Podcast appearances and mentions of Marcus Chown

festival david bowie elton john powerpoint rocketman space oddity marcus chown

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 3:39

'I book-end my talk with a spacey slide show set to Elton John's ‘Rocket Man' and David Bowie's ‘Space Oddity'. A man in the audience has a rock guitar and offers to play live. 'I intend to book-end my talk with a spacey slides show set to Elton John's ‘Rocket Man' and David Bowie's ‘Space Oddity' but my version of PowerPoint is incompatible with the Festival's. A man in the audience has a rock guitar and offers to play live.

10 Facts Every Christian Needs to Know - Part 12 - Genesis Withstands the Doubts

Anchored by Truth from Crystal Sea Books - a 30 minute show exploring the grand Biblical saga of creation, fall, and redempti

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2022 30:00

Episode 184 – 10 Facts Every Christian Needs to Know 12 – Genesis Withstands the Doubts Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verses 37 through 39, New International Version ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re very glad to be with you today as we continue the series we started several weeks ago on Anchored by Truth. We are calling this series “10 Facts Every Christian Needs to Know.” In the studio today we have RD Fierro. RD is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. Today we are going to cover the last – the 10th of the 10 facts that we are discussing during this series. RD, we have typically been doing a short review of where we are in the series before we start of the new fact. But you said that today you wanted to just jump right into fact 10 because we have so much material to cover. RD: Well, I’d like to start by also saying hi to the listeners joining us here today but – yes – today I just wanted to get right into our discussion. Listeners who want to hear the discussion about any of the first 9 facts episodes of this series can find the episode where we discussed them on their favorite podcast app or from our website: crystalseabooks.com. VK: So, what is the 10th fact that every Christian needs to know? RD: The 10th fact every Christian needs to know to ensure that they can be secure in their confidence in the Bible is this: while the secular world has doubts about the historicity of the book of Genesis, the book of Genesis has never been disproven and indeed it cannot be disproven. Conversely, while the Big Bang Theory and Deep Time, the evolutionary hypothesis, and the uniformitarian hypothesis are widely accepted they have never been proven to be true, and indeed, they cannot be proven to be true. VK: Wow. Those are seemingly remarkable statements. Yet, you are saying those are facts. So, just to be sure that we’re being clear I want to restate our 10th fact. The secular world may have doubts about the historicity of the book of Genesis, but the book of Genesis has never been disproven - and indeed - it cannot be disproven. Conversely, while the Big Bang Theory and Deep Time, the evolutionary hypothesis, and the uniformitarian hypothesis are widely accepted they have never been proven to be true - and indeed - they cannot be proven to be true. I think that you’re right that we do need to get straight into the discussion. Where do we begin? RD: Well, let’s focus on the first part of our fact first. It’s sad to say but we cannot avoid noting that there are widespread doubts today about the historicity of the book of Genesis – not just by unbelievers but also by some Christians. That’s sad but it’s true. Many Christians have felt the need to surrender their belief in the Bible’s record of 6 literal days of creation that occurred just over 6,000 years ago. These Christians have been so bombarded by the narratives that circulate in our culture, especially our educational institutions, that the universe and earth are billions of years old that they have tried to reach an accommodation with those ideas. So, a number of seemingly acceptable alternative ways of interpreting Genesis such as the Day-Age theory or the Gap theory. VK: The “Day-Age” idea is that the creative days described in chapter 1 of Genesis are not normal 24-hour days but rather simply creative periods of an indeterminate length. The Day-Age theory argues that the Hebrew word translated as “day” in Genesis, chapter 1, can simply mean a long period rather a regular day. They sometimes appeal to passages like 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 8 which says, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” That’s the New International Version. RD: Yes. But as we pointed out in our Truth in Genesis series the Day-Age theory is not consistent with the ordinary rules of interpretation of the Hebrew words and grammar which clearly point to that part of scripture as being history and not some sort of poetic construction. Dr. Jonathan Sarfati who was our guest in that series makes that point very clearly in his Genesis commentary The Genesis Account. VK: And the “Gap theory” postulates that there was somehow a long gap between verse 1 of chapter 1 of Genesis and verse 2 of chapter 1. Gap theorists believe that during this gap millions or billions of years of uniformitarian development and evolution occurred in the universe and on earth. They further believe that from verse 2 onward Genesis describes the recreation of the earth to restore it from a great war that occurred between the followers of Satan and God’s forces. This war devastated the original creation and therefore God had to repair the damage. Both the Day-Age theory and the Gap theory are attempts by Christian interpreters to harmonize the supposed billions of years conventional science says happened and the seemingly incongruous record of the 6 days of creation found in Genesis. RD: But the truth is that there is no need for Christians to adopt strategies such as the Day-Age theory or the Gap theory. There is abundant scientific evidence that supports the accuracy of the 6 day creation account of Genesis as well as other events described by Genesis