A Podcast Of Unnecessary Detail

Against all odds, Series 3 continues with a complicated automotive engineer from Helen, a complicated visual processing system from Steve, and a complicated restaurant triangulation problem from Matt:- Helen's bit (00:55)- Steve's bit (22:35)- Matt's bit (41:45)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. To download songs from the series visit Helen's Bandcamp Page.Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. This series is sponsored by Brilliant.org, the place to learn maths and science through interactive online lessons. Start your free trial at Brilliant.org/apoud, and the first 200 Unnecessary Detail listeners who sign up for annual membership will get 20% off on the same link.Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!

In a surprise first episode of Series 3 (truly, no-one is more surprised than us to be popping up in your feed right now...) Steve tells the truth about the Prime Meridian, Helen brings a song from her new musical "Almost Astronauts", and Matt attempts to divert an apocalyptic future scenario - with maths:- Steve's bit (00:48)- Helen's bit (17:01)- Matt's bit (34:06)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. This series is sponsored by Brilliant.org, the place to learn maths and science through interactive online lessons. Start your free trial at Brilliant.org/apoud, and the first 200 Unnecessary Detail listeners who sign up for annual membership will get 20% off on the same link.Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!

In the final episode of this series, Steve gives faint stars the side-eye, Helen sings a relatively short song about relativity and Matt gives a standing ovation to the desktop calculator that rerouted a space probe. Up, up and away!- Steve's bit (01:54)- Helen's bit (16:13)- Matt's bit (36:07)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!

Steve, Helen and Matt introduce the final installment of their live shows, performed at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre. With sets from astrophysicist and emo kid Jen Gupta, NATO alphabet innovator (in-NATO-vator) Ted Hill, stand-up medic Matt Hutchinson and Rock ‘n’ Roll IT consultants Foxdog Studios. Also contains extra details from Steve talking about tastebuds, and Helen singing about radioactive bananas:- Steve's bit (01:29)- Jen's bit (12:08)- Ted's bit (21:32)- Foxdog Studio's bit (27:26)- Matt H's bit (31:14)- Helen's bit (38:43)We'd like to add a special thanks to everyone who made these live shows possible! Our co-producer Hana Ayoob; production assistant Nicole Jacobus; sound recordist Robert Wells; Chris, Lou, Ellen, Joan, Frank and all the team at Bloomsbury Theatre; and our series producer and editor for these episodes, Lyndsay Fenner. Plus every fantastic performer, and all the brilliant audience who turned up on both nights to holler, cheer and laugh. High fives to all of you!SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- None, so far.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Matt exposes false advertising in the Jigsaw Puzzle industry, Steve matches up what we know about the immune system, and Helen writes a new tune that fits an old song. If you like detail, have a listen. You’ll fit right in: - Matt's bit (01:28)- Steve's bit (19:23)- Helen's bit (32:56)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- Harlekintiger on twitter has recommended this video by Howard Ho about "We Don't Talk About Bruno" for another analysis of how it works and why it's so catchy. We didn't have time to go into as much detail as we would have liked, and this episode was already the longest of this series. Enjoy!For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!

Matt, Helen and Steve introduce more favourite moments from their recent live shows, performed at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre. With comedian Rachel Wheeley talking about the Greenwich Time Signal, biochemical engineer Michael Sulu on the potentially fatal difference between tubes and pipes, and zoologist Hana Ayoob sharing the Honey Badger love. Plus Matt on fast food, bad maths and McCombinations, and Helen with a song about losing love at the circus:- Matt's bit (1:27)- Rachel's bit (15:09)- Michael's bit (24:02)- Hana's bit (34:45)- Helen's bit (44:00)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- The original version of this episode contained a naughty word that wasn't beeped out - oops! We've fixed it now.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Steve explains why all the molecules in your body are right handed, Matt bigs up the strong law of small numbers and Helen grabs the mic to get on the ones and twos. Stand by to receive details!- Matt's bit (1:10)- Steve's bit (18:19)- Helen's bit (32:49)- "One" Song from "Hello Numbers" (40:25)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- Every time Matt mentions the "Lagrange constant" please change it in your head to "Legendre constant" in your head. He was close, but not close enough! See the show notes to find out more about both Legendre and Lagrange.- The audio for this episode was updated on 1st June after some changes were made to the lyrics on the song recording. Everything else about the episode is the same.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!

Helen, Matt and Steve introduce the best bits of their recent live shows, performed at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre. With nerdy guest performers Dr Rohin Francis aka Medlife Crisis discussing why the human body isn’t really fit for purpose, and comedian Rosie Wilby on whether monogamy is truly dead. Plus the Nerds share their own unnecessary details on stage, with Matt throwing the rule book at Swiss Trains, Helen singing numbers in rhyming order, and Steve breaking into his own car:- Steve's bit (01:33)- Rohin's bit (14:40)- Matt's bit (23:45)- Rosie's bit (39:05)- Helen's bit (47:58)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- Sorry to everyone who accidentally got an advert in the middle of Helen's song... we put the ad marker in the wrong place. Totally our fault! We won't do it again.For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!

In a different kind of episode, our intrepid Detailers reveal three facts that they just could not believe the first time they heard them, but turned out to be true. The reproductive habits of barnacles, the unexpected mating call of the tawny owl and a freaky formula that draws a picture of itself all get the Unnecessary Detail treatment:- Helen's bit (01:12)- Matt's bit (16:08)- Steve's bit (34:12)SHOW NOTES: Unfortunately our show notes are too big for Acast's margins to contain... head to the episode page to see everything.Corrections and clarifications:- A few weeks after we recorded this episode, New York Times published an extremely detailed and well-researched article debunking the "Birds Released In Central Park By Shakespeare Fan" story. Read it here, with thanks to listener Joshua Miller for sending over this link. For tickets to live shows, nerd merch, our mailing list and more, visit: festivalofthespokennerd.com. Want to get in touch? We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or email podcast@festivalofthespokennerd.com. Come for the Unnecessary Detail. Stay for the A Podcast Of. Thanks for listening!