Steve Roud was Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. His publications include London Lore (2008) and The Lore of the Playground (2010). He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

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Brian Cox

Robin Ince

Four more series of the multi-award-winning science/comedy show 
 
Celebrating the wonders of the universe since 2009, The Infinite Monkey Cage combines wit and wisdom to explore scientific concepts in an entertaining, accessible way. In these four series, physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince are back to 'put a smile on the face of science' (The Independent). They're joined by a wealth of boffins, brainiacs and celebrity science enthusiasts, all keen to share their hard facts, soft theories and bold comic deviations. 
 
Beginning with the end of the universe, they tackle topics including black holes, the human brain, Neanderthals and the science of cooking - and attempt to answer profound philosophical questions such as 'What is life, and how did it start?', 'Is time an illusion?' and ''What is reality?' There's also an astronaut's guide to isolation, featuring Helen Sharman, Chris Hadfield, Nicole Stott and Apollo 9's Rusty Schweickart; a look back at 60 years of chimpanzee research with Jane Goodall; and a history of rock (not in the Rolling Stones sense, but actual rolling stones). 
 
Plus, the duo play Animal Top Trumps to find out whether we should prefer beautiful bats to much-maligned flies; travel deep below the ocean waves to see what lies beneath; discover how trees communicate using the Wood Wide Web; and learn why two brains are definitely better than one... 
 
Among their special guests are Eric Idle, Steve Martin, Matt Lucas, Tim Minchin, Bill Bailey, Mark Gatiss, Steve Jones, Ross Noble, Sara Pascoe, Prof Alice Roberts, Carlo Rovelli, Harold McGee, Dr Janna Levin, Dave Gorman, Brendan Hunt and Katy Brand. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Brian Cox and Robin Ince 
Producer: Alexandra Feachem 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Infinite Monkey Cage: Series 22-25

Helen Keen

Miriam Underhill

Helen Keen, Peter Serafinowicz and Susy Kane star in this funny, off-beat but factual expedition through the universe, boldly going where no Radio 4 comedy show has gone before. 
 
 
“A pithy sweet programme … with a joke stuffed script” Miranda Sawyer, The Observer 
“Beautiful...A gem” The Sunday Express 
“Informed, enthusiastic and funny” Daily Mail 
“A sort of stand up version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” The Times 
 
This “shamelessly nerdy…deeply silly” (Radio Times) space extravaganza features fewer close-ups of Professor Brian Cox looking cool in front of a rocket than Wonders of the Universe, but more weird, wonderful and occasionally woeful stories about the geniuses, Nazis and Satanists who plotted to propel humankind to the stars. Find out the many and varied ways to leave the planet as It Is Rocket Science! takes you on a “gleefully irreverent” (The Scotsman) whistle-stop comic tour of the Great Brains who put monkeys, ladies, dogs and gentlemen into orbit. 
 
Discover the daring Mercury 13 women - the astronauts and moonwalkers that never were, hear the adventures of Felix the French Space Cat, raise your eyebrows at the career trajectory of Wernher von Braun, from Nazi to Disney to NASA, meet the man who (metaphorically) connects rocket fuel to Aleister Crowley, explore your options in case an asteroid is heading directly your way, and discover some of the more surprising suggestions scientists have advanced for how to get in touch with life on other planets, from giant burning parallelograms in the Sahara to sending nude pictures into space.... 
 
“Factually accurate yet funny” (The Telegraph), the show won several major awards including The Association of British Science Writers’ Royal Society Radio Prize. 
 
“Harnessing a sharp comedy sensibility to an arsenal of fascinating facts, she’s a treat for anyone who matches a sense of humour with an inquiring mind” The Guardian [on Helen Keen]

It Is Rocket Science: The Complete Series 1-3

A BBC Radio 4 comedy show

Four more series of the multi-award-winning science/comedy show 
 
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are back to take a witty, irreverent look at life, the universe and everything in between in these four engaging series. From the tiniest molecules to the most distant stars, the inquisitive monkeys break down the science to reveal intriguing insights into the world around us and what lies beyond. 
 
Joined by a panel of scientists, experts and celebrity science enthusiasts, they delve into topics ranging from the wonder of trees and the science of board games to hedgehogs, elasticity and the sound of music. They also raid the archives of the Royal Society to uncover some surprising and wacky scientific endeavours, search for alien life at Glastonbury, venture to Bletchley Park to decode cyberwarfare and are put to the test by an audience of curious children in a ‘Beastly Bodies Kids’ Special’ from Cheltenham Science Festival. 
 
Additionally, the duo investigate where babies come from, ask if extinction is really the end, journey to the centre of the earth to unveil the high-pressured world beneath our feet, and embark on a cool adventure to the mysterious realm of ice. And as Saturn and Jupiter are pitted against each other in a planetary face-off, Brian and Robin referee the battle of the gas giants. Who will be awarded the coveted Kuiper Belt? 
 