such as a worldwide flood. VK: And we have covered some of that evidence in this series because we want people to begin to realize that they do not have to surrender their belief in Biblical inspiration and infallibility yet also trust science – real science that is. RD: Exactly. Real science casts considerable doubt on the alternatives that are postulated to the history contained in Genesis – and that’s what we want to focus on with this 10th fact. The secular world has come to doubt Genesis largely because of the idea of uniformitarianism that was popularized by Charles Lyell and the biological extension of uniformitarianism, evolution, which was popularized by Charles Darwin. Neither Lyell nor Darwin were the originators of the ideas with which their names are now prominently associated but they did write books that brought their ideas into widespread public consciousness. Lyell wrote Principles of Geology in the early 1830’s and Darwin wrote On the Origin of the Species in 1859. Over time these books and the ideas contained in them continued to gain a greater foothold in western thought. That foothold has progressed to such an extent that today their ideas are taught in virtually every educational classroom and textbook in much of the developed world. VK: And it is largely owing to the spread of the ideas of geological uniformitarianism and biological evolution that many Christians have felt compelled to try and find a way to keep one foot in so-called science and the other foot in believing in the Bible. But this attempt has never achieved the desired aim. Christians hoped to preserve the Bible’s acceptability by seemingly finding within its text reasons that the Genesis creation account was consistent with the alleged spread of a science that demanded billions of years. But that never happened did it? RD: No. Starting in the latter part of the 19th century Christians began trying to embrace what was a blatant contradiction in their belief system – a manufactured harmony between deep time and the 6 creative days of Genesis. But the only thing since they began the attempt is that the Bible has seen its influence on society consistently shrink. Lyell’s and Darwin’s ideas require billions of years of Deep Time in which to accomplish their work. We need hundreds of millions of years for a trickle of water to turn a rut into the Grand Canyon. And the hope is that with billions of years the random collision of inanimate hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon atoms could turn into heroes, warriors, and champions. But, of course, the idea the earth and universe have been around for billions of years is in direct conflict with what we learn from Genesis. So, many Christians surrendered the truth of Genesis and placed their trust in human pronouncements. This has had a predicable effect. Rather than those Christians influencing the culture the culture influenced their faith. In the process both were compromised. VK: The truly tragic thing is that there was no need for Christians to make this accommodation. Ironically, as real science has progressed we have seen more and more empirical observations that actually affirm the historicity of the book of Genesis. For instance in Darwin’s day there had been no discoveries of soft dinosaur tissue that was so well preserved that red blood cells were still identifiable as such under a microscope. That happened in the 1990’s. In Lyell’s day geologists began to think that enormous river valleys such as the Grand Canyon were the result of erosion that occurred over millions of years. But in the 1920’s an American geologist, J. Harlan Bretz, became convinced that many of these river valleys weren’t due to erosion but were created by truly epic floods. Bretz proposed that the river valleys of eastern Washington were caused by such floods. When he first proposed his idea in the 1920’s he was met with widespread disbelief. Yet acceptance of the truth of Bretz’s observations is so widespread today that, at the age of 97, Bretz was awarded the Geological Society of America’s highest honor. Said differently, disbelief was transformed into belief. RD: Yes. And in the case of the book of Genesis widespread belief in its truth in the early part of the 19th century was gradually transformed into widespread disbelief by the latter half of the 20th century. A great many Christians came to, and are still under, the mistaken impression that the book of Genesis has either been disproven or at least that we cannot accept it as literal history. They thought and think that Deep Time, uniformitarianism, evolution, the Big Bang, etc. had rendered Genesis a sort of poetic origins story at best or outright wrong at worst. In any case they came to believe that the creation account of Genesis was irrelevant to the weightier matters of their faith like sin, salvation, and eschatology. But the book of Genesis was never disproven and, in fact, it cannot be disproven. VK: Why not? RD: Well, the biggest reason it can’t be disproven is because it’s true. VK: Touché. But I think we’re going to need more than that. RD: Well, also because you can neither prove nor disprove particular explanations for events of the distant past. All anyone can do with respect to events of the distant past is to look at the evidence that is currently available and then provide an explanation for why that evidence appears the way it does. This will always fall short of a complete “proof” because there will always be a second, third, or more possible explanation for that evidence. But in saying this we are not saying that some explanations may not be more reasonable than others. Some explanations certainly can be more reasonable than others. And that is what we have pointing out throughout this series. This 10th fact helps summarize what we have learned in this series. VK: So, the secular world may doubt the historicity of Genesis but doubt is not disproof. Doubt is just that. Doubt is a subjective opinion about the truth of a particular proposition but doubt does not prove anything. Nor does the doubt of a collective body of