Mike Edmunds on decoding galaxies and ancient astronomical artefacts

The Life Scientific

BBC

Technology, Personal Journals, Society & Culture, Science

4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2024

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What is the universe made of? Where does space dust come from? And how exactly might one go about putting on a one-man-show about Sir Isaac Newton?

These are all questions that Mike Edmunds, Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics at Cardiff University and President of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), has tackled during his distinguished career. And although physics is his first love, Mike is fascinated by an array of scientific disciplines - with achievements ranging from interpreting the spread of chemical elements in the Universe, to decoding the world’s oldest-known astronomical artefact.

Recording in front of an audience at the RAS in London, Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to Mike about his life, work and inspirations. And who knows, Sir Isaac might even make an appearance…

Produced by Lucy Taylor.

Transcript

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0:00.0	My name is Mikita Oliver and I'm Lily Allen. In our new podcast we talk about the big issues and the little ones and everything in between in the way that only best friends do with brutal brutal honesty.
0:14.0	We'll be talking about things like early crushes, techno and ambition.
0:20.0	I've had a few celebrity crushes and for the most part they've come true.
0:24.8	Miss me with Lily Allen and McKeeter Oliver listen on BBC Sounds.
0:31.8	BBC Sounds Music music, radio podcasts.
0:35.0	Hello and welcome to the podcast edition of the Life Scientific.
0:38.0	I'm Jim Alcalini and this is the show where I get to talk with some of the world's leading scientists and you get to find
0:44.4	out what drives them.
0:46.0	So sit back, get comfortable and enjoy the episode.
0:48.6	Hello and welcome to the Life Scientific coming to you complete with audience from the Royal Astronomical
0:55.2	Society Headquarters at London's Burlington House. This is a place that holds special importance
1:00.5	for my guest today who first became a member of the RAS as an eager
1:04.8	young student of physics back in the 1970s and is now just coming to the end of his
1:09.7	two-year term as the society's president.
1:12.8	Mike Edmonds is an emeritus professor of astrophysics
1:16.1	at Cardiff University, where he's worked for some 50 years.
1:20.2	And although physics is his first love,
1:22.2	Mike is fascinated by an array of disciplines,
1:25.0	from statistics to amateur dramatics to history.
1:28.0	Wide-ranging interests that once prompted a PhD supervisor
1:32.0	to describe him
1:33.1	slightly tongue in cheek as a de la Tante.
	...

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