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The Boring Talks

James Ward introduces another curious talk about a subject that may seem boring, but is actually very interesting... maybe.

Sounds,56 episodes

Episodes

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Jeremy Bentham's 'Auto-Icon'
Subhadra Das debunks some myths about a curious object.
17 Feb 2023,25 mins
#55 -Farts
The colorectal surgeon and comedian Jenan Younis wants to talk to you about Farts.
28 Apr 2021,15 mins
#53 - Car Boots
Hugo Griffiths climbs inside the interesting world of the car boot.
01 Jun 2020,18 mins
Jigsaws
Anya Driscoll is a jigsaw junkie, and she's going to tell you why.
11 May 2020,25 mins
#52 - Breakfast Cereals
What did the artist Louise Ashcroft learn from variety pack cereal?
04 May 2020,22 mins
#51 - Oboe Reeds
A singing nightingale, or a belligerent duck? Chloe Veltman examines of the oboe reed.
20 Apr 2020,18 mins
#50 - Windows
Anne Ulrikke Andersen looks through the windows that shaped one particular life.
06 Apr 2020,20 mins
#49 - Coal Holes
Amir Dotan explores the small metal discs on our pavements and door steps.
30 Mar 2020,22 mins
Data Centres
What do we all use, but never visit? Matt Parker takes us inside the remote Data Centres.
23 Mar 2020,30 mins
#47 - Crinoline Ladies
From Victorian femininity to toilet roll cover, Dr Kathryn Ferry on the Crinoline Lady.
16 Mar 2020,16 mins
# 46 - Teletext
James O'Malley looks at the life, death and resurrection of Teletext.
09 Mar 2020,17 mins
#45 - Box Certificates
Joyce Smith uncovered 2 box certificates, and 2 of anything is the start of a collection.
02 Mar 2020,19 mins
# 44 - Swearing: a personal cross-cultural comparative study of Hindi and English
Charvy Narain takes a foul mouthed look at swearing in Hindi and English.
24 Feb 2020,14 mins
The Sounds Of Computer Games Loading
Keith Stuart re the whirrs and clicks that made up the soundtrack of his youth.
17 Feb 2020,15 mins
#42 - The Lexicon Of Breakups
Rosie Wilby finds out what ghosting, bread crumbing, submarining & benching actually mean.
10 Feb 2020,15 mins
#41 - Pencils
Brian Mackenwells tells us why we should all appreciate the pencil a little bit more.
10 Feb 2020,27 mins
#40 - Thank You (again)
James Ward says thank you for listening to series two of The Boring Talks.
27 Feb 2019,1 min
#39 - Doormats
Alex Baxevanis wipes his feet all over this week's subject.
25 Feb 2019,13 mins
#38 - Markham Moor Roof
Ed Carter tells us why the roof of a former motorway services is no ordinary roof.
18 Feb 2019,15 mins
#37 - Watergate Tape 'Silence'
Sophie Scott listens closely to a very important 'silence'.
11 Feb 2019,25 mins
#36 - Shanghai Architecture
Hannah Cameron on the buildings that shaped her life in China's biggest city.
04 Feb 2019,18 mins
#35 - How Tall Are Celebrities?
How tall is Robbie Williams? Greg Stekelman sizes up celebrities.
28 Jan 2019,17 mins
#34 - Sounds of Grassroots Football
'Man on!!'..... Paul Whitty captures the sounds of grassroots football.
21 Jan 2019,39 mins
#33 - Change
Can British coins be better? Adam Townsend has the fix.
14 Jan 2019,16 mins
#32 - Roads That Don't Exist
Chris Marshall loves roads... even those that don't actually exist.
07 Jan 2019,22 mins
#31 - Happy New Year
James Ward says 'Happy New Year', and that's about it.
31 Dec 2018,1 min
#30 - An Underwhelming Christmas
Ho Ho Ho! Rhodri Marsden explores the disappointing realities of the festive period.
24 Dec 2018,11 mins
#29 - Animal Vaginas
Florence Schechter and Emma Parkin examine some curious genitalia from the animal world
17 Dec 2018,15 mins
#28 - Asterix Puns
Tracy King shares her love for good puns and the Asterix comic books.
10 Dec 2018,18 mins
#27 - Dutch Landscape Paintings
The writer Andrew Male enjoys the dull nature of 17th Century Dutch landscape paintings.
03 Dec 2018,18 mins