The Cosmic Shambles Network | Indie creators of content for the curious (original) (raw)

About Us

We formed The Cosmic Shambles Network over a decade ago to create independent content fuelled by curiosity. We create documentaries, podcasts & live shows covering everything from science, books, comedy, music and more!

By teaming up with some of the biggest and best names in science and entertainment, we invite you to dive in with us and explore a Universe of interesting things, with interesting people, in our uniquely Shambolic style.

What We Make and Do

Documentaries

We create exciting, independent and original feature documentary films and series that explore human curiosity in all its forms from science to art.

Live Events

Find out where you can next see our unique brand of science variety, comedy and music live on stage or revisit some of our previous major events and shows.

Podcasts

We produce a huge range of critically acclaimed and popular podcasts including Book Shambles, They’ve Made Us, Brain Yapping and Science Shambles.

Web Series

Our web series range from short discussions to livestreams to deep dive documentary series. There’s something for everyone.

Blogs

Exclusive articles from some of the best science writers around including Dean Burnett, Helen Czerski, Robin Ince and Jon Butterworth.

Short Form

We make lots of original short form content for our Instagram page including the popular ‘Robin’s Book Corner’.

Tour and Event Production

Not only can we produce bespoke events for your festival and alike but we also tour and manage shows for other speakers and performers.

Merch & Book Store

Get yourself some official Shambles merch or get signed copies of our performers books at our online indie bookstore.

Who Are We?

Meet Team Shambles

Here’s some of the people who make Shambles happen and our key contributors.

Helen is a physicist with a deep passion for the ocean (particularly bubbles) and the physics of the every day world. But she is also a best selling science writer, popular broadcaster and in 2018 she was awarded the Institute of Physics Gold Medal for communication of physics.

Shambles Highlights

Co-host of Science Shambles, They’ve Made Us and Sea Shambles • Presenter of mutliple documentary series including Science in Zero G • Multiple appearances at Nine Lessons and Compendium • Space Shambles performer • Science and Oceans Advent curator and author • Science of Tea Towels author

Robin is many things. The Observer once declared him a ‘becardiganed polymath’ which seems about right. He is the co-creator of the Cosmic Shambles Network and is one of the pioneering key figures of comedy and the popularisation of science in the UK. Probably best known as the co-host and co-creator of The Infinite Monkey Cage.

Shambles Highlights

Co-creator & Founder of the CSN • Creator and host of Nine Lessons and Compendium • Host of Book Shambles, Science Shambles, An Uncanny Hour, Bibliomaniac, They’ve Made Us, Tips for Existence and more

Josie is a much loved and multi award winning comedian and writer. In 2023 she published an acclaimed anthology of short stories. She was worked alongside CSN co-founder Robin Ince for many years including the podcast Utter Shambles, one of the UK’s first popular shows in the new world of podcasts back in 2010.

Shambles Highlights

Co-host of Book Shambles • Co-host of The Stay at Home Festival • Co-host of the Quarantine Comedy Club • Regular and Inaugural perfomer at Nine Lessons and Compendium • Part of Cosmic Superheroes • Part of the Cosmic Shambles LIVE Australia and NZ tour

Thanks to his landmarks Wonders TV shows, Brian might just be the most recognisable living scientist in the world. He’s also the only one that had a hit single in the 90’s as part of a successful pop band. He is Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester and co-hosts The Infinite Monkey Cage with Robin Ince.

Shambles Highlights

Co-host of Brian and Robin’s Christmas Compendium of Reason • Star of The Quest for Wonder puppet series • Co-host of Professor Brian Cox Q&A & Loungecast Podcasts • Key contributor to All Genius, All Baffoon documentary

Alongside Robin, Trent is the co-creator the CSN. He is the lead producer and director of the bulk of the network’s live shows, documentaries and podcasts and subsequently is never not busy and is usually very tired.