people prove anything. When J. Harlan Bretz first proposed his idea that the river valleys of eastern Washington were carved by monstrous floods his idea was widely doubted. But over time as more evidence came to light his idea gained widespread acceptance. The initial doubt did not mean Bretz was not correct. Today, most geologists believe Bretz is correct. But widespread acceptance does not automatically mean that Bretz is correct either. It simply means more people simply believe his explanation than the alternative. RD: Exactly. So, let’s reinforce that idea by turning to the second part of our 10th fact. VK: The second part of our 10th fact is that while the Big Bang Theory and Deep Time, the evolutionary hypothesis, and the uniformitarian hypothesis are widely accepted they have never been proven to be true - and indeed - they cannot be proven to be true. RD: Right. Today the most widely accepted theory of how the universe came into existence is the Big Bang theory – the idea that at one time all the matter and energy of the universe were present in a singularity that exploded one day and began a formation process that resulted in our current universe. This idea is so prevalent that many people, including many Christians, believe that it must have been proven to be true. But that is not the case at all. Again, in part because the only thing any current observer can do is to look at current evidence and try to provide an explanation for that evidence. And there is evidence that is helpful to the idea of a primordial Big Bang such as the expansion of the galaxies and the presence of universal cosmic background radiation. VK: Observations of the universe indicate that the galaxies are not simply in a static holding pattern. Instead they seem to be moving outward as if they were moving away from a central point of origin. Moreover, scientists have now detected what is sometimes called a background microwave radiation “echo” that seems to come from the entire universe. This echo was first thought to be malfunctioning instruments but it has now been verified so some scientists see it as the radiation that must have come from a giant fireball or explosion in the past – hence the term “Big Bang.” RD: And there are other lines of evidence that proponents of the Big Bang point to. And you hear affirmations about the theory so much it seems that it must almost have been proven to explain the origin of the universe. Yet, very few people focus on the fact that the Big Bang theory is far from having proven to be true. There are lots of scientific observations that do not support the Big Bang hypothesis such as the need for so-called Dark Energy and Dark Matter. VK: According to Wikipedia “Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not absorb, reflect, or emit electromagnetic radiation like light and is, therefore, difficult to detect. Various astrophysical observations – including gravitational effects which cannot be explained by currently accepted theories of gravity unless more matter is present than can be seen – imply dark matter's presence. For this reason, most experts think that dark matter is abundant in the universe and has had a strong influence on its structure and evolution.” RD: Simply put, the Big Bang cosmological model needs dark matter to work. Without dark matter there is not sufficient gravitational pressure to cause stars to form with the known laws of physics. And it goes without saying that without stars the universe does not contain galaxies, planets, and ultimately life. But physicists have been looking for some way to confirm the existence of dark matter for decades and have come up empty. Dark matter is neither seen nor detected yet – as the Wikipedia article stated - it supposed to make up to 85% of the material of the universe. Dark matter is also needed to solve other puzzles that astrophysicists know about. But some scientists are starting to acknowledge the elephant in the room. A theoretical physicist Mordehai Milgrom has proposed an alternative to dark matter, called Modified Newtonian Dynamics (or MOND) wherein he slightly changes the law of gravitation on the very large-scale of galaxies to solve the problem of galaxy rotation curves and dynamics of galaxies on larger scales. VK: According to a 2014 New Scientist article1 Milgrom was asked by reporter Marcus Chown: “Why is now a good time to take an alternative to dark matter seriously?” Milgrom replied: “A host of experiments searching for dark matter, including the Large Hadron Collider, many underground experiments and several space missions, have failed to see anything convincing. This comes on top of increasing realization that the leading dark matter model has its failings. Among other things, it predicts that we should see many more dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way than we actually do.” RD: There are a great many problems with the Big Bang theory but that does not mean it is not widely accepted. It is. But the Big Bang theory, like all theories that depend on deep time are based on assumptions that are unproven and unprovable. They all require the user to make assumptions about the initial conditions of the universe or matter, a consistency of processes for indeterminate time periods, an absence of intervening external factors, etc. Yet none of these assumptions can be proven. And all of these explanations to Biblical creationism are necessary because of an unwillingness to simply acknowledge the presence of God and the truth of the Bible. VK: And some scientists have become willing to admit that they do so. Harvard evolutionary biologist and geneticist Richard Lewontin wrote: “We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failures to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.” But some people might say that this is just a case of “he said, she said.” RD: They can certainly say that but as we have pointed out throughout this “10 facts every Christian needs to know series” there are not only problems with the widely accepted explanations of secular scientists there is affirmative