Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster - Ep 209: Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Episode Date: October 11, 2023

All the important scientific questions get asked this week, as space scientist and ‘The Sky at Night’ presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock joins us in the Dream Restaurant. Does she think that Dark Matter’s evil? Dr Maggie’s new book “The Art of Stargazing’ is published on November 2 by Ebury Publishing. Buy it here. Recorded and edited by Ben Williams for Plosive.Artwork by Paul Gilbey (photography and design) and Amy Browne (illustrations).Follow Off Menu on Twitter and Instagram: @offmenuofficial.And go to our website www.offmenupodcast.co.uk for a list of restaurants recommended on the show.Watch Ed and James's YouTube series 'Just Puddings'. Watch here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acast powers the world's best podcast. Here's a show that we recommend. Today, we're marked by the decline of traditional religions, and in their place have risen a plethora of new faiths and movements, from doomsday religions to wellness fads to online conspiracies. So what makes a cult a cult? Does that label even mean anything anymore? Commons will go beyond the true crime cliches and make you question everything you thought you knew

about cults. You can find comments wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Cast helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com Welcome to the Off-Menu podcast, taking the spoon of the internet, scooping out the inside of the passion fruit of humour and adding it to the fruit salad. Oh, that's a lovely looking fruit salad now. Getting a bit tropical. 30 tasty.

That's a gamble. My name is James A. Castor. We own a dream restaurant. In every week, we invite a guest in and ask them a favour ever to ever start a main course dessert side dish and drink, not in that order. And this week I guest is Dr Maggie Adrien Polcock. Dr Maggie Adrien Polcock, one of the foremost leading space scientists in the UK, James, neither world, nor the universe. Yes, very exciting to finally have a legitimate scientist on the podcast.

We've had Brian Cox before, of course, but fake one. Yeah. He gave us very short shrift on our idiotic musings. Well, no, we're not idiotic. You know, there's no wrong question to science. Yes, that's true. No, one question. That's the old phrase. Only wrong answers. Yeah.

And we got some wrong answers on that one. So hopefully we'll get the right answers this time. Yes, fingers crossed. Yeah. And we got some wrong answers on that one. So hopefully we'll get the right answers this time. Yes. Fingers got to Maggie has been involved in so many amazing scientific projects. And also, like, you know, as on TV more and more these places. Absolutely. Love it whenever she pops up and stuff. Does panel shows and things. Yeah. She's brilliant fun. And QI, I think she's done what I like to you as well. Yeah. Just getting, she's getting more than us for these things, James. And right, right, this side. Rightly so. She's a lot of fun and she knows a lot.

And she's got a new book coming out James, The Art of Star Gazing, my essential guide to navigating the night sky. Sky at night. The art of stargazing. My essential guide to navigating the night sky. Yes, very, very excited to read that. That is coming out on November 2nd on eBoo press. But of course, if Maggie says a secret ingredient on which we have pre-agreed, we're going to put her in the air lock and blaster out to space. Bye-bye, Maggie. And this week the secret ingredient is Milky Way, Magic Stars. Milky Way, Magic Stars. Of course, Brian Cox, we picked Space Raiders.

Yeah, so we're keeping the space theme, keeping the space theme. Obviously, we like Milky Way magic stars. We're not in this. What they're fine. I'd rather have a just a regular Milky Way. Yeah, me too. Yeah. Yeah.

What? Yeah. The ratio is off with the magic stars. Yeah. I like the fluffy center with the Milky Way. And I'd like more of that. Yeah. And also magic stars are one of those things that if I eat them, I feel like a little baby. Yeah I'd like more of that. Yeah. And also, Magic Stars, one of those things that,

if I eat them, I feel like a little baby. Yeah, actually, I hate them. Yeah. And I'm glad we've chosen it as a secret ingredient. Yeah. I feel like a little baby, I do. Yeah. I feel like a little baby. And Ed doesn't like feeling like a baby. I don't like it when my friend Ed feels like a baby. Yeah. And I prefer the main bars as well.

Yes, absolutely. But we're very excited to talk to Maggie. Also, you've got to get her book, sure, but we're very excited to talk to Maggie. Also, you've got to get her book, sure, but maybe add a little food book to your collection. Oh, that's fun. My food book, October 26th, Ed Gamble, Glutton, the multi-course life of a very greedy boy. I'm going to read it, but it's also available on audio book, isn't it? Also available on audio book. James is going to read it. I mean, he's probably had a proof copy by now. Yeah, yeah. Did you enjoy it? I loved it. Thank you. But enough chat about my projects, James, unless you want to mention one of yours. My name is James A. Castor.

And please buy part you get a purgatory by temps, the album of the year. This is the off-menu menu of Dr. Maggie, Adam and Pockock. MUSIC Welcome, Dr. Maggie, to the Dream Restaurant. Thank you so much, lovely to be here. Welcome, Dr. Maggie, Adam and Pockock, to the Dream Restaurant. We've been expecting you for some time. Have you? What have you stand on Genies as a... As a woman of science? Welcome, Dr. Maggie Adamine Poe, Dr. Dring Bestron, we've been expecting you for some time.

Have you? What have you stand on Genie's as a, as a, as a woman of science? Ah, I'm, I'm, I do stand on Genie's like me. I do like a genie. I must admit, I mean, you've got three wishes all that.

I mean, you can't, you can't knock it really. Well, that's good. I was expecting a genie skeptic in the room. I was expecting you to be a genie skeptic. Well, I just watched a film. I think a thousand years of longing. Actually, it's more than that. 3,000 years of longing.

And that was a genie. And that was pretty cool, yes. Which one is that? What happens in that film? Idris L. He's a massive genie in a hotel room. He is, yes it. And that's it.

And his toes are picking three of the bathroom. I've not heard of this film. I feel like you two have got together and decided to make a film. I've heard about the film. It's a gaslight, man. Yeah. Yeah. It's a massive genie in a hotel room.

We just spoke through the bathroom. Yeah. Nice. Nice one, guys. Who's the person who gets the genie? Tilda Swinton. Yes. Tilda Swinton.

Tilda Swinton. Oh, great. Benito's getting involved now. You've all planned that. Tilda Swinton. Tilda Swinton. Oh, great. Benito is getting involved now. You've all planned that. Tilda Swinton's in the hotel, though. Right. And then the big genie comes in. Why does the big genie come in? Well, it's a glassware, actually. She breaks it by accident.

She breaks the glassware. And that happens sometimes. Yes. So this genie comes out of glassware when it's broken rather than rubbed. Yes. Yeah, but that happens to me as well sometimes. That's why in the dream restaurant, if someone smashes a glass, yeah, I come out of the glass.

Yeah. What, tell them off. Yeah, yeah. I go, whew, you'll do that, mate. I do. He used to work in a Greek restaurant and you, it was just too much in the end. Oh, very busy.

I'm talking to my little feet. Are you a foodie, Dr. Maggie? Yes. But a foodie with a caveat. Yes. Okay. Is it what I thought? Oh, we love a caveat. Yeah, I have a 13-year-old daughter. And when she was born, I developed a horrendous dairy allergy.

And it turns out that dairy is in almost everything, especially everything tasty, I think butter, cream. Well, actually all French cooking is gone. Yeah. And it's very sweet. I have to carry an epic pen. And if I ingest it, before my throat used to just swell up, which was the classic. But now it's sort of explosive in both ends. So it's pretty, I do love food, but I have to, and that's why I'm assuming in this restaurant that won't be a problem.

Yeah, yeah, it's up to you to Take that one. So we can take it away. Oh, wow. Is your daughter allergic to dairy as well? No. But it was her birth that caused you to be allergic to dairy. Yes. Is that ever a source of resentment for you? Yes.

