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Wonder Cupboard asks what science is, how it works, and how it came to be. Elena Falco and Ian Bridgeman present a new topic on the history and philosophy of science every episode.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ History and philosophy of science • Origins of scientific ideas and practices • Public health and biology debates (vaccines, viruses, life) • Everyday science and technology (ice, air conditioning, sunbathing) • Scientific culture, language, and aestheticsThis podcast explores what science is, how scientific knowledge is produced, and how science has developed over time, using topics from the history and philosophy of science as entry points. Across episodes, the hosts examine everyday practices and technologies—such as sun exposure, artificial cooling, and the use of ice—to show how scientific ideas, commercial interests, and social needs shape what we consider “normal” in modern life.
A recurring focus is how scientific concepts are defined and contested. The podcast raises foundational questions about categories like life, numbers, and reality itself, and uses these to introduce larger debates in philosophy of science, including why scientific theories succeed and what it means for them to be true or useful. It also looks at the cultural presentation of science: the symbolism of lab coats, the language and writing systems scientists use, and how ideas like “beauty” influence what researchers pursue and how theories are judged.
Historical case studies connect scientific work to power, politics, and public trust. Topics include the development and controversy of vaccination, scientific contributions to social change, and the shifting relationship between science and broader traditions and celebrations. The show also revisits well-known figures and episodes in science history and follows how disputed or unconventional ideas—about the Earth’s shape, for example—emerge, persist, and are argued over.
Overall, listeners can expect a blend of conceptual inquiry and historical storytelling that treats science as a human activity embedded in culture, institutions, and everyday life.
| Episodes: |
018 – Sunbathing2020-Jul-31 55 minutes |
017 – Air Conditioning2020-Jun-29 56 minutes |
016 – Ice2020-Jun-04 74 minutes |
015 – Are Viruses Alive?2020-Apr-27 48 minutes |
014 – Beauty Part 2 with Simon Watt2020-Apr-04 69 minutes |
013 – Beauty Part 1 with Sabine Hossenfelder2020-Feb-04 51 minutes |
012 – Merry Christmas2019-Dec-26 23 minutes |
011 – Vaccines and Power2019-Dec-01 50 minutes |
010 – Do We Live in a Simulation?2019-Oct-13 59 minutes |
009 – Lab Coats2019-May-19 48 minutes |
008 – Valentine's Special: Mamie & Kenneth2019-Feb-14 27 minutes |
007 – What Are Numbers?2019-Jan-29 48 minutes |
006 – Mesmerism2018-Dec-12 69 minutes |
005 – What's the Language of Science?2018-Sep-11 38 minutes |
004 – Flat Earth2018-Aug-30 67 minutes |
003 – Sexy Plants2018-Jul-15 54 minutes |
002 – Why Does Science Work?2018-Mar-22 42 minutes |
001 – Galileo2018-Mar-19 57 minutes |