Oscar-winning sound designer Mark Mangini uses highly specialised microphones to capture the sounds we know and love in some of Hollywood’s most successful films. In an episode focusing on reuse and recycling, Mark tells Dr Anna about the unlik

Ruby Wax on laptop addiction, mindfulness and community

13 days ago 25m 49s

Comedian, author and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax OBE is addicted to her laptop - and here she explains to Dr Anna about the positive and negative impacts it has on her mental health. They are joined by Rio Tinto’s Chief Scientist, Nigel S

Edward Burtynsky on using one camera tripod across 50 countries and 30 years

20 days ago 27m 5s

Revered photographic artist Edward Burtynsky shares how his carbon-fibre camera tripod has become indispensable in his documentation of human impacts on the planet. He tells Dr Anna about his artistic approach to industrial landscapes, especial

Jon Lampley on blowing his trumpet, outdoor venues and the ethics of AI in music

27 days ago 24m 26s

Renowned trumpeter Jon Lampley performs on national TV in the Stephen Colbert house band, to stadiums of people, and alone in his small home studio - but which does he prefer? Jon tells Dr Anna about the significance of his custom-built trumpet

Dr Adam Rutherford on bodies, blue-sky projects and blue-blooded crabs

Mar 26th, 2025 24m 48s

Geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford relies on refrigeration to preserve the unique DNA samples that underpin his lab work. Furthermore, as he explains to Dr Anna, fridges are good for keeping his beer cold! In an episode all about research and develo

Trailer

Get ready for Series 2

Mar 18th, 2025 1m 55s

Series 2 of Things You Can’t Live Without is coming soon. Here’s Dr Anna Ploszajski with a preview of what you can expect. Make sure you follow the show to hear new episodes as they launch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform

Hod Lipson’s Graphics Processing Unit: AI, robots eating robots and the unsung material that helps power our computers

May 1st, 2024 24m 45s

Hod Lipson - Columbia University professor and award-winning robotics researcher - shares with Dr. Anna the one item he can’t live without - his Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The conversation reveals how much GPUs underpin our electronic worl

Dr. Leah Alconcel’s Lasers: Missions to Jupiter, space junk and the future of communications

Apr 24th, 2024 25m 48s

Spacecraft engineer Dr. Leah Alconcel joins Dr. Anna to tell her about the one item she can’t live without - her lasersFrom sending spacecraft to Saturn to the possibility of being able to watch TikTok in outer space, Dr. Leah shares the critic

Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza’s Field Microscope: Boiling rivers, ancient Chinese water microscopes and working with communities to ensure ecosystems into the future

Apr 17th, 2024 27m 31s

Chemical biologist and explorer Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza shares with Dr. Anna the one item she can’t live without - her field microscope. Dr. Rosa takes us on an expedition to the Amazon as we understand how integral her microscope is to her d

Buddha Lo’s Salt: Thanksgiving turkeys, open-water swimming and a material fundamental to our survival

Apr 10th, 2024 25m 59s

Cooking sensation and two-time Top Chef winner Buddha Lo joins Dr. Anna to share the one item he can’t live without - salt.Buddha takes us to his kitchen in New York where he explains its critical role in food not just today, but throughout his

Alie Ward’s Insulated Flask: Nicknames, vacuums and the reality of low carbon steel

Apr 3rd, 2024 22m 21s

Daytime Emmy Award-winning science communicator, podcaster, TV presenter, writer and food buff Alie Ward joins Dr. Anna to share her unquenchable love for the item she can’t live without - her insulated flask. As a self-confessed ice fiend, Ali

Cerys Matthews’ Climbing Equipment: Everest, foie gras and our collective responsibility for the planet

Mar 27th, 2024 28m 30s

Singer, songwriter, author and broadcaster Cerys Matthews joins Dr. Anna this week to share the items she can’t live without - her climbing equipment. Mark Davies, Chief Technical Officer at Rio Tinto, and climbing curator Nigel Buckley also jo

Shelley Roden’s Trash: Spaceships, Mrs Incredible and the power of the circular economy

Mar 20th, 2024 25m 46s

Award-winning Foley artist Shelley Roden joins Dr. Anna on the podcast to explain why she can’t live without trash.As a Foley artist, Shelley spends her days using trash to make the sound effects for live action and animated films. She’s worked

OJ Borg’s E-Bike: World Record attempts, Lycra mishaps and how to keep the planet charged

Mar 13th, 2024 26m 30s

BBC broadcaster and cycling obsessive OJ Borg joins Dr. Anna to share the item he can’t live without - his e-bike. Alongside bike historian Tony Hadland and Rio Tinto’s General Manager of Technical Development, Jared Osborne, they unearth the e

Rudy Garcia-Tolson’s Prosthetic Legs: Gold medals, pirates and the price of movement

Mar 6th, 2024 25m 56s

Paralympic gold medallist and ambassador for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Rudy Garcia-Tolson joins Dr. Anna to share the one item he can’t live without - his prosthetic legs.Rio Tinto’s Chief Advisor of Discovery, Marie-Pierre Paquin als

Susie Dent’s Dictionary: Demons, flatulence and the complicated future of our electronic devices

Feb 28th, 2024 34m 5s

World-renowned lexicographer and viral tweeter Susie Dent joins Dr. Anna to wax lyrical about her favourite thing - her dictionary. Joined by Chief Scientist Nigel Steward, they mine into the components of Susie’s electronic dictionary, explore