Little Atoms

Little Atoms 279 – Chris Marsden and Ian Brown & Regulating Code

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:00:15 +0000

Ian Brown is Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Oxford Internet Institute. He is the editor of the Research Handbook on Governance of the Internet. Christopher T. Marsden is Professor of Law at the University of Sussex School of Law. He is the author of Net Neutrality: Towards a Co-Regulatory Solution, Internet Co-Regulation, and three other books. Ian and Chris [...]

Little Atoms 278 – Emily Anthes & Frankenstein’s Cat

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:00:54 +0000

Emily Anthes is a science writer whose work has appeared in Discover, the Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, and many other publications. She is also the founder of the Wonderland blog, part of the Public Library of Science. Emily’s first book is Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling up to Biotech’s Brave New Beasts.

Little Atoms 277 – Podcaster Therapy – The Pod Delusion

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:00:19 +0000

This is the fourth of a new strand of Little Atoms interviews in which Neil Denny talks to the hosts of some of his favorite podcasts. The Pod Delusion is a multi-award winning news and comment show about “interesting things”, Edited and produced by James O’Malley and Liz Lutgendorff, It covers everything politics, to science to [...]

Little Atoms 276 – Deadinburgh!

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:49:44 +0000

An unknown pathogen ravages Scotland’s capital, turning the unlucky souls into bloodthirsty ambling beasts. You are one of the last uninfected citizens in a city under martial law, cut off from the rest of the UK. Now, with help from real scientists, you have only hours to decide how to save Edinburgh, and perhaps the [...]

Little Atoms 275 – Mary Roach & Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:00:04 +0000

Mary Roach has written for the Guardian, Vogue, GQ, Salon, Wired, National Geographic and the New York Times Magazine. She is the author of Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers, Six Feet Over: Adventures in the Afterlife, Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Sex and Science, and Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in Space. Her latest book, [...]

Little Atoms 274 – Lars Iyer and Joe Milutis

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:00:22 +0000

This episode of Little Atoms is a double bill of interviews with a couple of writers and academics who’s work in different ways play on ideas of philosophy and literature. Lars Iyer is a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He is the author of two books on the philosopher Maurice Blanchot [...]

Little Atoms 273 – Sarah Wise & Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty and the Mad-Doctors in Victorian England

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:00:40 +0000

Sarah Wise took an MA in Victorian Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London. Her book The Blackest Streets was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature’s Ondaatje Prize in 2009. Her debut, The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave Robbery in 1830s London, was shortlisted for the 2005 Samuel Johnson Prize and won the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger [...]

Little Atoms 272 – Tim Birkhead & Birdsense: What It’s Like to be a Bird

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:00:42 +0000

Tim Birkhead is a professor at the University of Sheffield where he teaches animal behavior and the history of science. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and his research has taken him all over the world in the quest to understand the lives of birds. Tim has written many books, including Among [...]

Little Atoms 271 – Podcaster Therapy – Shift Run Stop with Leila Johnston & Roo Reynolds

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:00:17 +0000

This is the third in a series of Little Atoms interviews in which Neil Denny talks to the producers of podcasts he likes about why they do what they do. Call it podcaster therapy! Shift Run Stop is a comedy podcast presented by Leila Johnston and Roo Reynolds and full to the brim with games, geeks [...]

Little Atoms 270 – Will Storr & The Heretics: Adventures with the Enemies of Science

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:00:13 +0000

Will Storr is a longform journalist and novelist. His features have appeared in various publications, including Guardian Weekend, The Times Magazine, GQ, Marie Claire and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a contributing editor at Esquire magazine. He has been named New Journalist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year, and has won a [...]

Little Atoms 269 – Ann Druyan: Voyager, Cosmos and Carl Sagan

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:00:03 +0000

Ann Druyan is an author and television and film writer & producer whose work is largely concerned with the effects of science and technology on our civilization. She was co-writer with Carl Sagan and Steven Soter of the Emmy and Peabody Award winning television series COSMOS, and as the founder and CEO of COSMOS STUDIOS, she is currently working [...]

Little Atoms 268 – Naomi Alderman & The Liars’ Gospel

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:00:41 +0000

Naomi Alderman grew up in London and attended Oxford University and UEA. Her first novel, Disobedience, was published in ten languages; like her second novel, The Lessons, it was read on BBC radio’s Book at Bedtime. In 2006 she won the Orange Award for New Writers. In 2007, she was named Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, [...]

Little Atoms 267 – Podcaster Therapy – Answer Me This! with Helen & Olly (and Martin)

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:00:07 +0000

This is the second of a new strand of Little Atoms interviews in which Neil Denny talks to the hosts of some of his favorite podcasts. Answer Me This! podcast is a weekly comedy podcast in which Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann answer questions submitted by their listeners, with the assistance of Martin the Sound Man. Despite being recorded in a [...]

Little Atoms 266 – David Quammen & Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:00:42 +0000

David Quammen is a recipient of the Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the author of several acclaimed natural history titles. His book, The Song of the Dodo, won the BP Natural World Book Prize in 1996. His most recent book is Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic.

Little Atoms 265 – Maria Konnikova & Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:00:43 +0000

Maria Konnikova was born in Moscow and grew up in the United States. She writes the weekly Literally Psychedcolumn for Scientific American, and formerly wrote the popular psychology blog Artful Choice for Big Think. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she studied psychology, creative writing, and government. She also holds an MPhil in psychology and an [...]

Little Atoms 264 – Podcaster Therapy – A Bit of a Chat With Ken Plume

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:00:42 +0000

This is the first of a new monthly strand of Little Atoms interviews in which Neil Denny talks to the hosts of some of his favorite podcasts. Ken Plume is the proprietor of A Site Called Fred, and the host of numerous podcasts. An expert, some would say an obsessive, on British and American comedy, Ken [...]

Little Atoms 263 – Caspar Henderson & The Book of Barely Imagined Beings

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:00:51 +0000

Caspar Henderson is a journalist and writer who has worked for the Financial Times, the Independent, and the New Scientist. From 2002 to 2005 he was a senior editor at OpenDemocracy. He received the Roger Deakin Award from the Society of Authors in 2009, and the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award in 2010. Caspar Henderson [...]

Aaron James – Assholes: A Theory

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:00:54 +0000

Aaron James holds a PhD from Harvard and is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine. Aaron has published in several professional journals, including Philosophy and Public Affairs and Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and has given numerous lectures at universities both in the US and abroad. He was awarded the Burkhardt fellowship from [...]

Michael Nevin – The Golden Guinea

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:30:27 +0000

Michael Nevin is one of the country’s most experienced and respected applied economists. After working as an economist for the Government of St Lucia in the late 1970′s, he worked as an investment analyst with the Commonwealth Development Corporation in London in the early 1980′s. He returned to the UK in 1986 to serve as Financial [...]

Jesse Bering – The God Instinct

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:00:15 +0000

Jesse Bering is a regular contributor to Scientific American and Slate, and his writing has also been featured in many other sources, including New York Magazine, The Guardian and The New Republic. Jesse is the former director of the Institute of Cognition and Culture at Queen’s University, Belfast and began his career as a psychology professor [...]

Matthew Hutson – The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 18:00:34 +0000

Matthew Hutson has a degree in cognitive neuroscience from Brown University and a Masters in science writing from MIT. He’s written for The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Wired, Discover, Scientific American Mind, Popular Mechanics, The Boston Globe,and Psychology Today, where he spent four years as an editor. Matthew is the author of The 7 Laws of Magical [...]

Jonnie Hughes – On the Origin of Tepees

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:00:38 +0000

Jonnie Hughes is a filmmaker in the BBC Natural History Unit and Head of Development for BBC Earth. His documentaries have been shown on the BBC, Discovery and National Geographic Channel. He studied ecology and evolution at the University of Leeds. Jonnie’s first book is On the Origin of Tepees: Why Some Ideas Spread While Others Go [...]

Conor Woodman – Scam City

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:00:42 +0000

Conor Woodman is an economist, author, film-maker and presenter. He is the author of Around the World in 80 Trades - which had an accompanying four-part television series for Channel 4. His most recent book was Unfair Trade: How Big Business Exploits the World’s Poor – and Why it Doesn’t Have to, which we discussed on a previous episode of Little [...]

Giles Sparrow – The Universe in 100 Key Discoveries

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:00:05 +0000

Giles Sparrow studied Astronomy at University College London, and Science Communication at Imperial College. He is the author of The Universe and How to See It, The Planets and Hubble:Window on the Universe, which was published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, and which we talked about on a previous Little Atoms. His latest [...]

