3: Blindness

FromScience(ish)

Start listening View podcast show

3: Blindness

FromScience(ish)

ratings:

Length:

38 minutes

Released:

Dec 14, 2018

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Could we be on the cusp of eradicating vision loss? Through the 2008 epidemic thriller ‘Blindness’, the boys explore the mind-boggling complexity of the eye and the conditions that led to its evolution in the animal kingdom. With tens of millions of people around the world affected by vision loss, a wave of promising new technologies has raised hopes of restoring sight to those left in the dark.
Featuring: Samantha De Silva
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Released:

Dec 14, 2018

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Flâneur and irrepressible commentator, Rick Edwards, and "Indiana Jones in a lab coat" Dr. Michael Brooks, delve into the science behind popular culture.

Skip carousel

003 – Jurassic Park: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a T-Rex? No! It’s a woolly mammoth. And it’s back from the dead. Maybe. Soon. Michael and Rick are on the case.https://radiowolfgang.com/s/scienceish by Science(ish)
47 min listen
Special(ish) 001 – Sticks & Stones: The very first instalment of our Special(ish) sees the boys dwell on some recent field research that blurs the line between animal and human. A sign of things to come in the next episode of Science(ish), Planet of the Apes. by Science(ish)
12 min listen
Special(ish) 010 – The Great Escape: Rick and Michael deliver some strong science chat about Inky the escaping octopus, a slippery little fella who managed to slide out of his tank and make a break for the pacific ocean. But what does this mean for evolution? by Science(ish)
7 min listen
006 – The Time Machine: Dr Michael ‘Morlock’ Brooks and Rick ‘Eloi’ Edwards transcend time and explore the future of humanity.https://radiowolfgang.com/s/scienceish by Science(ish)
49 min listen
001 – Inception: Dr. Michael Brooks attempts to enter the world of lucid dreaming. Rick – not so much.https://radiowolfgang.com/s/scienceish by Science(ish)
46 min listen
007 – Ex Machina: Dr Michael Brooks and Rick Edwards delve into the murky world of Artificial Intelligence as depicted in Alex Garland's masterpiece Ex Machina.https://radiowolfgang.com/s/scienceish by Science(ish)
55 min listen
008 – The Circle: What’s the Internet doing to us? Are we being controlled by our office spaces? How transparent is online transparency? Michael, Rick and web psychologist Nathalie Nahai dissect Dave Eggars’ dystopian masterpiece The Circle.https://radiowolfgang.com/s... by Science(ish)
52 min listen
Special(ish) 005 – Pale Blue Dot: Milan Kundera once wrote; “While pondering the infinity of the stars, we ignore the infinity of our father.” We asked experts from our Interstellar episode if they agree. by Science(ish)
10 min listen
Special(ish) 014 – Piggy in the Middle: From test tube babies on Bear Grylls' 'The Island' to a violent end for poor little piggy, Rick and Michael offer an especially scientific (and potentially unethical) preview of our next Science(ish) episode, Lord of the Flies. by Science(ish)
11 min listen
012 – Alien: The boys return to the outer expanses of the universe. This time, they’re not after black holes but ET, as depicted in Ridley Scott’s classic ‘Alien’. Are we alone? What will ‘it’ look like? And are ‘they’ already amongst us?https://radiowolfgang.com... by Science(ish)
50 min listen
015 – Big Data: Science(ish) goes live as part of Science Museum Lates. In this special podcast recording, Rick and Michael delve into the blockbuster data movies Her, Ex Machina and Enemy of the State live on stage with some special guests.https://radiowolfgang.com... by Science(ish)
49 min listen
Special(ish) 013 – King of the Swingers: If you thought we were the only species capable of infidelity, think again. In this episode of Special(ish), Rick and Michael explore the cunning world of animal deception with help from primatologist, Dr. Kit Opie. by Science(ish)
9 min listen
Special(ish) 002 – Rise of the Machines: Following AlphaGo’s trouncing of the World ‘Go’ champion, we’ve pulled some unheard material from our Ex-Machina episode about the potential impacts of the ever-extending arm of AI, as told by contributor Jeremy Howard. by Science(ish)
10 min listen
009 – Planet of the Apes: The boys go back to basics with an exploration of the 1968 classic Planet of the Apes. How did we humans end up on top? Could the apes ever take over? And of course will dolphins ever have hands?https://radiowolfgang.com/s/scienceish by Science(ish)
