What We Said To Aliens

The Rest Is Science

Goalhanger

Science, Physics, Mathematics

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 November 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What happens when humanity dares to shout a cosmic “hello”? Could it help alien civilisations decode human mathematics, our DNA, the blueprints of who we are? And why did we blast the 3-trillion-watt message into the stars in the first place…only to never try anything like it again? This is the story of the Arecibo message. Welcome to The Rest Is Science: Field Notes. Every Thursday, Hannah and Michael rummage through their personal troves of scientific treasure and source discoveries that explain our understanding the universe, oddities that scramble our brains, objects that hint at forces we’ll never see...and a few things that are essentially just plain cool. Expect deep dives into the science behind each pick, the spark that grabbed their attentions, and the sheer delight they get from sharing it all with you.They’ll also be tackling your questions, so email The Rest Is Science at therestisscience@goalhanger.com. ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit ⁠cancerresearchuk.org/restisscience ⁠Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ. ------------------- Find The Rest Is Science all over the internet by ⁠clicking here.⁠ ------------------- Video Producer: Adam ThorntonVideo & Social: Bex TyrrellAssistant Producer: Imee MarriottProducer: Becki HillsSenior Producer: Lauren Armstrong-CarterHead Of Digital: Samuel OakleyExec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Cancer Research UK.
0:02.8	Imagine this. Inside all of us, billions of cells follow millions of instructions
0:08.9	written in microscopic code. And when a new cell grows, it copies those instructions,
0:14.1	but the smallest error can lead cancer to develop.
0:17.6	Right. And this is the reason why there isn't a single cure for cancer, because, you know,
0:20.9	there are more than 200 different types. Each of them have got different distinct characteristics,
0:26.8	you know, different challenges, different mysteries. And that means that trying to cure cancer isn't
0:31.0	like following a single path. It's like trying to map out an entire forest. That's right. And Cancer
0:35.7	Research UK is the world's largest charitable
0:38.7	funder of cancer research. I mean, their work spans more than 20 countries with over 4,000
0:44.2	scientists, doctors and nurses pushing knowledge forward to save and improve lives worldwide.
0:49.9	You know, over the last 50 years, the work that this charity has done has helped to double cancer survival in the UK.
0:58.8	And you have to think about that is more parents at the dinner table, right?
1:02.2	That is more friends at their birthday parties.
1:04.7	That is more people who are living longer, better lives.
1:07.8	For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs,
1:12.8	and how you can support them, visit Cancer Research, UK.org, forward slash restiscience.
1:24.1	Welcome to the rest is science. This is field notes, sort of expedition diary diary as it were, where Michael and I, we're going to trade on discoveries, on curiosities, on riddles or questions maybe that have tickled our minds.
1:38.5	That's right. That's exactly right. I'm glad to be here, Hannah. So what are we going to explore today?
1:43.1	Well, okay, I think given that both of us essentially in our respective houses are effectively living in small museums of dedicated to science.
1:52.8	Small shrines, shall we say, dedicated to science.
1:55.6	I thought we could start with the stuff that is very obviously in the background.
	...

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