evidence supporting Biblical creation – supporting the Bible’s record that the earth and universe are thousands of years old, that God intelligently used the matter He created to create living creatures, and that the events of Genesis still reveal their presence in language, geography, geology, etc. So, it’s not just a matter of “he said, she said.” One side brought not only their claims but also pictures, recordings, forensic evidence, supporting eye witness testimony, and rigorous analysis that did not suffer from the need to keep creating, as Dr. Lewontin put it, ”just-so stories.” VK: In other words, the Biblical explanation makes better sense about a lot of things. It makes better sense about how the sun makes the amount energy the earth needs to sustain life, how the earth-moon operate together to create the conditions for life, and why marine fossils are found on the highest mountains on earth. The Biblical explanation makes better sense the number and type of languages we see in existence today, the number of people we see around the world, and why regions, towns, and rivers are called by certain names. Yet, despite this, it is fair to say that doubts about the Bible remain. RD: Yes. And that’s why I chose the opening scripture I did. Jesus told us that in Noah’s day people were pretending that everything was okay, but it wasn’t. It will be that way when He comes back. The doubts are not proof of anything and despite the repeated attacks against it the Bible remains defiant. The Bible displays the two characteristics that any book claiming to be the word of God would have to meet. It is consistent with what we know about the history of the earth and universe and human history and it displays evidence of supernatural origin. These attributes are demonstrated by the 10 facts that we have covered in this series and, of course, thousands or hundreds of thousands of others. We’re not suggesting that we expect the narratives that have been gaining force and acceptance for over 150 years are going to be set aside overnight. But we do think that it is high time for Christians to arm themselves with the facts that will enable them to sustain their own faith and effectively pass it along to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. VK: The point of this series and today’s discussion is to help Christians guard against the narratives that circulate so widely today. One of those narratives is that the Bible cannot be trusted. So, to push that narrative the critics must cast doubt on the reliability and authenticity of scripture. But reality pushes back on the claim that the Bible can’t be trusted. The evolutionary, uniformitarian, and deep time explanations that are offered all come with significant problems. Moses wrote Genesis 3,500 years ago. Humanly speaking, he could not have known what the population of the earth would be in 2022, what languages would be spoken, or how the names of Noah’s grandsons would continue to be found in the names of rivers, cities, regions, and cultures. He didn’t know the moon was slowly moving away from the earth or how fast carbon-14 would radioactively decay. He didn’t know there were mollusk fossils on Mt. Everest. But God did. Moses just recorded the history God gave to him. He did so faithfully and accurately and we see the fidelity of his account all around us today. To close, for today let’s listen to a prayer of corporate confession. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s expectations and we should confess that regularly. But we must always combine our confession with the gratitude that he tells us in 1 John that even as we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive those sins. Truly we serve a gracious as well as a mighty God. ---- PRAYER OF CORPORATE CONFESSION VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quote from the New International Version ) The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verses 37 through 39, New International Version Dark matter in trouble again - creation.com Stars don’t form naturally - creation.com Satan’s Strategy • Cast doubt on God’s goodness • Deny God’s truth • Elevate self-importance • Establish a replacement in the mind and heart for God’s truth Cultural Narratives One way to look at narratives is that there are primary and secondary narratives that circulate in our culture. The primary narratives are so embedded in our culture that they are not even noticed any more. They are like the framed prints on your wall. Initially you see them but as time goes by you notice them less and less. Eventually you only know they are there when a visitor comes in and remarks about them. Deep time, evolution, uniformitarianism, and the equality of all religious viewpoints are now primary narratives in our culture. Only fools and the suspect disagree with them. The narratives we notice (such as the prominent social and political narratives) are secondary ones - the acceptability of abortion, same sex marriage, the difference between "green" energy and fossil fuels, "public" education, increased government control and regulation, etc. The secondary ones emerge from and are dependent on the primary ones. • The Big Bang/deep time does away with the need for God as Creator. • Evolution does away with the need for God as the Author of life. • Uniformitarianism does away God as the Administrator of justice (become evil continually and God will wipe you off the face of the earth). Since we've done away with God we now create our own standards for what constitutes "personhood," family, man's dominion over the earth, etc. The problem is, of course, we didn't do away with God or His truth. And the house built on intellectual sand falls when the river of reality hits it. So, we will proclaim the truth to try to save some and maybe by God's grace many or most. People who doubt the inerrancy of scripture never think about any of this but they should. The line from that which they doubt the Word to a life they don't want to live is very straight. The line grows even more straight as it uncoils - just like the hangman's rope.

