Science Of The Times Podcast
Two University of Oxford professors interview leading scientists and authors to make cutting-edge research accessible to a general audience.
A co-hosted interview show where two expert peers act as translators for the listener. Each episode focuses on a guest's specific work—usually a new book or major paper—with the hosts using their own expertise to frame the topic, clarify technical details, and probe the wider ethical and philosophical implications of the research.
“The dual-host dynamic between two active, high-level academics is the show's defining feature. They begin with a pre-interview chat to set the scene, creating a framework that makes the subsequent guest interview more accessible and insightful.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by two Oxford academics, Professor Tim Coulson and Professor Syma Khalid, Science of the Times translates complex scientific topics for a lay audience. Coulson is a Professor of Zoology, and Khalid is a Professor of Computational Microbiology. Together, they interview fellow scientists and authors, often about their recently published books or papers, to discuss new findings in a fun and engaging style.
Credentials & credits
- Tim Coulson: Professor of Zoology, University of Oxford
- Tim Coulson: Fellow of the Royal Society
- Tim Coulson: PhD, Imperial College, London
- Syma Khalid: Professor of Computational Microbiology, University of Oxford
- Syma Khalid: PhD, University of Warwick
- Syma Khalid: Suffrage Science award for engineering and physical sciences (2021)
Other ventures
- Tim Coulson: Author, 'A Little History of Everything from the Big Bang to You'
- Tim Coulson: Science and environment correspondent, The European
- Syma Khalid: Chair of HECBioSim
- Syma Khalid: Tutorial Fellow in Biochemistry, St Anne's College, Oxford
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01The Art and Science of our Beating HeartsJun 26, 2026 · 50 min
- 02
- 03Where Genome Editing and Artificial Intelligence meet New Species LieFeb 5, 2026 · 45 min
- 04
- 05Badly Behaving BillionairesJan 29, 2026 · 43 min
- 06Science of the Times Ep 39. Badly behaving billionairesJan 29, 2026 · 43 min
- 07The Science of ChristmasDec 24, 2025 · 23 min
- 08Science of the Times Episode 34. The Science Of ChristmasDec 24, 2025 · 23 min
Notable episodes
- 01Where Genome Editing and Artificial Intelligence meet New Species Lie
A deep dive into generative biology that showcases the hosts' ability to tackle complex, futuristic, and ethically-charged topics.
- 02The Art and Science of our Beating Hearts
The relaunch of the podcast's second season, this episode is a perfect example of their style, blending hard science (cardiovascular research) with the humanities (art history).
- 03Badly Behaving Billionaires
Demonstrates the show's range by moving from natural sciences to political science, exploring how corporate scandals can impact democracy.
What you'll be asked on this show
Tim and Syma run a collaborative interview. They open episodes by chatting with each other, framing the guest's topic for the audience before the interview even begins. Their questions often serve as direct requests for simplification, such as asking a guest to "unpack" a technical term. They probe the methodology behind the research ("How do you go about doing that?") and are not afraid to address the potential downsides or ethical concerns ("Isn't what you're saying really scary?"). The conversation often pivots from a guest's core scientific work to their other projects, like books, exploring the motivations behind them.
The format begins with a casual, conversational catch-up between the two hosts to introduce the episode's topic. They then bring in the guest and alternate asking questions, frequently using analogies to simplify complex ideas and directly asking guests to unpack jargon for the audience. The tone is relaxed and collegial, like a conversation between knowledgeable friends.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
9 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
process
4- Q.01
“Can you unpack [a complex scientific term] for our listeners?”
This is a signature move used to deliberately simplify technical jargon for the general audience.
- Q.02
“How do you actually go about doing that?”
This question is used to move from theoretical concepts to the practical methodology of the research.
- Q.03
“What do the 'nursery slopes' of this technology look like right now?”
The hosts often use analogies to ask for concrete, current-day examples of a future-focused technology.
- Q.04
“How is progress going on your research?”
A straightforward check-in to get an update on the status of the guest's scientific work.
origin
1- Q.01
“Could you introduce your book for us and your motivation for writing it?”
The hosts often use this to pivot the conversation from pure research to the guest's work as a public communicator.
controversy
2- Q.01
“Isn't what you're describing potentially scary or dangerous?”
They ask this to directly address the ethical or societal concerns raised by a guest's research.
- Q.02
“Isn't this a reversal of traditional philosophical or religious thinking?”
This question surfaces when a guest's work challenges long-held societal beliefs, exploring the deeper implications.
future
2- Q.01
“If you succeed, does this mean I can give up my gym membership?”
A recurring type of humorous, self-deprecating question that explores the ultimate lifestyle implications of a scientific breakthrough.
- Q.02
“Is the premise of your book that we're entering a new age of [core concept]?”
This is an opening question used to establish the central thesis of a guest's book.
Signature segments
- · Pre-interview chat between hosts to frame the topic
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically world-class scientists, professors, and authors with a new book or significant research paper to discuss. They are leaders in fields like biology, medicine, AI, and even political science.
- Robin Chowdhuryon Science Of The Times S2 EP1 The Art and Science of our Beating Hearts Robin Chowdhury
- Adrian Woolfsonon Science of the Times Ep 40. Where Genome Editing and Artificial Intelligence meet New Species Lie
- Pepper Culpepperon Science of the Times Ep 39. Badly behaving billionaires
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show is actively seeking sponsors, as stated in episode descriptions: "If you are a business and would like to take advantage... of sponsoring 'Science Of The Times', please drop us a line".
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Science of the Times?
- The hosts are Tim Coulson, a Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford, and Syma Khalid, a Professor of Computational Microbiology at the University of Oxford.
- What is the format of the show?
- It is a co-hosted interview show. The two hosts introduce a topic, then interview an expert guest (usually a scientist or author) about their recent work.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, the podcast relaunched for a second season in June 2026 with a new monthly format.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on platforms like Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
- How can I sponsor the podcast?
- The episode descriptions provide an email address for business and sponsorship inquiries: [email — gated].
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Professor Tim Coulson FRS | Department of Biology - University of Oxfordbiology.ox.ac.uk
- [02]Prof Syma Khalid | Department of Biochemistry - University of Oxfordbioch.ox.ac.uk
- [03]Timothy Coulson - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [04]Syma Khalid - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [05]Professor Tim Coulson FRS – Jesus College, University of Oxfordjesus.ox.ac.uk
- [06]Professor Syma Khalid – St Anne's College, University of Oxfordst-annes.ox.ac.uk
- [07]Science Of The Times Podcast - YouTubeyoutube.com
- [08]Science Of The Times - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
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