The Rest Is Science
Join mathematician Professor Hannah Fry and science creator Michael Stevens (Vsauce) as they dig into the weird scientific questions that often go unexplored. Welcome to The Rest Is Science, a show that sits in the fascinating space between what we think we know, and what we actually know. Why do we assume we understand things like time, randomness, or even gravity? Once you start questioning these familiar ideas, reality becomes astonishingly strange and completely fragile. Whether you're a lifelong science fan or just naturally curious, The Rest Is Science will change your perception of reality, and prove that the biggest questions are always the most fun.
Episodes
May 6, 2026 • 39 mins
Why does one of the most familiar numbers on a nutrition label turn out to be far more complicated than it looks?
What can a can of fizzy drink teach us about thermodynamics, human metabolism, and the strange ways scientists measure energy?
Professor Hannah Fry and VSauce’s Michael Stevens dive into the weird science of calories. From century-old experiments involving fire, body heat, and human digestion to the hidden quirks ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 4, 2026 • 52 mins
What if the universe is recording everything you’ve ever seen and done?
In this episode, Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens explore the idea that light itself might carry a record of the past. And if it did, how could we watch history unfold by capturing it.
Could a perfectly placed mirror or even a black hole bend that ancient light back to us? Could we watch the pyramids being built, or hear Einstein’s final words?
From a ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 29, 2026 • 50 mins
What can a humble airplane sick bag teach us about physics, engineering, and the limits of the human stomach; And why are there people out there collecting thousands of them?
Professor Hannah Fry and VSauce’s Michael Stevens turn an unlikely holiday prompt into a surprisingly rich exploration of flight. From the biology of motion sickness to the physics of turbulence, and from exploding crisp packets to next-generation aircraft ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 27, 2026 • 60 mins
How does a perfectly symmetrical ball of cells become an animal, with a head, a tail, and complex zebra or leopard like patterns?
In this episode, we dive into the mind bending science of how order emerges from chaos, guided by an unexpected genius: Alan Turing.
From leopard spots and human embryos to crime hotbeds, Hannah and Michael discover the hidden mathematical rules shaping life itself…and the ethical dilemmas that co...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 22, 2026 • 50 mins
How do you convince people you aren't a witch if you travel back in time, and where can you actually find something decent to eat when you're there?
Professor Hannah Fry and VSauce, Michael Stevens, tackle the most practical and delicious logistics of surviving a trip through history.
Check out one of Hannah's favourite chemistry YouTube channels - https://www.youtube.com/@cnliziqi
-------------------
For more inform...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 20, 2026 • 62 mins
Why do almost all of us struggle with a simple reasoning test, yet get it right the moment it’s about a pint in a pub? This week, Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens take on the Wason Selection Task, one of the most intensely studied problems in the history of psychology.
They unpack why a rule involving letters and numbers can feel strangely difficult, while the exact same logic becomes immediate and instinctive when it’s a...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 15, 2026 • 40 mins
Does a teapot secretly hold the laws of physics? And what do soap, sugar and mint have to do with the perfect cup of tea?
Whilst in Morocco, Professor Hannah Fry takes Michael Stevens (VSauce) into the surprising science of mint tea, from foamy bubbles that trap desert sand to the elegant S-shaped spout that appears to solve some of the hardest problems in fluid dynamics.
Plus, your questions, including whether rising sea levels...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 13, 2026 • 46 mins
Is the kitchen home to some of the most extraordinary technology humans have ever invented?
Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens explore the science of everyday appliances, from the strange physics of coldness to the wartime origins of the microwave. They explore how humanity learned to trap 'coolth', beam heat into leftovers, and turn the most ordinary room in the house into a high performance laboratory!
From ice merc...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 8, 2026 • 47 mins
Does "the cloud" hold more data than a clouds hold raindrops? Can a new organ literally rewrite your personality?
Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens, VSauce, weigh our massive digital servers against a standard downpour, before unpicking the biology of transplant patients suddenly waking up with entirely new cravings.
Michael also has a new Curiosity Box coming featuring an altertative periodic table disguised as a sna...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 6, 2026 • 51 mins
What happens when you finally reach the end of forever? And what exactly is the difference between Omega and Aleph-null?
Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens (VSauce) return for the final (possibly not) chapter of our infinity series, unpicking the frankly absurd mechanics of multiple infinities. They reveal how mathematicians don't just measure the endless void, but actively organise it, exploring the bizarre gap between t...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 1, 2026 • 57 mins
Why would a zip line be the best form of transport on the Moon? Why exactly can your feet still feel other textures right through your socks? Hannah and Michael tackle the spectacular physics of extreme commutes and everyday biomechanics.
They unpick the orbital chaos and terrifying vacuum of space, proving why a lunar theme park ride is essentially a brilliant, fiery death trap. Back down on Earth, they dive into the hypersens...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 30, 2026 • 48 mins
Why were the ancient Greeks absolutely terrified of the infinite? How did a boundless mathematical concept start bitter historical feuds? And what happens to reality when you realise that some infinities are actually bigger than others?
Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens (VSauce) plunge back into the mind-bending history of infinity, tracking the spectacular panic it caused across the centuries. From individuals trying to...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 25, 2026 • 56 mins
In this very special episode Michael and Hannah look at some of the groundbreaking, jaw-dropping and hope inspiring projects that Cancer Research UK are supporting right now.
From identifying tiny "flags" cancer cells show to using cancer's own evolution against it, they show why current research today will hopefully mean a better tomorrow for many.
Cancer Research UK are the world's leading cancer charity, supporting research in...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 23, 2026 • 60 mins
Is infinity actually a real number, or just a brilliant mathematical hallucination? Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens (VSauce) tumble down the numerical rabbit hole to explore the mind-bending origins of infinity. They unpick exactly how humanity managed to trap the endless void. From ancient paradoxes to endless hotel rooms, they dive into the bizarre history of our universe's most impossible idea.
-------------------
Fo...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 18, 2026 • 52 mins
What do Bill Bryson, Daniel Wegner and J.R.R. Tolkien have in common? They are all part of Michael's reading recommendations. On this episode of Field Notes we answer one of our most frequent inbox questions... "What do you both read?"
Alongside that Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens delve into whether some numbers give off "vibes" and the optimal way to use airflow to rid your car of dog hairs and unwanted smells.
...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 16, 2026 • 70 mins
Ever wanted to squish a puppy just because it’s impossibly cute? Or felt absolutely certain you’ve lived this exact moment before?
Hannah and Michael explore the bizarre, everyday glitches of the human mind, unpacking why our brains occasionally seem to short-circuit. They dive into the weird neurology of "cute aggression", or urges like thinking of throwing your phone off a bridge, to the jarring time-bending sensation of déjà...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 13, 2026 • 26 mins
What inspired Kazuo Ishiguro’s timeless story about mortality, growing up, and the human condition? How are its characters so relatable, and yet entirely unique? And, why does the dark secret at its heart challenge scientific innovation?
Dominic Sanbrook joins Hannah and Michael to discuss all this and Dominic's new show, The Book Club, available now.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 11, 2026 • 55 mins
Have you stubbed your toe and shouted an unrepeatable word? Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle were two of the greatest minds in humanity. Did their egos and competition with one another hold them back or drive them onto huge breakthroughs?
Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens explore the bizarre neurology of vocalised pain, revealing how a good yelp actually acts as a biological off-switch for suffering and unearth if Newton was...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 9, 2026 • 51 mins
Botanically speaking, there is no such thing as a vegetable, so what exactly is sitting on your dinner plate? And if our culinary world is built on biological lies, which plant is actually the most vegetable like?
Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens tackle a chaotic intersection of linguistics, plant taxonomy, and nutrition, dismantling the arbitrary categories we use to organise our food, revealing that our supermarket aisle...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 4, 2026 • 49 mins
Does your native language physically sculpt your face? And could a swarm of bees be trained to run computer code?
Two of your questions answer in this Field Notes with Professor Hannah Fry and YouTube's Michael Stevens, plus Michael’s object of the week is a visualization of the Holocene Calendar. By simply adding ten thousand years to our current year, it transforms our perception of history from a brief modern blip into an un...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.