Marcus Chown: My Most Treasured Moments As A Writer

tv writer iron maiden taiwanese treasured bruce dickinson queen mary university university challenge adrian chiles marcus chown

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2022 3:02

'I represented Queen Mary University on University Challenge. It's not every day you get to team up with the lead singer of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson.'I represented Queen Mary University on University Challenge. It's not every day you get to team up with the lead singer of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson; a TV presenter, Adrian Chiles; and Taiwanese chef. Ching He Huang.

Marcus Chown: Writers Who Inspire Me

science inspire writers clarke laser arthur c clarke marcus chown

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2022 3:35

'I read every Arthur C. Clarke book the Zodiac Bookshop had to offer. Science at school was dull, but what I learned in Clarke novels kept me interested. 'I read every Arthur C. Clarke book the Zodiac Bookshop had to offer. Science at school was dull, but what I learned in Clarke novels kept me interested. Laser beams would be invisible in space without dust to scatter their rays into your eyes...

Marcus Chown: Why I Write

RHLSTP with Richard Herring

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2022 2:52

'As a physics student at university, I learnt things in mathematical terms. But have been trying to understand things in words and images. 'As a physics student at university, I learnt things in mathematical terms. But I'm quite a visual person, and ever since have been trying to understand the things I was taught, in words and images. In a sense, therefore, I write for myself.

write marcus chown

Retro RHLSTP 36 - Marcus Chown

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2022 38:06

#36 Creation - In an interview from Richard Herring's Meaning of Life, Rich talks to Marcus Chown about the creation of the universe and whether science knows any more than anyone else. Are there infinite alternate universes and does absolutely everything happen (for no reason)? SUPPORT THE SHOW!Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE See details of the RHLSTP TOUR DATES Buy DVDs and Books from GO FASTER STRIPE See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

books rich meaning retro richard herring marcus chown rhlstp

Gravity, with Marcus Chown

Science Focus Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2021 28:18

Science writer Marcus Chown tells us everything we need to know about gravity, from Isaac Newton's apple falling from a tree to Einstein's general relativity.Once you've mastered the basics with Instant Genius, dive deeper with Instant Genius Extra, where you'll find longer, richer discussions about the most exciting ideas in the world of science and technology. Only available on Apple Podcasts.Produced by the team behind BBC Science Focus Magazine. Visit our website: sciencefocus.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

science albert einstein gravity isaac newton marcus chown

Marcus Chown & The Gravity of the Situation

The SciManDan Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2021 60:41

Author Marcus Chown joined me this week to discuss his brilliant books and the plight of the misinformation pandemic.The Ascent of Gravity: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ascent-Gravity-Understand-Explains-Everything-ebook/dp/B01JM9PR52/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ascent+of+gravity&qid=1637135735&qsid=262-1729873-0057205&sr=8-1&sres=147460188X%2CB005BMN446%2C0141984961%2CB08ZXSFZB2%2C0571366716%2C0241985617%2C0241957354%2CB00DWLK8LA%2CB06W9KBZ2Z%2CB007KMP4JI%2CB09GJS7RX2%2CB08DDF8878%2CB00ADNP0Y0%2C0367263335%2CB0956JPVF5%2CB00CYGFW60Breakthrough: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breakthrough-Spectacular-scientific-discovery-particle/dp/0571366716/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=breakthrough+marcus+chown&qid=1637135775&qsid=262-1729873-0057205&sr=8-1&sres=0571366716%2CB07DPV381C%2C0571250599%2CB00VAPIYNY%2CB004GGUG9Y%2CB08BJB4GCT%2CB005NHQ054&srpt=ABIS_BOOKYou can find Marcus on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/marcuschownThanks for listening

situation gravity ascent marcus chown

Beatles Historian Mark Lewisohn, Thomasina Lowe on the Kennedy years and science writer Marcus Chown explains everything.

The Author Archive Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2021 49:14

David Freeman talks to Beatles Historian Mark Lewisohn about his mammoth history of the Fab Four, Thomasina Lowe talks about her fathers photographs of the Kennedy presidential years and science writer Marcus Chown talks about his book "What a Wonderful World". that endeavours to explain almost everything.

beatles historians lowe wonderful world fab four science writers david freeman mark lewisohn marcus chown

Marcus Chown: Does the Big Bang really explain our Universe?

Science Focus Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2020 46:30

In the New Year issue of BBC Science Focus Magazine, we cover the biggest ideas that you need to understand in 2021. Over the next few episodes of the Science Focus Podcast, we’ll be talking to the experts who will explain these ideas in their own words.In this episode, we talk to science writer Marcus Chown, who tells us all about the major problems in our current understanding of cosmology. We discuss the Big Bang, dark matter, inflation, and what we still don't know about the formation of our Universe.Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, OvercastListen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:Katie Mack: How will the Universe end?Dr Douglas Vakoch: Should we try to contact aliens?Dr Jacob Bleacher: Why do we need to go back to the Moon?Elisa Raffaella Ferrè: What happens to the brain in space?Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?Kathryn D. Sullivan: What is it really like to walk in space? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

new year moon universe star trek stitcher acast explain big bang marcus chown kathryn d sullivan

