{"id":1633,"date":"2019-01-30T10:52:59","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T10:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/?p=1633"},"modified":"2019-01-30T13:54:08","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T13:54:08","slug":"making-an-award-winning-podcast-podcasts-can-be-a-great-way-to-do-science-communication-and-have-a-lot-of-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/making-an-award-winning-podcast-podcasts-can-be-a-great-way-to-do-science-communication-and-have-a-lot-of-fun\/","title":{"rendered":"Making an award winning podcast: podcasts can be a great way to do science communication and have a lot of fun!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You hear a lot of advice from people when you are thinking of setting up a podcast. People have all sorts of opinions about how long episodes should be, what you should talk about, how you should talk, how often you should release episodes.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure any of them are right. Think about the podcasts you listen to. Are they all the same length as each other? All the same format? All series or all regular? I doubt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester1.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1637\" data-link=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/glester1\/\" class=\"wp-image-1637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester1.png 800w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester1-300x293.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester1-768x751.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption>Dr Steve Bullock, Tim Peake and Andrew Glester<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"842\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1634\" data-link=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/glester-2\/\" class=\"wp-image-1634\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-2.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-2-300x263.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-2-768x674.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><figcaption>Andy Weir, Timon Singh and Andrew Glester at The Cosmic Shed Live in Bristol\u2019s 3D Planetarium<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m the host of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thecosmicshed.com\/\">The Cosmic Shed podcast<\/a> which was recently named as one of the Guardian\u2019s favourite podcasts of 2018. It\u2019s recorded in the crumbling garden shed at the bottom of my garden, somewhere in suburban Bristol. It really is an awful shed but guests on the podcast include Tim Peake, Alice Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, Nichelle Nichols and Chris Hadfield. We discuss science fact, science fiction and everything in between. Occasionally we take the podcast on the road for live events, like our takeover of Bristol\u2019s planetarium with Andy Weir, the author of The Martian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Podcasts are what the hosts make them to be. If you\u2019re\nthinking of setting one up, think about what your favourite podcast are and why\nyou like them. The thing that the best all have in common is that the people\nhosting and presenting them have a huge passion for their topics. That passion\nis infectious and vital for the listener but it takes many forms. My favourite\npodcasts are a mixture of scripted, well researched shows like Caliphate and\nRadioLab and the more relaxed, informal formats like Spooktator and The Adam\nBuxton podcast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea for The Cosmic Shed came to me while I was studying\nfor the MSc in Science Communication at UWE. I had recently moved to Bristol\nand bought a house which needed a lot of work. A lot of work. Water came up through\nthe floor and down through the ceiling. The waste pipe from the toilet went out\nonto the roof. That\u2019s the end of that sentence but I would add that this part\nof the roof did not leak. In the garden stood a shed. A truly awful, rotting\nshed with more holes than the house and half the floor missing. \u201cThat looks\nlike a great place to record a podcast\u201d, I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several years later, The Cosmic Shed podcast has over 100\nepisodes, won awards and, yet, the shed still looks awful from the outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1639\" data-link=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/glester-3\/\" class=\"wp-image-1639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-3.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-3-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><figcaption>The shed is considerably better on the inside \u2013 watching Blade Runner!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"1635\" data-link=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/glester-4\/\" class=\"wp-image-1635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-4.jpg 500w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-4-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 85vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption>Outside, the shed is still crumbling&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a cohort of co-hosts for the Cosmic Shed. We have a nanoscientist Dr Maddy Nichols, an aerospace engineer Dr Steve Bullock, a film nerd (understatement) Timon Singh and more regular guest\/hosts like Tushna Commisariat (<a href=\"https:\/\/physicsworld.com\/\">Physics World<\/a>) and Achintya Rao (<a href=\"https:\/\/home.cern\/\">CERN<\/a>). We all have our own expertise and our own loves of science fiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-5-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1636\" \/><figcaption>Achtinya Rao and Tushna Commissariat in the shed to discuss October Sky.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left\">We get a fair amount of correspondence from people who tell\nus that we are like friends to them. They look forward to our episodes and feel\nlike they are sitting in the shed with us as they listen. If you think of your\nfavourite podcasts, I suspect you\u2019ll find most of them have regular hosts who\nyou get to know and like. It\u2019s one of the main reasons why people like\npodcasts. Not that that is deliberate from our point of view. I believe that\nit\u2019s just a natural consequence of the way we record the podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The Guardian newspaper described us as a \u201clight-hearted, curious and nerdy listen\u201d and I think that\u2019s what you get if you put a group of friends in a terrible shed, watch a bit of science fiction and record the conversation. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1638\" width=\"383\" height=\"222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-6.png 600w, https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/01\/Glester-6-300x174.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 383px) 85vw, 383px\" \/><figcaption>Wildlife presenters Sophie Pavelle and Dr Ben Garrod joined us to talk about Planet of the Apes<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your podcast should be as long as you want it to be, as often as you want it to be and about what you want to it be about. That way, you\u2019ll enjoy doing it as much as your listeners love listening to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are a podcaster or you are thinking of becoming one,\ndo feel free to get in touch. I\u2019d be delighted to have a chat with you but\nbeware. The first question anyone asks me is how we get such brilliant guests.\nI never answer it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You hear a lot of advice from people when you are thinking of setting up a podcast. People have all sorts of opinions about how long episodes should be, what you should talk about, how you should talk, how often you should release episodes.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure any of them are right. Think about the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/making-an-award-winning-podcast-podcasts-can-be-a-great-way-to-do-science-communication-and-have-a-lot-of-fun\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Making an award winning podcast: podcasts can be a great way to do science communication and have a lot of fun!&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,11,12,3,4],"tags":[334,325,321,330,326,285,329,322,331,332,328,323,148,335,217,324,333,6],"class_list":["post-1633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-of-health-and-applied-sciences","category-informal-formal-learning","category-msc-science-communication","category-science-communication","category-science-communication-unit","tag-achintya-rao","tag-alice-roberts","tag-andrew-glester","tag-andy-weir","tag-benedict-cumberbatch","tag-bristol","tag-chris-hadfield","tag-cosmic-shed","tag-dr-maddy-nichols","tag-dr-steve-bullock","tag-nichelle-nichols","tag-podcast","tag-science-communication","tag-science-fact","tag-science-fiction","tag-tim-peake","tag-tushna-commisariat","tag-uwe-bristol"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1633"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1675,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1633\/revisions\/1675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/science-communication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}