Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
CultureLab is an array of delights from the world of culture and the arts. Sometimes we interview the world’s most exciting authors about their fascinating books, other times we delve into the science behind a movie or TV show. New episodes every other Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ science-and-culture interviews • popular science books • underwater acoustics • adolescence psychology • science TV and sci‑fi • quantum ideas • plant intelligence • Mars audio/music • racism and health • exoplanets/alien life • climate narratives • AI bias • menstruation science • biology in fictionThis podcast explores the meeting point of science, culture and the arts, often through conversations with writers, researchers and creators about new books, television and other media. Across the episodes, the show uses cultural touchstones—such as science fiction on screen and page, documentaries, and creative projects—to unpack the science behind what we watch and read, and to examine how stories shape public understanding of scientific ideas.
A recurring thread is the attempt to make complex fields accessible through vivid examples: how animals communicate in the ocean through sound; what plants can do that challenges conventional notions of intelligence; and how data from space exploration can be translated into art and music. Space and planetary science also feature as hosts and guests discuss the moon’s influence on Earth and the evolving search for life beyond our planet, including what signs scientists might look for on distant worlds.
The podcast also addresses science as a human enterprise shaped by society, ethics and bias. Topics include the impacts of racism on health and medical care, the ways technology can encode discrimination, and how much trust to place in artificial intelligence. Human development and health are covered from multiple angles, including the psychology of adolescence and the biology, medicine and social stigma surrounding menstruation.
Climate change appears not only as a scientific issue but as a challenge of communication, uncertainty and narrative—how people interpret evidence and decide to act.
