Professor Hannah Fry and YouTube sensation Michael Stevens are set to launch their new podcast, The Rest Is Science, as part of Goalhanger Productions’ expanding franchise. This video-first series will debut on November 25, 2023, and aims to delve into significant scientific concepts and intriguing questions, airing twice weekly.
The podcast will feature in-depth discussions every Tuesday, focusing on a single topic to uncover the science and history that surround it. On Thursdays, a segment titled ‘Field Notes’ will explore a curious object and its related ideas. The series will also engage audiences through short clips shared on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. A partnership with Cancer Research UK will provide monthly insights, which Fry and Stevens will further investigate, enhancing the show’s educational value.
Expanding the Rest is… Franchise
This new podcast joins a lineup that includes other popular shows such as The Rest is Politics, The Rest is Entertainment, and The Rest is History. Since exiting television production a year ago, Goalhanger has focused on podcasting, achieving over one billion lifetime streams and more than 70 million full episode downloads.
The inaugural episode of The Rest Is Science will tackle the question of whether water is truly ‘wet’ and will examine how minerals influence its taste. Further episodes are set to explore topics such as human evolution in the digital age, the reasons behind crying, and innovative ideas like constructing skyscrapers using mushrooms. The podcast will also feature stories about a Scottish island that operates completely off-grid and how moths navigate using celestial bodies.
Meet the Hosts
Fry, a British mathematician and broadcaster, is known for her engaging approach to complex subjects. As a Professor for the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, she has hosted several notable programs, including the BBC’s The Secret Genius of Modern Life and Nat Geo’s The Infinite Explorer, which premiered this year. She is currently developing a documentary on artificial intelligence for the BBC, slated for release next year.
On the other hand, Stevens is an American educator and the creative force behind Vsauce, a YouTube channel that has garnered 24 million subscribers and over six billion views. He has toured with Brain Candy Live, a stage show he co-created with MythBusters host Adam Savage, and is a co-founder of The Curiosity Box, which offers subscription science and maths toys.
“We wanted to make a show that takes familiar ideas and turns them inside out,” Fry stated. “Science is full of things we think we understand—time, randomness, beauty, evolution—until you actually start to question them. Then you realize how strange and astonishing reality really is.”
Stevens added, “With The Rest Is Science, we wanted to go beyond pop science and maths, digging into details that usually get skipped over. That’s where curiosity really lives, and that’s the space this show explores.”
According to Jack Davenport, co-founder at Goalhanger, this series represents the company’s next chapter. He emphasized the importance of video-first storytelling and ambitious ideas as Goalhanger continues to grow and reach record audiences across its various shows.