46 min listen
013 – The Abyss: Rick & Michael delve into the underwater world of James Cameron’s 'The Abyss'. Ignoring, as Michael puts it “those silly wet aliens” this episode explores the limits of the human body, liquid breathing & what lurks in the deep.https... by Science(ish)
46 min listen
Special(ish) 006 – A Criminal Mind: Neuroscientist Jim Fallon spent years searching for patterns in the brain scans that he saw. But it wasn’t until he turned to the scans of his own brain that he stumbled upon his biggest discovery yet. by Science(ish)
9 min listen
005 – Comics: Tackling all things super - the boys delve into the world of comics, superheroes and villains. Along the way, they take a look at the weird and wonderful history of animals in warfare, the power of poisonous plants, and reveal that we're a lot clo... by Science(ish)
48 min listen
Special(ish) 004 – Life on Mars: In anticipation of the next episode of Science(ish), we hear how the search for other habitable planets has well and truly begun. by Science(ish)
13 min listen
Special(ish) 008 – Dark Night: Chris French, a professor of psychology who specialises in paranormal belief and ostensibly paranormal experiences, takes us through the terrifying ordeal of sleep paralysis and its surprising link to alien abduction. by Science(ish)
9 min listen
002 – Brave New World: Brace yourself for stories about cloning, aggressive ice hockey players, happy buildings… oh, and the ethics of using genetics to create a content underclass.http://radiowolfgang.com/s/scienceish by Science(ish)
51 min listen
004 – The Day After Tomorrow: Dr Michael Brooks and Rick Edwards take on a world covered in ice – as depicted in The Day After Tomorrow – both literally and metaphorically. Along the way, they talk climate change, climate skeptics and, of course, salmon bacon.https://radiowolfgan... by Science(ish)
44 min listen
011 – Minority Report: Michael and Rick gaze into the criminal crystal ball, as per Spielberg’s 2002 thriller Minority Report. Can we predict a criminal? Should we pre-convict them? And is the Universe pre-determined? Standard.https://radiowolfgang.com/s/scienceish by Science(ish)
51 min listen
Special(ish) 009 – Here Be Dragons: Throughout the centuries, stories of monsters and mythic creatures have remained a constant narrative presence. But what role have they played? And is the search for ET just the latest chapter in this ever-evolving tale? by Science(ish)
7 min listen
Special(ish) 016 – Finding Your Voice: In advance of our next Science(ish) on ‘Her’, a film starring Scarlett Johansson’s disembodied voice, we speak to leading speech therapist Christella Antoni. Here Antoni explains the process of male-to-female voice modification. by Science(ish)
7 min listen
Special(ish) 019 – Flight to Mars: In anticipation of our forthcoming Science(ish) episode, we sonically explore one man’s survival on the red planet in this musical edition of Special(ish). by Science(ish)
14 min listen
Special(ish) 017 – The Uncanny: Is flesh and blood still necessary to be considered alive? Writer and psychotherapist Dr Aaron Balick and web psychologist Nathalie Nahai draw on Freud’s definition of 'The Uncanny’ to ponder the future of human level AI. by Science(ish)
9 min listen
Special(ish) 011 – The Deep: In this Specialish, world scuba diving record holder Verna Du Preez describes her experiences of the deep and talks about just how difficult it is to ascend. Dr Oliver Firth offers insight into the extreme physiology of diving. by Science(ish)
13 min listen
010 – Interstellar: The boys go intergalactic with Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. We’re talking gravity, we’re talking black holes, and we’re talking the theory of how every single thing in our universe came into existence. No biggie.https://radiowolfgang.com/s/scien... by Science(ish)
51 min listen
1984, Series 2 Episode 2: Rick and Michael delve into the 1949 classic in search of answers. Are humans fatally vulnerable to authority? Does our behaviour change when we think we’re being watched? And are we currently living in 1984? Uplifting stuff.https://radiowolfgang.com... by Science(ish)
59 min listen
Special(ish) 015 – Back to Reality: How realistic is the classroom staple Lord of the Flies? Would children really devolve from civilised schoolboys to murderous prepubescents in a matter of days? We talk to teachers and students past and present for their views. by Science(ish)
8 min listen

More Episodes from Science(ish)

