Is basalt really the most boring type of rock in the world? Read more
now playing
#13 - Basalt
Is basalt really the most boring type of rock in the world?
#14 - Name Change
Can you change your name to your existing name? James Michael Ward tried to find out.
#15 - Smell Walks
Kate McLean leads us, nose first, on a smell walk across the world.
#16 - Toilet Roll Serial Numbers
How do you get poetry from toilet rolls? What's 'fogged beef'? Nicholas Tufnell explains.
#17 - Gasometers
Sarah O'Carroll explores the magnificence of London's Gasometers.
#18 - Kinder Egg Linguistics
Keith Kahn-Harris explores the linguistic pleasure of the Kinder Surprise warning label.
#19 - Ice Cream Vans
Good maths, a strong bladder & no 'brewer's droop'. Ali Coote on life in an Ice Cream Van
#20 - Carry On Shakespeare
Samira Ahmed explains just why the Carry On films are better than Shakespeare.
#21 - Thank You
James says thank you for listening to series one & plays the best words from the talks.
#22 - Toilet Graffiti
Scott Kelly compares the graffiti left behind in male and female toilets
#23 - NATO Phonetic Alphabet
Could the NATO phonetic alphabet help Charvy Narain order a taxi?
#24 - The Taxonomy Of Cornflakes
The artist Anne Griffiths shows us how and why she collects cornflakes.
#26 - Call Centres
Chatbots, squid and 'a smile in your voice'. Louise Ashcroft on Call Centres.
#27 - Dutch Landscape Paintings
The writer Andrew Male enjoys the dull nature of 17th Century Dutch landscape paintings.
#28 - Asterix Puns
Tracy King shares her love for good puns and the Asterix comic books.
#29 - Animal Vaginas
Florence Schechter and Emma Parkin examine some curious genitalia from the animal world
#30 - An Underwhelming Christmas
Ho Ho Ho! Rhodri Marsden explores the disappointing realities of the festive period.
#31 - Happy New Year
James Ward says 'Happy New Year', and that's about it.
#32 - Roads That Don't Exist
Chris Marshall loves roads... even those that don't actually exist.
#33 - Change
Can British coins be better? Adam Townsend has the fix.
#34 - Sounds of Grassroots Football
'Man on!!'..... Paul Whitty captures the sounds of grassroots football.
#35 - How Tall Are Celebrities?
How tall is Robbie Williams? Greg Stekelman sizes up celebrities.
#36 - Shanghai Architecture
Hannah Cameron on the buildings that shaped her life in China's biggest city.
#37 - Watergate Tape 'Silence'
Sophie Scott listens closely to a very important 'silence'.
#38 - Markham Moor Roof
Ed Carter tells us why the roof of a former motorway services is no ordinary roof.
#39 - Doormats
Alex Baxevanis wipes his feet all over this week's subject.
#40 - Thank You (again)
James Ward says thank you for listening to series two of The Boring Talks.
#41 - Pencils
Brian Mackenwells tells us why we should all appreciate the pencil a little bit more.
#42 - The Lexicon Of Breakups
Rosie Wilby finds out what ghosting, bread crumbing, submarining & benching actually mean.
The Sounds Of Computer Games Loading
Keith Stuart remembers the whirrs and clicks that made up the soundtrack of his youth.
# 44 - Swearing: a personal cross-cultural comparative study of Hindi and English
Charvy Narain takes a foul mouthed look at swearing in Hindi and English.