The Cabot Institute has a fantastic history of outreach activities, however, one thing they have not yet branched into is podcasting and audio. Cabot Cast will be based at a level for the general public, so while it will touch upon the University’s cutting edge research it will also explore the appliance of science in more broad terms, particularly focussing on its relevance at a local Bristol level.

Each episode will be between 20-30 minutes long and will be on a specific theme. Theme examples include the legacy of Bristol’s year as Green Capital, aspects of the physical environment such as the unique biodiversity of the Avon Gorge, and the Bristol Dinosaur. There will be two extended features in each episode (of around 8 minutes each), which will be discussed with a guest co-host specific for each episode theme. Guest co-hosts will be from across the Cabot Institute’s research groups and they will give a scientist’s perspective and explain how the feature ties in with academic research. By incorporating local and topical issues and linking them to real science in a fun and creative way,Alan hopes this will be an interesting listen for both the University community and the public more widely.