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Polymath World Channel

Polymath World Channel

Written by: Samuel McKee
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About this listen

Join us on our quest for the extraordinary! Sam McKee (@polymath_sam) has 9 university qualifications across 4 subjects including doctorates in history and philosophy of science and molecular biology. He researches both at two British universities and contributes to both space science and cancer research. Meet fellow polymaths and discipline leaders working on the frontiers of research from all over the world. Be inspired to pursue knowledge and drive the world forwards. Watch and share interviews with professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, scientists and astronauts, right here! We talk to the most extraordinary people working on the frontiers for humanity, driving research forwards and changing the world that we live in. We dive deep with thinkers, academics and true icons - many of whom you won't yet have heard of. Listen to us here and on podcast whilst you drive, exercise, do chores, and be inspired to pursue extraordinary in your own life. www.sam-mckee.co.uk© 2026 Samuel McKee Science
Episodes
  • Polymath World # Episode 36 - Professor Bob White FRS
    Jan 14 2026

    GEOPHYSICS


    Professor Bob White is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Emeritus Professor of Geophysics at Cambridge University. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1994, and a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2016. In 2018 he was awarded a Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, which is their highest award, in recognition of a lifetime’s achievement in research. He is also a Fellow of the Geological Society, an elected Member of the International Society for Science and Religion and several other professional bodies; he serves on many of their committees. Since 1988 he has been a Fellow of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, prior to which he was a student and Research Fellow at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He led a research group investigating the Earth’s dynamic crust: in particular the way in which enormous volumes of volcanic rock are produced when continents and oceans rift apart, and the movement of molten rock under active volcanoes. He has organised many overseas fieldwork projects and supervised over 55 PhD students at Cambridge, many of whom are now prominent in academia, industry, government and education. His work at sea has taken him to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and his research group is currently investigating the internal structure of volcanoes in Iceland. His scientific work is published in over 350 papers and articles. He is emeritus director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge.


    The Polymath World Channel brings you interviews with extraordinary researchers and academics working on the frontiers of their disciplines. Meet and hear from scientists, professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, philosophers and astronauts.

    Don’t forget to like and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday.


    #PolymathWorldChannel #PursueExtraordinary #Geophysics #EarthScience #Volcanoes #Continents #EarthsCrust #OceanScience #Iceland #MoltenRock #Earthquakes #SeismicWaves #VolcanicEruptions #Geology #Mapping #SeismicActivity


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    Socials:

    Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/PolymathWorld

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polymath_sam/

    Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@polymath_sam

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCuG7pQHkUJjc9WO56lcW47g

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mckee/


    Website: https://sam-mckee.co.uk/

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    46 mins
  • Polymath World # Episode 35 - Dr Tiffany Vora
    Jan 7 2026

    SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY


    How can we live on Mars?


    Dr Tiffany Vora is a synthetic biologist from Silicon Valley and a leading space scientist. A graduate in biology from New York University before doing her PhD at Princeton, she was present in the explosive booms of genomics, systems biology, computational biology and genetic engineering - and we will talk about all of them! She became Visiting Assistant Professor at the American University in Cairo then Instructor for the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University. Her research draws on all fields of biology and chemistry to push the frontiers of humans living off-world and using these breakthroughs to improve life on earth. A true futurist, Dr Vora lives innovation in not only research but as a founder and co-founder of multiple startups. She is the Singularity Fellow in Biotechnology at Singularity University https://www.su.org/ and an advocate for women in STEM.


    • See her TED talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nqEDo5ER94
    • See her presentation at the Mars Society Conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY9tKgMJ-MY
    • Join Dr Vora's blog and see her website here: https://www.tiffanyvora.com/


    The Polymath World Channel brings you interviews with extraordinary researchers and academics working on the frontiers of their disciplines. Meet and hear from scientists, professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, philosophers and astronauts.

    Don’t forget to like and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday.


    #PolymathWorldChannel #PursueExtraordinary #SyntheticBiology #MarsExploration #Biotechnology #SpaceScience #GeneticEngineering #Innovation #Terraforming #ComputationalBiology #FutureOfBiotech #SpaceMissions #Mars #Crispr #Alphafold #GeneEditing #Biology #MolecularBiology


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    Socials:

    Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/PolymathWorld

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polymath_sam/

    Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@polymath_sam

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCuG7pQHkUJjc9WO56lcW47g

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mckee/


    Website: https://sam-mckee.co.uk/

    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
  • Polymath World # Episode 34 - Roundtable: Philosophy - Simone Weil
    Dec 31 2025

    SIMONE WEIL: Dr Chris Thomas and Dr Alex Carter


    Together with Dr Chris Thomas, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Dr Alex Carter from Cambridge University, we discuss the incredible thought, writings and legacy of the philosopher Simone Weil. A true treasure, she is perhaps the most underappreciated and best kept secret in philosophy. Someone whose life and writings were immense for philosophy of religion, feminist and political philosophy, join us as we dive deep into this incredible philosopher.


    The Polymath World Channel brings you interviews with extraordinary researchers and academics working on the frontiers of their disciplines. Meet and hear from scientists, professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, philosophers and astronauts.

    Don’t forget to like and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday.


    #PolymathWorldChannel #PursueExtraordinary #PhilosophyOfReligion #ContinentalPhilosophy #PoliticalPhilosophy #FeministPhilosophy #SimoneWeil #Philosophy #Religion #Mysticism #Suffering #Labor #Feminism #PoliticalTheory #Existentialism #Truth


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    Socials:

    Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/PolymathWorld

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polymath_sam/

    Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@polymath_sam

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCuG7pQHkUJjc9WO56lcW47g

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mckee/


    Website: https://sam-mckee.co.uk/

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    1 hr and 5 mins
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