309 - Neoliberal nightmares
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Lesley Groom and Chris Sparrow have had fruitful careers in sociology and social work. They’ve spent much of their time in Greater Manchester, North West England—the part of the world in which I was born, and a part of the world that’s close to my heart. In this episode, we talk about a community space they helped to set up in 1981, and how that space evolved organically over time. We also discuss our lost tradition of radicalism and culture of risk, the shifting aspirations of the working class, the intentional limits of the state education system, and the power of social media in...
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308 - Achieving your health goals
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Helen Halliday, AKA Helen the Food Coach, is a registered nutritional therapist working remotely with clients through the coronavirus pandemic. Helen helps people to define and achieve health goals relating to diet, sleep, and exercise. In this episode we talk about what a nutritional therapist is and isn’t, how to separate sage advice from snake oil, and how to define and stay motivated to achieve your health goals. We also discuss the Healthy Trinity of diet, sleep, and exercise, and the power that mindfulness has to augment them all. Simple suggestions for the Healthy Trinity are included...
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307 - On love and film
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Liliane Laborde-Edozien is a US-born French-Italian-Nigerian-Brazilian filmmaker and photographer whose work explores resilience, love, and collective memory. Her documentaries have picked up awards in the US and have been screened in major cities on four continents. In this episode, we talk about her first three documentaries—defining love beyond language, escaping poverty and gang violence through sports, and collective memory within Brazil’s African diaspora. We also discuss the censorship of artistic expression, recognising our shared humanity, and Alan Watts’ beloved story of...
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306 - Improving mental health
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Rebecca Samuels is a cognitive behavioural therapist working remotely with patients through the coronavirus pandemic. She has spent time working in mental health at music festivals, prisons, and as part of the response team following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. In this episode, we cover the basics of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), the evolution of mental health treatment approaches, and how Rebecca brings her wide-reaching experience into her practice. We also discuss the false dichotomy of body and mind, how things have changed since the pandemic, and a likely upcoming trial...
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305 - Launching a record label
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
T. Fitzgerald is label head at For The Record, a UK-based collective of producers and DJs. The label creates immersive, hypnotic and transcendent music from the minimal end of house and techno for clubs and home listening. In this episode we talk about the journey from playing in basements to pressing your first vinyl, the relative value of physical and digital media, and defining music based on the experience it creates. We also discuss the interplay of music and art, how the scene is adapting to lockdown measures, and the impact this is likely to have on the future of clubbing and music...
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304 - Demystifying data science
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Duncan Fraser is the lead data scientist at Habitat Energy, where he develops machine learning algorithms for battery dispatch and optimisation in the UK and Australia. Ultimately, Duncan aims to apply principles from data science to solve useful problems in climate change. In this episode we cover the fundamentals of data science, its applications in energy storage, and the benefits of data-led decision-making. We also discuss the current state of battery technology, creating the right incentives in power markets, and, ultimately, how data science could help to prevent the looming...
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303 - Architecting space and time
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Charlotte Knight and Lloyd Preston-Allen currently spend their working days in architecture and property development. They have a strong joint interest in building community through design, which has engendered a rural coliving project tentatively called COLIVE-19. In this episode we talk about how space captured their imaginations, the constraints imposed by formal education, and the relative value of aesthetic and function. We also discuss examples of good and bad cities, integrating culture with nature, and the future of urban living in a post-pandemic world—including their plans with...
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302 - Winning the information war
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Imran Ahmed is the founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). The Center tackles identity-based hate, misinformation, extremism, fake news, trolling, and how these things can polarise societies and undermine democracy. In this episode we talk about some of the Center’s recent successes, the power and risks of deplatforming bad actors, and the social media platforms as a public square. We also discuss the role of big tech platforms in content moderation, erosion of our trust in institutions, and the need for us all to take responsibility with the content we choose to...
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301 - Welcome back—again!
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Hello and welcome back to WonderLabs! We are back in London and expanding the show beyond science and technology—to the places and minds where ideas are born, nurtured and shared. Before we get into Season 3, check out this introduction to find out what's in store.
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Bonus - In conversation with Jim Smith
WonderLabs with Chris Richardson
Sir Jim Smith is Head of the Wellcome Science Review and Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute’s Developmental Biology Laboratory. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society and was knighted in 2017 for services to medical research and science education. In this episode we talk about Sir Jim’s work on embryonic development, using frogs as a model organism, and how this work might lead to stem cell therapies for humans. Moving beyond his science, we talk about his role in deciding who gets funding, how science can be made more collaborative, and how to think about diversity in STEM...
info_outlineYoussef Ibrahim is a researcher at Imperial College London exploring 3D printing.
In this episode we learn the mechanisms behind different types of 3D printing, the importance of bio-inspired design in manufacturing, and the potential medical applications of smart materials.
If you'd like to get in touch, our Gmail is "wonderlabspod".
Enjoy!