Shambles Highlights

Co-founder of the CSN • Producer and Curator of Nine Lessons • Producer and Director of Rapid Motion Through Space, Bibliomaniac and most of the network’s films • Producer, Director and creator of Space Shambles • Just assume he produces and directs everything you find here

Melinda is CSN’s associate producer and has a key hand in all of Shambles’ major productions, ensuring they run smoothly and none of the little things get missed. A former trustee of the famed Little Angel Theatre, if there’s a puppet involved in a Shambles show, you can be sure Melinda’s behind it.

Shambles Highlights

Associate producer of Nine Lessons, Space Shambles & Rapid Motion Through Space • Co-Producer of Nine Lessons for Socially Distanced People • Co-creator and co-director of The Quest for Wonder

Chris is a geologist and science communicator who, alongside fellow Shambles contributor Helen Czerski, delivered the 2020 RI Christmas Lectures. He was a Professor at Imperial and Manchester before moving to the private sector to become a Director of Sustainable Geoscience at Jacobs Engineering. He has a special interest in volcanoes and sedimentary basins.

Shambles Highlights

Regular performer at Nine Lessons and Compendium • Regular guest on Science Shambles • Key contributor to Rapid Motion documentary • Panelist on They’ve Made Us

Natalie is a New York Times best selling author, award winning broadcaster and, according to the Washington Post – a rock star mythologist. A former stand up, she now stands up for the classics on stage, on radio, and in print.

Shambles Highlights

Regular (and inaugural) performer at Nine Lessons and Compendium • Sometimes co-host of Book Shambles • Key contributor to Curious People documentary and Stay at Home Festival • Panelist on They’ve Made Us

Jim is not only a Professor, researcher and lecturer in physics at the University of Surrey, but he is one the country’s best loved science writers and broadcasters. He is also a University Chair in the Public Engagement of Science and host of the long running BBC series The Life Scientific.

Shambles Highlights

Regular performer at Nine Lessons and Compendium • Key contributor to the Rapid Motion Through Space documentary • Regular guest on Science Shambles livestream • Part of the Rutherford, Radioactivity and the Future of Physics show at the RI •

Matt is not only a stand up mathematican, he invented the term. A former high school maths teacher, Matt now fuses maths with comedy, speaking and performing all over the world solo, and with Festival of the Spoke Nerd. His Stand Up Maths YouTube channel boasts well over 1 million subscribers and he is a Sunday Times best selling author.

Shambles Highlights

Regular performer at Nine Lessons and Compendium • Performer at Space Shambles • Performermer on Cosmic Shambles Live Aus/NZ Tour • Stand Up Maths and Cosmic Shambles channel frequent collaborators • Key contributor to Rapid Motion film

Lucie is a Professor of Physics, specifically solar physics, and a Royal Society University Research Fellow at Mullard Space Science Laboratory. She is a passionate communicator of science and can be regularly seen on the Sky at Night and is also the author of an acclaimed popular science book about the Sun.

Shambles Highlights

Regular speaker at Nine Lessons • Speaker at Space Shambles • Panellist for Book Shambles Live at the Royal Albert Hall * Presenter of a series of films about the physics of CERN • Presenter of the Atlantis series with Chris Hadfield • Part of Cosmic Superheroes • Part of Cosmic Shambles Live Aus/NZ tour

Dean is a neuroscientist and best selling author on the brain. His books include The Happy Brain and The Idiot Brain. He is a regular expert on the radio and podcasts and is the writer of the hugely popular Brain Yapping blog exclusive to Shambles.

Shambles Highlights

Writer of the Brain Yapping blog • Co-host of the Brain Yapping podcast • Host of the Smart Welsh People podcast • Regular performer at both Nine Lessons and Compendium • Key contributor to Rapid Motion documentary

Suze is a science communicator, nanochemist and after many years in academia is currently Head of Public Engagement at the technology company Digital Science. Suze can be regularly read in Forbes and seen on the Discovery channel. She is also a trustee of the RI.

Shambles Highlights

Regular performer at Nine Lessons • Contributor to Saturday Science Club • Part of Cosmic Superheroes • Multiple appearances on Science Shambles • Presenter of upcoming Women in Engineering series