Episodes

  • 5.2: The Last of Us (Cordyceps calamities)

    5.2: The Last of Us (Cordyceps calamities)
    Apr 29 2025

    Spores at the ready! In this thrilling episode of Small Screen Science podcast dives into the fungal apocalypse of HBO's hit series, The Last of Us. We explore the fascinating science behind this critically acclaimed adaptation of the popular video game that took the world by storm in 2023 and ask, could a fungal pandemic really happen? How accurate is the show's portrayal of fungal behaviour? And why oh why do we just LOVE Joel and Ellie's relationship?


    Hosted and produced by Karen Collins and Emma Brisdion. Edited by Merlin Mee. Created with support from GCSE Pod.
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    45 mins
  • 5.1: Traitors (Round Table Science)

    5.1: Traitors (Round Table Science)
    Apr 15 2025

    Hold on to your hoods, folks, we’re pulling up a seat at the round table to chat about the BBC’s hugely popular reality show, Traitors. We're diving into the science of sociopaths, asking if psychology can help us spot (or be!) a good traitor, and wondering what chemistry goes into the extreme shininess of Claudia Winkelman's fringe.


    Hosted and produced by Karen Collins and Emma Brisdion. Edited by Merlin Mee. Created with support from GCSE Pod.
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    41 mins
  • We're Back! Series 5 Trailer

    We're Back! Series 5 Trailer
    Apr 1 2025

    Can you learn more about the world around us through the medium of our small screens? As it turns out, absolutely! Coming up in this series, we’ve taken the microscope to Ted Lasso, The Last of Us, Traitors and even Dr Who. Join Karen and Emma for fortnightly episodes to explore the brilliant (and silly) science behind some of our favourite TV shows.


    Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks). It helps new listeners find the podcast! For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.
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    1 min
  • 4.4: Line of Duty (Bullets and Burner Phone Science)

    4.4: Line of Duty (Bullets and Burner Phone Science)
    Sep 13 2022
    Mother of God! We take another look at the science behind Line of Duty. This time for the Northern Ireland Science Festival in Belfast. We’re going undercover and turning on our burner phones and investigating both AC-12 and the OCG as we ask, how do the police actually process a crime scene in real life? If they find a bullet, how can forensic ballistics investigators track it to one exact firearm? What’s the deal with examining a body? Are DNA and fingerprint samples always reliable? And why does DI Steve Arnott just LOVE meeting up for clandestine chats in grimy underpasses? Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins. If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast. Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, and Twitter. For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.
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    45 mins
  • 4.3: The Office, An American Workplace (Scranton Science)

    4.3: The Office, An American Workplace (Scranton Science)
    Sep 6 2022
    Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica… We’re heading (virtually) to a mid-sized regional paper company named Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania to ask, can science tell us what the deal is with office romances? How do we make jelly hard enough to hide a stapler in? How would your body react if Dwight pepper sprayed you? Why do Kevin’s feet smell so bad? Can Angela really talk to her cats? And, what really happens to our bodies when we eat beetroot? Join us to explore the surprising science behind the hugely popular American TV sitcom, ‘The Office’ and, maybe, you too will feel God in this Chillies tonight. Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins. If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast. Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.
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    43 mins
  • 4.2: Friends: (Central Perk Science)

    4.2: Friends: (Central Perk Science)
    Aug 30 2022
    This episode is 'The one where...' we did a live show on the science behind Friends at science festivals in Wrexham and Swansea. We ask the kind of questions about the 00's favourite sitcom that you never knew you needed answers to. What would happen to your body if you actually spent all your money on coffee in Central Perk? How do they put the smell in gas? Can you whiten your teeth so much that they glow in the dark? Were Ross and Rachel on a break? Lets find out… Join us for 18 pages (FRONT AND BACK!) as we explore the science behind one of the world's most popular sitcoms, Friends. Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins. If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast. Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.
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    39 mins
  • 4.1: Derry Girls (Throw-back Science)

    4.1: Derry Girls (Throw-back Science)
    Aug 23 2022
    Season 4 is all about our LIVE shows. We've recorded our 2022 live podcasts as episodes, and we're starting this series with the incredible show Derry Girls. We were lucky enough to be invited by the Northern Ireland Science Festival to do this show none other than in Derry itself in February (and we loved it)! In this episode we join the girls from Our Lady Immaculate as they turn their eyes on Father Peter to find out why we fancy hot priests. Plus, we use science to find out why we find Orla’s oddball character so funny, how hash scones would affect our bodies, and what happens when we watch high-octane thrillers in the cinema. Oh and this funny noise we’re making? We’re English, it’s just the way we talk… Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins. If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast. Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.
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    50 mins
  • Small Screen Science: Series Four Coming Soon!

    Small Screen Science: Series Four Coming Soon!
    Jun 28 2022
    Hello! This year we're delighted to have been part of some of the UK's best science festivals, taking our podcast show on the road to live audiences. For Series Four of Small Screen Science, we've turned our live shows into podcast episodes for you to enjoy, even if you couldn't see us in person. Make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss upcoming episodes on the science behind shows like Derry Girls, The Office, and Friends. Hosted and produced by Emma Brisdion and Karen Collins. If you enjoyed the episode please leave us a review (five stars would be perfect, thanks) as it really helps new listeners find the podcast. Don't forget to follow us on social media! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Support us on Patreon and get access to heaps of bonus content every month: https://www.patreon.com/smallscreenscience For even more, read our science blog and find out what else we learned from our expert guests on our website www.smallscreenscience.co.uk.
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    1 min