The Infinite Monkey Cage

Magic Materials

Mar 25, 2023

42:10

Creator website

Episode guests

Mark Miodownik

Ed Byrne

Anna Ploszajski

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Introduction

2min

Zafod Beebelbrox

2min

What Is a Material?

2min

The Importance of Material Science

2min

The History of Material Science

2min

The Importance of Combining Copper and Tin

2min

The History of Atoms

2min

The Miracle Material

2min

The Future of Silicon

2min

10.

The Origins of Alchemy

2min

11.

The Future of Materials

3min

12.

The Future of Material Design

2min

13.

How to Teach an Underpass to Love

2min

14.

The Brain of a Material Scientist

2min

15.

The Imminent Dual-Carriage Way

2min

16.

The Importance of 3D Printing in the Development of Materials

2min

17.

The Future of Energy

3min

18.

The Invisibility Cloak

2min

19.

The Future of Material Science

2min

20.

The Importance of Invisible Soldiers

2min

21.

The Emperor's New Clothes

2min

22.

The End of the Series

3min

You might think materials are a bit boring and inconsequential but without them we would still be living in the stone age. Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by material scientists Mark Miodownik and Anna Ploszajski and comedian Ed Byrne to discover the life changing materials that are hidden in plain sight. Which materials have made us human? Which materials do we completely depend on? And how will materials shape our future?

Producer: Caroline Steel Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem