A Good Science Read

A Good Science Read

Oxford University

Episodes 15
Avg. Duration 40m
Activity Declining
Since Feb 2024
Latest Episode Sep 2025

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Months
Hosting
podcasts.ox.ac.uk

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

Interested in science and the people behind the science? Looking for an informative, entertaining, thought-provoking and accessible read? Join Professor Dame Frances Ashcroft and her guests as they discuss their favourite popular science books, sharing their love of science, and the books they consider most enjoyable and that offer something to everyone. Episodes will be published fortnightly. Professor Ashcroft is Professor of Physiology at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Trinity College Oxford. Her own books include 'Life at the Extremes: the science of survival' and 'The Spark of Life: electricity in the human body'.

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Recent Episodes

A Good Science Read: How our brains make our selves

Sep 01, 2025 39m

Professor Dame Uta Frith and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'Our Brains Our Selves: what a neurologist’s patients taught him about the brain' by Masud Husain Masud Husain is a neurologist and a…

A Good Science Read: 'The Coming Plague' and 'Spike: The Virus vs. The People - the Inside Story'

May 30, 2025 36m

Georgina Ferry and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'The Coming Plague' by Laurie Garrett, and 'Spike: The Virus vs. The People - the Inside Story' by Jeremy Farrar and Anjana Ahuja. 'The Coming…

A Good Science Read: Masters of Science Writing

Apr 22, 2025 45m

Professor Dinah Birch and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'The Faber Book of Science' edited by John Carey and 'The Golden Mole and other living treasures' by Katherine Rundell. Professor Dinah…

A Good Science Read: Metabolism

Mar 04, 2025 34m

Professor Tim Coulsen and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'Burn: the Misunderstood Science of Metabolism' by Herman Pontzer and 'Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death' by Nick Lane.…

A Good Science Read: 'The Fly Trap' and 'As If Human: AI and Artificial Intelligence'

Jan 24, 2025 46m

Professor Sir Charles Godfray and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'The Fly Trap' by Fredrik Sjöberg and 'As if Human: AI and Artificial Intelligence' by Neil Shadbolt and Roger Hampson. Professor…

A Good Science Read: Why Sex Matters

Oct 15, 2024 42m

Professor Russell Foster and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature' by Matt Ridley and 'Dr Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation' by Olivia Judson.…

A Good Science Read: A Walk on the Wild Side

Oct 15, 2024 44m

Professor Richard Fortey joins Professor Frances Ashcroft to discuss 'Entangled Life' by Merlin Sheldrake and 'Wilding' by Isabella Tree. Series 2 Episode 8 Entangled Life is fascinating journey…

A Good Science Read: On the Origin of Modern Humans

Oct 15, 2024 20m

Professor Chris Miller and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'Who We Are and How We Got Here' by the Harvard geneticist David Reich. Series 2 Episode 7: The book 'Who We Are and How We Got Here:…

A Good Science Read: How everything works

May 13, 2024 34m

Dr Roger Highfield joins Professor Frances Ashcroft to discuss 'Pain: A Ladybird Expert book' by Irene Tracey and 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson. Pain is a very short book but…

A Good Science Read: How humans changed the landscape and ourselves

Apr 29, 2024 39m

Professor Peter Burge joins Professor Frances Ashcroft to discuss 'Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles' by Jay Owens and 'The Species that Changed Itself or How prosperity reshaped…

A Good Science Read: Evolution - from Fossils to Finches

Apr 15, 2024 37m

Professor Paul Smith and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'Wonderful Life' by Stephen Jay Gould and 'The Beak of the Finch' by Jonathan Weiner. Wonderful Life focuses on the weird and wonderful…

A Good Science Read: The Secret Life of the Cuckoo

Apr 01, 2024 22m

Professor Richard Boyd joins Professor Frances Ashcroft to discuss 'Cuckoo - Cheating by Nature' by Nick Davies. The cuckoo is a ruthless parasite that lays its egg in another bird’s nest, tricks…

A Good Science Read: The importance of Mathematics and Engineering

Mar 18, 2024 42m

Professor Marcus du Sautoy joins Professor Frances Ashcroft to discuss 'A Mathematician’s Apology' by GH Hardy and 'Exactly: How Engineers Created the Modern World' by Simon Winchester. A…

A Good Science Read: The Story of Penicillin

Mar 04, 2024 39m

Professor Matthew Freeman and Professor Frances Ashcroft discuss 'The Mould in Dr Florey's Coat' by Eric Lax This book tells the true story of the penicillin miracle – penicillin being the mould in…

A Good Science Read

Feb 27, 2024 0m

Professor Frances Ashcroft gives a short introduction to this exciting new series

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does A Good Science Read have?

A Good Science Read has published 15 episodes since February 2024, covering topics in Education.

Is A Good Science Read still active?

A Good Science Read is currently declining with new episodes every 2 months. Average episode length is 40m.

How do I contact A Good Science Read for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for A Good Science Read, including email and social media links.

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