I think everyone wants to know. Well, it's well. Yeah, it's well. No. I should wish it was a bit. I'm not. I'm not. But what about if you see your daughter

and she's eaten up a massive Sunday and loving it? And you're like, oh, you've had nice experience. Yeah, you're enjoying that. And it was funny because she was very sweet because it cut in when she soon off she was born. She said, yeah, my mummy can't eat. Drink cream, she can't eat. So she's really looking after me that way.

She's 13 now, so slightly less. But I do it for carelessly. So I'm like, yeah, what are you eating, are you? Cool. Is that butter on the... Oh, that looks nice. It sounds slightly dodgy. Well, no, no, hey, I think she deserves it.

It just seems unfair, doesn't it? No, that happened. Yeah, the idea is that when you're carrying the fetus, your immune system is suppressed, so you don't attack the fetus. But then when it comes out, your immune system is meant to go to normal. And it's just a very small percentage of people, but they just develop random allergies. So I had a few allergies before, but it was things that Brazil nuts,

which are really easy to avoid. But then suddenly, it took me a long time to work it out, because my asthma was playing up, and my ex-ma is playing up and it couldn't work out what it was. Turned out to be all dairy. Oh, man. Yeah.

I mean, that's, that's, I'm really glad that I will never give birth to a baby. Ah! Many of us are too, actually. Yeah, yeah. We're very happy. Although Jeannie's can, feels like Jeannie's could give birth. Mmm.

Just, just big, Idris's could give birth. Just big edge of cellbook of birth in that film. I'm not saying it. Spoiler of that. I say no. Yeah, he doesn't have a cany-todd. But you could wish if I had three wishes. One of my wishes could be Jeannie, I want you to give birth. Oh yeah. Just give birth straight in there. Jeannie, I want you to have a dere dereology. That would be a harsh thing to do to a genius. Actually, no, I wouldn't wish that upon any. Yeah. You would find a genius lamp and you would have three wishes and it would be give birth

and have a dereology. It would be two of them. No, I think it would be one or the other. I see. I do. I could cover off what I want from a genius and two wishes. Oh. Yeah.

Don't you think? Yeah. You don't need three wishes. What are your wishes being there? I limited money, obviously. Obviously. And I don't know actually, then I'd just do give birth and have a very early. So you reckon with unlimited money, you could do anything you want to. So you think, what would you say? As a, as a, as a woman of science, money talks. What would you say? Well, things because my dream is to get out there into space. And so money, and money with her. I know. And if you look at the battle of the billionaires at the moment,

with sort of, you know, a mask and sort of brands and people like that. But I think is no, I want to go to the stars. I didn't want to, you know, you're sorry, I'm low worth all but and things like that. I went, yeah, out there. So that will be one of your wishes. So that Star Trek was real and you were the captain of the unsurface. I'll be your whore.

Yeah. That's fine. How close do you get to a star before it gets a bit dodgy? Oh, actually, well, actually there is a probe called Parker, which is approaching the sun and doing all bits of the sun at the moment, and it gets pretty close. But things, I want to go to the next door star system. So there's our sort of our sun and the planets, I want to go to the next door star system, 4.28 light years away, 40 trillion kilometres away, and actually go and visit the planets

that are going around the star, because yeah, the star itself was big. Yeah, yeah, so you want to see the other planets? Yes. And see the first lights there. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we games. I'd wish to never be ill. Oh, yeah, actually, I'm on it. We were full on another planet mate.

Health, wealth and happiness. Yes, that's the one. Never be ill. I don't want to be live forever. So I'd like to be able to set my own death date, but be completely fine up until then and then die. I'm sorry, you're back. Yeah.

But what if you could live forever, but with other people, the people you're close to? I just think I just get knackered. It's broad. Yeah, it's got so bored. Because technology's developing so quickly, I think if I lived long enough, I could make it into space. Yeah.

So you see, you're hanging around a bit by the way of nights, but yeah, I wouldn't want to do it on my own. So he's hanging around a bit. But yeah, I wouldn't want to do it on my own. I'd like to bring a gang. It's annoying now because I don't have a spare spare wish to give you a dairy allergy. I've gone for health and well. I've gone for more mercies. But what do you get? Isn't it more dangerous going into space? If you're like well old and then they fire you up there. Well it's quite interesting to break. Well, things could go a bit wrong. Well, mention Star Trek. So William Shatner, he went

into space when he was 90. Yes. Wow. I've got a few years. That's true. Yeah, yeah. And I think, but I think you go gently. And it was, yeah, no worth or bit. So, but he was, yeah, he was weightless and you can, there's a video of him going, oh, why? Whoa! Yeah, he's loving it. How long do you think it would take you to get to your, the way you want to go, though? Yeah.

Yeah. That's, that's a while away, right? It is. So using current technology and that's traveling at 16 kilometers a second. Whoa. Yeah, no, nice. I could do some of that as well. But 16 kilometers a second. Yeah, no, nice. I could do some of that as well. But 16 kilometres a second, from our start of the next door, neighbor star is 76,000 years.

Man. Yes. I like to have a crazy dream. Yeah, yeah. But there's new technology we were trying to develop. And you could shorten that down, because there's something called breakthrough star shot. And it's what they call a solar sail. So a sheet of metalised plastic with a probe in the centre and in the past we've used sunlight

to sort of accelerate them. But now you could have a bank of lasers, you know, turn off the powder London, fire these lasers. You can't wait, it's going to be as shoot up and it would accelerate this probe to a fit of the speed of light. And if you can do that, that's warp factor of quarter. So yeah, we're real do that, that's walk factor a quarter. Sorry, I'm a real tricky. But yeah, walk factor a quarter. And if you do that, you can get from our star system to the next star system in 20 years, but the probe can weigh no more than one gram.

So again, a limitation. And then how do you get back? You don't. You don't. You expect for this to be like, just continue. But if it's been, here's the question then. If they get it sorted so that like they can do that with people. Yes. Would you do it Dr. Maggie? 20 years to get there and you can't come back. Yeah, this is a life of a thing to imagine looking at that on your

if you're called an Uber. And you look at that and it says 20 years. Yeah, 20 years. Well actually, you're going to fit the speed of lights on your blink and you miss it. Yeah, 20 years. Well, actually, also, because you've got a phythenspeedal, like, so you're blinking your missing. Yeah. So you know it's 20 years. So you've lost 20 years of your life. You can have some of my wishes, Maggie. Because it sounds like you need a load of them. Yeah, actually, what I would do is I rather than doing that, although I want to get to the stars, I would retire to Mars. I want to take it to Mars. Right. Because if you look at planets of the solar system, I think Mars would be

the place to go. Because you know, Mercury, very close to the sun. Yeah, two two. Venus actually is even hot on the mercury on average, because it's got the greenhouse effect. It's got things in the atmosphere that heat it up. Earth, we know, quite nice. But Mars is a rocky planet. It's cold, so it's like Antarctica. Yeah. We know it used to have liquid water running over the surface. It could. There could be signs that there was life there. So I'll be retarded. If people were tired of their gardens, I'll just retire to the surface of the market, pottering that. Oh, what's that? I don't know, man. I think you want to meet aliens. And you already know there's no aliens walking around.

I'm not going to say off for you the fly bar. Yeah, I reckon you're doing that. We'll see. We'll see say before we get into your menu, we should also mention the art of stargazing. It's very exciting. What can you tell the listeners about it? Well, I, as an astronomer, I do some stargazing, sort of, for you guys. Although that was a passion of mine right from the get-game.

A space astronomy. Oh, sorry. That was me. No worries. Is that from the future? Yes. Oh, Captain Kirk. No. If you did get a text message from Captain Kirk,

what would you hope it would say? It beat me up. People asking you to beat me up. What was it? He's beating me up to start fast. If he takes you saying beat me up, you've got the wrong number. I can't do that.