Skip carousel

8: Episode 100: The Invisible Man: Will we ever be able to turn invisible? The idea of magically disappearing has fascinated humanity for centuries. Once dismissed as impossible, a promising new wave of technologies could bring this dream one step closer to reality. Rick and Michael wra... by Science(ish)
45 min listen
7: Dark Waters: Have we all been poisoned? PFAS chemicals are all around us and almost certainly in your blood. But just how worried should we be? Michael sits down with Mark Ruffalo and Rob Bilott to talk about the shocking true story behind Dark Waters.Link to Rob B... by Science(ish)
46 min listen
6: Robocop: Will we inevitably all become Cyborgs? More than ever, we’re hearing from Silicon Valley types that humans are going to need to merge with machines. But just what would our augmented future look like? Rick and Michael plug in to the techno-dystopian cl... by Science(ish)
46 min listen
5: Silence of The Lambs: Why aren’t there more cannibals? Through the unforgettable horror of Silence Of The Lambs, Rick and Michael discover that eating your own has all sorts of surprising evolutionary benefits. So why have humans (for the most part) given it up? Time to set... by Science(ish)
41 min listen
4: Star Wars: Is the Force a real thing? Michael takes Rick on a mind bending tour through a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars! Crucial questions will be answered: did Luke Skywalker get his powers from a parasite? Can we use quantum entanglement to summon a lightsa... by Science(ish)
44 min listen
3: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle: Looking to escape to another reality? Why not try a virtual one? In this episode Rick and Michael get sucked into the world of Jumanji, as they pose the question on everybody's mind's right now, "could we ever live in a game?" Wheth... by Science(ish)
43 min listen
2: Game Of Thrones (Live): Rick and Michael go full Westeros at a special live show from the Underbelly comedy festival. So, could you really build an Ice Wall that big without using magic? Could a Dragon really fly and breathe fire? And the big one - just how bad is incest real... by Science(ish)
51 min listen
1: Jaws: Is there such a thing as a perfect predator? Rick and Michael kick off Season 5 with the mother of all blockbusters, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 masterpiece Jaws. From a deep dive into the evolution of predation, to a nasty encounter with Free Willy, the b... by Science(ish)
43 min listen
12: History of the World: Part 1: How much does Geography inform History? Why did humanity first emerge where it did? What influence do ancient rock formations have on U.S politics? In the final episode of the season, Rick and Michael try to answer all this and more, diving into Mel Br... by Science(ish)
42 min listen
11: Deadpool: Will we ever be able to regrow limbs? The more we learn about the incredible regenerative abilities of salamanders and planarian worms, the closer we come to coaxing our bodies into repairing any injury. Through Marvel’s Deadpool, Rick and Michael tack... by Science(ish)
41 min listen
10: Inside Out: Personality testing is a multi-billion dollar industry. But how reliable are assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator? Can we really find out which Lord of the Rings character Michael is? Rounding off our animated classics trilogy of animated c... by Science(ish)
40 min listen
9: Antz: Does nature prefer hierarchy? When we look out into nature, we see hierarchical systems everywhere. Is it inevitable that humans follow suit? The lads dive into the 1998 animation Antz to find out why these systems evolved and more importantly, how wro... by Science(ish)
38 min listen
8: WALL-E: Every year we produce over 2 billion tonnes of waste. That figure is only going up. Never before has the question been more pressing: what should we do with all our stuff? From atop a giant pile of broken printers, Rick and Michael discuss Pixar’s 2008... by Science(ish)
41 min listen
7: Geostorm: What if we could control the weather? Inspired by the futuristic disaster film Geostorm, the boys delve into the contentious field of geoengineering. Can or should we tinker with the Earth’s climate to mitigate the risks of runaway climate change? What... by Science(ish)
41 min listen
6: Icarus: When Bryan Fogel’s 2017 docu-thriller Icarus exposed Russia's Olympic doping programme, it sent shockwaves through the sports community. This week the boys explore the long and bizarre history of doping in sport and the perpetual arms race between... by Science(ish)
35 min listen
