Meet the contestants - and encyclopaedia corner

Phil Sansom said hello to this week's contestants...

Phil - Well joining us this week for our quiz are, firstly, listener Chris. Hi, Chris, how are you?

Chris - I'm really good, thank you. Thank you so much for having me on. How are you guys doing?

Phil - Oh, great. Yes. Had a lovely weekend. Now, Chris, I've got to ask, what do you do? Because part of your time is spent making a podcast for the Naked Scientists, isn't it?

Chris - Yeah. So I'm very lucky that quite often I like to play computer games, and I can pretend that that's actually called work; and I make the Naked Gaming podcast for the Naked Scientists, which we do every month. And we've just started doing video versions of it. And it's all about game reviews, the latest news, big releases; but we like going old school as well, so retro revival is one of our big features; and occasionally we get a bit of science in there as well - we once did a feature about the science of Pokemon, and how actually recognising Pokemon from just their silhouettes actually improves your intelligence. So we like to combine it all together.

Phil - Do you then have a favorite game? And is it the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire game version?

Chris - Do you know, on the way back from - because I co-present the show with my genuine wife - so on the way back from our honeymoon we were playing with the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire quiz on the plane. I like to think that that's good training for this! And she may make a cameo appearance because I'm very pleased that you said grab a drink and play along. I think she might be bringing one later on. So I'm excited for that.

Phil - She's very, very welcome. It's great to have you here, Chris. Alongside Chris is Bhavesh from London. Bhavesh, how are you?

Bhavesh - I'm fantastic. How are you doing my friend?

Phil - Very, very good. Now Bhavesh what do you do?

Bhavesh - I currently do customer service, and I study a lot!

Phil - And beyond that, you're also a regular listener to the Naked Scientists, aren't you? How long have you listened?

Bhavesh - Oh, well over 10 years. I think I discovered Dr. Chris in radio serendipitously about 2007. Something like that.

Phil - Since that time - because that's a long time to listen to our program - do you have any highlights? What’s stood out to you?

Bhavesh - Oh my god, the highlights! Well, I absolutely love the Q&A sessions here, or Norfolk, or South African radio. Highlights... well there's the space stuff. Really, I can't get enough of space, whether it be black holes… and Jill Tarter! I think that was just awesome when I listened in one day and she was on.

Phil - I have to say, when we get to the space stuff, you're probably in for a treat. Thanks to you for being here. Our third contestant is Megan from Cambridge, Megan, how's it going?

Megan - Going great, thanks. Looking forward to continuing the lockdown tradition of doing pub quizzes from my front room!

Phil - Now, Megan, can I just say you used to be a Naked Scientists intern, didn't you? What's your science background and how did that happen?

Megan - I did an internship with the Naked Scientists that finished up at the end of February. And the reason that I was doing that was because I just completed a PhD in materials science that was funded by one of the research councils that used to work with the Naked Scientists, I believe. And my PhD was in essentially designing high temperature sandpaper to be used in jet engines.

Phil - What a wonderful world of science that you get once you get into the technicalities. Megan, it's really, really great to have you here. Also joining us in what we're calling encyclopaedia corner is my lovely cohost, Adam Murphy, Adam, tell us what are you going to be doing?

Adam - Hello! So I am going to be your scorekeeper, your timekeeper, and you're going to come to me for some weird science. I am the Susie Dent to your Nick Hewer, the Richard Osman to your Alexander Armstrong. It is what I was born to do.

Phil - I really can't wait to hear what you've got in store for us. Because I know you've been looking into some of these questions and you've got some facts prepared for us. Isn't that right?

Adam - Oh, I've got a notebook full of stuff ready to go. Don't worry.

Phil - Okay, more from Adam later on in the show!