I can't do that. I'll be in danger, Captain. Also, they never, I don't think I ever saw on Star Trek, anyone saying, I'm going to be me up. Yeah, I got to be you up, Captain. It was always a request, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah. Promise. Well, we'll be me up now.

Yeah, be me up now. I'm going to be me up. Yeah. So you know, we'll be me up. Not really, yeah. And I look forward to Star Trek. Boffin's getting in contact with me to let me know the exact episodes where someone has said I'm going to see me up.

Sure it has happened. But to Mac is probably buying a ton of Mac. Yeah. No, exactly what it's been said to you. Yeah, you're going to flip out a bit of it. Yes. More on the property. So the art of Stargazing, which of course we were made of stars, right?

Oh, yes, Stargers. So do you think Stargazing makes you a pervert? I never saw it in that book. I should quite embarrass now. Is it too much to change the book? Yes, I know. Okay, yeah, we're at a tight, yeah, change the title. So we all made a stargazing, because the stuff that's in us is made in the heart of stars.

But yeah, in stargazing, I think it's important because I've been doing it since I was a child. And it's something that every culture across the world has done. And so to me, it's the oldest science. And if you do look at everybody, they've always looked up and wondered. And that's what we continue doing today. And so it's just a few handy tips about tips about, you know, where to go. If you live in a flat, for instance, you turn off the inside lights over the windows,

look away from street lights. If you can get somewhere sort of dark and glorious, it's sort of, yeah, it's peace places with dark skies as status, yeah, go out there. I used to lie on the ground with a glass of Perseco. It's a place to live. The wine really helps. Yeah.

Where's the best place you've found, like, best location where the stars look to the best? Yes. So I've been lucky enough to work on some of the big telescopes. They build them in great locations. In fact, I'm going to visit one next month. It's called the ELT, the Extremely Large Telescope. What? What kid named that?

Well, it comes on the heels of the very large shows, the VLT, the very large shows, the very large shows, now we go for the extremely large shows. The VLT is a vegan VLT. You're on a mountain in the aftercomadres. But yeah, because it's the aftercomadres, it drives place on earth. Yeah. The stars there. And as the sun sets, the sky goes out deep purple.

And then the stars appear and they are, oh, they make my heart sing to see them. Wow. Are you excited one day to be invited to look through the FMT? FMT? I'm worried here. I will get to a point where they have to say FMT. Yeah, they got to say FM 2. Yeah, they got us like the FM tape.

I got a joint come look for the fucking message. That's going to happen. I'm happy. I mean, the big of the telescope. Yeah. People have got the BLT, the EOT, we've got the owl, the overwhelmingly large telescope, but they're... Oh, overwhelmingly large telescope, the owl.

Wow. Still a sparkling water. Well, this has to be still because sparkling water makes me burp. Right, yeah. It's a thing. Well, as you were thinking, because this is the Genie restaurant.

So, burps could be a lot more fun here. Yeah. In which case, yeah, I would go for sparkling water, because if burps were sort of rainbows and tasted of, oh yeah, anything you could think of, then that would be worth it. What would you like the burped taste of? Oh gosh, I've got a 30-year-old ocean. She's got a vodka thing at the moment. I don't know why. What? Right. She's actually drinking. She's actually drinking. But she's got an obsession. She's got a midget, I turn 18, I'm going for the vodka. What's that vodka? She really wants vodka.

I don't think vodka is that nice on it. No, it's not. But that's such a 13-year-old thing to think, I think. I know. When I was younger than that, actually, I had to write a story at school about hunting for treasure. And I was maybe six or seven. And I wrote a whole story where I was digging for treasure and I kept finding what I thought

was a treasure, but it was empty gin bottles and empty vodka bottles. And I handed for treasure and I kept finding what I thought was a treasure but it was empty gin bottles and empty vodka bottles and I handed it in and I told my mum about it. She was like, they're going to think I'm an alcoholic. They just think you're finding all these empty spirit bottles in the house every day. So, Mum, got another one. Do you know what sparked the interest in the vodka? No, not really. I think that's a five percentage preference. She's a scientist. What can I say? Yeah, you're already following your footsteps.

Maybe she heard our dad act, Freud episode. Yeah. And maybe once the crystal skull may be Gustelhead. Yeah, get that right. James said it enough. Holy shit.

Can't leave a god it wrong. Gustelhead vodka. Yeah. Oh, is that it's on its side, by the way? Yeah, it is actually no additives. Yeah. Is that what we've got here? Yeah.

That's what you've got at last before you make your daughter jealous. Yeah. You give a tumbler for the, yeah, yeah, yeah, leave her to her dairy. You should just sit vodka in front of her and go, look, when I can have only when you ate her. And then she'll be like, it's me and do it tomorrow.

It's a big, big, big deal. You want to have special burps in the dream that taste like vodka. Yeah, vodka. Well, actually anything, I do like amaretto. Yeah, because that's quite sweet. I think a quantro, again, quite sweet. Yeah, the boozy burps. Yeah, yeah, obviously in Charlie and the chocolate factory, they do burps that give them weightlessness, essentially, like zero gravity burps. Yes, Yes. Now that would be fun. Yeah.

Because if I drink it, I'll start to reach for the stars. Yeah, you could end up in that. So as a woman of science, how long do you think it would take you to burp yourself in the out of space? As a woman of science. Yes. Well, as a woman of science, I've given this lots of thought. Yes, well as a woman of science, I've given this lots of thought. And the thing is, if I want to count myself as an astronaut, I need to go 100 kilometers above sea level, because there's a sort of an imaginary sort of sphere around the earth, and then you're an astronaut. And so I have to do that, so it has to be at least that.

And that would be fun. So, so 100 kilometres up and let's say goodness me, how much am I going to move with each burp? 10 centimetres. Well, it depends on the strength of the burp. So, I can't just talk that factory. Yeah, it's about 10 centimetres of burp I think. Yeah, yeah, so, yeah, we want to do the calculation. How long will it take you to burp yourself to the point where you're officially an astronaut? That's right. And how much would you, with Fizzy Pop, would you have to drink to get a burger? Yes. And also, when I got up there, you'd want to wear a space suit because I wish you can't breathe.

Yeah, then you can't breathe. Yeah. For that to be more. But then you wonder how the burps are helping if they're trapped inside a space suit. Yeah, because if you do that, that's it. And then if you, but can you breathe off burps, it's getting very complicated. Yeah, but yeah, but these are things we should consider. Do you just want to still water? Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, no, you said, yeah, we're going to stay with the

still. That's fair, if you just want to still, you look disappointed. Well, I wanted you to have the the one that burps yourself in the spite of fulfilling my dream. Yeah, I mean, if they said to you, Dr Maggie, we can send you to this other galaxy, but you have to burp yourself there And that's the only way we can do it. Yeah, would you do it? And it will take 20 years, but literally 20 That's not blink of an eye 20 years. Okay. Yeah, but she's not like it will be 20 years of burping Yourself in over to the other planet That sounds horrible You're the first one to meet aliens.

You can't hurt yourself back as well. That is so bad. It's not just your own flyby. Would you do it? No. So your dreams are not worth that. I'm trying to work out if it will be better if I was farting. But just once you see it.

Well, hit your option. You can burp in it or take 20 years. Yeah, it's for you can fart and it will take 10 years, but it will stink. Yeah. Well, you know, in the vacuum of space, who's going to, oh, and that's the time. Can you smell fart in space? Well, so, as a woman of science, I'm a woman of science, can you smell fart in space? So if I spit, so if I'm a science, I can't spell fastest. In space, so if I sp- I just might work at it. So space is vacuum.

So if you thought the gas would be there, and if someone passed through it and could sniff without sort of freezing and sort of suffocating, yes, you could. So you could smell it. Yes, but your senses, senses in your nose might sort of freeze. Right. But I think it'd be just easier to senses in your nose might freeze. Right.