5: Dante's Peak: Without volcanoes there would be no life on Earth. But just how afraid of supervolcanoes - like the one in Yellowstone National Park - should we be? Inspired by 90s disaster movie Dante’s Peak, the boys explore just how bad it could get for humanity an... by Science(ish)
38 min listen
4: Westworld: What better way to kick off Christmas than a deep dive into the ethics of sex robots? Exploring the science and pitfalls of dystopian drama Westworld, the boys sit down with renowned computer scientist Kate Devlin to discuss her new book ‘Turned On: Sc... by Science(ish)
37 min listen
2: Moonraker: With the declaration of Trump’s ‘Space Force’, the domain of space is ever closer to becoming a new and potentially terrifying theatre of war. Through the Roger Moore classic Moonraker, the boys examine our reliance on vulnerable satellites and the ram... by Science(ish)
36 min listen
1: Fight Club: To kick off Series 4, Michael asked Rick to hit him as hard as he can… with knowledge! Through the Brad Pitt/Ed Norton classic Fight Club, the boys dive headfirst into the uncomfortable world of pain research. From the world’s most painful ailments, to... by Science(ish)
37 min listen
33: Is LIGO right?: The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics went to ‘a discovery that shook the world’, gravitational waves. These were detected by the LIGO experiment, a century after Einstein first predicted them. But behind the celebration, another story has been brewing which... by Science(ish)
37 min listen
32: First Man: Just 66 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, humans somehow managed to put a man on the moon. How did this happen? In this bonus episode, the boys mark the release of the film First Man by delving into the perilous science behind the original... by Science(ish)
39 min listen
31: Pi: Do some numbers have special significance? Inspired by Darren Aronofsky’s film Pi, Rick and Michael explore the greatest numbers known to humankind. From the mercurial zero which medieval Italy declared “illegal”, to the golden ratio that can explain s... by Science(ish)
40 min listen
30: Doctor Strange: Can meditation change your brain? Rick and Michael take a moment to reconnect with their breath and journey into the mystical science behind the film Doctor Strange. Exploring how monks use meditation to stave off hypothermia and send their gamma brain... by Science(ish)
36 min listen
29: Frankenstein: Could we create Frankenstein’s monster? The boys celebrate the 200th year anniversary of Mary Shelley’s genre-defining novel with a deep-dive into the underbelly of science: from grave-robbing and re-animating the dead, to the cutting edge of synthetic... by Science(ish)
44 min listen
28: Rounders: Can science beat the casino? Through the Matt Damon-Ed Norton classic Rounders, the boys explore how mathematicians have tried to conquer the world of gambling. From gaming the national lottery to blackjack and roulette, there’s more to probability the... by Science(ish)
40 min listen
27: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: What if our universe is just a giant computer? In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy the Earth is just a computer calculating the meaning of life, and in this episode the boys tackle one of the boldest claims of modern science: that everything we thi... by Science(ish)
39 min listen
26: The Dead Zone: Are we any good at predicting the future? Through David Cronenberg’s film The Dead Zone, the boys explore the fiendishly difficult science of foretelling the course of history. Why do the professional pundits get it wrong so often? Might you have what ... by Science(ish)
41 min listen
25: Nightmare on Elm Street: ‘Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep...’ These iconic words from the 80s classic A Nightmare on Elm Street have got the boys thinking: from sleep paralysis to insomnia to narcolepsy, what’s actually happening when sleep goes wrong? Are we all living thr... by Science(ish)
42 min listen
24: Knight Rider: With the utopian vision of a driverless world hitting the headlines, the boys cut through the hype by exploring the science of fully autonomous vehicles through the TV series Knight Rider. Will we really be better off without humans behind the wheel? A... by Science(ish)
39 min listen
23: Get Out: Does hypnosis work? Science(ish) explores the mend-bending neuroscience behind the Oscar-winning film Get Out. If you think your brain perceives reality in an fixed way, it’s time you opened the door to the world of hypnotic suggestion, trance-inducing... by Science(ish)
38 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