Daniel Bor – The Ravenous Brain

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:00:41 +0000

Daniel Bor is a research fellow at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science and the Department of Informatics at the University of Sussex. Previously he spent more than a decade working as a cognitive neuroscientist in the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge. In this episode of Little Atoms we discuss Daniel’s book The [...]

Francis Spufford – Unapologetic

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:00:06 +0000

Francis Spufford, a former Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, has edited two acclaimed literary anthologies and a collection of essays on the history of technology. His first book, I May Be Some Time: Ice and the English Imagination, was awarded the Writers Guild Award for Best Non-Fiction Book of 1996 and a Somerset Maugham [...]

Aarathi Prasad – Like a Virgin

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 18:00:52 +0000

Aarathi Prasad is a biologist and science writer. She has appeared on TV and radio programmes, including as presenter of Channel 4′s controversial ‘Is It Better to Be Mixed Race?’ and ‘Brave New World with Stephen Hawking’, as well as BBC Radio 4′s ‘The Quest for Virgin Birth’, and written for Wired, the Guardian, and many [...]

Jon Ronson – Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:30:57 +0000

Jon Ronson is an award-winning writer and documentary maker. He is the author of three bestsellers, Them: Adventures with Extremists,The Men Who Stare at Goats and The Psychopath Test, and two collections, Out of the Ordinary: True Tales of Everyday Craziness andWhat I Do: More True Tales of Everyday Craziness. The Men Who Stare at Goats was made into a major [...]

Bruce Hood – The Self Illusion

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:00:11 +0000

Bruce Hood is currently the Director of the Bristol Cognitive Development Centre in the Experimental Psychology Department at the University of Bristol. He has been a research fellow at Cambridge University and University College London, a visiting scientist at MIT and a faculty professor at Harvard. The author of Supersense, and most recently The Self Illusion, Bruce also presented [...]

Rose Lewenstein & Russell Bender – Game of Life

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:30:33 +0000

Game of Life is a compelling new play inspired by the mathematical phenomenon of emergence, running from 5 – 22 September 2012 atThe Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick. In this episode of Little Atoms Neil Denny talks to playwright Rose Lewenstein and director Russell Bender about the production. Rose Lewenstein studied Performance Arts at the Central School of Speech & Drama and participated in the [...]

Charles Fernyhough – Pieces of Light

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 18:00:58 +0000

Charles Fernyhough is a writer and psychologist. The Baby in the Mirror, his book about his daughter’s psychological development, was translated into seven languages. He has also written two novels, The Auctioneer a A Box of Birds. He is a Reader in Psychology at Durham University and has written for the Guardian, Financial Times and Sunday Telegraph. His latest book is Pieces [...]

Andrew Blum – Tubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:00:19 +0000

Andrew Blum writes about Architecture, infrastructure and technology for many publications, including the New Yorker, The New York Times, Slate and Popular Science. He is a correspondent for Wired and a contributing editor to Metropolis. His first book is Tubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet.

Alom Shaha – The Young Atheist’s Handbook

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Alom Shaha was born in Bangladesh but grew up in London. A teacher, writer and filmmaker, he has spent most of his professional life trying to share his passion for science and education with the public. Alom has produced, directed and appeared in a number of television programmes, and has received fellowships from the National [...]

Richard Martin – Superfuel: Thorium, The Green Energy Source for the Future

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 05:00:01 +0000

Richard Martin is an energy expert and an award winning journalist. He was the first person to write about Thorium in the mainstream press, His cover story for Wired inspired Google to launch a conference on Thorium that led to several high-tech startups. As a journalist his work has appeared in Time, Fortune, Wired, The [...]

Greg Palast – Vulture’s Picnic

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:00:43 +0000

Greg Palast turned his skills to journalism after two decades as a top investigator of corporate fraud and racketeering. His reports have appeared on Newsnight and in the Guardian, Rolling Stone and Harper’s. He is a recipient of the George Orwell Courage in Journalism Award for his BBC documentary, Bush Family Fortunes. Greg Palast is the [...]

Mark Henderson – The Geek Manifesto: Why Science Matters

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:00:13 +0000

Mark Henderson is Head of Communications at the Wellcome Trust. Previously he was the Science editor of The Times and a columnist for The Times science magazine, Eureka. In 2011 Mark was awarded the European Best Cancer Reporter Prize and the Royal Statistical Society Prize for statistical excellence in journalism. He has won three awards [...]

Jules Evans – Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:00:58 +0000

Jules Evans is Policy Director at the Centre for the History of the Emotions at Queen Mary, University of London, where he runs the Well-Being Project. He has worked with organisations including the new economics foundation, the RSA, the School of Life and the Rockefeller Foundation on philosophy and well-being. He also writes for publications [...]

Jonah Lehrer – Imagine: How Creativity Works

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:00:12 +0000

Jonah Lehrer is a contributing editor at Wired and a frequent contributor to The New Yorker. He writes the Head Case column for the Wall Street Journal and regularly appears on WNYC’s Radiolab. His writing has also appeared in Nature, the New York Times Magazine and Scientific American. Jonah graduated from Columbia University and attended Oxford [...]

Ian Stewart – 17 Equations That Changed the World

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:00:31 +0000

Ian Stewart’s bestselling books include Professor Stewart’s Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities, Professor Stewart’s Hoard of Mathematical Treasures and Mathematics of Life. He is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Warwick University where he maintains an active research program. He is well know for his ability to make mathematics popular, and in 2001 he was awarded the Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Medal [...]

Susan Cain – Quiet

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:00:43 +0000

Susan Cain is a writer who specializes in psychological non-fiction. She has a blog on psychology today.com, and her New York Times article on the evolutionary benefits of shyness was the most emailed article in the paper when published. Susan graduated with honors from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She previously worked in corporate law [...]

Richard Holloway – Leaving Alexandria

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:00:07 +0000

Richard Holloway was Bishop of Edinburgh and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. A former Gresham Professor of Divinity, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Chairman of the Joint Board of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. He has written for many newspapers in Britain, Including The Times, The [...]

Martin Rowson – Gulliver’s Travels

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:00:43 +0000

Martin Rowson is a multi-award winning cartoonist whose work appears regularly in the Guardian, the Independent on Sunday, the Daily Mirror and many other publications. His books include graphic adaptations of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy. Among his other books are The Dog Allusion and Stuff, a memoir longlisted for the 2007 Samuel Johnson Prize. His latest [...]

Maziar Bahari – Then They Came for Me

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:30:58 +0000

Maziar Bahari London-based, Iranian-Canadian journalist and filmmaker Maziar Bahari was reporting for Newsweek magazine when he was arrested without charge during the 2009 Iranian Election Protests. He was held for 118 days until the Iranian state was forced by international pressure to release him. Maziar’s book, Then They Came for Me, co-written with Aimee Molloy, [...]

Rebecca MacKinnon – Consent of the Networked

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:30:26 +0000

Rebecca MacKinnon works on global internet policy as a Schwartz Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation. She is co-founder of Global Voices Online, a global citizen media network that amplifies online citizen voices from around the world. She is also on the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists and worked for CNN in Beijing [...]

Shalom Auslander – Hope: A Tragedy

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:00:01 +0000

Shalom Auslander is the author of the short-story collection Beware of God and the memoir Foreskin’s Lament. He was nominated for the Koret Award for writers under thirty-five, and has published articles in Esquire, the New York Times Magazine, Tablet, and the New Yorker. He has had numerous stories aired on NPR’s This American Life. Shalom’s first novel is Hope: [...]

Simon Ings – Dead Water

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:30:55 +0000

Simon Ings is a novelist (The Weight of Numbers) and a science writer (The Eye). He edits Arc, a magazine of futures and fiction from the makers of New Scientist. Of his most recent novel, Dead Water, Martin McGrath wrote: “He succeeds in getting you to care about what happens to these people and then he beats [...]

Helen Keen – Spacetacular!

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:30:59 +0000

Helen Keen is a stand-up comedian and writer. Her solo shows mix stand-up with science, storytelling and inventively homemade props, spinning comedy out of such arcane and unlikely subjects as 19th-century Arctic exploration, or the development of the robot. Helen’s award winning show about space, It is Rocket Science!, was developed into a show for Radio 4, [...]

Matthew Sweet – The West End Front

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:30:23 +0000

Matthew Sweet is a writer and broadcaster. He talks to Little Atoms about his latest book is The West End Front. Sweet presents Night Waves and Free Thinking on BBC Radio 3 and The Philosopher’s Arms and The Film Programme on BBC Radio 4. He is the author of Inventing the Victorians and Shepperton Babylon: The Lost Worlds of British [...]

Stuart Clark – The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth Trilogy

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:30:59 +0000

Dr Stuart Clark is one of the UK’s most widely read astronomy journalists. He talks to Neil Denny about his series of fiction, The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth Trilogy, now on it’s second book, The Sensorium of God. A former editor of Astronomy Now, He has a PhD in astrophysics and until 2001 was director of public astronomy education at the [...]

