The Sub Standard Model

Wheat, rice, soy, maize. What more could a growing boy need?After all, society is built upon the sturdy crusts of the many cereal products that got us to where we are today, and agriculture is not only an anthropological marvel, but a biological one as well.So why not take an hour out of your day to listen to a couple of blokes paying tribute to such a fact, if for no other reason than to please your cruel endosperm, hexaploid overlords. . .Also, if you think you like hearing our voices, just wait until you've seen our faces . . . https://youtu.be/8xhx1BqbSPoDon't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second part of a tricky two-part series on the black hole information paradox, essentially asking the simple question of what happens to a dream when we fall into a black hole, will anyone ever know what our dream was? Will it take a cosmic Alan Turing at the end of the universe to decode this web of quantum field modes to give meaning to our lived experience?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first part of a tricky two-part series on the black hole information paradox, essentially asking the simple question of what happens to a dream when we fall into a black hole, will anyone ever know what our dream was? Will it take a cosmic Alan Turing at the end of the universe to decode this web of quantum field modes to give meaning to our lived experience?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What defines a dragon? What sets it apart from a bird, a lizard, or a dinosaur? And what would a dragon, a real living dragon, look like?In part two, we discuss the hot topic of fire-breathing as an evolutionary strategy. Is it impossible, impractical, or worse, is it just pointless?Evolution doesn't get much more speculative than this. . .This episode featured readings from Josie Pickett, the piece was extracted from an essay written my Meg ThomasDon't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What defines a dragon? What sets it apart from a bird, a lizard, or a dinosaur? And what would a dragon, a real living dragon, look like?In part one, Henry and I lay down our criteria, and set the stage for us to put our very own dragons to the test.Evolution doesn't get much more speculative than this. . .This episode featured voice acting from Emma PickettDon't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many possible candidates for dark matter, in this interview special, we compare WIMPS to Axions and see if we can use our powers of deduction to deduce any answers to the vast and barely trimmed dark sector of the universe.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do anything get efficiently from A to B?Henry and I talk through the hidden compasses that animals use to navigate the world around them, and how human beings might fit into the picture.What do butterflies see that turtles don't, and what can we learn from quantum songbirds?And why can we point North in a dark room?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 3: The Liars.When governments first confronted climate change in the 1990s, they understood it was a problem, but they believed modest, incremental policy could solve it. They never anticipated the scale of change that would be required, nor the ferocity of the industrial resistance they would face. While the science hardened into certainty, political will collapsed under the weight of fossil fuel lobbying and short-term economic thinking. Today, thousands of peer-reviewed studies tell the same story: we are past easy solutions. Cutting our losses now demands effort on a civilisational scale. The road ahead holds mass migration, famine, and conflict. Yet in 2025, the United States repealed the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gases entirely. The science was never the problem. The politics always was.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2: The Projections.When governments first confronted climate change in the 1990s, they understood it was a problem, but they believed modest, incremental policy could solve it. They never anticipated the scale of change that would be required, nor the ferocity of the industrial resistance they would face. While the science hardened into certainty, political will collapsed under the weight of fossil fuel lobbying and short-term economic thinking. Today, thousands of peer-reviewed studies tell the same story: we are past easy solutions. Cutting our losses now demands effort on a civilisational scale. The road ahead holds mass migration, famine, and conflict. Yet in 2025, the United States repealed the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gases entirely. The science was never the problem. The politics always was.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 1: The Sceptics. When governments first confronted climate change in the 1990s, they understood it was a problem, but they believed modest, incremental policy could solve it. They never anticipated the scale of change that would be required, nor the ferocity of the industrial resistance they would face. While the science hardened into certainty, political will collapsed under the weight of fossil fuel lobbying and short-term economic thinking. Today, thousands of peer-reviewed studies tell the same story: we are past easy solutions. Cutting our losses now demands effort on a civilisational scale. The road ahead holds mass migration, famine, and conflict. Yet in 2025, the United States repealed the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gases entirely. The science was never the problem. The politics always was.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warm pigments fail. Melanin buffers. There is Something in the Orange that tells me we are not done.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two, we dive ever deeper into the science of sleep, from the chemistry of caffeine, to the ticking cellular clock, to the meaningless lives of cave catfish.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part one (after some enlightening preamble) we tackle the question of why mother nature in her wisdom would force nearly every complex animal to spend a third of their lives unconscious.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Step through the looking-glass and into the strange world of molecular handedness, where sugars twist light into rainbows, amino acids choose sides, and life itself leans decisively in one direction.Alongside a reimagined journey with Alice, we follow the clues hidden in chirality and homochirality, uncovering how a tiny asymmetry shaped every cell on Earth. And then we turn the mirror around: what would a world of opposite-handed life look like, and what risks might it bring?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Of the three great eukaryote kingdoms, fungi are so often left behind, shunned and disregarded by mainstream media. How long they have slumbered in their soily beds, waiting for the day a pair of British podcasters will appreciate them for what they truly are.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grey Whales are migrating across the pacific. Some do not return.It's 1945, war planes are flying into battle. Some do not return.This episode is the first of a series of facts where we tried experimenting with video.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us on a journey from a campfire at night in the Arizona desert to the moon, the mind, the electron and beyond. Why does water behave the same at 1 degree and 99 degrees when it is so close to being either solid or gas?What is true about the universe at every level?What if nothing changes the more you zoom in?Are we stuck in a perpetual fractal maze?Topics: Percolation, The Ising Model, Fractals, Renormalisation Invariance, Magnetism. Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 10th of September 2025, a paper was published in Nature that may one day be thought of as the most significant scientific discovery in our lifetimes (according to Sam). What on earth is he on about?NOTE (spoiler alert): The Alien Interludes in this episode are based on real concepts for extra-terrestrial life in science fiction, particularly the Neosquilla which are very similar to the Keracks from the novel Camelot30K by Robert Forward.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Venus, Earth and Mars, the solar system's most tragic love triangle. In this story of luck and loss, we explore the physics that drove their destinies apart, and speculate on alien life that may have clung on in the meantime.NOTE (spoiler alert): The Alien Interludes in this episode are based on real concepts for extra-terrestrial life in science fiction: the Picknia are based on the Cheela from the novel Dragon's Egg by Robert Forward, Mariplasma resembles the Amoebic Sea from the Discovery Channel special Alien Planet, and the Harmonia are pretty much exactly as described by Kurt Vonnegut in his fantastic sci-fi novel Sirens of Titan (please just put down your phone and go and read this book).Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A mystery found in the frozen south offers secrets from other planets but is it all lies? The plot thickens, who dunnit? Who follows magnetic fields to the ends of the earth and what happened to all of those bacteria after the great oxidation event?!“I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why. It is altogether against my will that I tell my reasons for opposing this contemplated invasion of the antarctic—with its vast fossil-hunt and its wholesale boring and melting of the ancient ice-cap—and I am the more reluctant because my warning may be in vain. Doubt of the real facts, as I must reveal them, is inevitable;”― H.P. Lovecraft, At The Mountains Of MadnessDon't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All the hottest takes on particles between 0.0625 and 2mm in diameter.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam brings his top six EXTREME FROGS (+ toads) to the table, and exposes them to Henry's ruthless judgement. Now we must rank them against each other, to determine which can be considered the ULTIMATE amphibian, once and for all. May the frogs be ever in your favour.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happened to the island of Borneo? Is the storybook of natural history written in a secret poopy language, and hidden deep within a cave? Is the past truly. . . past?Sam wants to talk about photosynthesis for a while, so please let him.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this classic episode, topics include:Are we on the shores of the island of stability?Can a human being breath through their anus?And how fast can a person grow?You are not going to want to miss this.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we have beards? Ok, more specifically, why does Henry have a beard? What does this say about the human species? What does this say about Henry as a man?All this and more, on the substandard model.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After an oh so brief hiatus, the boys in bed are back with a cheeky update on university science life. Though we have both faced hardships untold, is there still a light at the end of the educational tunnel?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You all remember Frozen Muon Testicles. No? Thank god, because today we've decided to basically rehash one of our old episodes in order to hopefully do the subject matter more justice than we were capable of 6 months previous.Dedicated to Erasto Bartholomeo Mpemba (1950–2023)Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A spirited chat about nature's most interesting tubes: Bamboo.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday, Henry spent a day of ecstasy in a crystallography lab and you lucky folks get to hear all about it.Prepare to gain a deeper understanding of x-ray diffraction, unit cells, orbitals and the golden ratio among other chemistry-related goodies.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are all Plants following this pattern? Are we really the way for the universe to observe itself?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where do animals go when they become extinct? And can they come back?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What caused the mysterious Monterey Bay attack that inspired Hitchcock's "The Birds"?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are your phobias a trickle-down from the trauma of your ancestors?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we bleed Horseshoe Crabs dry?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biggest And Smallest Animal Species Are Cousins?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back and the last people to talk about "Ocean Gate"-GATE.How does one rationalize the Monty Hall Problem?Why is visiting the Titanic so valuable right now?How strong are Grizzly Bears?Why does pressure redefine solid objects?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam talks about one of his favourite things, and realises that it doesn't make any sense.Is music just meaningless sound? even the bangers??Tune in to find outDon't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why did the fish hold its breath?Why did the jellyfish shine?Why is infected water so slippery?err Henry, where did all the episodes go??Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is the sun’s atmosphere hotter than its surface?What happens to population dynamics at small population sizes?Has Henry done a science??Why did Brendan's sex life save the island?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are wet shirts darker than dry ones?Why aren't baked beans baked?Why do Sperm Whales scream?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do vaccines cause autism?What is the MONSTER Group?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do BATTERIES Bounce Higher When Out Of Charge?How Can Circular Rainbows Form In The Shadow Of Aircrafts?How Is Pink Floyd Linked To The Illuminati?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Do Birds Have Tiny Genomes?Why Have Scientists Put Chili In Solar Panels?Where Is The Ninth Planet In The Solar System?My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Dickles?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is the desert so shiny?Are there any accessible, informative science books that may be hitting our shelves this summer?Why does plastic go white when I break it?What is that horrible noise oh god somebody please close the window I'm going to crash?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who littered in my broccoli?What if a grape was meat?Why is there evil dust at the bottom of the sea?Could a watermelon ever write poetry?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maths Of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.Maths Of Diffraction Patterns.Maths Of Smudgy Space Photos.Maths Of Podcast Editing.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we know how fast light travels?How does a Magnetic field create an electric field?What is the maths that describes these fields?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A deep dive into everything invented in Scotland (AND WE MEAN EVERYTHING).The neurobiology of cocaine addiction.How big can an animal city get? (VERY BIG)Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How feasible are ZOMBIES?Trees have eyes, not a question, not a joke, not a play on words, THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT YOU.Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did the eel kill the horse?Why does petrol look so pretty?How did the rat say nah to cancer?Is squirt pee?Don't forget to leave us a review! We actively take feedback into future episodes."On this sciencey show, we answer the questions you never thought to ask, did not want to ask and did not ask." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.