{"podcast":{"title":"The Rest Is Science","slug":"the-rest-is-science-7587315","podcast_index_feed_id":7587315,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/GLT6907573392","website_url":"https://www.goalhanger.com","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/0d68e376-bbe6-11f0-9c0a-3f76ef8f3285/image/f8f5780dd5dd75e83e158902c3830f1a.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Goalhanger","episode_count":71,"summary":"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.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T10:22:06.711332+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rest-is-science-7587315"},"episode":{"title":"Why Michael Abandoned Ink For Mechanical Pencils","slug":"why-michael-abandoned-ink","published_at":"2026-05-27T23:04:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rest-is-science-7587315/why-michael-abandoned-ink","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rest-is-science-7587315","url":"https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT6557068479.mp3","audio_url":"https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT6557068479.mp3","summary":"What can be revealed about a person by their choice of…lead? In this gloriously nerdy episode of Field Notes, Michael Stevens arrives armed with an entire collection of mechanical pencils, sparking a series of passionate debates about graphite, the merits of ink, and whether the perfect pencil will ever really exist. Plus: what happens to fizzy drink bubbles in zero gravity? Why did early scientists believe sperm contained tiny pre-formed humans? Are gravitational waves the most beautiful thing in the cosmos? And are modern scientific discoveries becoming too complicated for any one person to fully understand? ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/our-research/rest-is-science Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ. ------------------- Find The Rest Is Science all over the internet by ⁠⁠clicking here.⁠⁠ ------------------- Video Producer: Adam Thornton + Oli Oakley + Jack Meek Animator: Sam Benson Video & Social: Bex Tyrrell Assistant Producer: Lucy Lipscombe Producer: Simona Rata Senior Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Head Of Digital: Samuel Oakley Exec Producer: Neil Fearn ------------------- Advertise with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices","meta_description":"What can be revealed about a person by their choice of…lead? In this gloriously nerdy episode of Field Notes, Michael Stevens arrives armed with an entire…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2837,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-rest-is-science-7587315/episodes/why-michael-abandoned-ink/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rest-is-science-7587315/why-michael-abandoned-ink.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}