Prof Chris Barnatt – Explaining the Future

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Christopher Barnatt talks to Little Atoms about his latest book: 25 Things You Need to Know About the Future. Chris is Associate Professor of Computing & Future Studies in Nottingham University Business School, and the author of ExplainingComputers.com, ExplainingTheFuture.com and their popular YouTube channels. He has written five previous books on computing and future studies including A Brief Guide to Cloud Computing, and [...]

Nick Cohen – You Can’t Listen to This Podcast

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:57 +0000

Nick Cohen is a columnist for the Observer. In this show Nick talks about the fight for free speech in the UK and about his latest release; You Can’t Read this Book. He does occasional pieces for many other publications, including Standpoint and The Spectator. Cruel Britannia: Reports on the Sinister and the Preposterous, a collection of his journalism, was published [...]

Stephen Trombley – A Short History of Western Thought

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:30:28 +0000

Stephen Trombley is a writer, editor and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker. He collaborated with Alan Bullock on the second edition of The Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought (1988), and was editor of The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought (1999). His books include The Execution Protocol, The Right to Reproduce, and ‘All That Summer She Was [...]

Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People 2011

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:11:49 +0000

Extended Christmas specials recorded backstage at “Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People”, the “Variety version of the Royal Institute Christmas Lectures”, at the Bloomsbury Theatre. The nights were curated by comedian Robin Ince, and featured a huge roster of comedians, musicians, scientists and others in a festive celebration of science and rationalism. Interviews with Robin [...]

Nigel Warburton – A Little History of Philosophy

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:30:08 +0000

Nigel Warburton is a contemporary philosopher. As well as being Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at The Open University, he is a presenter of the Philosophy Bites podcast, and teaches a popuar course on art and philosophy at Tate Modern. He is the author of several popular introductions to philosophy including Philosophy: The Basics and Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction. [...]

Mark Forsyth – The Etymologicon

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:30:08 +0000

Mark Forsyth is a writer, journalist and blogger and pedant. Every job he’s ever had, whether as a ghost-writer or proof-reader or copy-writer, has been to do with words. He started The Inky Fool blog in 2009 and now writes a post almost daily. The blog has received worldwide attention and enjoys an average of 4,000 hits [...]

Kitty Ferguson – Stephen Hawking: His Life and Work

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:30:17 +0000

Kitty Ferguson was born in San Antonio, Texas. She now divides her time between South Carolina and Cambridge. An experienced science writer, her previous books include The Fire in the Equations, Measuring the Universe, The Nobleman and his Housedog, Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything and Pythagoras: His Lives and the Legacy of a Rational Universe. Her latest book [...]

Adam Macqueen – 50 Years of Private Eye

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:30:10 +0000

Adam Macqueen has been a hack at Private Eye magazine (on and off ) for 14 years. He was assistant, deputy and finally acting editor of The Big Issue between 1999 and 2002. He’s on the editorial team of Popbitch.com, and was an associate producer on Adam Curtis’s BBC series All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace. [...]

Lisa Randall – Knocking on Heaven’s Door

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:30:54 +0000

Professor Lisa Randall is a theoretical particle physicist and cosmologist at Harvard University. Randall’s studies have made her among the most cited and influential theoretical physicists. She also has a public presence through her writing, lectures, and radio and TV appearances. Her book Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe’s Hidden Dimensions was included in the New York Times’ [...]

Manjit Kumar – 100 years of the Solvay

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:30:58 +0000

Manjit Kumar was the founding editor of Prometheus, an interdisciplinary journal that covered the arts and sciences, described by one reviewer as ‘perhaps the finest magazine that I’ve ever read’. He has written and reviewed for various publications including the Guardian, The Times, The Independent and New Scientist. Manjit’s book Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great [...]

Little Atoms Live: What’s behind the Built Environment?

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:00:20 +0000

This was the first in a series of events at the Bishopsgate Institute curated by Little Atoms under the theme Whose Mind is it Anyway? The modernist architecture espoused by communism explicitly promoted the ethos of collective living. It could also be argued that shopping centres encourage you to shop, parks persuade you to linger, local shops enhance [...]

Misha Glenny – DarkMarket

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:30:55 +0000

Misha Glenny is a distinguished journalist and historian. Misha’s latest book is DarkMarket: CyberThieves, CyberCops and You. As the Central Europe Correspondent first for the Guardian and then for the BBC, he chronicled the collapse of communism and the wars in the former Yugoslavia. He won the Sony Gold Award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting. The author [...]

John Mitchinson & Keith Kahn-Harris: Unbound

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:30:27 +0000

On this week’s show QI’s Director of Research John Mitchinson returns to Little Atoms to talk about Unbound, his exciting new crowd-funded publishing venture. Joining John is Keith Kahn-Harris. Keith is a sociologist, researcher, writer and music critic. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck College, an associate lecturer for the Open University and the convenor of New Jewish [...]

Russell Foster – Seasons of Life

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:30:29 +0000

Russell Foster is Professor of Circadian Neuroscience, Chair of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophtalmology and a Senior Kurti Fellow at Brasenose College at the University of Oxford, and a leading expert on the neuroscience of biological time. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society. Russell is the co-author with Leon Kreitzman of the books Rhythms [...]

Nessa Carey – The Epigenetics Revolution

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:30:29 +0000

Nessa Carey is the author of The Epigenetics Revolution: How Modern Biology is Rewriting Our Understanding of Genetics, Disease and Inheritance. She has a PhD in virology from the University of Edinburgh and has worked in the biotech industry for nearly ten years. She was previously a Senior Lecturer at Imperial College School of Medicine in London. [...]

Jim Al-Khalili – Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:30:49 +0000

Jim Al-Khalili OBE is a theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster. He is currently Professor of Physics at the University of Surrey, where he also holds the first Surrey chair in the public engagement in science. He was awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for science communication in 2007, elected Honorary Fellow of the British [...]

Mark Lynas – The God Species

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:30:26 +0000

Mark Lynas is an author and environmental activist who focuses on climate change. He is a Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University’s School of Geography and the Environment. In 2009 he was appointed advisor on climate change to the President of the Maldives, which aims to be the first carbon neutral country on Earth by [...]

Heather Brooke – The Revolution Will be Digitised

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:30:08 +0000

Heather Brooke is a freelance journalist and Freedom of Information campaigner famous for uncovering the MPs’ expenses scandal. She has written for most of the national papers and has worked as a consultant and presenter for Channel 4′s Dispatches. She is a visiting professor at City University’s Department of Journalism and is the author of Your [...]

Becky Hogge – Barefoot Into Cyberspace

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:30:17 +0000

Becky Hogge is a technology journalist and author of Barefoot into Cyberspace: Adventures in Search of Techno-Utopia. Her writing on information politics, human rights and technology has appeared regularly in the New Statesman, and she has also been published in, among others, Index on Censorship, the Guardian, Prospect, Dazed and Confused and The Face. In 2007, [...]

Brian Switek – Written in Stone

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:48:16 +0000

Brian Switek is a science writer and research associate at the New Jersey State Museum. Brian is the author of Written in Stone: The Hidden Secrets of Fossils and the Story of Life on Earth. He writes the blog Laelaps for Wired Science, and Dinosaur Tracking for Smithsonian. He has been a guest on BBC [...]

John Mullen: Great Thinkers – In their own words

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:30:52 +0000

John Mullen is a BBC producer and director, who makes films about art, history and popular culture. He has made several films exploring the BBC archive, including the award-winning ‘Kenneth Williams In His Own Words’. He is appearing on Little Atoms to discuss his most recent series, ‘Great Thinkers: In Their Own Words’, which features [...]

Conor Woodman – Unfair Trade

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:30:26 +0000

Conor Woodman is an economist, author and presenter. His latest book is Unfair Trade: How Big Business Exploits the World’s Poor – and Why it Doesn’t Have to. His passion is to unravel global economic issues in an accessible way – with a sense of fun and adventure. http://conorwoodman.com Conor is also the author of Around The World [...]

Duncan Watts – Everything is Obvious… Once You Know the Answer

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:30:41 +0000

Duncan Watts is a principal research scientist at Yahoo! Research, and a former professor of sociology at Columbia University. His research on social networks and collective dynamics has appeared in a wide range of academic journals, including Nature, Science, and the American Journal of Sociology. Duncan’s latest book is Everything is Obvious* *Once you Know The [...]

