From telling your tits apart to badgers in your garden, wildlife expert George Cook takes us through getting into bird spotting and supporting our local wildlife species.

Where do we store this mammoth?

Dec 19th, 2022 23m 29s

Behind the scenes of a museum is a mystery to most. Brittney Elizabeth Stoneburg, Collections Manager at the Western Science Centre in California, takes us into the meticulous world of museum collection – from discovering mammoths in constructi

The Ageing Brain | Dani Beck

Nov 14th, 2022 11m 47s

Ageing isn’t only skin deep. Our brains also age. Dr Dani Beck tells us about the structural changes we see in our brain throughout our lifespans, as well as what lifestyle choices can age our brains faster.

A Merry Covid Christmas

Dec 12th, 2020 15m 24s

At a time of year where we normally gather our family around, the pandemic is bringing up some difficult decisions about how to keep our families safe whilst we mark the holiday. This is a Christmas Special Episode with a difference – Dr Amber

Vaccine Nationalism | We aren’t safe until we’re all safe

Dec 4th, 2020 15m 58s

With the breaking news that the UK will be rolling out Covid-19 vaccines before the New Year, the global effort for solving this global pandemic comes into questions. We are at risk of wealthier countries hoarding the vaccines and gatekeeping t

From Ebola to Long Covid

Aug 31st, 2020 14m 58s

When deployed to the ebola outbreak, Dr Janet Scott worked with patients experiencing long-term health problems after recovering from the virus. In the current global pandemic, we are also seeing many people suffering from a multitude of issues

A GP in a Pandemic

Aug 12th, 2020 24m 34s

Despite their role in community-focused medicine and their intimate knowledge of their patients, GPs were left behind during the COVID pandemic. Dr Amber Wheatley tells us about life in general practice during the coronavirus crisis and why thi

Pregnant and in Social Isolation

Mar 24th, 2020 12m 16s

Given the global pandemic and wide circulation of misinformation, experts will be joining the Inside the Petri Dish team (virtually – for socially distancing) to get to grips with COVID19. Yesterday, Boris Johnson announced the UK is on lockdow

Working on a Coronavirus Ward | Dr Harry Ferguson

Mar 17th, 2020 22m 32s

Given the global pandemic and wide circulation of misinformation, experts will be joining the Inside the Petri Dish team (virtually – for socially distancing) to get to grips with COVID19. Alice speaks to a close friend, Dr Harry Ferguson, who

Talk Dirty Science To Me | The Science of Sex

Feb 28th, 2020 1h 8m

Tay, Vicki and Alice return to Cardiff Science Festival to host another live podcast, this time they tackle the science of sex. Joined by Sian Jones, from Scarleteen, Inside the Petri Dish examines everything from the misconceptions of sex to H

The Tinder Code | Jordan Harrod

Dec 23rd, 2019 13m 23s

BONUS EPISODE: Jordan Harrod cracks the algorithmic code behind the most popular dating apps. From hook-ups to finding the one, she tells us about how different dating apps are designed to encourage different dating behaviours.

The Psychology of Dating Apps | Martin Graff

Dec 16th, 2019 9m 33s

BONUS EPISODE: How do men and women make their dating decisions? How are dating profiles influencing our dating behaviours? Psychologist Dr Martin Graff tells us about the psychological processes involved in online dating and relationships.

Swipe Left? Swipe Right? | AI & Dating Apps

Dec 9th, 2019 38m 26s

One third of marriages are now the result of dating apps. With dating apps becoming the baseline for finding a new beau, what’s going on behind the swiping left and right? Tay and Vicki tear out the algorithms behind dating apps by setting up a

My genes, my future | Emma Yhnell

Nov 18th, 2019 11m 48s

BONUS EPISODE: No one should be told that they have the gene for a life threatening illness through the post, but that is what is happening with at-home genetic testing kits. Dr Emma Yhnell explains how breaking the news about genetic disease s

Your ancestry through the post | Michael Rivera

Nov 11th, 2019 20m 4s

BONUS EPISODE: Unraveling your genetic code may help you map your family tree. But genetic ancestry testing through the post could have serious, real world implications – from a lack of diversity in datasets to reinforcing racial stereotypes.

Cracking the code to life | Pablo Orozco-terWengel

Nov 4th, 2019 7m 43s

BONUS EPISODE: Dr Pablo Orozco-terWengel uncovers the mechanisms used in through-the-mail genetic ancestry testing. In this podcast, he explores how the applications of the same process are being used in the conservation of endangered animals.

You’ve Got Mail | Genetic Ancestry Testing

Oct 28th, 2019 51m 58s

Spit in a tube and in a few weeks you could be cracking the code to life. You can now get an in-depth look at your genetics through the mail, dissecting your family tree and the future of your health. Genetic testing through the post has become

Keep On Keeping Bees | Helen Obee Reardon

Oct 7th, 2019 8m 7s

Bonus Episode: Helen Obee Reardon lifts the lid of a beehive to tell us what it’s like to be a bee keeper. She also explains some of the negative sides of beekeeping, and how it would be more of a benefit if more people became ‘beegrowers’.

The Birds and the Bees | Dan Rouse

Sep 30th, 2019 10m 50s

BONUS EPISODE: Dan Rouse, presenter and ornithologist, tells us about the impact of bee loss for the planet. She explores how our world would look without our fuzzy friends and warns us of the knock-on effect of insect loss on other animals – l

Bee Gone, Bees | The Death of Insects

Sep 22nd, 2019 38m 5s

Inserts are in decline. For those scared of creepy crawlies, that might sound like a good thing – but it does mean the demise of the planet. Alice, Tay and Vicki are finding out what our world would look like with out bees and insects, with fas

THE CRISPR ARMS RACE | Dr Maryam Khosravi

Sep 2nd, 2019 14m 40s

BONUS EPISODE: Dr Maryam Khosravi tells us about the urgent need for legislation to inform scientific use of CRISPR, especially in light of the CRISPR babies born with and edited genome. Are scientists, enthusiastic to make scientific discovery

CRISPR under the Microscope | Priscila Rodriguez Garcia

Aug 26th, 2019 11m 49s

BONUS EPISODE: Priscila Rodriguez Garcia tells us about the how CRISPR is revolutionising gene editing in the lab and in medical genetics. But what implications could this have on human health? And what if this technology gets into the wrong ha

Augmented Humans | The CRISPR Revolution

Aug 19th, 2019 37m 59s

Alice, Tay and Vicki are back for Series 2.0 of Inside the Petri Dish, putting science under the microscope with fascinating interviews with guest experts. To kick off the new season, Priscila Rodriguez Garcia and Dr Maryam Khosravi joined them

A Plan to Save the World | Live Episode

Mar 16th, 2019 1h 19m

Vicki, Tay and Alice kick off series two of Inside the Petri Dish with a big task – putting together a plan to save the world. As part of Cardiff Science Festival, they went down into the old bank vault under Little Man Coffee with a group of e

EP 5 | Artificial Intelligence // Conclusionary Episode

Apr 22nd, 2018 22m 20s

Welcome to episode five of Inside the Petri Dish, the podcast that dissects science and takes a look down the microscope at controversial topics within research.In this episode, Tay, Vicki and Alice sit down to discuss their findings about art