The Pop Test – A comedy science quiz

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What is love? Who invented dinosaurs? How did life begin? What's the best lighting system for a football game played by snakes? Science asks big questions but only The Pop Test answers them in a comedy quiz format. Andy and Al ask some frankly impossible questions. It's up to a panel of scientists and comedians to give their funniest or most enlightening answer for Team Science.

ABC Radio


    • Mar 25, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 24m AVG DURATION
    • 22 EPISODES


    Latest episodes from The Pop Test – A comedy science quiz

    Plastics - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2022 25:06


    The best things about plastic, it's durability and usefulness, are also the worst things, which makes plastic the perfect material for manufacturing double edged swords. Comedians Claire Hooper, Kirsty Webeck and science journalist Jacinta Bowler help us smother the ocean of ignorance with the plastic flotsam of knowledge.

    Reproduction - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2022 25:06


    To make sex unsexy, reproduction is just copying. That's why it's not allowed during exams. To understand how life has continued since the first single celled organism got a bit frisky we talk to comedian Lloyd Langford, broadcaster Beverly Wang and Dr Marissa Parrott, Reproductive Biologist at Zoos Victoria.

    Time - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 25:13


    How can you stop time? What machine can't move and only works half the time? Where on earth does time travel the slowest? Find out the answers in the 25 so-called ‘minutes' of this mind-bending episode of the best science comedy podcast of all time  Featuring Shaun Micallef, Claire Hooper and Astrophysics lecturer Katie Auchettl

    Marie Curie - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 25:06


    What convinced the Nobel judges to give her the first Nobel Prize? What's a little curie? What did she hoard in her youthful life of crime? It's time to laboriously stir our mix of pitchblende to find the uranium of truth. Featuring comedians Vidya Rajan, Alanta Colley and writer Laura Elvery

    Plastics - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2022 25:06


    The best things about plastic, it's durability and usefulness, are also the worst things. Which makes plastic the perfect material for manufacturing double edged swords. Comedians Claire Hooper, Kirsty Webeck and science journalist Jacinta Bowler help us smother the ocean of ignorance with the plastic flotsam of knowledge.

    Dinosaurs - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2022 25:06


    Who invented dinosaurs? What would a T Rex have tasted like? Who sells sea shells by the sea shore? It's time to dig through some rocks, carefully reveal the fossils and then extract the DNA inside to create an exciting but lethal theme park. Featuring comedians Cal Wilson, Matt Stewart and science communicator Jacinta Bowler.

    Electricity - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2022 25:13


    History, like electricity, illuminates the darkness and it's expensive to get a specialist in it to come to your house on a public holiday. Find out more about the science and the history behind you turning on a light switch. Featuring comedians Kirsty Webeck, broadcaster Beverly Wang and Jamie Evans, Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Melbourne.

    Origin of Life - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2022 25:06


    How did life start? Was it a warm pond of foul smelling water, deep sea underwater vents or the divine work of the Lord God? Comedians Sami Shah, Jude Perl and cell Biologist Dr. Bianca Le attempt to answer (and be funny about) the most fundamental question of all time.

    The Elements - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2022 25:02


    Like nachos, burritos and tacos, the elements are unique in themselves, but are all made of the building blocks of Tex-Mex cuisine, just rearranged in different proportions. And also they can be organised neatly on a table. Featuring comedians Greg Larsen, Kirsty Webeck and Professor Mark Quigley from the University of Melbourne.

    Heating - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2022 25:06


    Are you too cold or too hot right now? There's a very high chance that both are to do with heating. The Pop Test returns to give heating the grilling it deserves and to ask why is it so hot right now? Featuring science communicator Prof Jenny Martin and comedians Sammy J, Craig Quartermaine

    Flight - A comedy science quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2021 25:06


    What role did old boots and horse manure play in the history of flight? What should you do if your helicopter fails 12,000 metres up? How should you pronounce helicopter? Andy and Al ask these and many other questions as part of a one off special, to celebrate National Science Week. Featuring comedians Naomi Higgins, Ben Russell and Professor Alan Duffy.

    The Earth's Core

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2021 26:16


    When the moon hits your eye like a regular pie that's a metaphoré from the liquid hot core of our series finale with comedians Greg Larsen and Alex Lee and Professor Mark Quigley on a journey to the centre of the Earth. .

    The Human Brain

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2021 26:43


    Brains! Like a zombie neurologist we can't get enough of the stuff. Join us as comedians Laura Davis, Josh Earl and science communicator Dr Jenny Martin try, somewhat tautologically, try to get their heads around the human brain.

    Light

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2021 26:25


    We catch up with the fastest thing in the universe, light, and ask it why it's in such a hurry. Featuring comedians Danielle Walker, Jack Druce and Physicist Suzie Sheehy.

    Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2021 25:38


    Death comes to us all…so this episode should be very relatable! Join our grim reapers/comedians Nazeem Hussain, Vidya Rajan & cancer researcher Tane Hunter as they walk towards the light and answer questions about the final destination.

    Evolution

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2021 27:40


    Who gives a monkey's about evolution? Well, comedians Ross Noble, Alex Lee and Dr Jenny Martin of University of Melbourne do! Let's hope they are up for Dar-win.

    Space travel

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2021 25:06


    Are we alone? Will we ever travel to the stars? What is a rocket? These and many other questions will be asked but not necessarily answered by Kate McLennan, Kate McCartney  (The Katering Show/Get Krack'n) and Dr Alan Duffy.

    Germ Theory

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2021 25:01


    Germs account for millions of death each year and frankly have had it too good for too long. But how will they react to the antimicrobial properties of our guests comedian Kirsty Webeck, science communicator Alanta Colley & the ABC's Doctor to the nation, Norman Swan?

    Agriculture

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2021 24:45


    What links food, bush poetry and millions of litres of raw sewage? No it's not the world's fastest-cancelled country fair - they're all part of agriculture. Featuring comedians Alice Fraser, Angus Gordon and Dr Samantha Grover, a soil scientist from RMIT in Melbourne.

    The Atom

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2021 24:46


    Taking science seriously is vital right now and that's why on The Pop Test we ask Shaun Micallef, molecular Biologist Upulie Divisekera and Sami Shah the big questions ... like what's your favourite atom?

    Computers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2021 24:50


    Who knows more about computers? Comedians Dilruk Jayasinha and Naomi Higgins or computational expert Dr Maria del Mar Quiroga? We reckon the pressure's on for Mar in our opening episode of our science/comedy quiz show.

    INTRODUCING — The Pop Test

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2021 1:12


    What does science + comedy equal? The correct answer is The Pop Test, a new comedy science quiz show hosted by Andy Matthews & Alasdair Tremblay Birchall featuring Shaun Micallef, Kate McLennan, Kate McCartney, Nazeem Hussein, Alice Fraser and Dr Norman Swan, out now.

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