Anita’s Adventures in Wonderlands

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:30:03 +0000

Anita Sethi is an award-winning journalist, writer and broadcaster, who has written for the Guardian, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Independent, Granta, Times Literary Supplement, and BBC, among others. In broadcasting she has appeared as a regular guest panelist and commentator on shows including the BBC’s Richard Bacon Show, Simon Mayo Show, the World Today, and Up All Night. [...]

Little Atoms Live: Tarek Shahin

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:27:34 +0000

Padraig Reidy interviews Egyptian cartoonist Tarek Shahin. This event was part of Shubbak Festival 2011. http://alkhancomics.com/ This year has seen unprecedented moves for democracy across the Middle East. But what role has satire played in this? Can humour thrive under tyranny? And can dictators allow themselves to be laughed at? Is there such thing as “Arab comedy”? [...]

Dr Michael Brooks – Free Radicals

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:30:18 +0000

Dr Michael Brooks is the author of Free Radicals: The Secret Anarchy of Science. Michael is a journalist, broadcaster, and a consultant at New Scientist. His previous books include the acclaimed non-fiction title 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense and the techno-thriller Entanglement, as well as The Big Questions: Physics. http://www.michaelbrooks.org His writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Independent, the Observer, [...]

Angela Saini – Geek Nation

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:30:50 +0000

Angela Saini is the author of Geek Nation and an award-winning independent journalist based in London. Her book is about a journey through India, to find out whether the country is set to become the world’s next scientific superpower. http://www.angelasaini.co.uk/ Angela’s work focuses on science, technology and their impact on society. Her writing has been published in New Scientist, Science [...]

Ian Stewart – Mathematics of Life

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:00:17 +0000

Ian Stewart’s is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Warwick University where he maintains an active research program. His latest book is Mathematics of Life. Ian is know for his ability to popularise mathematics, and in 2001 he was awarded the Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Medal for furthering the public understanding of science. His bestselling books include Professor Stewart’s [...]

Marc Abrahams – Improbable Research

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:00:16 +0000

Marc Abrahams is editor and co-founder of the science humour magazine Annals of Improbable Research, its website Improbable.com, and is the founder and master of ceremonies of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony – honouring achievements that make people LAUGH, and then THINK. The Prizes are handed out by genuine Nobel Laureates at a gala ceremony held each October [...]

Jim Baggott – The Quantum Story

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:00:20 +0000

Jim Baggott has been studying and writing about the history of physics for nearly 20 years. Jim’s latest book is The Quantum Story: A History in 40 Moments. His previous books have been widely acclaimed and include A Beginner’s Guide to Reality, Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy and the Meaning of Quantum Theory, and Atomic: The First War of Physics [...]

200th show – Martin Rees: From Here to Infinity

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:30:38 +0000

Martin Rees is Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics and Master of Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. Martin’s latest book is From Here to Infinity: Scientific Horizons, which expands on hIs 2010 BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures. He was the President of the Royal Society until 2010, and is the Astronomer Royal. A member of [...]

Dorian Lynskey – 33 Revolutions Per Minute

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:57 +0000

Dorian Lynskey is a music writer for the Guardian. His latest book is 33 Revolutions Per Minute:A History of Protest Songs. He was the Big Issue’s music critic for three years and has freelanced for a host of titles, including Q, Word, Spin, Empire, Blender and the Observer. He is also the author of The Guardian Book of [...]

Little Atoms Live: Which Way to Techno-Utopia?

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Mon, 23 May 2011 18:00:48 +0000

Recorded Monday 23rd May 2011 at The Free Word Centre. Chair: Becky Hogge, with Gia Milinovich, Angela Saini and Ken Hollings. Over the last century technology has evolved exponentially and has changed our lives in ways that are too numerous to count. But what effect does technology have on wider society? How has it changed the ways we interact and [...]

Adam Curtis – All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:00:23 +0000

Adam Curtis is a producer, writer and director. Adam’s latest series, All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace begins on BBC2 on 23rd May 2011. He has produced and directed television documentaries such as Pandora’s Box, The Mayfair Set, The Century of the Self, The Power of Nightmares and The Trap. Curtis’ programs, though [...]

Jon Ronson – The Psychopath Test

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:30:03 +0000

Jon Ronson is an author, broadcaster and journalist. His latest Radio 4 series of Jon Ronson on… is currently airing, and he continues to be a regular contributor to The Guardian. Jon’s latest book is The Psychopath Test. Jon Ronson began his journalistic career as an award-winning columnist for Time Out. He has made numerous TV [...]

Brian Clegg – Inflight Science

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 06 May 2011 18:00:42 +0000

Brian Clegg is a science journalist and writer. He runs www.popularscience.co.uk and is the author of Inflight Science: A Guide to the World From Your Airplane Window. Brian’s other books include Armageddon Science, Before The Big Bang, and A Brief History of Infinity. http://www.brianclegg.net

Martin Nowak – SuperCooperators

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:00:37 +0000

Martin Nowak is the author of Supercooperators: Evolution, Altruism and Human Behaviour or Why We Need Each Other to Succeed. Martin is Professor of Biology and Mathematics at Harvard University and the recipient of a raft of international prizes. He has held major research posts at the University of Vienna, Oxford University, Princeton and now Harvard and [...]

Masha Gessen – Perfect Rigour

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:00:58 +0000

Masha Gessen is author of Perfect Rigour: A Genius and the Mathematical Breakthrough of the Century. She is a journalist who has written for Slate, Seed, the New Republic, the New York Times, and other publications. Her previous books include Blood Matters: A Journey Along the Genetic Frontier.

John Lanchester – Whoops!

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:00:55 +0000

John Lanchester is the author of: Whoops! Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay. As a journalist and novelist, he was winner of the Whitbread First Novel Award for his debut The Debt to Pleasure. He is a regular contributor to the London Review of Books and The New Yorker, and a restaurant critic for the [...]

David Eagleman – Incognito

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:00:08 +0000

David Eagleman is is a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, where he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. He is best known for his work on time perception, synesthesia and neurolaw. His book on neuroscience include Wednesday is Indigo Blue, and the recently published Incognito. He writes regularly for [...]

Tim Wu – The Master Switch

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:00:31 +0000

Prof Tim Wu is an author, policy advocate and author of The Master Switch. Tim is a professor at Columbia Law School, the chairman of media reform organization Free Press. Wu was recognized in 2006 as one of 50 leaders in science and technology by Scientific American magazine, and in 2007 was listed as one of Harvard’s [...]

Richard Wiseman – Paranormality: Ghosts, the devil and a talking Mongoose

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:00:50 +0000

Richard Wiseman is Britain’s only professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology and has an international reputation for his research into unusual areas including deception, luck, humour and the paranormal. He is the psychologist most frequently quoted by the British Media and his research has been featured on over 150 programmes. He is regularly heard [...]

Mark Stevenson – The Optimist’s Tour of the Future

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:00:47 +0000

Mark Stevenson formerly worked as an expert in both prime number cryptography and computer aided systems engineering. Today he combines two other careers – one as a successful writer/ comedian (writing for TV, radio and print) and another as a speaker and consultant on future narratives, institutional innovation, engineered serendipity and learning. He is co-founder [...]

Alok Jha – How to Live Forever

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:00:59 +0000

Alok Jha is science and environment correspondent at the Guardian. In addition to writing news and comment, he presents the Science Weekly podcast and runs the Guardian’s science website. Alok’s first book is How to Live Forever and 34 Other Really Interesting Uses of Science. http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/alokjha

Manjit Kumar: Ernest Rutherford – 100 Years of the Atom

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:00:26 +0000

Henry Nicholls – The Way of The Panda

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:00:02 +0000

Henry Nicholls is a freelance science journalist writing regularly for Nature, New Scientist and BBC Focus as well as the broadsheets. His first book Lonesome George told the story of the last giant tortoise of Pinta in the Galapagos and was shortlisted for the 2007 Royal Society General Book Prize. Henry’s latest book is The Way of The [...]

Joanne Baker – 50 Universe Ideas You Really Need to Know

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:00:07 +0000

Joanne Baker studied Physics at the University of Cambridge and took her PhD in Astrophysics at the University of Sydney in 1995. She is the author of the best selling 50 Physics Ideas You Really Need to Know and is an editor at Nature magazine, where her speciality is space and Earth science. Her latest book [...]

Chris Petit – An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and other stories

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:00:57 +0000

Chris Petit is a film and video-maker and an author. His films include Radio On, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman and Chinese Boxes, and his video work has covered weather, surveillance and the M25. His novels include The Hard Shoulder, The Human Pool and The Passenger. Chris also writes regular reviews for The Guardian. First broadcast on [...]

