Comic Relief and the podcast network Acast <\/strong>teamed up once again to raise some important cash for Red Nose Day<\/strong>. The Acast Podcast Mashup<\/strong><\/a> features some of the UK\u2019s most popular podcasts and their hosts teaming up for special episodes, with the episode available at the top of both of their own podcast feeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The names of these podcasts are deliberately made to melt your head a little. For example, there\u2019s Menus to be Buried With<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(Ed Gamble and James Acaster from Off Menu<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>with Brett Goldstein from Films to be Buried With<\/strong><\/a>), My Dad Wrote A History Hit<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(Dan Snow from History Hit<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>with the My Dad Wrote A Porno<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>team) and Drunk Women Solving Richard Herring<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(Richard Herring from RHLSTP<\/strong> and Drunk Women Solving Crime<\/strong><\/a> mashed together).<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a live episode of The Guilty Homo Sapiens<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(that\u2019s Deborah Frances White from The Guilty Feminist<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and Christopher Sweeney from the popular LGBTQIA+ podcast Homo Sapiens<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> John Robins and Robin Allender\u2019s The Moon Under Water<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and Lou Sander\u2019s Cuddle Club<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>have merged to make Puddle Club<\/strong><\/a>. Plus Dane Baptiste Questions Everything<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and Kate Kurd and Marcus Bronzy from Ain\u2019t Got A Clue<\/strong><\/a> are together for an episode of Ain\u2019t Got A Question<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n All of these podcasts are taking place to raise vital funds for the charity Comic Relief<\/a>. To donate, head to the <\/strong>Red Nose Day<\/strong><\/a> website. You can also donate \u00a310 by texting PODCAST to 70210<\/strong> (texts cost donation amount plus the network message charge. 100% of your donation goes to Comic Relief. You must be 16 and over and ask the bill payer\u2019s permission. Head to the Comic Relief website<\/a> for the full terms and conditions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s not all of the shows either. Scroll down to the bottom of this email for some more shows participating!<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOTABLE NAMES ON PODCASTS THIS WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have listened to a great guest on a podcast, let us know by filling in <\/strong>this form<\/strong><\/a> and it might get featured in an upcoming newsletter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are our podcast picks for the week ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want your podcast featured, or you have a great recommendation, all you need to do is fill in this <\/strong>simple form<\/strong><\/a> and might get featured in a future newsletter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Eureka! Getting Under the Skin of Science –<\/strong><\/a> Last week we featured Where\u2019s My Jetpack?<\/strong>, a new podcast that explored why all of the <\/a>technology dreamt up in the 1960s, such as hoverboards and flying cars, have not yet materialised. Now there\u2019s this new informative podcast series, presented by 5 Live Breakfast presenter Rick Edwards and Dr Michael Brooks, which looks at how close we are to world altering scientific breakthroughs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their first episode they look at whether we will actually ever be able to talk to animals. As they explain, an issue with this area of scientific research is that there\u2019s a lot of wishful thinking involved. Many people hope we can communicate with animals and there are some that claim we can already do so, but how can we be sure that animals are actually understanding what we are telling them and are communicating back? \u201cIf you are going to try to understand animal communication, an animal is not going to be able to tell you that you are right. You have to try to figure it out from the context,\u201d says Edwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Time & Again<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>This engrossing new six part podcast, created by Jack Suddaby and the London based rehabilitation charity Switchback, explores what life is like for young men who are making their transition back into society after time in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The podcast has a simple concept. Each episode consists of a different person talking about how they ended up in prison, what prison time was like and what their life is like now. Their testimony is weaved together with rich production and music. The emphasis is to shine a light on the 50,000 people who leave prison in England and Wales every year and to banish our assumptions, whilst also highlighting the factors that lead to crime. The end product is candid, personal, heartfelt and rich in detail. There are several episodes available to listen to, with new episodes each week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ZOE – Science and Nutrition –<\/strong><\/a> You may be familiar with the ZOE Covid study, by King\u2019s College London, which asks people across the country to check-in with an app each day to log whether they are experiencing Covid symptoms. Despite 4.7 million users, praise throughout the scientific community and many peer-reviewed papers referring to its reliable data over the past 18 months, the government unexpectedly announced that it won\u2019t be renewing their funding past April 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite this setback, the ZOE team are intending to continue with their research and with the app for the long term. By continuing to log our immune health and any illnesses each day, the hope is that the data the millions of us are using can be used as research to help fight major diseases such as cancer and dementia. They have now launched a new podcast, hosted by Jonathan Wolf and featuring ZOE co-founder Professor Tim Spector, looking at how various aspects of our diet and lifestyle can affect our health. They have a knack in breaking down complicated health and science in layman\u2019s terms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No Approval Podcast<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>Our final podcast recommendation, hosted by Pilar Nalwimba, is full to the brim with great conversations. Its core focus is to examine our relationship with social media. \u201cWhat I want to do with this podcast is explore how social media is impacting our lives, culture and careers,\u201d explains Nalwimba. She is well versed in the subject, having spent the majority of her career working in digital content. Episodes so far include a discussion with Amanda Smith from Selling Sunset about the realities of reality TV, how journalism is changing due to social media with Yomi Adegoke and a financial 101 with British entrepreneur Melanie Eusebe MBE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we go, here\u2019s some more podcasts raising money for Comic Relief, thanks to a partnership with Acast. There\u2019s Nobuddy Podnic<\/strong><\/a> is the result of merging Nobody Panic<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and BudPod<\/strong><\/a>. There\u2019s <\/strong>Help I Sexted The Football Ramble<\/strong><\/a>, which is the end product of Help I Sexted My Boss<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and Football Ramble<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>And finally, there\u2019s Private Baggage<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>which is Jamie Laing\u2019s Private Parts<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>along with Russell Kane\u2019s Man Baggage<\/strong><\/a>. To donate, head to the <\/strong>Red Nose Day<\/strong><\/a> website.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n