Hello and welcome to mysteries of science. My name's Stevie and I'm the deputy editor of science and nature,

the monthly magazine from the team behind the week junior. And I'm Michael the Features Editor. On this

podcast, we investigate weird events, strange creatures and mysterious places. We've got a magical

mystery for you this week. Inspired by the Harry Potter books,

we're asking whether magic potions are real. Yes, we want to know whether these chemical concoctions

are actually possible, and if so, how you can make them. So join us and some expert guests

we stand over a cauldron to get some answers. This is Mysteries of

science. So Michael, what do you think? Magic Potions? Where do we start? Well, Stevie, why don't we

start with the Hogwarts Potions Professor, Professor Snape? Now, here's my favourite Harry Potter character,

and I've been doing a little

bit of research, and you might think he's just made up, but believe it or not, there was a real

Professor Snape. What? Professor Snape was a real person? Yes, he was a Potions Master at Aberystwyth

University in Wales in the late 19th century. Now, his name wasn't Severus Snape. He was called

Henry Lloyd Snape, and apparently he's not who the character was based on, but do you want to hear

something really weird? Yeah, always. He once held a lecture that was called the Philosopher of Stone.

Now, what was the first Harry Potter book called, Stevie? The Philosopher's Stone.

Exactly.

Or, in the US, I think it was the Sorcerer's Stone.

True. So maybe if he had been a lecturer in the US, it would have been called the Sorcero

Stone instead.

Probably. So this has actually blown my mind. So if there was a real Professor Snape,

then maybe potions are real too? Why don't we speak to somebody who got to know Snape and all

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