Johann Hari – Taxing Issues

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:00:27 +0000

Johann Hari is an award-winning journalist who writes twice-weekly for the Independent, and the Huffington Post. He is a contributing writer for Slate, and regularly appears on the BBC’s Newsnight Review. His work has also appeared in a wide range of other international newspapers and magazines. http://www.johannhari.com First broadcast on 4th February 2011

Evgeny Morozov – How Not to Liberate the World

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Evgeny Morozov is the author of The Net Delusion: How Not to Liberate the World. He is a contributing editor to Foreign Policy and runs the magazine’s “Net Effect” blog about the Internet’s impact on global politics. http://www.evgenymorozov.com Morozov is currently a visiting scholar at Stanford University and a Schwartz fellow at the New America Foundation. [...]

Free Word Special – Don’t Dumb Me Down

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:00:47 +0000

@littleatoms live event with @marcusdusautoy @AdamRutherford @bengoldacre & Liz Bonnin Recorded at the Free Word Centre, London on Wednesday 26th January 2011

Natalie Haynes – The Ancient Guide to Modern Life

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:00:02 +0000

Natalie Haynes is an author and an award-winning stand-up comedian. A regular panellist on the BBC’s Newsnight Review, Saturday Review and Front Row. She has been a guest columnist for The Times since 2006. Natalie has written a book for children, The Great Escape, and her latest is The Ancient Guide to Modern Life. http://www.nataliehaynes.com/ First broadcast [...]

Francis Spufford – Red Plenty

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Francis Spufford, a former Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, has edited two acclaimed literary anthologies and a collection of essays on the history of technology. His latest book is Red Plenty. http://www.redplenty.com First broadcast on 14th January 2011 His first book, I May Be Some Time: Ice and the English Imagination, was awarded the Writers [...]

The Best of Little Atoms 2010

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Listen to all the best bits of our 2010 radio show in this one hour-long special edition. Featuring interviews with Prof Brian Cox, Dara O’Briain, Ian McEwan, Lynn Barber, Cory Doctorow, Timothy Garton Ash , Rebecca Skloot, Jonathan Ross and Alan Moore. http://www.littleatoms.com/

John Mitchinson – QI: Quite Interesting

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 18:00:13 +0000

John Mitchinson is Director of Research at QI, and the co-author with John Lloyd of various QI books, the latest of which is The Second Book of General Ignorance. If you’ve heard of QI, the chances are that you’ve heard of the BBC2 comedy panel quiz of the same name, hosted by Stephen Fry. Permanently installed guest Alan Davies develops the intellectual [...]

Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People 2010

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 18:00:05 +0000

Extended Christmas specials recorded backstage at “Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People”, the “Variety version of the Royal Institute Christmas Lectures”, at the Bloomsbury Theatre on the 16th December 2010. The nights were curated by comedian Robin Ince, and featured a huge roster of comedians, musicians, scientists and others in a festive celebration of [...]

Richard Elwes – How to Build a Brain…

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:00:48 +0000

Dr Richard Elwes is a writer, teacher, and researcher in Mathematics, and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Leeds. He Contributes to New Scientist and Plus Magazine and has publishes research on model theory. Dr Elwes is passionate about the public understanding of maths, which he promotes at talks and on the radio. His books include Maths [...]

Kitty Ferguson – Pythagoras: His Lives and the Legacy of a Rational Universe

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:00:47 +0000

Kitty Ferguson was born in San Antonio, Texas. She now divides her time between South Carolina and Cambridge. An experienced science writer, her previous books include The Fire in the Equations, Measuring the Universe, The Nobleman and his Housedog and Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything. Her latest book is Pythagoras: His Lives and the Legacy of a [...]

Jonathan Meades & Will Alsop: Little Atoms Live: Urban Renaissance?

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 18:00:07 +0000

Little Atoms Live: Urban Renaissance? with Jonathan Meades & Will Alsop Jonathan Meades is a broadcaster and the author of several books including three works of fiction – Filthy English, Pompey and The Fowler Family Business – and two anthologies of journalism. He is currently working on a book entitled An Encyclopaedia of Myself. Professor Will Alsop [...]

Giles Sparrow – Hubble: Window on the Universe

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:00:44 +0000

Giles Sparrow is the author of The Universe and How to See It and The Planets and he was also a major contributor to Dorling Kindersley’s Universe. His latest book is Hubble:Window on the Universe, published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. He studied Astronomy at University College London, and Science Communication at Imperial [...]

Dan Hind – The Return of The Public

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:00:44 +0000

Dan Hind is a journalist and publisher. In 2009 he left the industry to develop a program of media reform centred around public commissioning. His journalism has appeared in the Guardian, New Scientist, Lobster and the Times Literary Supplement. His first book was The Threat to Reason:How the Enlightenment Was Hijacked and How We Can Reclaim it. [...]

Lewis Dartnell – Life in the Universe: A Beginner’s Guide

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Lewis Dartnell is an astrobiologist at CoMPLEX (Centre for Mathematics & Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology) based at UCL. He is currently working at working in the Centre for Planetary Sciences, researching in the field of astrobiology and the possibility of microbial life surviving in the surface dust of Mars in the face of [...]

TAM London 2010 – The interviews

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:00:30 +0000

The Little Atoms TAM London special featuring interviews with Jonathan Ross (wossy), Graham Linehan (glinner) and Andy Nyman (andynyman). First broadcast 21st October 2010.

Kat Banyard – The Equality Illusion

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:00:22 +0000

Kat Banyard is author of The Equality Illusion and is a founder and Director of UK Feminista - an organisation supporting grass-roots feminist activism. She is also the founder of FEM Conferences – an acclaimed series of national feminist conferences. Kat was previously Campaigns Officer at the Fawcett Society - the UK ‘s leading campaign for women’s rights, and was a regular spokesperson for [...]

Tracy King, DC Turner & Tim Minchin – Storm

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Neil and Rebecca are joined by Tracy King and DC Turner, and special guest Tim Minchin. Tracy King is the Managing Director of February Marketing is the organiser of TAM London and co-organiser of The Big Libel Gig. She speaks on a range of topics including viral marketing, advertising psychology and using marketing in science communication and [...]

Michael Brooks – The Big Questions

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:00:30 +0000

Dr Michael Brooks is an author, journalist and broadcaster. He is a consultant at New Scientist, and the author of the acclaimed non-fiction title 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense and the techno-thriller Entanglement. Michael’s latest book is The Big Questions: Physics. His writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Independent, the Observer, the Times Higher Education, the [...]

Nicholas Carr – The Shallows

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Nicholas Carr is the author of The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google. He is a contributor to the New York Times, Guardian, Financial Times and Wired and was formerly the executive editor of the Harvard Business Review. In 2008 he wrote an article for The Atlantic called Is Google Making Us Stupid? This [...]

Alex Bellos – Adventures in Numberland

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Alex Bellos is a mathematician and philosopher. He has worked for the Guardian in London and Rio de Janeiro, where he was the paper’s foreign correspondent. In 2002 he wrote a critically acclaimed book about Brazilian football, and in 2006 he ghost-wrote Pele’s autobiography, which was a number one bestseller. His latest book is Alex’s [...]

Cordelia Fine – Delusions of Gender

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Dr Cordelia Fine is an academic psychologist and writer. She is the author of A Mind of Its Own: How your brain distorts and deceives, and writes regularly for the press. She wrote the introduction for the Britannica Guide to the Brain, and her most recent book is, Delusions of Gender: The Real Science Behind Sex Difference. [...]

Lynn Barber – An Education

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:00:42 +0000

Lynn Barber is an multi-award winning writer. Her interviews have won five British Press Awards and a What the Papers Say award. There are two published collections, Mostly Men and Demon Barber, both from Viking. She has also written books on Victorian naturalists, and sex – her first book was called How To Improve Your [...]

Arthur I Miller – 137: The pursuit of a Scientific Obsession

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:17:14 +0000

Arthur I Miller is a professor emeritus of history and philosophy of science at University College London. He is the author of several acclaimed books, the most recent of which are Einstein, Picasso, and Empire of the Stars, which was shortlisted for the 2006 Aventis Prize for Science Books. An experienced broadcaster, lecturer and biographer, he is [...]

Ian Sample – Massive

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:00:55 +0000

Ian Sample is an award-winning science correspondent at the Guardian. He was named investigative journalist of the year in 2005 by the Association of British Science Writers. He was previously a feature writer for New Scientist and holds a PhD in biomedical science from Queen Mary, University of London. Ian’s first book is Massive: The Hunt for [...]

Robin Ince’s Bad Book Club

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Robin Ince is a comedian and writer. For the last two years he has been the host of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People. His Radio 4 show with Professor Brian Cox, The Infinite Monkey Cage, has just finished it’s second series. Robin has recently written a book, Robin Ince’s Bad Book Club, which casts a critical [...]

