P-Cubed

Is our concept of education broken? The crew talk about learning, the virtues of exams, the worth of going to university as well as the needs of students and society.

Your PCubed hosts give their predictions, in science, tech and global issues for the year ahead. As always its competitive and we are keeping score.

Anti-personnel mines have a lasting and tragic effect in countries already ravaged by war. This episode we talk about a clever contraption developed by Dutch-Afghan designer Massoud Hassani to deliver a cheap and effective method to dispose of these deadly devices. TED Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScaDOpTcsmY

Ever consider building a nuclear reactor out of a banana? Yes? Excellent! Come join us to talk about other ways you can bring upon your own apocalypse. This coming winter solstice (21st December 2012) is Happy New Year for the Mayan Long Count Calender. We discuss some of the social anxiety that surrounds the media driven mass hysteria relating to this event. Re: title - Yes, we are well aware that the Mayans did not have horses News story: NASA warns Mayan apocalypse stories pose threat to frightened children and suicidal teenagers http://goo.gl/jRDr6 HowStuffWorks: http://people.howstuffworks.com/mayan-calendar.htm NASA End of World: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html Retraction by Mehmet: The Mayans weren't a South American culture, they were in fact a Mesoamerican Culture.

Get on your Harleys and dial in The Seven Year Itch. We visit the planet of the apes to discuss a recent study drawing parallels between the decline in happiness in humans during mid-life (mid-life crisis) and a similar effect observed in a cross-sectional study of chimpanzees. News story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20359229 Article: http://goo.gl/3sEzf Random Armageddon book website: http://www.aisforarmageddon.com/

Sports accidents, cosmological happenings and Bohni's constant. The crew sit down for the inaugural podcast to tear apart the premise that chocolate consumption is a good indicator of Nobel prize winnings before sharing super secret swiss hot chocolate recipes.