What Next TBD: When Your Retina Needs a Software Update by Slate Technology
24 min listen
What Next TBD: When Your Retina Needs a Software Update: What do you do when your bionic eye becomes obsolete? by Slate News
24 min listen
What Next TBD: When Your Retina Needs a Software Update: What do you do when your bionic eye becomes obsolete? by Slate Daily Feed
24 min listen
TBD | When Your Retina Needs a Software Update: What do you do when your bionic eye becomes obsolete? by What Next | Daily News and Analysis
24 min listen
Make Me Care About Malaria by Make Me Care About
17 min listen
Terry Spahr - 8 Billion Angels: Executive Producer Terry Spahr joins Jan Price to discuss their new controversial yet timely documentary, “8 Billion Angels” which begs the question, “Are there too many of us for planet Earth?” Available now at Home Cinema Release!Today, humanity’s dem. by The Jan Price Show
25 min listen
The Case of the Shrinking Laboratory: A physicist shrinks a medical laboratory onto a tiny computer chip. by Tumble Science Podcast for Kids
13 min listen
20: Still Alice: Could we ever cure dementia? Science(ish) takes on one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century: unravelling the science of Alzheimer’s disease. From chance discoveries to next generation brain imaging, the search for a cure is now b... by Science(ish)
35 min listen
Episode 58: Samarendra Mohanty - President & CSO, Nanoscope Therapeutics by First In Human By Vial
17 min listen
The Second Look with Damien Gatinel: Damien Gatinel chats about trifocal IOLs, keratoconus, aberrations and all things optical by The Second Look
70 min listen
Episode 17: How the mind of Gen Z is key to unlocking success in today’s Scrollable Economy by Primal Shopper: Unlocking Shopper DNA to Power Your Marketing
18 min listen
#129 – James Tibenderana on the state of the art in malaria control and elimination: <p>The good news is deaths from malaria have been cut by a third since 2005.<br></p> by 80,000 Hours Podcast
200 min listen
Food Evolution, the Movie: The representation of crop biotechnology in film has been an asymmetrical assault on science and reason. Food Evolution breaks that trend. The film tells several stories of biotech applications, where “GMO” crops are the centers of policy decisions. The by Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta
72 min listen
The Power of Connected Tech in Medicine ft. Gabi Smart Care by Planet Odoo
39 min listen
Mon. 03/21 - Squid Tech to Prevent Human Sunburns by Cool Stuff Ride Home
15 min listen
#102: Living with covid; Tonga eruption; neutral atom quantum computers; phage therapy for superbugs; AI with Beth Singler by New Scientist Podcasts
28 min listen
432: Sex Robots & Vegan Meat with Jenny Kleeman: In the next decade, technology won’t just disrupt industries, it will disrupt the moral fabric of society. How do we navigate the complexity of artificial wombs, lab-grown meat, sex robots, and euthanasia? Do you have a firm moral stance on any of these by The Lucas Rockwood Show
40 min listen
13: Contagion: Science(ish) marks the 100-year anniversary of the devastating Spanish Flu outbreak by exploring the real threat behind the film Contagion: How vulnerable are we to the next deadly pandemic? Are we ready for it? And will you stop touching your face so ... by Science(ish)
36 min listen
#129 Inside "Generation Zapped": Dr. George Carlo explains the dangers of cell phone radiation by Wise Traditions
34 min listen
Why Your Teen Is Anxious: Understanding Anxiety in the Smartphone Era with Dr. Adriana Stacey (#189) by ScreenStrong Families
57 min listen
#77 - Sleep Trackers: Seemed Like The Real Thing by Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter
39 min listen
Emily Weinstein and Carrie James, "Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (and Adults Are Missing)" (MIT Press, 2022): An interview with Emily Weinstein and Carrie James by New Books in Science, Technology, and Society
65 min listen
Emily Weinstein and Carrie James, "Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (and Adults Are Missing)" (MIT Press, 2022): An interview with Emily Weinstein and Carrie James by New Books in Anthropology
65 min listen
Deep Background Presents: Brave New Planet by Deep Background with Noah Feldman
74 min listen
Mon. 04/12 - Is An Art Movement Happening On TikTok? by Cool Stuff Ride Home
18 min listen
FLASHBACK FRIDAY | #79: The Most Dangerous Man In The World | David Icke by Macroaggressions
70 min listen
ScreenStrong: Breaking The Addiction and Saving Your Kids with Pete Kaliner (#165) by ScreenStrong Families
32 min listen
Pig butchering, scam sweatshops, top security tips: Tech insights from America's digital pro, Kim Komando by Kim Komando Today
46 min listen
Face Value: From Snapchat filters to Google’s art selfies, biometric technology plays a growing role in our everyday lives. What do we actually give up when we upload our face to these apps? Steven Talley shares his experience as the victim of mistaken identity. Artist Adam Harvey investigates how racial bias seeps into big data sets. Emily Kennedy and Glynnis MacNicol talk about the power and risks of recognition for marginalized communities. Joseph Atick, a forefather of facial recognition technology, reckons with its future. And we head to China, where you’ll need your face to use the bathroom. by IRL: Online Life Is Real Life
29 min listen
When Can I See You Again?: In some ways things are getting harder, not easier, as shelter-in-place orders lift worldwide. On this week's episode, we tackle tough new corona-questions. by Gadget Lab: Weekly Tech News from WIRED
49 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

3: Blindness

3: Blindness

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Science(ish)

Related podcast episodes