But I think it'd be just easy to fart in your space suit. So you would smell it off the one in your space suit. You would smell it in your suit. Oh yes, yes. Oh yes. Yeah, you would smell it in the suit. Yes. It's good to know.

I'm glad we're considering these. Yeah, these often not pondered things. Yeah, well, get ready for more of that. Because I've got loads of questions. Problems are bread. Problems are bread. Talk to the bathroom. Have some anime and post-op.

Problems are bread. People with double-barrel surnames, they're very hard to shout, problem's are bread now. So I have to do it really quickly. Well, Papa Dawn's bread, we've got a post-op, you see, Papa Dawn's it's all pops together. That's quite nice. Yeah, Papa Dawn, post-op.

One of the things I really miss is you're really crusty. Sorry, I'm going to go in sort of a Martins Spencer speaker. You know, really crusty bread, slavoured with your pure salted butter. Of course. Because yeah, I can't do the buttering. I'm going to do any more. And the margarine ain't quite the same. And so that was one of the things on my menu. So it would definitely be bread and it would be definitely really good quality butter and lots of it. Yeah, yeah You you butter you like Ed and you're buttering every little more bread. Yes Yes butter the chunks or other than doing the whole thing have a nice have a mouthful butter it again

A restaurant take a whole slice and butter it like they're at home. I think where's your fucking ambition? You've got that butter in front of you. You're not going to get through it. Yeah. Luckily I'm there to get through it. So is this going to set the tone for a lot of the menu? You're we're getting rid of the dairy. Actually, no. Some things are sort of a where some things I can probably actually cook at home. So I was surprised. I thought I might just go for, ah, yeah, yeah. But I see, though I've got a dairy allergy there. It's not too bad for me, because I never really liked your solid cheeses.

When people bring a cheese board round, I'd never eat that. Yeah, I didn't like that anyway. Disgusting. Well, that's pretty unanimous actually. Not, yeah, it's a total unanimous. That is opposite of unanimous. Ed agrees.

I think cheese boards are the best invention of all time. Oh, we see. Yes. And I count cheeseballs are the best invention of all time. Oh, we see. Yes. And I count as two votes. So it's a draw. How do you count as two votes? I do. Since when?

I'm the cheese guy. How long has that been happening for? All the decisions we've made, the Ed's got two votes. Quite a while, but he has his own way. No wonder I never get my own way on one side. You just didn't notice. No, Anita gets no votes. Oh, yeah, that's how.

So you get benedited. Yeah, I get benedited, but that's actually. Yeah, every, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm going to see from you. I'll hand back one of my votes. Let's get into your menu proper. Your dream starter. So dream starter is actually going back to my childhood. And it's something that isn't affected by the dereology at all. And it's Nigerian. Because my parents come from Nigeria, even though I was born here.

And it's something called Jollafrice, with Doddor. Oh, you're familiar. Jollafrice, oh, oh, we've got a running chat about Joll Doddor. Oh, you're familiar. Jollough Rice. Oh, we've got a running chat about Jollough Rice. Oh, my. We've had many guests. We've had many guests from Nigerian backgrounds, many guests with Ghanaian backgrounds.

Yes, yes. We've had guests with Sierra Leonean backgrounds as well. Yeah, definitely West African. Yeah, so a lot of West African guests, and there's always the Jollough Wars. The Jollough Wars on this podcast. I did. Okay. So yeah, I take a step back. Who has the best Jollif? And it's a lot of opinions flying around weirdly. So far, no one has chosen

a country that they do not themselves. No one has gone, yeah, to be fair, actually. Come on, come on, come on. No one has gone there to be fair, actually. Yeah. Someone else. Yeah, actually next door, got it. Did you have a price? Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm three quarters Nigerian and one quarter,

say really own. So, so, so, so, I both, both do pretty well. Nigeria is slightly better, of course, but it's 75% better. Yeah, would you have that mix in the bowl? 75%? I could have a little lunch tray with segments three Nigerian segments and one

Sierra Leone and say, but that's a man of maps. But my man can congratulate you Ed. I like you. Yeah, very good. But I think that's this is the thing. What you need is a Jollofrice taste off. Well, you actually have your own Benito box,

with the little sections and stuff. Yeah, I sort of, yeah, I was like Nigeria and you know, but yeah, but um, unspecified, I say people don't know. Blind tasting. Blind tasting. Yeah. A jolaf off. Yeah. Jolaf off. I like it. It's extra. Brilliant. Very exciting. Okay, well, we will do that. I mean, for you, Nigeria is, uh, with things I haven't tasted the opposite. As a woman of science. So what was that? Yeah, you know that you have to. So what was the thing you wanted with the job of? Doddor,

Doddor. Oh, that's what we called it when I was little. And it's just five panties. Nice. But yeah, this is, to me, this as a child, this was the nature of the gods. You know, Ambrosia, you know, just shook down from on high. Yeah. And yes, but things choosing your plantain is very, is an art form. Yes. Because you don't want to go for green, because they're really fibrous. Mm-hmm.

And, but you want it to go, because, um, the, you know, place, so plantains are like bananas. But it's like a, oh, slightly overly ripe banana, because if it is too sort of fresh, then yeah, it's too fibrous, but if it's, sometimes they do go moldy, so you know you've gone too far, but there's a sweet spot, you know, probably for about a day or two where you slice into it, and it's sort of sticky and sort of, when you fry it, it sort of caramelises, and so you get a sort of crisp, outer coating, and then sort of you're chomping to the sort of caramelises and so you get a crisp outer coating and then sort of you jump into this sort of a delicious centre. That sounds very good. I love plantain. Oh yes. So how do you do you fry it or do you? I've done it at home that much I think but whenever

I'm out and I see it available I will absolutely get plantain because it feels especially if you're having it in the main meal it feels like a little cheat where you get and it's almost an extra dessert that fits in perfect with it. There you go, it's not my understand. Because it's quite sweet, but yes, really delicious. Also, you mentioned there coming from on high from the gods and the Ambrosia of the gods. Now I didn't expect that from a woman of sight. We had Brian Cox on, who I refer, I refused to give him some sort of

whatever he is professor I'm not saying that shit because you never called him a man of science. I never called him a man I didn't expect him as much Because he would refuse to say I'm prosia with the gods. Yeah, he would not say that. Why? He would hate the gods. Oh, we see gods full stop at any size shape or form Also, he didn't he didn't us asking him if dark matter was evil. He wouldn't be drawn on that. Can you believe that?

We're inquisitive. Yes. Well, as a watcher of the Marvel Universe, dark matter in science, it sounds a bit different. There we go. This is what I'm talking about. Thank you very much. I think again, it's like the EOT and the VLT.

I think they should have fought back the name a bit more. Yeah, yeah. But dark matter. But dark matter is just a name they gave it because we just don't know what it is. I think again, it's like the EOT and the VLT. I think they should have fought back the name a bit more. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But if it's dark matter, it's just sort of a name they gave it because we just don't know what it is. It's just just dark. We can't see it. It's dark, it can't be.

But we can't see it because it's hiding, because it's evil. It's lurking out there. Yeah, up to mischief. So that's fair enough, if Brian Cox is listening, I'm sure he will. Will you say to him, be fair Brian, it could be evil. Oh, actually, as a woman of science, I think I can say, Brian, yes, it could be evil. We don't know. We have no idea what he's saying. And your face, Cox, and your face, we know it.

We called it before, and he spoke down to us. Yeah. I can see papers coming out. Yeah. The evil is dark matter. matter. What should we do? Everyone's going to be reporting on how dark matter is easy. And there's a lot of reports now about aliens and stuff, isn't there? Yes. Are you excited about this? Well, actually, yes. And in fact, I'm working on a program at the moment,

looking at the alien files. Really? And sort of looking at people's experiences of aliens and sort of what they see and trying to, what a scientific bent on it and say, what else could it be, what they see and trying to get a scientific bent on it and see what else could it be, what they've seen, was it really aliens or what else could it have been? Yeah, could it be for example that they're absolutely crazy? That's crazy.

