Tim O'Brien on transient stars and science and music festivals

The Life Scientific

BBC

Technology, Personal Journals, Society & Culture, Science

4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 May 2017

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Tim O'Brien has earned the nickname 'the awesome astrophysicist dude from Jodrell Bank' He is Professor of Astrophysics at Manchester University, and the associate director of Jodrell Bank Observatory, best known for the giant, iconic radio dish of the world-famous Lovell telescope which sits majestically on the Cheshire plain, where he carries out research on the behaviour of transient binary stars called novae. For twenty-five years Tim O'Brien has been telling the public about astronomy, and recently he's also become an organiser of concerts. Building on some very successful one-day events, the first Blue Dot Festival was held at Jodrell Bank in July 2016 and the second will be this summer. Tim talks to Jim al-Khalil about how he pops up on stage between acts to tell the audience about science - and doesn't get bottled off!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Once you've wrapped up this podcast, how about trying a very British cult?
0:06.0	What happens if the person you trust with your future isn't what you think they are?
0:10.0	I did feel the whole time he was watching me Yeti.
0:14.0	I saw a footprint and that really gave me goosebumps.
0:16.0	Or people who knew me.
0:18.0	Emmy, I remember every secret, every lie.
0:21.0	I'm the only one who knows the truth.
0:23.0	Discover more of our biggest podcast from 2003.
0:27.0	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:30.0	This is the BBC.
0:34.0	Hello and welcome to the podcast of the Life Scientific.
0:37.0	First broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
0:40.0	I'm Jimal Kiele and my mission is to interview the most fascinating and important scientists alive today
0:46.7	and to find out what makes them tick.
0:49.5	My guest today has earned himself the nickname,
0:52.0	The Awesome Astrophysics Dude from Jodrell Bank, which I think sums him up perfectly.
0:57.5	The giant iconic radio dish of the world famous Lovell Telescope sits majestically on the Cheshire Plains at the Jodrell Bank Observatory.
1:05.4	And if you've never visited it, but have any interest at all in astronomy, then you'll no doubt
1:09.8	recognize it from such programs as BBC 2 Star Gazing Live.
1:14.0	Well, not only is my guest the Scientific Consultant on that series, but a regular contributor
1:19.4	to it in front of camera, as well as many other TV and radio programs about astronomy.
1:25.0	His awesomeness for me is also because he actually works and conducts his research at
	...

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