Explore every episode of Absolute Units
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Feb 2025 | Trailer: Welcome to the Museum of English Rural Life podcast | 00:01:55 | |
It's just like all the other podcasts you love, but instead of trying to sell you mattresses and underwear we're explaining everything you always wanted to know about the history of rural England but never knew to ask. Why the name? Well, we're known for the Internet's most famous sheep, an 'absolute unit' who first went viral in 2018. But ask any of our staff and they'll tell you everything at The MERL is worth that level of fuss. So join us for a very special pilot season, coming mid-to-late March. We'll be covering topics ranging from square cows to big hogs, to how a museum is like a documentary, and why farmers are using infrared technology to count insect wingbeats in their fields. ----- Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. The series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England. Theme tune by Tai Dawson.
Let us know what you think of the podcast by completing our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/73CQBG8. Help shape the future of Absolute Units! | |||
| 26 Mar 2025 | Here Because This Tweet Exists (with Adam Koszary) | 00:49:59 | |
In April 2018, we shared a photo of a very large sheep on Twitter with the caption 'look at this absolute unit'. Before we knew it, this sheep had changed our museum's fortunes forever. For our first-ever episode of Absolute Units, we're joined by Adam Koszary – former MERL social media manager from 2012 to 2019 and father of the Absolute Unit post–to revisit the story behind our most viral moment. What did it take for a museum to go viral on the Internet? What was its role in our history? And what did it mean for our future? Episode produced by students at the University of Reading's Department of Film, Theatre, and Television. Intro produced by Joe Vaughan. P.S. We hope to offer transcripts for future episodes! We're a very small team and trying to figure out the best way of providing these. --- Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. The series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England. Theme tune by Tai Dawson.
Let us know what you think of the podcast by completing our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/73CQBG8. Help shape the future of Absolute Units! | |||
| 10 Apr 2025 | I Want My Hog to Look Spectacular (with Dr Hannah Lyons) | 00:46:12 | |
Why did people in the past make paintings of impossibly big animals? What does art teach us about the history of the countryside? And how do we work with artists today to explore the past, present and future of rural England? Here to unpack these questions and guide you through our art collections is Dr Hannah Lyons, Curator of the University of Reading Art Collection.
--- Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. The series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England. Theme tune by Tai Dawson.
Let us know what you think of the podcast by completing our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/73CQBG8. Help shape the future of Absolute Units! | |||
| 24 Apr 2025 | I Just Want a Cup of Tea in Reading (with Dr Shweta Ghosh) | 00:48:24 | |
What do documentary makers and museum have in common? How do we choose which stories to tell, and how to tell them? Join Dr Shweta Ghosh, Lecturer in Screen Practices and Industries at the University of Reading, as we discuss storytelling, film-making, spices and tea, and rural connections between India and England.
--- Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. The series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England. Theme tune by Tai Dawson.
Let us know what you think of the podcast by completing our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/73CQBG8. Help shape the future of Absolute Units! | |||
| 08 May 2025 | The Pest is History (with Dr Alice Mauchline) | 00:45:32 | |
How has our understanding of ecology in farming changed in time? What makes a pest a pest? And is an aphid chimney as metal as it sounds? Join Dr Alice Mauchline (University of Reading) to learn about changes in modern farm management. We course from the green revolution of the 1950s (the same era our work began) to the present day. This episode is introduced by Dr Ollie Douglas (MERL curator) and Joe Vaughan (MERL social media manager) - oops, we forgot to introduce ourselves! The main discussion features Ollie and Katie Bergen (our former Digital Engagement Officer). This is the final episode of our podcast pilot series! We'll be back with regular programming from late June. Or early July depending on the direction of travel. Future episodes hosted by Ollie and Joe. More to come when we have it! --- Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. The series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England. Theme tune by Tai Dawson.
Let us know what you think of the podcast by completing our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/73CQBG8. Help shape the future of Absolute Units! | |||