We know the drill by now: two erudite, witty, knowledgeable hosts chew the fat over whatever topics they see fit each week, leaving the listeners, or viewers (this is a “video-first” podcast) entertained, educated and informed. In this instance, it’s TV and radio regular Professor Hannah Fry and, less familiar to most UK listeners, Michael Stevens. Getting the prodigiously bearded, American “educator” on board is a smart move. Stevens has made his name in online content, mainly via his hugely successful VSauce YouTube channel, and speaks the lingo of the perpetually online.
Hence, when introducing the topic of the opening episode – water – Fry begins by asking if water is actually wet. “This,” says Stevens, “is a very memed question”. The Rest Is Science’s stablemates, with the possible exception of Espionage, have an in-built topicality to them, giving the listener a reason to tune in once or twice a week. They answer questions floating in the public mind, like how do they select contestants for I’m a Celebrity…? Just what was Britain’s role in the setting up of Israel? – tackling them head-on. Science has a broader and more nebulous brief.