Vic Stenger – The New Atheism

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:07:10 +0000

Victor J. Stenger is emeritus professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Hawaii and adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado. Stenger was a pioneer in the emerging research focused on neutrino astronomy and very high-energy gamma rays. His final research project prior to retirement as an experimental physicist was participating [...]

Helen Keen – Starstruck!

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:03:54 +0000

Helen Keen is a stand-up comedian and writer, she was a finalist in the 2005 Funny Women competition and the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition and has been nominated for the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year award. She won the first Channel 4 New Comedy Writing Award in 2005. Since then [...]

Timothy Garton Ash – Facts Are Subversive

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Timothy Garton Ash is the author of eight books of political writing or “history of the present”. They include The Magic Lantern, The File, History of the Present and Free World. His latest is Facts Are Subversive: Political Writing From a Decade Without a Name. He is Professor of European Studies and Isaiah Berlin Professorial Fellow at St Antony’s College, [...]

Rebecca Skloot – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Rebecca Skloot is a science writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Discover, and many other publications. She is the guest editor of The Best American Science Writing 2011, a contributing editor at Popular Science magazine, and has worked as a correspondent for WNYC’s Radiolab and PBS’s Nova ScienceNOW. Skloot served for [...]

Danny Dorling – Injustice: Why Social Inequality Exists

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Danny Dorling is a Professor of Human Geography in the University of Sheffield, leading the Social and Spatial Inequalities research group. He is also Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geography, University of Canterbury, NZ, and Visiting Professor in the Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, UK. In 2003 Danny was appointed an Academician [...]

Anil Ananthaswamy – The Edge of Physics

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:00:30 +0000

Anil Ananthaswamy is a consultant editor of New Scientist in London. He has worked at the magazine in various capacities since 2000, most recently as deputy news editor, and has written more than 250 news and features articles. He is also a contributor to National Geographic News. He studied electronics, electrical and computer engineering at [...]

Ted Vallance – A Radical History of Britain

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:00:09 +0000

Edward Vallance is a Reader in Early Modern History at Roehampton University. After reading History at Balliol College, Oxford, he was DeVelling Willis Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield. He writes a historical blog, and is a regular contributor to the New Statesman and BBC History Magazine. Ted’s books include The Glorious Revolution, and most [...]

James Hannam – God’s Philosophers

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:00:34 +0000

James Hannam is a historian of science specialising in the relationship between science and Christianity in the Medieval and Early Modern eras. He took Masters (2003) from Birkbeck College, University of London and a PhD (2008) in the History and Philosophy of Science at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge. James’ reviews and articles have been published in the [...]

Sue Armstrong – A Matter of Life and Death

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:00:52 +0000

Sue Armstrong is a science writer and broadcaster living in Edinburgh. As a foreign correspondent she worked for a variety of media including the New Scientist and BBC World Service. She has also undertaken a variety of assignments writing reports for the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS. Sue’s latest book is A Matter of Life and [...]

Martin Robbins – The Lay Scientist

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 21 May 2010 19:00:39 +0000

Martin Robbins is a researcher and science writer. He currently works in R&D solving scientific problems for a small software company, and previously worked as an ecological modeller for the British Antarctic Survey. The common research theme in Martin’s career to date has been understanding complex systems in various domains. Martin is the proprietor of [...]

Philippe Legrain – Aftershock

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:00:32 +0000

Philippe Legrain is a journalist and writer, based in London but interested in the whole world. He is fascinated by how economics, politics and culture combine to form the big picture and how the world is coming together through globalisation while becoming ever more diverse through cultural mixing and individual choice. Philippe writes primarily about [...]

Jonathan Balcome – Second Nature

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:00:02 +0000

Jonathan Balcome is an independent animal behaviour research scientist and a consultant for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. He is the author of Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good, and most recently Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals. This show features guest host, Christine Ottery. Christine Ottery is a journalist and [...]

Iain Sinclair – City of Disappearances

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:00:26 +0000

Ian Sinclair is a British writer, documentarist, film maker, poet, flaneur, psychogeographer, metropolitan prophet and urban shaman, keeper of lost cultures and futurologist. His books include Downriver, White Chappell, Scarlet Tracings, Lights Out for the Territory, Dining on Stones, London Orbital, and most recently, Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire. He is the editor of London: City of Disappearances. He lives in Hackney. http://www.iainsinclair.org.uk [...]

Alex Butterworth – The World That Never Was

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:00:05 +0000

Alex Butterworth is a writer, dramatist and researcher who has worked across a wide range of media; his projects include television drama-documentaries, virtual online communities, educational websites for major cultural institutions and action-adventure games. He is the co-author with Ray Laurence of Pompeii: The Living City, which won the Longmans-History Today New Generation Book of [...]

Prof Paul Davies – Are we alone in the Universe?

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:00:07 +0000

Paul Davies is an internationally acclaimed physicist, cosmologist and astrobiologist at Arizona State University, where he runs the pioneering BEYOND Centre for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He also chairs SETI‘s Post-Detection Taskgroup, so if scientists succeed in finding intelligent life, he will be among the first to know. In addition to his many scientific awards, Davies was the [...]

Cory Doctorow – Open Rights

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:24:32 +0000

Cory Doctorow is a science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist. He is the co-editor of the popular weblog Boing Boing, and a contributor to Wired, The Guardian, Popular Science, the New York Times, and many other newspapers, magazines and websites. A visiting senior lecturer at the Open University, he was formerly Director of European [...]

Vadim Jean – In the Land of the Free

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:00:28 +0000

Neil Denny talks to Vadim Jean about his upcoming film, In the Land of the Free. In the Land of the Free is a documentary feature that examines the story of Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King. They are known as The Angola 3 and have spent almost a century between them in solitary confinement [...]

Ian McEwan – Solar

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:00:04 +0000

Ian McEwan has written two collections of stories, First Love, Last Rites and In Between the Sheets, and 12 novels including The Cement Garden, The Child in Time, The Innocent, Enduring Love, Atonement and Saturday. He won the Booker Prize for Amsterdam in 1998. Ian’s latest novel is Solar. This show featured Adam Rutherford as a guest host. http://www.ianmcewan.com First broadcast on 19th March 2010

The Big Libel Gig

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:00:22 +0000

On the evening of 14th March 2010 the Palace Theatre in London was host to The Big Libel Gig, a fundraiser for the Libel Reform Campaign. Rebecca Watson and Neil Denny were present for Little Atoms and recorded interviews with: Simon Singh, Tim Minchin, Marcus Brigstocke, Tracey Brown, Richard Wiseman, Brian Cox, Ben Goldacre, Dara O’Briain, Ariane Sherine, Ed Byrne, Shappi Khorsandi and Robin Ince. The show contains [...]

S.J. Parris – Heresy

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:00:20 +0000

Stephanie Merritt is a writer for the Observer. She has contributed to a variety of newspapers and magazines as well as radio and television. She is the author of two novels, Gaveston ( 2002) and Real ( 2005), one non-fiction, The Devil Within, (2008) and the screenplay for Real, commissioned by Gabriel Byrne’s Plurabelle Films. She also previously [...]

Tom Standage – An Edible History of Humanity

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:00:36 +0000

Tom Standage is the business editor of The Economist. He started his career as the Science and Technology Editor at the Guardian, and has written several books which merge popular science and history including Victorian Internet, The Neptune File and The Mechanical Turk and A History of the World in 6 Glasses. His latest book [...]

Stuart Clark – Galaxy

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:00:44 +0000

Neil Denny and special guest presenter Marcus Chown talk to Stuart Clark. Stuart Clark is one of the UK’s most widely read astronomy journalists. A former editor of Astronomy Now, He has a PhD in astrophysics and until 2001 was director of public astronomy education at the University of Hertfordshire. In 2001 the Independent ranked him alongside [...]

Christopher Hird – The End of the Line

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:00:38 +0000

Christopher Hird is a leading figure in UK independent documentary making. He is chair of the Channel Four Britdoc Foundation; a trustee of the Grierson Trust, the Wincott Foundation and Index on Censorship. In January 2008 Christopher Hird started Dartmouth Films, and has produced such films as Cameron’s Money Men, Inside the Saudi Kingdom, Black [...]

Dr Karen James – The HMS Beagle

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:00:02 +0000

Karen James is a post-doctoral research assistant in the Department of Botany of the Natural History Museum, working on the development of a DNA-based identification system for plant species. She also coordinated the museum’s Darwin bicentenary science campaign including a survey of the museum’s Darwin specimens and a Galapagos mockingbird conservation genetics project. She is [...]

