Fusion – Ria Lina, Yasmin Andrew and Howard Wilson

The Infinite Monkey Cage

BBC

Comedy, Science

4.7 • 9.4K Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Robin Ince and Brian Cox get all fired up, overcome their natural repulsion and come together for this stellar episode on nuclear fusion. They’re joined by plasma physicist Yasmin Andrew, fusion scientist Howard Wilson and comedian Ria Lina to uncover the secrets of star-making here on our planet.

Together the panel discovers how the sun fuses atoms to release energy and why misbehaving, jiggling plasma makes this tricky to recreate on Earth. They explore the competing technological approaches — from giant magnets to the world’s biggest lasers — and find out that the hottest place in the solar system is, in fact, in Oxfordshire. Finally, they ask whether fusion could really provide an unlimited source of clean energy, or whether the technology will forever be “just 20 years away”.

Producer: Melanie Brown Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Production

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:07.3	Welcome to the Wayne Rooney show.
0:09.3	Twice a week, Wayne Rooney, Kayeard and me, Kelly Somers,
0:12.4	break down the biggest stories in the Premier League and beyond.
0:15.5	Coming to the Premier League, he's shown one called Play, he isn't.
0:18.2	He's been probably the sound of the season.
0:19.6	Plus, we'll hear the funniest and most outrageous stories from Wayne's career.
0:23.7	I had two seasons when I played as the number nine and scored 34 goals in both the seasons.
0:28.1	But I was bored.
0:30.3	Wayne Runey's show.
0:31.5	It's what everybody's talking about.
0:33.8	Watch an eye player, listen on sounds.
0:37.4	Welcome to Infinite Monkey Cage.
0:38.9	New episodes are released weekly, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:41.7	But...
0:42.3	If you're in the UK, you can listen to every episode a week early, first on BBC Sounds.
0:47.1	Hello, I'm Brian Cox.
0:48.2	I'm Robin Inns, and this is the Infinite Mankish Cage,
0:51.5	because today we are in Manchester, which is home in case you don't know,
0:55.9	to some of Brian's favourite childhood bus routes. Those of you who are regular listeners will
1:01.7	know before Brian started getting involved with the stars, he was an avid bus spotter. So what
1:07.8	was your favourite? You're coming in from Oldham, you've put on all your kind of Robert
	...

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