No Such Thing As An Emotional Support Wig
Summary
The hosts discuss the BepiColombo mission to Mercury, highlighting its hand-knitted thermal blanket and complex gravitational slingshot trajectory. They explore the etymology of "boffin," celebrate female scientists like Dorothy Hodgkin and Margaret Thatcher, and note the scarcity of body parts named after women. The episode concludes with Ethiopian folklore about Queen Farah, theories on male pattern baldness, and Gollum’s profane MTV award acceptance speech.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Brie Protein Pasta
Introduction and Fact 1: Mercury Spacecraft
The hand-stitched thermal blanket for BepiColombo
Gravity assists and the difficulty of reaching Mercury
Giorgio Polacco, grain elevators, and Mercury's existence
Power issues, paint flaking, and solar array challenges
Fuel efficiency, Mercury days, and sidereal vs solar time
Sponsor: Shopify
Fact 2: The origin of the word 'Boffin'
Women at the Royal Institution and Dorothy Hodgkin
Anatomy eponyms and the gender gap in science
Margaret Thatcher's science degree and tutor Dorothy Hodgkin
Boffin Quiz: Sun headlines and Earthworm Dave
Fact 3: The legend of Queen Farah of Ethiopia
Votive offerings, hair pillows, and marriage customs
Shortest, oldest, baldest man and Ötzi's tramp stamp
Gravity theory of baldness and Patrick Stewart's wig
The Queen of Sheba and the glass floor test
Sponsor: Alzheimer's Awareness
Fact 4: Andy Serkis, Gollum, and CGI vs Motion Capture
Jar Jar Binks, early CGI, and Tron's Oscar snub
Interstellar cornfield, AI actors, and wrap-up
Outro and social media links
Sponsor: Brie Protein Pasta
Listen ad-free on Castria