The Rest Is Science cover art
Podcast · 93 episodes

The Rest Is Science

by Goalhanger · English

Join mathematician Professor Hannah Fry and science creator Michael Stevens (Vsauce) as they dig into the weird scientific questions that often go unexplored. Welcome to The Rest Is Science, a show that sits in the fascinating space between what we think we know, and what we actually know. Why do we assume we understand things like time, randomness, or even gravity? Once you start questioning these familiar ideas, reality becomes astonishingly strange and completely fragile. Whether you're a lifelong science fan or just naturally curious, The Rest Is Science will change your perception of reality, and prove that the biggest questions are always the most fun.

Latest episodes

All episodes

Hacking The Kendama With PhysicsThe hosts explore the physics of the Japanese kendama (a cup-and-ball skill toy), including how a heavier, machined delrin kendama made by Adam Savage improves performance via reduced torque and…30 Sep 2026 · 41 min · 9 chapters
Why Do We Like Staring Into Fire?Defines fire as a self-perpetuating combustion process (not a single substance), explains the fire triangle/tetrahedron and how extinguishers work, traces fire’s origins on Earth and early human use,…27 Sep 2026 · 59 min · 20 chapters
The Fluid Dynamics of Fountain PensFountain pens and the physics of how ink flows (capillary action, nib/feed design, ink drying vs flooding), plus a brief word-usage Q&A and an aerofoil (lift) explanation.23 Sep 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 30 chapters
Dying In Space, Trapped Water, and What's Hidden In Pi?The episode argues that only three humans have died “in space” (outside Earth’s atmosphere) and uses that tragedy to explore what can trap us—physically, environmentally, and metaphorically.20 Sep 2026 · 49 min · 16 chapters
How Codes Were Used To Hack The Telegram BusinessA historical look at how telegram codebooks compressed messages to reduce cost, plus broader discussion of communication tech, dreams about phones, and physics/biology questions.16 Sep 2026 · 57 min · 14 chapters
Why Your Body Needs GravityThe episode explains gravity’s role in human physiology using Einstein’s twin paradox, then the real “twin study” of Scott and Mark Kelly on the ISS, showing that microgravity affects aging, eyes,…13 Sep 2026 · 43 min · 15 chapters
What Is Collagen All About?The episode “What Is Collagen All About?” (The Rest is Science) explains what collagen is, why people buy collagen supplements, where collagen comes from, and what evidence supports the health claims.9 Sep 2026 · 42 min · 17 chapters
The Threshold of Human SensationThe episode asks what the smallest physical thing a human can “feel” is, focusing on sensory thresholds across hearing, taste, smell, touch, and sight.6 Sep 2026 · 55 min · 26 chapters
The Scale of the UniverseThe episode “The Scale of the Universe” uses a “shrinking/growing game” to map sizes from the Planck length to the observable universe, arguing that the human egg cell sits at the exact midpoint of…2 Sep 2026 · 49 min · 14 chapters
Why Loud Chewing Makes You AngryMisophonia—intense anger/disgust triggered by hearing others chew or eat.30 Aug 2026 · 50 min · 15 chapters
How Does Language Change What You Smell?Whether language changes perception—using a Persian “leftover smell” example to discuss the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis (words shaping what we notice and categorize), with supporting cases from color…26 Aug 2026 · 46 min · 16 chapters
Space Elevators, Skyhooks, and Space FountainsWays to reach “space” (defined around the Kármán line ~100 km) and how different methods compare as fastest, cheapest, and worst; includes far-future “just wait” scenarios and non-rocket concepts…23 Aug 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 24 chapters
Bizarre Watches and How They WorkMichael Stevens shows a collection of novelty “bizarre” watches tied to timekeeping history and math, then the hosts answer listener questions about Bayesian reasoning, syllogisms/wordplay, and math…19 Aug 2026 · 54 min · 17 chapters
Why Your Brain Thinks You're Full (Even When You're Not)How the body keeps blood sugar in a narrow safe range (~4 grams of glucose in the bloodstream at any moment) using insulin and glucagon, and how GLP-1-based drugs (e.g., semaglutide/Wegovy/Ozempic)…16 Aug 2026 · 47 min · 14 chapters
The Lake At The North Pole That Stops Europe From FreezingHannah reports from the Arctic on unusual “fresh” water sources tied to sea-ice chemistry and a massive North Pole freshwater system (“Beaufort Gyre”) that helps insulate the ice sheet but may affect…12 Aug 2026 · 47 min · 14 chapters
The Science of Putting Sunglasses on The SunA playful “how could we make the sun look like it’s wearing sunglasses?” episode that turns into real astronomy/optics.9 Aug 2026 · 1 h · 24 chapters
Why Is It A Colour Wheel & Not A Line?Why color is taught as a wheel (artists) instead of a line (physics), using Crayola crayons to demonstrate spectral vs psychological colors, camera/screen limits, fluorescence, and infrared.5 Aug 2026 · 47 min · 17 chapters
Why Lithium Batteries SUCKThe hosts argue lithium-ion batteries are “pathetic” due to low energy density and major safety problems (flammability, thermal runaway, hard-to-extinguish fires).2 Aug 2026 · 54 min · 16 chapters
What Happens Inside Earth's Forbidden Zones?“Forbidden zones” where humans can’t safely enter, and what happens when people leave nature alone—especially the Korean DMZ, plus nuclear/chemical exclusion areas worldwide.29 Jul 2026 · 46 min · 16 chapters
It Wasn't A Hoax After AllThe “2012 apocalypse” myth is traced to Mayan calendar math and later reinterpretations, then contrasted with how 2012 became a real-world tipping point for smartphones, social media, digital news,…26 Jul 2026 · 1 h · 18 chapters
Hack Dog Vision To Keep Your Bones SafeColor vision across animals, using dog dichromacy to “protect bones” with a shirt/sticker set; then Q&A covers DNA/RNA data storage, free will/determinism, and whether animals could biologically…22 Jul 2026 · 46 min · 17 chapters
The Hole In Your Brain That Makes You DoomscrollCuriosity as a brain “information gap” that drives learning and can be exploited by clickbait and doomscrolling; history of curiosity as a vice/virtue; how curiosity affects memory, attention, and…19 Jul 2026 · 49 min · 16 chapters
A Man-Eating Tiger Found In LondonA “Field Notes” story about a taxidermied tiger head found in an ex-mother-in-law’s loft, used to explain how “man-eating” tigers are identified and dealt with, plus listener Q&A on pleasure, ratios,…15 Jul 2026 · 41 min · 14 chapters
All The People You Don't KnowHow different kinds of “not-quite-relationships” shape health and behavior, focusing on (1) familiar strangers and sociometric stars, (2) consequential strangers and “fringeship,” (3) intimate…12 Jul 2026 · 56 min · 25 chapters