About this show
The Rest Is Science is a science podcast from Goalhanger. On Apple Podcasts it ranks #33 in Europe (as of 2026-10-26). By country in Europe: UK #16, Ireland #86.
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.
Where it charts
Latest episode
2026-10-2137 min
What Happened When We Stopped Squatting?
In many parts of the world, people rest in a deep squat every day. In others, most adults can barely get down there. So what’s going on? Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens dig into the history of squatting and why the ability to squat differs so much between cult…
Recent episodes
- 2026-10-181h 7mMathematicians Are The Canary Down The AI Coal MineOpenAI claims a swarm of AI agents has solved the Navier-Stokes problem, one of the hardest unsolved questions in mathematics, with a $1 million priz…
- 2026-10-1438 minThe Right Way To Open A Shaken Soda CanA can of fizzy drink has been violently shaken. The pressure is building, the bubbles are ready to erupt, and Michael Stevens is about to open it. Bu…
- 2026-10-1149 minSomething Weird Is Going On With PlacebosFor the past few decades, something strange has been happening in clinical trials. Painkillers aren't getting worse, but the placebos they're tested…
- 2026-10-0742 minWhat Was A Mammoth Doing At The Bottom Of The Sea?Hannah surprises Michael with a mammoth bone from Doggerland, the lost Ice Age land that once joined Britain to mainland Europe, and now lies beneath…
- 2026-10-0451 minWhy Do We Turn on Innocent People?Why do we turn on innocent people? A convincing story, a suspicious glance and suddenly everyone’s an armchair detective. But what happens when the c…
- 2026-09-3040 minHacking The Kendama With PhysicsMichael hands Hannah a kendama, the Japanese cup-and-ball toy, and asks her to land a single catch. Then he brings out one built for him by Adam Sava…
- 2026-09-2759 minWhy Do We Like Staring Into Fire?What is fire, and why does watching it hold our attention in a different way from scrolling on your phone? Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens start with…
- 2026-09-231h 5mThe Fluid Dynamics of Fountain PensThe wait is finally over: Hannah Fry introduces Michael Stevens to her beloved fountain pen collection and the beautiful physics behind how fountain…
- 2026-09-2049 minDying In Space, Trapped Water, and What's Hidden In Pi?Almost every human who has ever lived has one thing in common: they were born and died on Earth. Except for three people. Hannah Fry and Michael Stev…
- 2026-09-1656 minHow Codes Were Used To Hack The Telegram BusinessWhat if a single strange word could save you a fortune? In this episode Michael opens up a Victorian telegram code book and explores how users compre…
- 2026-09-1343 minWhy Your Body Needs GravityDoes space travel make astronauts younger? Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens explore Einstein’s twin paradox, time dilation and NASA’s famous…