That's crazy. First question you ask. Quick question, before we get into the early stuff, are you crazy? Then wait for the answer. If you say you are crazy and you know it, does well, I mean, because you're aware, so you're not crazy. No, they're the craziest guys of all. Yeah, they're so crazy even they can't deny it. I say I'm a self-certified lunatic. Yeah. Yeah. You do? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. You do?

Yes. Yes. That's what I'm doing. Padeeta, we've got time for the book in policy for this. I didn't know we've got self-certified lunatic on. Slend you away. Ha ha. But by lunatic, do you mean you love the moon?

I do. Yes. Oh, you sound disappointed. No, no, that's nice. I like that. I feel safe again. I do. You love the moon.

That's why you're a lunatic. I'll drink to that. Yeah. Jenny need both drinking now. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha to recommend. Today, we're marked by the decline of traditional religions and in their place have risen a plethora of new faiths and movements, from doomsday religions to wellness fads to online conspiracies. So what makes a cult a cult? Does that label even mean anything anymore? Comments will go beyond the true crime cliches and make you question everything you thought you knew about cults. You can find comments wherever you get your podcasts. everywhere aks.com

Let's move on to your main course. Yes, and so this I found quite troubling because I was thinking here in this fantastic restaurant this wonderful location. What would I like to eat? And I came up with, well, it was almost a combination of a Christmas dinner or just a Sunday roast. I don't know why, but that just really appealed. I don't know if it's just now. I mean, make me ask me next week, it'll be something different. And it's like a Sunday roast, I said it was a roast pork. It's not too fatty, but it's got the crackling on. And not the chewy crackling, because that's just my teeth.

You know, the crisp stuff with a fat removed. And then the roast pork, which is not really a noise with apple sauce. Yeah. I'm trying to sort of skirt around the side at the main, because I want to do something separate for that. But yeah, with apple sauce and the roast potatoes and roasted parsnips.

And then maybe, I'm fortunate, Brussels sprouts, my daughter and I really love Brussels sprouts. Lovely. Oh yes, I don't know many people who do. If you do them right, you know fortunate, Russell Sprouts. My daughter and I really love Russell Sprouts. Lovely. Oh yes, I don't know many people who do. If you do, I'm right, you know, absolutely delicious. Actually, yeah, with a few lardons and things like that, most chestnuts. Yeah, yeah, yeah, very good.

Nice and crispy, both good ones. Yes, so that's what I was thinking. Yeah, it's quite a sizeable plate, you know, with this all piled up. Oh, but actually, the piece that is this sauce is the Yorkshire pudding. Aha, yes. So this is sort of sauce is the Yorkshire pudding. Yes. Yes.

So this is sort of the non-dairy. Absolutely. It's a cool, besudered and a massive Yorkshire pudding. Oh, yes. I love it. Because the thing is, as using sort of the non-dairy milks, I can't make Yorkshire. I used to make fantastic Yorkshire puddings. Yeah.

They'd fluff up in the oven. They'd come out and they'd hardly sink at all and get out of it. I'd eat them. Yeah. But I can't do it. Because with non-dairy milk, there's something in the cow's milk that enables the Yorkshire. And so they come out sort of little flat pancakes now, it's just so disappointing. Sad, yeah. But you two want a big, Gary York chip pudding, big enough to have the whole road fit.

The most inside, so I can get a chip away at the corners and it's like, yeah. Oh, yes, absolutely brilliant. That's taking no real estate on the plate because it is the plate. Well, this is what I'm going to say. Normally, normally I have a guy who put Yorkshire puddings because I think they take up too much real estate on the plate. But if it is the plate, that's, that's a great loophole. You got to. You can do it.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because I'm enjoying actually how Dr. Mackey's quite odds with you. Yes, I love your actually a puddings. She's cool. Yeah, it's like, you know, if it's a big Yorkshire pudding, I completely understand that.

It's the, would it be fair to call the big Yorkshire pudding the black hole of the roast dinner? Oh, yeah. It's falling up all the time. Yeah, everyone gets sucked in. You probably get a lot more in one of those black holes than you think you can, right? Surely. I think of the gravy because you're going to get yourself in. Yeah. Go high because you've got a lip now.

Would you do that? Would you just pour it until it's filled with a bit of gravy? No, no, no. I want to, I just want your husky. Would you put gravy in a black hole? What was it? I know. Would you put gravy in a black hole?

All I know is if you did put gravy in a black hole, like everything else, it will get spaghettified. Spaghettified? I'd love that. That's so stupid. Stupid, right? Pop them, say to the guest. Two questions.

What do you mean? Yeah. And what would happen if you put the spaghetti in a black hole? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Great to hide. Okay, okay, okay. So, spaghettification is actually a scientific term.

But what happens is, we're a specification, because a black hole, the gravity is so strong, the gravity at your head and your toes would be significantly different. So, as you form the black hole, you get strung out into a string of spaghetti. Whoa. Yes.

But if you ask about spaghetti going into a black hole, spaghetti is already spaghetti, but I guess I'll get it to more Elon, get it to you. It would turn into a different shape of pasta. No, it's your by-time. It he'll get it just more Elon. He would turn into a different show per pasta. No, he's a bit of a pun. He would get penified. Penified. Oh, look, that black hole.

You're a bit... I need to say that very carefully. I mean, that's exciting. I reckon if he puts spaghetti in a black hole, it wouldn't know what to do. Which is not for a guy. And we go to spaghetti and go, what the fuck? It's done, but it's kind of... And then it would... It was cease to be. Yeah, going to spaghettify you and then it would be a mouthful.

It's just suck all the sauce. I've got enough. Who would you most like to be spaghettified? What if human being is alive right now? Actually, I don't get to get it. I've been sick the high moral ground, so I can't think of anyone. It'll be an awful death. It would be an awful death. I can give you three options. Brian Cox is quite tall and thin anyway.

He's tall and thin anyway. He's kind of already looks like he's been spaghetti. He's been said, sorry, I thought he'd be rejected from the black hole, so definitely he'd be saved. Yeah, yeah, yeah. May he would get rejected. I guess he has already been in one. I

reckon he has. I reckon if you look at that old D-reme foot, yeah, he actually looks completely different. He has this we get fired yet. And then he got, he's not really into sight. It's hard to do. Yeah, he looked at the black hole is we get fired in. And then he came back. Yes, and that's why he got into it. I said he's able to reinvent himself because the people didn't recognize him from D-Ray, because he's been, we get to fight.

So it sounds lovely. Yeah. You said like earlier, look, it was a cross-breen of Christmas dinner roasted up. It feels just like a Sunday roasted. It doesn't feel very Christmasy. Well, yeah, you see, because I don't, that's because you haven't met the,

the, the, the rogue element that peeks in blankets. Oh, yeah, I see, peeks in blankets. I'm, I'm one of these people that do eat peaks at blankets not at Christmas. Yeah. Why do I just say that for Christmas? That's it. Also it's like people eat sausage and bacon all year round. Why aren't they thinking I'm going to wrap that boy around that boy? Yeah. Quite. So yeah, it's just a few of those within the giant Yorkshire. Yeah. Well limited gravy. I don't want it for but you know,

it's not localized gravy but yeah, they're in there too. Yeah, you've got to have it in there. And the Brussels sprouts too, so it's, yeah, reminiscent of a Christmas day. Yeah, I guess it is quite Christmasy. Again, you know, didn't expect, you know, scientists would come on and choose a Christmas related thing. That's very, that's very science-based, mixed religion once again. Well, you see. In this podcast. Yeah, basically I was brought up when I was growing up. My father thought I was going to be a nun, so I was really religiously. I met sort of 13 different schools, but some of them were sort of Catholics,

some of them Church of England. So I like to spread the joy, but I was brought up really religiously. And I don't see necessarily a clash between a science and religion. Yeah. And I got to lots of schools and speeder kids, and they say, yo, how does the big bang fit in

with the fact that creation was the seven days. And I said, well, when did day and night come in? Because before that, you know, a day could have been billions of years. So, yeah, I don't think it's, I like harmony. Of course, nice. Yeah. But how many on the podcast? Quite often, religions use to explain science back in the day, right? Oh, yes. Yeah. Explain things we don't understand. Yeah, yeah. Didn't expect this from it.

