3.2 - That’s Not What A UFO Looks Like

Another episode of the podcast that fears no detail, where Matt talks balls, Steve talks fiery rings and Helen sings a tortoise into space.- Matt's bit (00:55) - pre-order "Love Triangle" here!- Steve's bit (19:30)- Helen's bit (35:44)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- Jared, listening in New Hampshire, sent us this video of Poplar Fluff Fire.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. To download songs from the series visit Helen's Bandcamp Page.Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. This series is sponsored by Brilliant.org, the place to learn maths and science through interactive online lessons. Start your free trial at Brilliant.org/apoud, and the first 200 Unnecessary Detail listeners who sign up for annual membership will get 20% off on the same link.Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back once again after a seasonal break, Series 3 continues with some Ingenuity from Steve, some DOOM from Matt, and a song about the man, the myth, the mathematician Archimedes from Helen:- Steve's bit (00:55)- Matt's bit (18:36)- Helen's bit (39:56)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. To download songs from the series visit Helen's Bandcamp Page.Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. This series is sponsored by Brilliant.org, the place to learn maths and science through interactive online lessons. Start your free trial at Brilliant.org/apoud, and the first 200 Unnecessary Detail listeners who sign up for annual membership will get 20% off on the same link.Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Series 3 brings 2023 to a close with a festive special that reaches the parts that other festive specials don't reach... 3D programmable tree lights, the real reason people kiss under the mistletoe and a disappointingly bleak Laboratory Christmas Party take us into the new year with more detail than anyone could possibly need or want. Thank you, as ever, for listening!- Steve's bit (00:56)- Matt's bit (08:38)- Helen's bit (28:21)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- Helen has re-found her binary advent calendar, and it has only 5 doors! 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 are enough to get every number up to the magical 24. Unfortunately the physical calendar is long gone, but you can find a photo in the show notes on our episode page. - On twitter, James Cooper has added some helpful etymology! In a great example of language reflecting nature, the Saxon words that make up mistletoe, 'Mistel' and 'tan' can be translated into 'poo on a stick'. More Mistletoe facts here. For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Download songs from the series from Helen's Bandcamp Page.Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. This series is sponsored by Brilliant.org, the place to learn maths and science through interactive online lessons. Start your free trial at Brilliant.org/apoud, and the first 200 Unnecessary Detail listeners who sign up for annual membership will get 20% off on the same link.Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Against all odds, Series 3 continues with a complicated automotive engineer from Helen, a complicated visual processing system from Steve, and a complicated restaurant triangulation problem from Matt:- Helen's bit (00:55)- Steve's bit (22:35)- Matt's bit (41:45)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. To download songs from the series visit Helen's Bandcamp Page.Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. This series is sponsored by Brilliant.org, the place to learn maths and science through interactive online lessons. Start your free trial at Brilliant.org/apoud, and the first 200 Unnecessary Detail listeners who sign up for annual membership will get 20% off on the same link.Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a surprise first episode of Series 3 (truly, no-one is more surprised than us to be popping up in your feed right now...) Steve tells the truth about the Prime Meridian, Helen brings a song from her new musical "Almost Astronauts", and Matt attempts to divert an apocalyptic future scenario - with maths:- Steve's bit (00:48)- Helen's bit (17:01)- Matt's bit (34:06)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. This series is sponsored by Brilliant.org, the place to learn maths and science through interactive online lessons. Start your free trial at Brilliant.org/apoud, and the first 200 Unnecessary Detail listeners who sign up for annual membership will get 20% off on the same link.Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of this series, Steve gives faint stars the side-eye, Helen sings a relatively short song about relativity and Matt gives a standing ovation to the desktop calculator that rerouted a space probe. Up, up and away!- Steve's bit (01:54)- Helen's bit (16:13)- Matt's bit (36:07)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve, Helen and Matt introduce the final installment of their live shows, performed at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre. With sets from astrophysicist and emo kid Jen Gupta, NATO alphabet innovator (in-NATO-vator) Ted Hill, stand-up medic Matt Hutchinson and Rock ‘n’ Roll IT consultants Foxdog Studios. Also contains extra details from Steve talking about tastebuds, and Helen singing about radioactive bananas:- Steve's bit (01:29)- Jen's bit (12:08)- Ted's bit (21:32)- Foxdog Studio's bit (27:26)- Matt H's bit (31:14)- Helen's bit (38:43)We'd like to add a special thanks to everyone who made these live shows possible! Our co-producer Hana Ayoob; production assistant Nicole Jacobus; sound recordist Robert Wells; Chris, Lou, Ellen, Joan, Frank and all the team at Bloomsbury Theatre; and our series producer and editor for these episodes, Lyndsay Fenner. Plus every fantastic performer, and all the brilliant audience who turned up on both nights to holler, cheer and laugh. High fives to all of you!SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Matt exposes false advertising in the Jigsaw Puzzle industry, Steve matches up what we know about the immune system, and Helen writes a new tune that fits an old song. If you like detail, have a listen. You’ll fit right in: - Matt's bit (01:28)- Steve's bit (19:23)- Helen's bit (32:56)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- Harlekintiger on twitter has recommended this video by Howard Ho about "We Don't Talk About Bruno" for another analysis of how it works and why it's so catchy. We didn't have time to go into as much detail as we would have liked, and this episode was already the longest of this series. Enjoy!For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt, Helen and Steve introduce more favourite moments from their recent live shows, performed at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre. With comedian Rachel Wheeley talking about the Greenwich Time Signal, biochemical engineer Michael Sulu on the potentially fatal difference between tubes and pipes, and zoologist Hana Ayoob sharing the Honey Badger love. Plus Matt on fast food, bad maths and McCombinations, and Helen with a song about losing love at the circus:- Matt's bit (1:27)- Rachel's bit (15:09)- Michael's bit (24:02)- Hana's bit (34:45)- Helen's bit (44:00)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- The original version of this episode contained a naughty word that wasn't beeped out - oops! We've fixed it now.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Steve explains why all the molecules in your body are right handed, Matt bigs up the strong law of small numbers and Helen grabs the mic to get on the ones and twos. Stand by to receive details!- Matt's bit (1:10)- Steve's bit (18:19)- Helen's bit (32:49)- "One" Song from "Hello Numbers" (40:25)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- Every time Matt mentions the "Lagrange constant" please change it in your head to "Legendre constant" in your head. He was close, but not close enough! See the show notes to find out more about both Legendre and Lagrange.- The audio for this episode was updated on 1st June after some changes were made to the lyrics on the song recording. Everything else about the episode is the same.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email [email protected]. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.