The Information Entropy Podcast

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast! This week we are taking a closer look at drugs! The boys start off the show recounting the awful week of celebrity deaths before cracking on with drugs themselves. They explore the drug known as Krokodil and the disastrous effect it can have on your life expectancy as well as what is it that actually makes drugs addictive in the first place. We explore how ibuprofen works in the body but we don’t know how paracetamol (acetaminophen) works. Mitch and Tom then discuss the topic of weed legalisation vs increased alcohol regulation, what the benefits (or not) might be and the drinking culture in the UK.

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast! This week we are continuing our exploration of moons in the solar system, what secrets are hidden in the atmosphere of Titan, what mysteries lie within the volcanism of IO, and does life persist in the oceans of Europa? The boys start the show with a new segment called “Is Mitch wrong” where they discuss goings on in the world. When back on track the boys discuss their experiences of the solar eclipse and their success with pinhole cameras. Tom then explores atmospheres, Mitch leads us through IO and tidal heating, and the boys end the show thinking about anime…. All in a day’s work!

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast. This week we are heading straight to the Moon! On the way we are going to find out just what a moon is and how important our Luna is to fundamental forces that shape our very existence on Earth. The boys explore the recent eclipse that passed over Europe, safe viewing techniques, and the sudden surge in people googling “eyes hurt” on the day of an eclipse. With enough rambling that the news gets skipped, this isn’t one to miss!

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast! In this episode, we explore what happens when sound goes from useful information to physical stress, exploring how hearing systems become overloaded and causes temporary and permanent hearing loss. Putting this into the perspective of anthropogenic noise in the ocean, Tom explore the impacts this has on marine life and how companies are regulated to mitigate as much impact as possible.

Desertification is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time—but what is it, and why should we care?
In this solo episode of Information Entropy, Mitchell explores the science behind desertification, explaining why it isn't simply deserts expanding but the gradual degradation of once-productive land. Discover how climate change, overgrazing, deforestation, unsustainable agriculture, and water scarcity are transforming ecosystems around the world.
The episode also examines the environmental and human consequences of land degradation, from biodiversity loss and food insecurity to migration and climate impacts, before exploring the solutions that are helping restore damaged landscapes, including regenerative agriculture, sustainable grazing, water harvesting, and the ambitious Great Green Wall initiative.
Whether you're interested in climate science, ecology, or the future of our planet, this episode offers an accessible look at one of the most pressing environmental issues facing humanity.
In this episode:
What desertification really is
Why drylands are so vulnerable
The role of climate change and human activity
Environmental and societal impacts
How degraded landscapes can be restored
Why protecting drylands matters for everyone

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast. This week we are finishing our exploration of the deserts… but first: The boys relive their MagicCon Amsterdam experience, so if you’ve ever been tempted to go to a convention but unsure whether it would be your jam or not… this is your chance to find out! When back on track the boys look into the specialisms of the animals which call the desert home: sidewinding in snakes, getting water from prey or metabolism, avoiding heat and cold, and much more! The boys also explore desert oases and how space organisations are taking beetles as inspiration for new technology via biomimetics!

In this episode of The Information Entropy Podcast, we ask: How do we study animal sounds? Welcome to the world of bioacoustics! In previous solo episodes Dr. Tom Jenks has taken you through his behaviour and cognition research and their relation to animal vocalisations. This time he takes you through side of his research where physics and biology intersect. Covering the core of bioacoustics and why we study animal vocalisations to how the environment a sound is made in affects how we analyse it!

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we are exploring deserts in The Shadow of the Sand! When we are not theorising about possible book trilogies the boys explore what deserts are (not just sand and heat) and how they form around the equator due to Hadley Cell air circulation. The boys explore the different types of deserts and the geological conditions leading to their existence. Mitch and Tom round out the show by understanding how plants survive in deserts and the specific adaptations they have to thrive in such desolate wilderness

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week explore the all-encompassing emergent property that is friction. No matter what we do in our lives, friction probably has some part to play whether we realise it or not… but what actually is it and how is it studied? Find out about friction types, spontaneous “welding” of metals in space, bearings, ‘Superlubricity’, knee joints, and much much more on this exciting 200th episode of the podcast!

Welcome back to the Information Entropy Podcast where this week we continue our exploration into the electromagnetic spectrum. Given the extreme heat (transmitted through infrared radiation… see its relevant ramble!) the boys start the episode exploring heat waves, heat domes, British summer heat, and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation events and what that even is. After that, attention turns to microwaves… ovens and the waves themselves! Tom questions whether microwave ovens are small boxes of magic and explores how they heat your food. Mitch teaches us about radar systems and the other extremely cool uses in everyday life for microwaves!