The Podcast Sessions #6: Scibernia
- Podcast name: Scibernia
- In Short: with help from Near FM – Scibernia is a bi-monthly podcast exploring science in Ireland, and beyond.
- Hosts: The Scibernia Team – more than two.
Their Description:
We are a loose collective of science enthusiasts, tech nerds, wandering journalists, radio lovers, and people who enjoy Periodic Table Scrabble (we’ll explain later). Each podcast aims to bring you the latest science news, debate and analysis from around Ireland and further afield.
Culch.ie Says:
If you’ve followed the Podcast Sessions so far, you’ll have a rough idea that the US [hat tip & compliment btw] have it fairly stitched up in the turning geekery and science into matters of relevance that create intrigue. They do it so very well – but, they do so in a sort of story telling type of way and generally the podcast has one anchor and one host.
Scibernia, however breaks that mold. It has a much larger team [see host names above] in the voices you hear department. Pause. The potential drawback however here is that this can allow, for the listener, the potential to create a comparable measure of sound where maybe one byte, to ones ear, is not as strong as an other. It also means from a behind the curtains scenario that there must be a strong core of personalities, who are in it for the long haul. As versus just two people.
Scibernia however manages and has mastered this extremely well. And as a result of that, what you actually get is really great content. Not only that but the research into the topics, the interviewee and the vast spectrum that they actually manage to cover is ruddy phenomenal. Some class examples include Gerard Cunninghams delve into Potato research, were just weeks previous he was tackling [newgrange and the like] megalithic tombs. How about Maria Daly and her science holiday destinations or scroll forward to a more recent podcast and Nuala Kane is talking Methadone and how it differs chemically to heroin. The list simply goes on….but and for the better, The Scibernia team have got it right.
Add to this the fact that they don’t story tell as such. What the Scibernauts do as you can now possibly gather, is they take everyday stuff that Joe Public is fully aware of and the allows it to be dissected to a point that there is relevance and [not always but in this case yes] therefore they create listener intrigue.
They, Scibernia, are en mass the coolest science teacher that you ever knew and loved. They are the juke box that plays only Led Zep – as versus Britney or Whitney. They are the extremely intelligent mate who knows he knows everything but doesn’t make you feel dense because you may not. They are the type of girl to ace it on Mastermind and then get legless in Bruxelles. But you see – none of this last paragraph may actually be true – it is just the image the audio has created and although you might get something entirely different – it’s one of the reasons I love audio. In this case Scibernia.
Go forth and listen. You’ll be glad you did.
Recommended Episode: episode 15: why is methadone better than heroin?
[note: this is the most recent one i am aware – also, the gardener in me wanted the spud one]
Find it on:
- iTunes
- on the Scibernia blog
- on facebook