Stewart Brand – Whole Earth Discipline

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:00:22 +0000

Stewart Brand initially started out as an ecologist. His legendary Whole Earth Catalogue (1968-1985) won the US National Book Award in 1972. Brand, whose previous books include The Media Lab, How Buildings Learn, and The Clock of the Long Now, is president and co-founder of the Long Now Foundation and co-founder of the Global Business [...]

David Stubbs – Fear of Music

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:15:04 +0000

David Stubbs is a freelance British music journalist and author. Between 2004 and 2006 he was reviews editor for The Wire, the UK based magazine dedicated to avant garde and experimental music of all genres. Between 1987 and 1988 he was staff writer at Melody Maker, before going on to join the staff of the [...]

Graham Farmelo – The Strangest Man

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:00:01 +0000

Graham Farmelo is Senior Research Fellow at the Science Museum, London, and Adjunct Professor of Physics at Northeastern University, Boston, USA. Formerly a theoretical physicist, he is now an international consultant in science communication. He edited the best-selling It Must be Beautiful: Great Equations of Modern Sciencein 2002. Graham’s latest book is The Strangest Man: The Hidden [...]

Prof Brian Cox – The LHC, Accelerated Kittens and Tw@ts

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:00:48 +0000

Professor Brian Cox is a particle physicist, a Royal Society research fellow and is a member of the High Energy Physics group based at the University of Manchester and works on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. He is best known to the public as the presenter of a number of science programmes for the BBC, most recently Seven [...]

Little Atoms Xmas Special – The Return of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:00:02 +0000

The Little Atoms 2009 extended Christmas specials recorded backstage at “Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People”, the “Variety version of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures”, at the Bloomsbury Theatre on 16th December 2009. The nights were curated by comedian Robin Ince, and featured a huge roster of comedians, musicians, scientists and others in a [...]

Jim Baggott – The Secret History of the Atom Bomb

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:11 +0000

Jim Baggott has been studying and writing about the history of physics for nearly 20 years and has won awards for his scientific research and his science writing. His previous books have been widely acclaimed and include: A Beginner’s Guide to Reality – “… like having an informal, intimate conversation with an informed – and [...]

Manjit Kumar – Quantum

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:00:59 +0000

Manjit Kumar is currently consulting science editor at UK Wired magazine and was the founding editor of Prometheus, an interdisciplinary journal that covered the arts and sciences, described by one reviewer as ‘perhaps the finest magazine that I’ve ever read’. He is the co-author of Science and the Retreat from Reason, which introduced key areas [...]

Prof Raymond Tallis – The Kingdom of Infinite Space

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:47 +0000

Raymond Tallis was Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Manchester until he left to become a full-time writer in 2006. He is the author of more than 250 medical publications. In 2007 Tallis was presented with the Lord Cohen Gold Medal for Research into ageing and in the same year the Healthwatch Award [...]

Timandra Harkness – Engaging Cogs

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:42 +0000

Timandra Harkness was formerly the director of FameLab (the Cheltenham Science Festival’s search for new talent in Science Communication) and of Engaging Cogs (a forum for public discussion around engineering). Timandra now works as a consultant and trainer in sharing science and engineering with the public. She hosts and facilitates events for organisations including the Wellcome [...]

Dr Mark Vernon – Plato’s Podcasts

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:08 +0000

Mark Vernon is a writer, broadcaster, journalist, blogger and an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck College. He has a PhD in Philosophy from Warwick University. Mark was a priest in the Church of England between 1994-96, but quit the church as an Atheist. Mark now sees himself firmly as an Agnostic. His books include What [...]

Marcus Chown – We Need to Talk About Kelvin

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Marcus Chown is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. Formerly a radio astronomer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, he is now cosmology consultant of the weekly science magazine New Scientist. Marcus has written a number of popular science books, including The Magic Furnace, The Universe Next Door, The Never-ending Days of Being Dead [...]

Dr Adam Rutherford – Professional Geek

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:00:20 +0000

Adam Rutherford is a professional geek. He holds a PhD in genetics, is an editor at the science journal Nature, and presents radio and television programs, including Cell for BBC4: a series covering four billion years of evolution and 300 years of biology, intrigue, betrayal and rather more sperm than is absolutely necessary. Writing for [...]

TAM London 2009 Special

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

The Amazing Meeting (TAM), London took place on the 3rd and 4th October 2009, and saw around 600 Skeptics converge for a fundraising celebration of science, critical thinking and entertainment in the heart of the city, on behalf of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). Neil Denny of Little Atoms, and Rebecca Watson (The Skeptics’ [...]

Peter Cave – This Sentence Is False

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:00:02 +0000

Peter Cave is the author of Humanism: A Beginner’s Guide, which BHA President Polly Toynbee described as “A book for our times”, and of the best-selling Can a Robot Be Human? and What’s Wrong with Eating People? - both books containing 33 puzzles about religious belief as well as about reasoning, logic, ethics and political themes. His most [...]

Ariane Sherine – The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:00:28 +0000

The 1st October 2009 sees the launch of The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas. This episode of Little Atoms features Neil and Padraig in conversation with 3 old friends of the show, editor Ariane Sherine, and contributors Natalie Haynes and Josie Long. We discuss the genesis (!) of the book, our contributions, the ideal christmas, and [...]

Francis Wheen – Strange Days Indeed

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Francis Wheen is a writer, broadcaster and journalist. Francis can regularly be heard on Radio 4′s The News Quiz, and seen on Have I Got News For You. His docudrama about Harold Wilson, The Lavender List, was broadcast on BBC4 in March 2006. His latest book is Strange Days Indeed. First broadcast on 11th September [...]

Little Atoms ClearSpot – Six Pillars to Persia

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:00:37 +0000

A Resonance FM ClearSpot show presented by Neil Denny of Little Atoms and Fari Bradley of Six Pillars to Persia. The recent Iranian elections were mired in controversy and accusations of corruption. Early in August around 100 so called “opposition leaders” appeared in a Tehran courtroom, in what has been described as a Stalinist show [...]

Prof Donna Dickenson – Body Shopping

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Donna Dickenson talks to Neil Denny about who owns our bodies and the ethics of gentics, tissue and organ donation. Prof. Dickenson is the first woman recipient of the International Spinoza Lens award for her contribution to public debate on ethics. She is emeritus professor of medical ethics and humanities at the University of London, [...]

Andrew Mueller – The 21st Century and Where it All Went Wrong

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Andrew Mueller talks to Neil & Padraig about the 21st Century. Andrew was born in Wagga Wagga, Australia in 1968, and has lived in London and hotels since 1990. He currently writes on various subjects for the Independent, Independent on Sunday, Guardian, Monocle, Arena, Uncut, High Life, New Humanist and anyone else who’ll have him. [...]

Prof Bruce Hood – Supersense

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Bruce Hood is currently the Director of the Bristol Cognitive Development Centre in the Experimental Psychology Department at the University of Bristol. He has been a research fellow at Cambridge University and University College London, a visiting scientist at MIT and a faculty professor at Harvard. Bruce’s latest book is Supersense: From Superstition to Religion [...]

Dr Evan Harris MP – Free Speech, Hatred and Blasphemy

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Evan Harris has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon since 1997 and actively campaigns for refugee rights and against racism. He is also a civil liberties campaigner, member of the Oxford Diocesan Board of Social Responsibility, Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society, Honorary President of the Liberal Democrat Campaign for [...]

John Geiger – Surviving the Impossible

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

John Geiger talks to Neil Denny about The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible. John is an author of four other books of non-fiction, including the international bestseller Frozen In Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition, which describes the results of the Franklin Forensic Project. He also authored, with Dr Peter Suedfeld, the scholarly [...]

Kathryn S. Olmsted – Real Enemies

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Kathryn S. Olmsted is Professor of History at the University of California, Davis. She is the author of Challenging the Secret Government: The Post – Watergate Investigations of the CIA and FBI and Red Spy Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth Bentley. Her latest book is Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War 1 [...]

Ariane Sherine – The Atheist’s Guide to…

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Ariane Sherine is a television comedy writer, journalist and the creator of the Atheist Bus Campaign. She writes regularly for The Guardian’s Comment is Free, and has also contributed to The Independent, The Sunday Times, New Statesman and the NME, as well as writing for television shows including My Family (BBC1) and Countdown (Channel 4). [...]

Jon Ronson – How to Find God

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson in conversation with Neil Denny and Padraig Reidy in front of a live audience at The School of Life, London. Jon talks of his upcoming documentary, How to find God, conspiracies and looks back at his journalistic career and talks about his book “The Men Who Stare at Goats” being turned into a [...]