Dark Matter and the Big Bang - Best of Coast to Coast AM - 5/27/20

The Best of Coast to Coast AM

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2020 15:11

George Noory and science writer Marcus Chown explore the latest scientific research into dark matter that makes up most of the universe but cannot be seen, as well as theories into how the Big Bang happened to create our galaxy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

big bang dark matter coast to coast george noory marcus chown

Edition 427 - Marcus Chown

The Unexplained With Howard Hughes

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2020

A new conversation with "urban scientist" Marcus Chown and some untold stories about "the magic of science" and the people behind the biggest discoveries, taken from his new book "The Magicians"...

magicians marcus chown

Marcus Chown

Book Shambles with Robin and Josie

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2019 34:11

With Robin and Josie both on tour at the moment, and Book Shambles on a small break, we thought you might enjoy a bit of a Book Shambles / Science Shambles crossover episode. Helen Czerski is still in the host chair subbing for Robin and this week she is joined by cosmologist and best selling science author Marcus Chown. His latest book, Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand, looks at fifty bonkers things about the Universe and the two try to dig into as many as possible. Would it matter if the Sun was made of bananas? Can you fit all of humanity in a sugar cube... Support the podcast, and the Cosmic Shambles Network by pledging at patreon.com/bookshambles

universe sun infinity palm your hands helen czerski marcus chown cosmic shambles network book shambles

Infinity, Bananas and Sugar Cubes

The Unexplained With Howard Hughes

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2019 35:27

Helen Czerski is still in the host chair this week and she is joined by cosmologist and best selling science author Marcus Chown. His latest book, Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand, looks at fifty bonkers things about the Universe and the two try to dig into as many as possible. Would it matter if the Sun was made of bananas? Can you fit all of humanity in a sugar cube... Support the podcast, and the Cosmic Shambles Network by pledging at patreon.com/bookshambles

universe sun bananas infinity palm your hands sugarcubes helen czerski marcus chown cosmic shambles network

Edition 390 - Marcus Chown

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2019

London-based "urban scientist" Marcus Chown explaining groundbreaking science in easy-to-understand ways

marcus chown

Marcus Chown talks about his book Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand. (4/2/19)

Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2019 42:11

Did you know that you could fit the whole human race in the volume of a sugar cube? Or, that the electrical energy in a single mosquito is enough to cause a global mass extinction? Or that out there in the cosmos, there are an infinite number of copies of you reading an infinite number of copies of this? Marcus Chown’s book “Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand: Fifty Wonders That Reveal an Extraordinary Universe” is a mind-bending journey through some of the most weird and wonderful facts about our universe, vividly illuminating the hidden truths that govern our everyday lives. In this installment of “Leonard Lopate at Large” on WBAI, Marcus Chown reveals some of the best-kept secrets in the universe.

large infinity palm wbai marcus chown leonard lopate

The Fascinating History of Blue Jeans & Incredible Science About You and Your World

Something You Should Know

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2018 37:19

The evidence is pretty clear that in order to be productive and to do excellent work, you need to take breaks. You can’t just work non-stop. But when is the best time to take a break? I begin this episode by telling you EXACTLY when to take a break for optimum performance. http://www.menshealth.com/best-time-for-breakThere’s a pretty good chance you have at least one or two pairs of blue jeans – and maybe many more in lots of other colors! Jeans are the iconic American garment and have been for decades. Even as fashions and trends have come and gone there has always been a place for jeans. So where did they come? Why have they lasted? And what exactly is denim anyway – how is it different from other fabrics? Journalist James Sullivan, author of the book, Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon (https://amzn.to/2DGD45j) joins me to take you on an historical journey from Italy to the American west to a John Wayne movie set to explain the story of blue jeans. I bet there is someone famous or rich or super successful you would love to meet and maybe even get their advice –right? But you probably never tried because you figured they would never respond and it would be a complete waste of time. And maybe it would be. And then again, maybe not. Listen as I tell a story of a regular guy with no connections who got a lot of very important people to talk to him and exactly how he did it. https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-schedule-a-phone-call-with-a-billionaire/answer/Daniel-L-JacobsYou have got to hear science writer Marcus Chown explain why over 99% of your DNA isn’t yours or how you could squeeze the entire human race into a space the size of a sugar cube or why the moon is actually hurtling towards earth – constantly! Marcus is author of the new book, Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand – 50 Wonders That Reveal an Extraordinary Universe (https://amzn.to/2OKnczM) and he joins me to explain some scientific facts that will absolutely amaze you. This Week's SponsorsCalming Comfort Blanket. For 15% off the posted price of this incredible blanket to help you sleep better, go to www.CalmingComfortBlanket.com and use the promo code SOMETHING.-SimpliSafe Home Security. For great home security with no contracts or hidden fees go to www.Simplisafe.com/something-LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. To redeem a free $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to www.LinkedIn.com/SOMETHINGMadison Reed. For 10% off plus free shipping on your first order go to www.Madison-Reed.com/somethingJet.com. For a great online shopping experience go to www.Jet.com Lincoln. To learn more about the Lincoln MKC go to www.Lincoln.com/wondery