Among the special guests in these entertaining episodes are Dame Judi Dench, Marcus du Sautoy, Steve Backshall, Adam Kay, Anneka Rice, Dave Gorman, Alan Davies, Pam Ayres, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Sara Pascoe, Adam Rutherford, Ria Lina, Jo Brand and Brian Eno. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Brian Cox and Robin Ince 
Produced by Melanie Brown 
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem 
Researcher: Olivia Jani 
A BBC Studios Audio production 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Infinite Monkey Cage: Series 30-33

Robin Ince explores how authors, artists and astronomers have told the story of the cosmosFrom Shakespeare and Milton to Alan Moore and Douglas Adams, writers have striven to convey the enormity and wonder of our universe. In this enlightening three-part series, Robin Ince, aided by special guests including his fellow Infinite Monkey Cage presenter Brian Cox, appraises the great communicators past and present, who have captured our imagination and advanced our knowledge.Beginning with the birth of the universe, he reveals that Fred Hoyle’s famous phrase ‘the big bang’ was actually a derogatory expression, coined to satirise a theory he didn’t believe in. Now, it is part of our everyday language – but how helpful is it in explaining how the cosmos came about? Physicist Carlo Rovelli uses metaphor to clarify this mind-bending concept, while for cosmologist Carlos Frenk, the time before time existed is best illustrated by Dalí’s melting clocks.Investigating the mysteries of black holes, Robin looks at how they have inspired science fiction authors and filmmakers. First conceived of by Einstein in 1915, these vast tears in the fabric of spacetime exist at the centre of every galaxy: and thanks to Nobel Prize-winning author Kip Thorne (who consulted on the movie Interstellar), we have an idea of what they might actually look like.But what of the ultimate destiny of the universe? Will it end in a ‘big crunch’, a ‘big rip’, heat death or vacuum decay? And as they speculate around the fate of the cosmos, how careful do scientists and writers have to be to avoid arousing anxiety and bringing on ‘cosmological vertigo’? Contemplating the final chapter of the universe’s story, Robin wonders whether their predictions will be accurate – or whether there will be a twist in the tale...Production creditsPresented by Robin InceProduced by Marijke Peters and Adrian WashbourneExecutive Producer: Alexandra FeachemSoundscape Designer: Jane WatkinsWith contributions from: Brian Cox, Sean Carroll, Katie Mack, Carlos Frenk, Carlo Rovelli, Janna Levin, Paul Murdin, Kip Thorne, Paul Franklyn, Fay Dowker, Paul Sutter, Louisa Buck, John Lloyd, Adam Riess and Mike TurnerFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 10-24 June 2024© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Writing the Universe

A BBC Radio 4 Science Series

Heather Couper

Heather Couper presents a sweeping history of astronomy, as heard on BBC Radio 4.   In this 30-part BBC Radio 4 series, astronomer Heather Couper charts the history of our understanding of the universe.   Her journey begins at the beginning as people first gaze in wonder at the life-giving Sun, the wandering planets and the changing phases of the Moon.   Along the way we meet the ancient astronomers, as well as many pioneering scientific giants like Galileo, Newton, Halley and Herschel.   With the invention of the telescope and the birth of astrophysics the skies were revealed as never before. These and other advances in technology enabled us to land on the Moon, discover distant galaxies, quasars and black holes - and to search for worlds beyond our own.   Narrated by Heather Couper with additional readings by Timothy West, Annette Badland, Robin Sebastian, Julian Rhind-Tutt and John Palmer.

Cosmic Quest

Melvyn Bragg

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the cosmos, from the origins of the universe to dark matter and dark energy 
 
'Consistently superb' John Banville 
 
In Our Time is a linchpin of the Radio 4 schedule, attracting over 2 million listeners a week since its launch in 1998. Erudite, edifying and enlightening, it tackles serious ideas succinctly, providing fascinating insight into subjects ranging from the Fibonacci Sequence to Frida Kahlo. 
 
In this special thematic anthology, we traverse the solar system, the galaxies and the multiverse, voyaging across space to explore 25 celestial objects and phenomena. Included are programmes on the universe, the sun, the moon, the stars and the planets - among them our near neighbours, Venus and Mars. Also featured are discussions on comets, asteroids and black holes, as well as eclipses, exoplanets and the mysterious, invisible substance known as 'dark matter'. Topping and tailing the collection are episodes dealing with the science of astronomy, examining Ptolemy's geocentric theory of the universe and the relationship between astronomy and the British Empire. 
 
Hosted by veteran broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, with contributions from expert scholars and academics including Sir Martin Rees, John Gribbin, Carolin Crawford and Sir Roger Penrose, these captivating colloquies will inspire anyone with a sense of wonder and a thirst for knowledge. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Melvyn Bragg 
Produced by Natalia Fernandez, Thomas Morris, Simon Tillotson, Julia Johnson and Phil Tinline 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
 
Ptolemy and Ancient Astronomy 17 November 2011 
The Multiverse 21 February 2008 
The Universe's Origins 20 May 1999 
The Universe's Shape 7 February 2002 
The Age of the Universe 3 March 2011 
Galaxies 29 June 2006 
The Sun 10 July 2014 
The Moon 3 November 2011 
Eclipses 31 December 2020 
The Planets 27 May 2004 
Venus 27 December 2018 
Mars 11 January 2007 
Saturn 14 January 2016 
The Kuiper Belt 2 March 2017 
Exoplanets 3 October 2013 
The Life of Stars 27 March 2003 
The Death of Stars 9 June 2022 
Black Holes 12 April 2001 
Asteroids 3 November 2005 
Comets 17 January 2013 
The Cool Universe 6 May 2010 
Dark Matter 12 March 2015 
Dark Energy 17 March 2005 
The Vacuum of Space 30 April 2009 
Solar Wind 23 January 2020 
Astronomy and Empire 4 May 2006 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

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