South Mimms U

May 22 2024 160 ep. 18 mins 6
South Mimms U Podcast artwork

The university where the subjects other educational institutions won't touch are taught, debated, and laughed at. You'll laugh and learn at the same time. We're real but we're not real. We take thought to its logical limits in the service of stretching your mind and opening new ways of thinking. No subject is taboo, no conclusion too weird. Join us and 'think different'. Email: [email protected]

  Arts  Fiction  Education
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Smoking Seagulls and the Law of Unintended Consequences

May 22 2024 16 mins  
The law of unintended consequences applies in some surprising ways, like when you study the behaviour of the super-rich and it leads to getting seagulls hooked on tobacco. It's strange, but true. And quite amusing.The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

Why Bad Ideas Can Be Good For You

May 15 2024 23 mins  
When everyone is telling you that your idea is a bad one, should you keep pursuing it? Most people would think not, but as this short drama shows, sometimes it can be good for you and lead to a better idea. It's counter-intuitive but worth thinking about. Mario writes popular musicals but has a passion for turning The Exorcist into a musical. Bad idea, right? He finds out why in hi

If Trump isn't Jesus, is he Santa Claus?

May 08 2024 21 mins  
Some people believe that Donald Trump is either the Second Coming of Jesus or a Jesus-like figure worthy of worship. What if he's actually Santa Claus? There's research that shows how some children, when they stop believing in Santa, experience an emotional gap in their lives so they're always seeking a new magical figure to believe in - and along comes DJT!The only university that

Petrol, Diesel, Electric - What's Next for Cars?

Apr 25 2024 19 mins  
Cars are a conundrum. They're vital but polluting. Even electric cars aren't that great for the environment. Is there another way? At South Mimms we're experimenting with a new kind of power source - and it's as old as time. Don't worry, it's not a wind-up!The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

Everybody Loves Cats

Apr 19 2024 20 mins  
When an ailing art museum needs to refresh its image to try and attract more visitors, a German industrialist comes up with an interesting way to get global attention – and it’s all about cats! Which puts the cats amongst the intellectual pigeons. You’ll never see an art gallery in the same way again.The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

Close Encounters of the South Mimms Kind

Feb 27 2024 22 mins  
It's happened! First Contact! And in South Mimms! Only, the aliens haven't done their research very well and emerge speaking a language only a select few understand. It could have been a 'War of the Worlds' scenario, but it turned out to be a strange encounter that is both revealing and enchanting.The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

The Truth about Roswell

Jan 29 2024 24 mins  
Strange sightings of possible extraterrestrial craft at Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947 kicked off the whole UFO craze not just in the United States, but the entire world. And it's STILL going on. Was it hysteria or evidence that our planet is being observed by aliens? Or was it a navigational error? Were the aliens actually heading for Roswell Farm near South Mimms, Hertfordshire, he

The AI Frankenstein Made of Lego!

Dec 24 2023 20 mins  
Everyone is trying to get on the Artificial Intelligence bandwagon. But creating a Frankenstein monster out of Lego, giving it an AI powered brain, and then bringing it to life in a storm is probably going too far. Especially when the 'monster' turns out to be... a budding Romantic poet. Madness in the wilds of South Mimms, Hertfordshire, England.The only university that makes you

When the Gods Gave Sisyphus a Leaf Blower

Nov 16 2023 18 mins  
The Myth of Sisyphus is the ultimate description of futility. Endlessly rolling a rock up a mountain, only for it to roll back down again. One scholar believes that the modern equivalent is the humble - and annoyingly ubiquitous - leaf blower. Blow leaves from here... to there... only for them to blow back again. Is it the perfect metaphor for modern technological societies? Perhap

Interview with a Werewolf

Jul 18 2023 21 mins  
There are lycanthropes living amongst us, quietly, carefully, controlling their reactions to the movements of the moon. And there's one in the South Mimms Zoo who just wants a quiet life. But the Zoo is thinking about highlighting its collection of weird wildlife to raise its profile and reduce its reliance on visits by annoying schoolchildren. Might they be tempted to exploit the