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Brains, Reflections and Books - Blog Network Special

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2018 36:46

Robin Ince is joined by two of The Cosmic Shambles Network's blog contributors, Ginny Smith and Marcus Chown. They chat about why the brain is so stubborn about accepting evidence, quantum physics in the studio window and then stand up mathematician Matt Parker pops by for a minute for a spot of maths chat. Support The Cosmic Shambles Network and get great perks and rewards at patreon.com/bookshambles

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All Genius. All Buffoon - 100 Years of Richard Feynman - A Documentary

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2018 58:49

In 2018 the Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman would've turned 100 years old. But Richard Feynman was so much more than just one of the greatest physicists, the greatest scientists, of the 20th century. He was a beautiful writer, a man of boundless curiosity, a bongo player, a clown. Fellow physicist Freeman Dyson once said that Feynman was "Half genius, half buffoon". He would later revise those words, replacing them with "All genius, all buffoon." This documentary, presented by Robin Ince, features new and exclusive interviews with those that knew him and have been inspired by him including Professor Brian Cox, Dr Helen Czerski, Dr Marcus Chown and Dr Leonard Mlodinow. Produced and Edited by Trent Burton Documentaries like this are made possible due to the support of our Patreon pledgers. To join them visit patreon.com/bookshambles

All Genius. All Buffoon - 100 Years of Richard Feynman Trailer

The Best of Coast to Coast AM

Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2018 3:28

On May 11th 2018 the Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman would've turned 100 years old. But Richard Feynman was so much more than just one of the greatest physicists, the greatest scientists, of the 20th century. He was a beautiful writer, a man of boundless curiosity, a bongo player, a clown. Fellow physicist Freeman Dyson once said that Feynman was "Half genius, half buffoon". He would later revise those words, replacing them with "All genius, all buffoon." So we at The Cosmic Shambles Network have put together an audio documentary featuring interviews with fellow physicists and Feynman admirers to mark this occasion. Presented by Robin Ince and featuring interviews with Professor Brian Cox, Dr Helen Czerski, Professor Jon Butterworth, Dr Leonard Mlodinow, Dr Marcus Chown, Chris Addison, Christopher Sykes and more. And featuring music from Grace Petrie, Rachel Fisher, Patrick Cootes and The FGs. The trailer was released on Feynman's 100th birthday. The full documentary will be released very soon.

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Gravity - Best of Coast to Coast AM - 1/2/18

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2018 10:20

George Noory and astronomer Marcus Chown discuss his research into the forces of gravity, what creates it as well as the possibility of using it to warp space and time. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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The Future of Coral Reefs, Little Foot, Arthur C Clarke

BBC Inside Science

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2017 34:34

Oxford is hosting the European Coral Reef Symposium this week. Climate change is seen as the number one threat to the future of coral reefs. Adam talks to Morgan Pratchett of James Cook University about the two recent coral bleaching events that hit the Great Barrier Reef, and to Barbara Brown of Newcastle University about the potential for coral species to adapt to warmer seas. After twenty years of excavation and preparation, the most complete fossil skeleton of an Australopithecine has been unveiled to the public in South Africa. Its discoverer Ron Clarke explains its significance for understanding human evolution. December 16th is the 100th anniversary of Arthur C Clarke. Science writer Marcus Chown and cultural journalist Samira Ahmed join Adam to discuss Clarke's visions and works of science fiction.

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Salman Rushdie. Uncertainty

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Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2017 44:09

Novelists Salman Rushdie and Lionel Shriver join science writer Marcus Chown and historian Rachel Hewitt to discuss fiction, US politics, living in uncertain times and the new West End play from Simon Stephens Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle. Presented Shahidha Bari.

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Richard Herring’s Video Leicester Square Theatre Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2017 36:00

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Free Thinking - Star Wars. Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Ruth Scurr on John Aubrey. Beowulf.

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Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2015 44:17

Ruth Scurr discusses her biography of the 17th-century antiquary and biographer John Aubrey - which has appeared on many of the newspaper selections of Books of the Year. Christopher Hampton and actress Adjoa Andoh talk to Anne McElvoy about a new production of Hampton's version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses which opens at London's Donmar Warehouse. New Generation Thinker Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough reviews a new TV version of Beowulf and how it compares to the poem she teaches. And the science writer and broadcaster, Marcus Chown, will be sharing his thoughts about his close encounter with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Producer: Zahid Warley

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Time Travel in Science and Cinema

BBC Inside Science

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2015 27:48

In a special programme to mark, amongst other things, the centenary of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, Adam Rutherford is joined by The Film Programme's Francine Stock to explore the theme of time-travel - in science, in film and as film. With studio guest, science writer Marcus Chown, they'll discuss time-machines - as imagined by scientists and film-makers; the grandfather of all paradoxes; the notion of the multiverse and how the pioneers of cinema created their own 'time-machines' through the art of editing. And to mark Back the Future Day, otherwise known as 21 October 2015, they talk to director Robert Zemeckis about how and why he imagined a future with hover-boards but, oddly, no smart phones. Producers: Stephen Hughes and Rami Tzabar.

