Level Up Human

Matthew Collins joins Simon Watt at the Northern Ireland Science Festival to judge evolutionary suggestions from glyco-biologist Triona O'Connell, clinical geneticist Shane McKee and the studio audience at the Black Box Theatre. Theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen, graphics are by Theo Weedon and website design is by Ian Bridgeman. Level Up Human is produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust. You can now support us directly with a donation: www.patreon.com/leveluphuman - help us land a resident gig and continue to make more podcasts! Patreons receive new episodes before anyone else. Thank you!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Steve Cross joins Simon Watt to judge suggestions from Mathew Tata and Catie Williams at the Bloomsbury Theatre, UCL. In this episode the team discuss what gods they'd like to be, why naked mole rats are better than humans and whether if we level up as a species, all the challenges we face will level up too, 'to keep the comic interesting.' Theme music by Laurence Owen, graphic design by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman. Produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gemma Flynn joins Simon Watt, Eli Sheppard and Michael Wheeler at the Edinburgh International Science Festival to explain why there's never anything in the bagging area, why a babel fish upgrade is not around the corner, and why Netflix is choosing what you watch on TV. Eli Sheppard has some very specific ideas on exactly when the machines are going to take over. This man is worth keeping an eye on. Theme music by Laurence Owen, graphic design by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman. Produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lindsay Sharman joins Simon Watt for a sun soaked episode from the gorgeous Wilderness festival. Lindsay has to consider pitches from geneticist Maia Elliott and biologist Jamie Upton, our lively audience and Mother Nature herself. The panel discuss death, harvesting your own buttocks for stem cells and how a poo transplant could help fight infections. This is all grist to the Level Up Human mill by this stage. However we also need to tell Jamie Upton where babies come from, as he seems to have been misled. Theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen, graphics are by Theo Weedon and website design is by Ian Bridgeman. Level Up Human is produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hugh Dennis judges ideas for human enhancement from Professor Alice Roberts, Marcus du Sautoy and the studio audience at Glastonbury festival. Simon Watt officiates with offerings from Mother Nature's buffet table. In this episode we discuss transcranial magnetic stimulation, how we know bees are good at maths and why there's never been a giraffe at the International Space Station. Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics are by Theo Weedon and our website was designed by Ian Bridgeman. Level Up Human is produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Elf Lyons judges suggestions from QI elf Stevyn Colgan and Dr. Joe Latimer with Simon Watt keeping tabs on everybody as best he can. The panel discuss smart bacteria, sentient suitcases and what the 'G' in G-spot stands for. At one point, if you listen carefully, you can hear Simon suggest he's going to do something obscene to a yoghurt. Theme music written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman and support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Suzi Gage, Rosie Wilby and Jim Bell join Simon Watt for a recording live at the 2015 Green Man festival in Einstein's Garden. The panel discuss bum cushions, stackable humans and what is the best addiction? Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics are by Theo Weedon and our website was designed by Ian Bridgeman. Level Up Human is produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ellie Taylor judges suggestions by Paul Duncan McGarrity, Dr. Julia Shaw, the Science Museum studio audience and Mother Nature herself with Simon Watt. The panel discuss sonogenetics, how to win at pool and why you don't necessarily want to be using 'all' of your brain. Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon and web design by Ian Bridgeman. Level Up Human is produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Helen Arney joins Simon Watt to judge pitches for the next stage of humanity from Emma Robinson and Andrew Steele live at Impfest. The panel discuss mind-reading fMRI scanners, polydactyl cats and the amazing planarian. Theme music written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman and support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Amy Howerska joins Simon Watt to judge suggestions for the next humans from Timandra Harkness, James Logan, the studio audience and Mother Nature herself in an episode recorded live at the Royal Institution. The panel discuss olfactory resheathing, heteropaternal superfecundation and the incredible L. riparia - a generously endowed earwig. Theme music written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman and support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Danielle Ward joins Simon Watt with Cam Robinson and Nick Hawes to discuss ideas for the next stage of human evolution. Recorded at the Science Museum lates. The panel discuss glow in the dark testicles, oxygen producing hair and the venomous slow loris in this wide ranging episode taking in ethics, logic and the benefits of elbow blades. Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics are by Theo Weedon and our website was designed by Ian Bridgeman. Level Up Human is produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Robert Llewellyn settles into the judge's chair for Level Up Human live from Cheltenham Science Festival. Simon Watt arbitrates as Dr. Kathryn Harkup, Ben Garrod and the studio audience vie for Robert's attention with ideas for improved humans. Ben Garrod explains how to air-taste when you have no sense of smell and we set Kathryn Harkup the task of working out how much would be a fatal dose of marzipan. Theme music written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman and support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dan Schreiber joins Simon Watt and a panel of scientists to work out how to improve humans with the help of a live studio audience at SMASHfest. With Sophie Scott and Frank Swain. The panel discuss lesbian lizards, the sleep/wake cycle and why birds don't have teeth. Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman and support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com and if you'd like to receive the next LUH episode before everyone else, become a patron at www.patreon.com/leveluphuman  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Holly Walsh joins Simon to Level Up humans with camo-tattoos, face shazam and vampire champagne parties. Neuroscience researcher, Lewis Hou, and physicist, Matt Allinson, pitch in for a special episode recorded live at Einstein's Garden at the 2015 Green Man Festival. Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman and support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Robin Ince joins Simon Watt to decide what humans should evolve next. Expert pitches from science writer and broadcaster Kat Arney and zoologist Jules Howard. Additional pitches from the studio audience at the Brighton Science Festival and Mother Nature herself. The panel discussed hair colour, immortality and Jules's testicles, but which suggestion made it through to be incorporated into our genome? Theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen, graphics by Theo Weedon and website design by Ian Bridgeman. Level Up Human is produced by Rachel Wheeley and supported by the Wellcome Trust. For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.