Biopedia

About Biopedia

Biology is a fascinating subject which is well worth exploring. Its scope stretches from individual DNA strands and viruses to blue whales, metapopulations and the biosphere. We will shine the spotlight on a different biological concept in every episode. Topics I've covered in the past include the origins of cell theory, Dollo's law and the Anthropocene; however, there is still plenty more to discover. Our focus will range from the very smallest scales to the very largest; from virions to the Gaia hypothesis. So come and explore the fascinating world of biology, one episode at a time!

Publisher

Vince's Podcasts

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Oct 2020

Latest episode

20 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

154 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Sept 2026

   131- The Kardashev Scale of Civilisations

   How do you quantify how big a civilisation is? In the 1960s, Nikolai Semenovich Kardashev came up with a scale based on how much energy hypothetical civilisations can exploit- which has been modified by others to stretch all the way from multiverse levels of energy usage down to the fabric of spacetime itself. Let's return to astrobiology! Sources for this episode: Byrne, P. (2007), The Many Worlds of Hugh Everett. Scientific American 297(6): 98-105. Cirkovic, M. M. (2016), Kardashev's Classification at 50+: A Fine Vehicle with Room for Improvement. Serbian Astronomical Journal 1(15): 10.2298. Gray, R. H. (2020), The Extended Kardashev Scale. The Astronomical Journal 159: 228. Hooper, R., New Scientist (2009), Hugh Everett: The man who gave us the multiverse (online) (Accessed 10/09/2026). Raikar, S. P., Encyclopedia Britannica (2025), Kardashev scale (online) (Accessed 10/09/2026). Smith, J. (2022), Review and viability of a Dyson Swarm as a form of Dyson Sphere. Physica Script 97(12): 122001. Vidal, C., Fields, B. L., Sowinski, D. R., Elowitz, M., Bartlett, S., Terrile, R. J., Ellery, A., Bibas, D., Mastrogiovanni, A. M., Dobler, N., Singla, M., DeMarines, J., Fisher, T., Uno, Y., Turner, J. D., Sneed, E. L., Huggahalli, A., Li, M. G., Li, Z. (C.), Huston, M. and Saide, R. (2026), The Search for Technosignatures: A Review of Possibilities. arXiv: 2605.21093. Wright, J. T. (2020), Dyson Spheres. Serbian Astronomical Journal 200: 1-18. Zhang, A., Yang, J., Luo, Y. and Fen, S. (2023), Forecasting the progression of human civilization on the Kardashev Scale through 2060 with a machine learning approach. Nature Scientific Reports 13: 11305. Author unknown, Homo Deus Lab (date unknown), Galaxy Colonization: How Long Would It Take? (online) (Accessed 10/09/2026).

2. 

   30 Aug 2026

   130- Photosynthesis

   It's long overdue, but we're finally tackling photosynthesis on the podcast! In a process which divides into the light-dependent and light-independent reactions, autotrophs convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose, oxygen and energy. Sources for this episode: TBA

3. 

   16 Aug 2026

   129- The Most Generations at Once

   What is the record for the most generations that have been alive at the same time in a family? Let's introduce Augusta Pagel (1879-1989) to the stage. Before she died, she managed to become a great-great-great-great-grandmother! Sources for this episode: TBA

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

4,242

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 74 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

91

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

76

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.