What would you mean? You know, you're wise and then I thought, I'm a man of science. Wow. Man of science. It's the same with these numbers, huh? Yeah, yeah. You know about the Joll of Troix?

Wow. I guess the Joll of Troix should have turned me off. LAUGHTER You're dream side dish then. Is that going to be Christmasy? Is that going to be roast dinner? No, it's and it's quite quite weird. I think it's called a tomato consummate. Right. And because I had something like this once and only once in my life and a friend who had taken us to a really expensive restaurant. And someone, there was sort of like, it was like tomato soup on the menu.

And I was thinking, well, yeah, that's a bit too. And I tasted it, and it blew my taste buds. Because it's like just slightly colored water. But when you tasted the explosion of tomato was fantastic. And also it was quite, this was before the dairy allergy. But it was creamy tomato in a liquid that was clear. And I don't understand how they got that flavor. Yeah, it's amazing that sort of thing

because it's like they've got the very essence of tomato. You had something like that on your dream menu for the 100th episode, there was like a tomato dish that had like that on it, right? Well, kind of, yeah, it was tomato done loads of different ways. But weirdly last night I was talking to someone who was saying about what you're, they went to Alice, a restaurant, and they got a bloody Alice, which was like a Alice bloody Mary. But that was clear.

It was, yes. And they said it just chased exactly like a bloody Mary. Wow. Yes, and it's clear. Yeah, had a little leaf of basil in it. And they thought I bought me the wrong drink. Yeah, it was take this basil. Bloody at all and was kind of thought I bought me the wrong drink Take this bad bloody at all. Yeah, it was delicious

Really, isn't it? Yeah, really is just See I said this yeah That's just maybe and they all just went okay, so yeah Well, this is why and I've said this before my gate. This is why we shouldn't hang out with anyone else. Yeah. Why? Should just be me and James, because we understand each other. Yeah. The world's not ready. It's got to that point now, where we're just basically thinking differently worded versions

of the same force. Yes. I do that with my daughter and it's creepy. Yeah. We actually come to the same conclusions. That's exactly the same time. Hmm. I just have some bought that.

I just have to kill me for that. Yeah. I was about to say that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was going to say it was ready. That's why I had to get in there real quick. I was going to get there before me in the vodka joke. The race of the vodka.

I think this is lovely. It's all because like you've had the Joloph rice plantain full roast dinner in a in a Yorkshire pudding. The consume, my acts as quite a nice sort of palette cleanser. Yeah, and the muesbouche, that's why I was thinking. Yeah. That's why I was going, because it was side by thought, you know, perhaps I could, you know, and that's it, yeah, sort of, yeah, because the slightly acid, you're clean, the palate, yeah, ready for the next. Yes, I like that. I like that. It's delicious. And also, so when you, like, when you had it for the first time, do you immediately try and figure out how they've done it and you're, you're, you're

starting to be brain-cooked. Okay, how they've done this. Yes, and how can I do it at home? Right, yeah. But yeah, so how do they get you? Because as you say, it is like the essence of something that's very best of it in a glass. And so how they, what process have they gone through? And I think it's something pretty complicated. Yeah.

But yes, the fact that they can do that, I do want to know. And I do, that's what I do with food. I analyse it. I'm like, oh, that crackling was very good. What temperature there? Oh, yeah, yeah. Straight to temperature. No, no, no. I know. Temperatures, pressures. That's what I get.

A lot of videos of crackling on the internet because of my algorithm. And you're algorithm. My algorithm pictures me stuff. It's like, I like it. A lot of it's pork. And I get a lot of videos of, I think they do it in Chinese kitchens a lot where they'll cook the pork and then the skin is like there's no crackling on it whatsoever. Oh yes. But the pork is cooked and then they get like oil that's super hot and they just ladle it over the top and the whole thing puffs up out into amazing cracklings. Yes, yes, yes, short, sharp, shock. Yeah. And

then the temperature change expands everything out. Yeah. I'm trying that. That's pretty impressive. It looks dangerous. It looks pretty dangerous. Yes, I guess you need an industrial kitchen or something. I mean, the person who came up with that, would you call them a scientist? Oh, yes. In fact, I'll call most chef scientists. Yeah. I think there's an inner scientist in everyone. Yeah, yeah. And my job is to bring it out. You do a lot, as you say, with your visits to schools and stuff. So how long have you been doing that for? Go to schools and talking to kids about science.

Yeah, about 18 years. That's long enough now that some of them might. Yes. If you see them have proper jobs in and then you catch up with them. Well, you'd see them when they were little kid. Yes, actually, well, sometimes, you should usually, usually when I'm arguing with them, I'm like, oh, but then I'm like, I'm like, oh, my God,

it's someone kind of saying, oh, my God. You came to my school when I was a kid. Now I studied physics, and now I'm going on and doing something else. And my biggest question is, are you enjoying it? Because my biggest fear is, I don't actually want to do it. And I thought somehow you'd focus them into it.

So I thought, this job wanted you to do it. Thank you for their life. Yes, because it's, it's, um, scary having an influence like that. But it's also wonderful to take so far. It's all actually there was one girl who's like, yeah, hi, you came to my school. And after that, I started doing a level physics, but I didn't like it.

So I gave it up. I'm so sorry. So don't be sorry. Just do what you love. Yeah. Yeah. You gave us some options. Yeah, there's actually explored it when not for me. Your dream drink then, and you kind of already had, so you've had the consume, is it a bit drinky?

Bit drinky. Oh yes, yes. So, so. Yes, always see. So this isn't just a drink that goes through the meal. This is not sort of a... No, no, no, it can't be. I mean, however you want it to be, you just a drink that goes through the meal. This is sort of a no no no it can't be Yeah, I mean, however you want it to be yes, go all the way through the meal

You can just have it once and save it whatever you like actually it's a bit like you were saying edge when you were talking about digging up the bottles I have a something about Prosecco. Yeah There was a sign at my daughter's school saying it's Prosecco and cheese and Prosecco, that's the stuff mum loves! She loves that! She loves that! She drinks it every morning! She doesn't like the cheese though! She's giving the cheese just a Perseco cheese! I was thinking of a nice Perseco to sort of, yeah, yeah. And it's funny because I said I couldn't, I went take Fizzy water but Perseco somehow! Yeah! Somehow no burping! Now we're burping all the white

to Mars, yeah! But um, actually. Now we're burping all the way to Mars. But actually, it was one of the things about the water as well. I like to water about, I get really cold. And the second, not quite so cold, because you want the flavours. Yeah, I think, yes, I think, maybe at this time, I've sort of settled, but probably pretty full by now. Yeah, sort of a, like, the psychode just, again,

sort of like a... I think, yeah, throughout the meal as well, I think it's perfect. Yeah. I couldn't like that. Why not champagne? Why not? Yeah, because this is your omnibus. I can have me. Oh, I don't know. Do you like champagne as much? Not as nice. I think it's based champagne for a special occasions, but I'm

here like this. I think I might be. Yeah. Prosecco be great with like the spice of the jollaf as well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, they're matching well. Yeah. When you say special occasions, has there ever been anything you've been involved with and worked scientific breakthroughs where you've popped out the champagne? There's a really large telescope. Um, it's not the very large choice, what are you?

