'

    Jo's special guest in episode 213 is Lucy Jane Santos, who returns to the podcast. Lucy is a freelance historian and consultant, examining the crossroads of health, wellness & beauty with science and technology. She talks about her latest book 'Chain Reactions: A Hopeful History of Uranium', which includes stories about Las Vegas, Atomic Cocktails and X-Ray Skirts. Plus she reveals her latest project and how it links to Marilyn Monroe. Jo also chats to one of the team from Wakefield Museums and Castles, to find out the story of an influential school textbook.        Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet.   Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

    1h 11m
  5. Ep 212 Dr Emma Yhnell Myth Busting Smell & Memories

    20 NOV

    Ep 212 Dr Emma Yhnell Myth Busting Smell & Memories

    In episode 212 Jo welcomes back Dr Emma Yhnell to myth bust stories and topics relating to neuroscience. Emma is a Reader at Cardiff University and a science communicator. Jo and Emma talk about how AI could help people living with dementia, bear brain surgery and why smell and memories are so closely linked e.g. when it comes to pumpkin spice.  Jo is also joined by Dr Jamie Gallagher, who is a science communicator and public engagement trainer from Glasgow. He returns with another story from the Periodic Table and this time it's all about atoms.     Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet.

    1 hr
  6. Ep 211 Dr Darren Freebury-Jones

    13 NOV

    Ep 211 Dr Darren Freebury-Jones

    Jo's special guest in episode 211 is Dr Darren Freebury-Jones, who is the author of a number of a books about Shakespeare and his contemporaries. He talks about his work, in particular his latest book 'Shakespeare's Borrowed Feathers', about the early modern playwrights who shaped the Bard. Plus he answers the Quick Six. Jo also visits the physic garden at Amersham Museum, to meet director and pharmacy historian Briony Hudson. Briony talks about a book called 'A Modern Herbal'.        Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet.   Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

    1h 22m
  7. Ep 210 Science Fiction Books & Films: Stephen King

    6 NOV

    Ep 210 Science Fiction Books & Films: Stephen King

    In episode 210 Jo welcomes back Jeff Downes and Graham O'Dwyer from At The Flicks podcast to talk about science fiction cinema. They continue their series looking at the work of authors turned into films and this time focus on Stephen King. Films discussed include 'The Running Man' and 'The Mist', as well as TV series like 'The Stand'.  Listeners and guests share some of their favourite science fiction films inspired by the books of Stephen King, including Paul Scott.     Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet.   Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

    1h 17m
  8. Ep 209 Lynne Peeples

    30 OCT

    Ep 209 Lynne Peeples

    Jo's special guest in episode 209 is Lynne Peeples, a science journalist based in Seattle. Lynne is the author of the book 'The Inner Clock' and talks to Jo about our circadian rhythms and the impact of food, sleep and light on them. Lynne talks about her research, including ten days in a bunker, and she answers the Quick Six. Jo also visits the Museum in the Park in Stroud, to learn the story behind a clock which tells us about Stroud Time and Railway Time.     Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant. Music licensed from Purple Planet.   Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

    1h 21m
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Jo Durrant celebrates and explores arts and science as part of our culture. Winner of the 2021 Sir Arthur Clarke Award: Space Achievement - Media, broadcast & written.

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