Dr Seth C. Kalichman – Combating AIDS denial

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:00:34 +0000

Neil Denny and Seth talk about combating AIDS denialism. Seth C. Kalichman is a Clinical-Community Psychologist and a Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He is also the Director of the Southeast HIV/AIDS Research and Evaluation (SHARE) Project in Atlanta Georgia and Cape Town South Africa. Dr. Kalichman has dedicated his life [...]

David Aaronovitch – Voodoo Histories

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:00:00 +0000

David Aaronovitch is a writer, broadcaster and commentator on international politics and the media. He started his media career in television, working as a producer on ITV’s Weekend World, and The BBC’s On The Record. He has previously written for The Guardian, The Observer and The Independent, winning numerous accolades, including Columnist of the Year [...]

Dr David Eagleman – Time, Sound and the Afterlife

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Neil Denny in conversation with neuroscientist David Eagleman about time perception, synesthesia and many possible afterlives. The interview includes David reading one of the short stories from his new book. David Eagleman is is a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, where he directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on [...]

Prof Chris French – The Anomalistic Psychologist

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Chris French is a professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, and heads the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, which he founded in 2000. He is a Chartered Psychologist, Fellow of the British Psychological Society and is also Editor-in-Chief of The Skeptic magazine. http://www.skeptic.org.uk First broadcast on 15th May 2009

Dr Simon Singh: Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine (and the Media) on Trial

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Simon Singh is an author, journalist and TV Producer, specializing in science and mathematics. Simon studied physics at Imperial College, London before completing a PhD in particle physics at Cambridge University and at CERN Geneva. In 1990 he joined the BBC’s Science and Features Department, where he was a producer and director working on programmes [...]

Philippe Sands QC – It’s Torture

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Philippe Sands QC has been Professor of Law at University College London since 2002 and has also taught at Boston College Law School, Cambridge University and New York University Law School. He is the author of the acclaimed Lawless World: Making and Breaking Global Rules as well as several other books on international law. He [...]

Prof Noam Chomsky – The Prolific Provocateur

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Professor Noam Chomsky has been described as the world’s greatest public intellectual. Born in 1928 in Philadelphia, Chomsky earned his academic stripes as a young linguistics professor at MIT in the 1950s. His theory of transformational grammar, forged at this time, posits that the capability to form structured language is innate to the human mind. [...]

Selected Works of Theodore Dalrymple

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Dr Anthony Daniels is a recently retired doctor and psychiatrist formerly working in a hospital and prison in Birmingham, England. Writing under the pen name Theodore Dalrymple, he is a prolific author of numerous essays and opinion pieces carried in the Wall Street Journal, Cato Institute, The Spectator, Daily Telegraph, New Criterion, City Journal and [...]

Jonah Lehrer – The Decisive Moment

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Jonah Lehrer is Editor at Large for Seed Magazine and the author of Proust Was a Neuroscientist. Lehrer graduated from Columbia University and studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He has written for The New Yorker, Nature, Wired, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. Jonah is also a Contributing Editor at Scientific [...]

Prof Richard Wiseman – Quirkology

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Neil Denny talks to Richard Wiseman. Richard talks about his new Hauntings project, about parapsychology and the value of studying psychic phenomena, refuses to tell the worlds funniest joke, and finally exclusively reveals the line-up for The Amazing Meeting London. http://www.richardwiseman.com First broadcast on 27th March 2009

Dr Tracey Brown – Sense About Science

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Tracey Brown is the Director of the charitable trust Sense About Science which seeks to respond to “the misrepresentation of science and scientific evidence on issues that matter to society”. It promotes the principle of independent peer review and scientific enquiry free from stigma, intimidation and political pressure. http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk Interview first broadcast on 20th March [...]

Dr Stephen Law – THINK!

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Stephen Law is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London. He is also editor of THINK: Philosophy for Everyone, a journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy. Stephen has published numerous books on philosophy, including The Philosophy Gym: 25 Short Adventures in Thinking (on which an Oxford University online course has since [...]

Andrew Copson: The Rational Humanist

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Andrew Copson works for the British Humanist Association on education and public affairs. Andrew coordinates the BHA’s campaigns for a secular state, for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief and for a rational humanist perspective on public ethical issues. He also coordinates the BHA’s education work promoting understanding of [...]

Nick Cohen – Waiting for the Etonians

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Nick Cohen is a columnist for the Observer and The London Evening Standard. His Latest book is Waiting for the Etonians: Reports From the Sickbed of Liberal England. http://www.nickcohen.net First broadcast on 27th February 2009

Prof Steve Jones – The 100th Little Atoms Show

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Steve Jones is a professor of genetics and head of the biology department at University College London. His studies are conducted in the Galton laboratory. Steve’s books include In The Blood: God, Genes and Destiny, Y:The Descent of Man, Almost Like a Whale: ‘The Origin of Species’ Updated, The Single Helix: A Turn Around the [...]

Jonathan Heawood – English PEN

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Jonathan Heawood joined English PEN as Director in November 2005 from the Fabian Society, where he was responsible for publishing a wide variety of political books and pamphlets, and editing the Fabian Review. He was previously Deputy Literary Editor of the Observer, and he continues to write on culture and politics for a range of [...]

Nick Davies – Bad News

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Nick Davies writes investigative stories for the Guardian, and has been named Journalist of the Year, Reporter of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year in the British press awards. Nick’s books include Dark Heart: The Shocking Truth About Hidden Britain, and Murder on Ward Four. His latest book Flat Earth News exposes falsehood, [...]

Tania Glyde – How I Gave up Drinking and Lived

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Tania Glyde is an author, journalist and broadcaster. She has written two novels to date, Clever Girl and Junk DNA. Her short stories have appeared in the Disco 2000 and Vox ‘n’ Roll anthologies. She was Time Out’s Sex columnist for two years, and produced and presented the groundbreaking chat show Midnight Sex Talk on [...]

Tim Minchin – So FU(c)King rock!

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Tim Minchin (with Rebecca Watson) Tim Minchin is an Australian musician, actor, comedian and writer. Rebecca Watson is a sceptical female activist at Skepchick who co-hosts the weekly podcast The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe. First broadcast on 23rd January 2009

Josie Long – All of the Planets Wonders

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Josie Long is an award winning comedian. In 1999 Josie won the BBC New Comedy Award at the age of just 17 – making her too young for the champagne that came as part of the prize. Despite the boost the award would have given to her comedy career, she took time off performing to [...]

Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:00:00 +0000

This week’s Little Atoms consists of a number of interviews recorded backstage on 18th December at 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People @ the Bloomsbury Theatre. The show contains an extended interview with shows curator Robin Ince, and then short interviews with contributors Darren Hayman, Christina Martin, Waen Shepherd, Simon Singh, Natalie Haynes, Tim [...]

Dr Phil Plait – Death From The Skies!

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Philip Plait is a renowned astronomer with more than two decades of professional research and education experience. He has written articles for such magazines as Astronomy and Sky & Telescope, as well as national and international newspapers. He has appeared on television news and in documentaries many times, including the Sci-Fi Channel’s Countdown to Doomsday [...]

Kenan Malik – Strange Fruit

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Kenan Malik is a writer, lecturer and broadcaster. Currently Senior Visiting Fellow at the Department of Political, International and Policy Studies at the University of Surrey. His new book, Strange Fruit: Why Both Sides are Wrong in the Race Debate was published in June 2008, and From Fatwa to Jihad: The Rushdie Affair and Its [...]

Marcus Chown – Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:23:19 +0000

Adam Curtis – Serious Issues

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:00:16 +0000

Adam Curtis is a producer, writer and director of television documentaries such as Pandora’s Box, The Mayfair Set, The Century of the Self, The Power of Nightmares and The Trap. Curtis’ programs, though always about serious issues, maintain a sense of tongue-in-cheek humour and are characteristic in their extensive use of archive footage. In his [...]

Prof Colin Blakemore

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:00:21 +0000

Colin Blakemore is Professor of Neuroscience at Oxford University. He studied Medical Sciences in Cambridge and completed a PhD in Physiological Optics at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1968. He also holds Professorships at the University of Warwick and the Duke University – National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, where he is Chairman [...]

Susan Jacoby – The Age of American Unreason

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:00:35 +0000

Susan Jacoby is an independent scholar whose work now focuses on American intellectual history, the author began her writing career as a reporter for The Washington Post. Jacoby’s Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism (2004), was hailed in The New York Times as an “ardent and insightful work” that “seeks to rescue a proud tradition [...]

The Jonathan Meades Collection

neil@littleatoms.com (Neil Denny) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:00:14 +0000

Jonathan Meades is a writer on architecture, culture and food, a novelist and television presenter. He was restaurant critic of The Times for 15 years. Jonathan’s writing includes the short story collection Filthy English, the novels Pompey and The Fowler Family Business , as well as a collection food writing, a DVD box set, was [...]