But there is the James Webb Space Telescope, JWST, largest space telescope ever built mirror of the telescope, which is the bit that gathers the radiation, is a 6.5 meters. So, and sort of 10,000 scientists across the world worked on it, and I was one of them. And it was launched on Christmas 2021, I think. And the things that was horribly late, horribly over budget, and it was launching, and we thought, oh, so you know, sometimes launches go horribly wrong. And it launched, and it was successful. And so yes. Christmas day. Good experience. Yeah.

That's good. You worked on the biggest telescope in the world. Yeah, the biggest space telescope ever, yeah. Man, I'm surprised you didn't leave with that straight away. Yeah, that's my problem. Yeah, you're the most humble person I've ever met. Yeah. You sit here, let's chat nonsense about dark matter being evil.

That should be in the back of your mind. I shouldn't have been the answers to pop it up bread. I made the biggest space that telescope in the world. Just get it out. You asked me pop it up bread. I made the biggest space that telescope in the world. How long did that take then? Oh, actually, from...

The last upon me, it was horribly late. So I think... So he's meant to take 14 years, but actually sort of talk about 20. So... You work on the whole thing? No, no. So, um, do you, are you imagining Maggie building this by hand? It's just working on it for 20 years.

Yeah. It's a brief way. Yeah. Yeah. Polishing the mirror. And so, um, because, um, with it, it's, uh, uh, the telescope itself with the mirror. Yeah. And actually, that was quite clever because it was so big that actually unfolded in space.

And then it had something called a heat shield underneath which is like sheets of a plastic again but they're about the size of a tennis court and it all had to fold up really small so it could get inside the rocket and then it's launched and it sits 1.5 million kilometres away from earth and it looks in deep dark space because it's picking it's not an optical telescope it doesn't look at visible light, it looks at heat energy. So it looks deep, it's a dark space and sort of picks up radiation that way. So you've got the telescope itself, which gathers the light for one to the better word, but also you get instruments, and I worked on two of the instruments, the near

spec, the near infrared spectrometer, and a mirror, the mid infrared, we're in mid infrared spectrometer, I think, mirror. Anyway, yes, but these two instruments on board. And I mean, it's probably worked on them for about five, six years. And then you sort of do your stuff, you make your units, it will go together. And then eventually it gets launched.

But yeah, it was nerve-wracking. Yeah. And yet 10,000 scientists, but it's lovely to be in a team like that of people across the world. But there's 10,000 of you. Are you being like, please let Mirror Be The Thing that breaks you? Oh, oh, oh. Yes.

It's my one. Yeah. It's my thing. And also because often it's sort of you're just a subsistence for one of the instruments. Yeah. And you're always worried that it's sort of, oh, no, there's sort of something stopped working.

It seems to be this. Oh, oh, oh, it's the instrument. I imagine everyone having to sign a birthday card for someone on the team. Yes. It's a polka-pap day. It's time this. The card's fucking bigger than a mirror.

It's going around. You're going to have to fly from place to place as well. I'll tell you what, Maggie. I didn't think of that one. Sometimes it gets me with something I have to swing that even a top. I was in serious mode thinking about this. Tell the Scott. Yeah, bad luck. Someone was doing their

job. Yeah. Thank God. I got everyone's there. I got the slack. I'm there. They can see it's the about a tell the Scott. Let's phone. I think if like 10,000 comedians had to work together. Yeah. What happened? But comedians are fringe. Yeah, look at that mess.

But comedians, you think so sharp and so witty and that's that's spontaneous. Not all of us. Not all of us, Dr. Maggie. And those of us who are very selective of what we actually do that, when we we choose to employ those skills. when we actually do that, when we choose to employ those skills. All right, thank you. If you see two comics trying to script together, that script never getting handed in anytime, anytime I see a sitcom is written by two comedians, I think well done. Yeah, well done.

I do it now. But was there someone holding them together? I say we're talking to the direction. I always think one of you wrote it. One of you. Yeah, and one else, just yeah, probably one else. Just, yeah, probably to be in that, yeah. Yeah, and one's more famous. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's in good hands. You poop with the cheeseburger and birdie. Yeah, that's fine. And so this is a very specific dessert. And because of deriallogy, one of the things I really miss is lemon meringue pie, but not just any lemon meringue pie. So when I was working in the telescopes in Chile, I used to sort of spend day and night on the telescopes. And so I was installing an instrument there, something called BHROS, bench-mounted high resolution optical spectrograph. It just taught the telescope light and then

stretched into rainbow colours so we can analyse the light. But I was there on my own living in a little bungalow on top of a mountain. And so I'd go to the telescope during the day and sort of work on it and then I'll sort of come home at night. But once a week I'd go down to sea level, off the mountain down to sea level, and I'll stay there for one night. And I'd go to the supermarket and get supplies and take them back up to the bungalow the next day. And there was this wonderful supermarket in this town called Lassarena. And there they had the ultimate lemon meringue pie. And I don't know if you have any to Costco. I don't have any in one. Yeah, so in Costco they do

these really sort of about gosh, about 30 centimetres in diameter. Because everything's massive in Costco. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, to buy like 400 rolls of toilet paper. That's it. Because yeah, they don't do the individual. Yeah. And so they do these massive cakes and it's not about that size, about 30 centimetres across. And it was a lemon massive cakes, and it's not bad that size, about 30 centimeters across. And it was a lemon meringue pie. And I'll take one up for the week, and you know, sort of work through it, and then get back up. But the thing is, it was just so lovely,

and it was just a treat, because if you've been work all day on the telescope and you were tired, you'd come back, have a glass of Chilean champagne, yet toast the moon as a lunatic, and have a piece of lemon meringue pie. So it's this very specific lemon meringue pie. And I didn't realise I went on about it quite so much.

But my daughter, who's 13, I went to this telescope 20 years ago, my daughter's 13 and we were going out to these telescope and she said, oh yes, we need to go to the telescope and get the lemon rang pie. Because obviously I have just bigged it up. And so yes, that's what I'd like a slice of that lemon rang pie. That's such a lovely story. And you say you haven't been back there yet?

No, I'm when we're getting there next month. I think it'll be there. Why if it's not there? The lemon meringue pie? Well, things even it is, I can't eat it because it will have dairy in it. Oh, yeah. But I can say it again. So, Laurie, have another slice. No, I'm going to go and eat it. Yeah, yeah, you have to see how I enjoy it. Yes. Man, mum, mum, mum, go and eat it. Yeah, yeah, you have to see her enjoying it.

Man, that's really lovely. There's supposed to be like working on the telescope, go down to sea level, get your lemon meringue pie, bring it up for the week, toast the moon. Yeah, eat the pie, eat the moon. Eat the pie, toast the moon. When the moon hits your eye, like a lemon meringue pie. That's the more. That's really nice. And would you have anything with the lemon meringue pie in those days? So was it just the champagne? Yeah, just the champagne really, because I was thinking

it's sort of creams or stuff like that, but you don't need it. No, it's all there in a lemon meringue party. That's it. That's like the tummy agree, because you've got the tart lemon, you've got the fluffy meringue, you've got the pie base. How big is the meringue on top of the lemon? Is it like a massive chunk of meringue that's really high or is it quite shallow? Well, I actually know. So I think the lemon to meringue ratio was about 50-50. Right?

So yeah, and so I don't like it, because sometimes you can get too much lemon as well. Yeah. Because that's what overwhelms everything. But it was about 50-50. And the meringue stood up to the lemons. Here's an apple. Here's a question. I've been thinking about it. Where's the dairy and the lemon meringue pie? So I think it could be in the base. Could be. Yeah, it depends on how you make.