Extra - Full Marcus Chown interview

Richard Herring's Meaning Of Life

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2014 37:00

RHMOL - Special Extra. For this month only, here's the full interview with physicist Marcus Chown which will usually only be available to people who subscribe to the video or audio from Go Faster Stripe. With a mind-bending discussion that ranges from Quantum theory to the implications of an infinite Universe to whether creation was similar to masturbating in a bath. Do scientists already know the truth about everything and are just stretching it out so they can keep selling books? How did something so small contain all the matter in the Universe? What was there before the Big Bang? It's illuminating, confusing and hilarious by turns. You might actually learn something. You can watch the free video of this show at www.vimeo.com/channels/rhmol or subscribe to the full-length show with the whole interview and lots more stand-up at www.gofasterstripe.com/rhmol (available in audio only for £6, or audio and video in SD and HD for £15). Or support this project with a one-off or monthly donation in return for a badge on the same page. All the money will go towards making more internet content (including hopefully a monthly video version of AIOTM). Monthly subscribers will also have access to another channel with extra and exclusive content.

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Episode 1 - Creation

Richard Herring's Meaning Of Life

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2014 44:00

RHMOL #:1 Creation. In a ground-breaking, new, independently produced series, Richard Herring attempts to find the answers to all of life's big questions, through the medium of stand-up, animation and an interview with an expert. First up is the creation of the Universe, where did we come from and why can neither science or religion give a satisfactory explanation of what was here before? Was the Universe created by an insect, some milk, a wanking God or a confusing explosion of nothing? What really happened in the garden of Eden? Why has science come up with such a childish name for its theory? With an interview about Quantum Theory and much more with Marcus Chown. You can watch the free video of this show at www.vimeo.com/channels/rhmol or subscribe to the full-length show with the whole interview and lots more stand-up at www.gofasterstripe.com/rhmol (available in audio only for 6 or audio and video in SD and HD for 15). Or support this project with a one-off or monthly donation in return for a badge on the same page. All the money will go towards making more internet content (including hopefully a monthly video version of AIOTM). Monthly subscribers will also have access to another channel with extra and exclusive content.

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Night Waves - Neil Gaiman

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2013 45:15

Anne McElvoy talks to Neil Gaiman, prolific award-winning author of novels for adults and children alike and writer for radio and television about new novel, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. Historian, Selina Todd, writer and novelist Bidisha, and Telegraph columnist Tim Stanley tiptoe round a debate raging across social media, 'check your privilege'. Universe Cosmologist consultant, Marcus Chown reports back from Visions of the Universe exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

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Night Waves - Julia O'Faolain

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2013 45:01

Matthew Sweet talks to Booker-nominated novelist Julia O'Faolain about her new memoir and growing up with her father, a celebrated writer and a radical dissident. Helen Wallace reviews George Benjamin's and Martin Crimp's new opera, ‘Written on Skin'. Professor Nora Crook explains how she discovered who really censored Shelley's notorious poem, ‘The Revolt of Islam'. Marcus Chown reviews The Challenger, a new docu-drama about the investigation into the 1986 space shuttle disaster. And we debate whether the use of words like ‘unacceptable' and ‘inappropriate' are part of a tendency to avoid casting strong moral judgements.

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Night Waves - Sylvia Plath

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2013 44:56

Matthew Sweet discusses the legacy of Sylvia Plath, who died 50 years ago this week, with her friend Ruth Fainlight and the poet Fiona Sampson. Tacita Dean and film maker Mike Figgis join Matthew in the studio to discuss the shift in film from traditional to digital technology and its implications. A review of The Bride and the Bachelors, a new exhibition of the work of Marcel Duchamp. And the science writer Marcus Chown and futurologist Anders Sandberg discuss the potential threats caused by two asteroids passing close to the Earth.

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Night Waves - Mars

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2012 44:07

As NASA's rover Curiosity conducts its mission on Mars, Samira Ahmed presents a special programme on the Red Planet. To plot a course through the clouds of theology, astronomy and pure speculation, Samira is joined by the science writer Marcus Chown, theoretical physicist Lawrence M. Krauss, and one of Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers, Josh Nall - a science historian from Cambridge University. They're joined on board by the writers Francis Spufford, Liz Williams and Sophia McDougall who'll dissect the fictional record of our involvement with Mars. And sound artist and broadcaster Robert Worby ponders the planet's influence on musicians and composers.

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Night Waves - The Turing Test