‘As long as you need to be able to draw a straight line, hopefully rulers will have a place in the world.’In the final episode, host Nihal Arthanayake is joined by Senior Production Manager at Ordnance Survey, Jim Goldsmith, and Copy Services

Microwave ovens

Jul 22nd, 2021 32m 24s

They quietly whir and ping away in our kitchens, heating up food and the odd cold cup of tea - but behind these unassuming boxes of plastic and metal lies a remarkable story. In this episode, host Nihal Arthanayake is joined by food stylist an

Tin cans

Jul 8th, 2021 37m 21s

‘Food has been a really important part of our socializing as humans. It’s when we enjoy food together, we tell the stories and sit around a fire as our ancient ancestors would have done. And we like to do that as well, on the space station.’In

Menstruation products

Jun 24th, 2021 28m 48s

Around 800 million people across the world are menstruating right now, using a variety of products and methods to deal with their blood. But accessing these products can be a challenge, even today.In this episode, host Nihal Arthanayake speaks

Vacuum cleaners

Jun 10th, 2021 25m 19s

Household chores are an unavoidable part of everyday life. For thousands of years a broom was enough, but by using the humble vacuum cleaner we changed our homes forever.In this episode, carpet sweeper expert Laura Humphreys takes us on a jour

Microphones

May 27th, 2021 27m 47s

Microphones have changed the way we hear the world. From the experiments of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Alva Edison, through the birth of rock and roll to the explosion of podcasts and video conferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, micro

Sticky tape

May 13th, 2021 23m 52s

The wonder material graphene can be found in any pencil, but for years scientists couldn’t isolate its incredibly thin layers. Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov won the Nobel Prize in 2010 for doing just that, using little more than their curiosi

Bath toys

Apr 28th, 2021 25m 51s

We know so little about the ocean, but a simple bath toy helped us understand it better. Dive into the story of what happened when 30,000 bath toys washed overboard and how these cute plastic critters helped scientists uncover the mysteries beh

Trailer

Apr 1st, 2021 1m 6s

Even the most ordinary objects have extraordinary stories to tell. Our new podcast, A Brief History of Stuff, delves into remarkable stories behind the everyday things around you, exploring the past, present and future of the stuff in your home