I guess butter might have to go in the base. And if you're making a really good pastry, I think it's butter. So you can make it without. And. And I do make pastry sort of with margarine and things like that, or butter substitutes. And then I think in the lemon, I don't know if you actually, this dairy... Yeah, I'm trying to think it through, whether I think you could make a very good

dairy-free lemon rangpai, you know. Right, yes. I reckon you could. Because the egg, you're all right with eggs. Exifying, yes. I regularly have an argument as to whether eggs is dairy. What? Is eggs dairy?

You regularly have an argument with my wife. Oh, my head's wife is dummy. No, no, no, no, but what do you think? Is eggs dairy? I'm very opinionated on this. Yeah, I think eggs is dairy. What are you talking about? You've been at cheeseballed all over again.

Just when we were bonding on the park. So Charlie is saying, they're not. I actually can't remember which side I'm on As a man of science No, you can't remember what size I'm not quite sure why I'm arguing Yeah, is a cow laying an egg Ed. No, I can't even have an assay this to you But do you think all dairy has to come from cows? Ha ha well, okay. Ha ha. Okay.

A sheep, a goat, none of them, a layer of eggs. No. But also, I don't think sheep or goats is actually dairy. I think dairy is cow. Is it not beef? Goat milk? Could you have goat milk, man? I don't know.

Every so often. But he told go and get some goat milk. We're doing an experiment. If it's after I buy it. And I put it in the fridge, it's like a vegan cheese. Oh, right. And I buy it. And I think, oh yeah, but it looks like cheese. And it looks like milk. We're doing an experiment. If it's after I buy it and I put it in the fridge it's like a big cheese. And I buy it and I think oh yeah but it looks like cheese and it looks like milk and I find it physically hard to eat it because I know the effemates and it could potentially have on me. It's probably not a rescuer taking. No and it should be a risk where I can stop yeah I've got the epi pen and all the anti

histamins ready to go. Yeah. But physically it and it seems weird, because it's 13 years since I've had this allergy, but I look at it and I think, I just can't. Yeah. I mean, the lemon rang pie, we can all agree sounds delicious. Yes, but like, I think we let you off the hook here for saying chickens that lay an egg for that. Well, no, I do, but I can't remember

if I think that, I'm like, you can't remember if you've got that. You're gonna flip it, like, even what? I'm actually trying Why say later? Even what? She thinks, and then I think the opposite. Yeah. Yeah.

Which is broadly the position I take. Yes. What are most things? Great relationship. Yeah. What is a friction? I mean, it's a... Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You're going to keep things spicy, right? Yeah. Yeah. Just got to go a whole time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dr. Maggie, before we read your menu back to you, I think it's nice that you know, you are a woman of science but very, very upbeat and positive.

Yes. And we live in times where we're very scared at the minute. There's loads of stuff going on that's terrifying. We've touched on, the people starting to say, aliens exist. We've got AI coming for us. Yeah.

We've got the climate crisis. How do you how do you stay up beat when you know so much? Oh, you save a good question for the end. Yes. Sit back and think about this one. I'm not going to talk about thoughts. I mean, yeah. I feel like you've got this the wrong way around, James. So I said that at the top. Yes. But then, you know, everyone's heard the podcast. They've heard how I'd be Dr. Maggie. Yeah. Oh, actually, and also if you've, I would have been in a different mindset if you've started with that. Yeah. But see, I, I think I can stay positive because I go out and see a lot of kids. And I speak to them and I hear about them and I can see what they do. And we do have a hell of a lot of challenges and just all the ones you've mentioned and more as well. But I think

we can do it. I think when we work together we can achieve the seemingly impossible. It's a tagline but I think it's true. Yeah, when we collaborate. But also when we collaborate together and I think there are scientists over here, there's creatives over there, things like that. It's all part of the same thing. And when we sort of pick and mix and sort of move around and work together, that's when I think we get results. And I think that the world is in good hands, I think the kids are going to sort of write some of the wrongs that some of us had lots of committed. So, I can't believe I didn't say the wish to stop the climate crisis. Giving people dairy. That was my dairy allergy, it's kind of a bit.

Oh, no, man. So if you start with that at the top, you might have gone to different ones. I'm sure you don't have eggs. I'll avoid eggs on that. Easter eggs. Easter eggs. I think you're thinking of Easter eggs.

I've made you a batch. Now, see how you feel about it? Water, really cold, still water. Poplarums of bread, crusty bread, with salted butter, loads of salted butter. Start a jello fries with dodo, dodo. Dodo, dodo. Dodo. still water. Poppoms of bread, crusty bread was salted butter, loads of salt, but start a jello fries with dodo, dodo, dodo, dodo, dodo, dodo. Maycaus rice pork with crackling, apple sauce, roast potatoes, past nips, brussel sprouts, pigs and blankets, loads of gravy, all inside

a giant yorkshire pudding, side dish, tomato, consomme, drink, Prosecco, Does that lemma mong pi from near... Lassarena? Oh, yeah, Lassarena. ...in Chile with a glass of Chilean champagne to toast the moon. That's lovely, that's a good menu. Oh, yeah, thank you for enabling me to participate in that, because that's you're reading it back, because they're like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, sounds pretty delicious, right? You'd hope you'd feel like that, because you've just said it all.

I thought, yeah, it was all... Actually, can I just change? Also, you've just said it all. I know. Yeah, it was actually going to just change. Also, we've just had a little surprise view. We've also had your daughter's menu sent in, which we're hurt to do a menu. To read out. To read out. Yeah, I've had it texted to me, and that's what water goes vodka. Looks like bottles of red vodka.

Start, of course, vodka. Yeah, it goes on that way. It's a little vodka. Oh yeah, it goes on that way. Yeah. It's a more vodka. She chooses the lemon man quietly. Yeah. But we vodka. Yeah, toast to the moon with vodka.

Thank you so much for coming to the dream restaurant, Maggie. Thank you. It's been so much fun. Thank you, Dr. Maggie. It's to the moon. To the moon. To the moon. There we are, James. You know what we learn a lot about science and space from Dr Maggie,

but I felt like we also taught her some things about science and space. We did, and that's what every great scientist should be open to. Yes. Is learning correct. They're fellow human beings. And thank the Lord, if the Lord does exist up there in space, that Maggie did not pick Milky Way magic stars. Yes, thank you, Dr. Maggie, for not picking Milky Way magic stars. I've

been sharing so much about your life, science, food, family, a delightful guest. And you should get Maggie's book, we're just coming out on November 2nd, The Sky at Night, the art of Star Gazing, My Central Guides and Navigating, The Night Sky. If you are an amateur stargazing or you want, you want to know a little bit more about it. Yes. This is the book for you. And someone from Henguin, random house came in and Morgana. Yes. Shout out to Morgana.

Shout out to Morgana. And I'd said the last time when we promoted one of their books, because it was out on an e-bree press, I sang a song about e-bree press, of course, to impress. Yes. I can't remember the song. No. Do you want to give it another go? E to the B to the U to the R to the Y? Because it's the e-Berry press. Brilliant.

Because Morgana was saying that they considered putting your song as a real on the e-Berry press's Instagram. Yeah. You know, you've got two songs. So you have a whole album by the time. Of course, to impress you is my song? No, I don't think so. That's mind blowing, man.

Yeah. What's going on with that? Ebery press to the rescue, I think. Yeah, yeah. It looks like I'm drinking Ebery press from now on. Get my book, Glutton. I'd love you to get it. I'm also on tour next year.

Hot diggerie dog. Hot diggerie dog. Hot diggerie dog. I think it's available on edgambl.co.uk. And the great bonito is also happening a nice time. Yes, he is. Thank you very much for listening. We will see you next week.

Goodbye. Goodbye. Keep looking up at the stars. I'm totally, totally. I'm totally. I'm Sarah Pasco and I'm Carrie Adloid. You might remember us from the peak of our careers, appearing on the excellent, off menu podcast. It's the greatest we've ever felt and we know we'll never achieve that again, but if you

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