Jo's special guest in episode 218 is Prof Adam Hart, who is professor of science communication at the University of Gloucestershire. Adam returns to myth bust and this time its hibernation, looking at what animals do it, why and how they do it, different kinds of hibernation, and how things like climate change are affecting it.

Jo also visits the John Moore Museum in Tewkesbury to learn about the hedgehog, one of the mammals in the UK that goes into full hibernation.

Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant.

Music licensed from Purple Planet.

Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

In the first episode of 2025 (ep 217), Jo welcomes back Jeff Downes and Graham O'Dwyer from the At The Flicks podcast. They reveal their top ten science fiction films from 2024 and guests and listeners share their favourites too.

Jeff and Graham also look ahead to what we can enjoy at the cinema when it comes to science fiction in 2025.

Presented, produced & edited by Jo Durrant.

Music licensed from Purple Planet.

Jo's website: https://jodurrant.co.uk/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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.

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/