Greg Jenner

In History Corner, she's Associate Professor in the History of Science and Medicine at the University of Birmingham's Department of Applied Health Science. What a title. You may have read her long-running science column in The Guardian newspaper or her recent book, Higher and Colder, on the history of extreme exploration.

And you will definitely remember her from our episode on Victorian bodybuilding. It's Dr Vanessa Heggie. Welcome back, Vanessa.

And you will definitely remember her from our episode on Victorian bodybuilding. It's Dr Vanessa Heggie. Welcome back, Vanessa.

And in Comedy Corner, he's a sensational stand-up and the host of the brilliant The Comedian's Comedian podcast, which I love. You may have seen him on BBC Live at the Apollo recently or on Conan O'Brien's show, but you will definitely remember him from our back catalogue, including episodes on the history of fandom and Blackbeard the Pirate. It's Stu Goldsmith. Welcome back, Stu.

And in Comedy Corner, he's a sensational stand-up and the host of the brilliant The Comedian's Comedian podcast, which I love. You may have seen him on BBC Live at the Apollo recently or on Conan O'Brien's show, but you will definitely remember him from our back catalogue, including episodes on the history of fandom and Blackbeard the Pirate. It's Stu Goldsmith. Welcome back, Stu.

Lovely to have you back, Stu. Thank you. I'm clearly giddy with glee today. I know you're interested in climate change as an area of policy and discourse, but also comedy, right? Yes, for sure.

Lovely to have you back, Stu. Thank you. I'm clearly giddy with glee today. I know you're interested in climate change as an area of policy and discourse, but also comedy, right? Yes, for sure.

This is where I have a go at guessing what you, our lovely listener, will know about today's subject. And I am guessing everyone knows where the Arctic is. But if you are confused, it's the bit at the top. Think polar bears, not penguins.

This is where I have a go at guessing what you, our lovely listener, will know about today's subject. And I am guessing everyone knows where the Arctic is. But if you are confused, it's the bit at the top. Think polar bears, not penguins.

Wow, I'm leaving. I can't learn anything better than that. OK, so there we go. In terms of the history of Arctic exploration, maybe people have heard of John Franklin's famed 19th century expedition, which recently was fictionalised in a novel, and then the TV series The Terror. God, that was great. Good telly. It also has inspired many novels, a book by national treasure Michael Palin.

Wow, I'm leaving. I can't learn anything better than that. OK, so there we go. In terms of the history of Arctic exploration, maybe people have heard of John Franklin's famed 19th century expedition, which recently was fictionalised in a novel, and then the TV series The Terror. God, that was great. Good telly. It also has inspired many novels, a book by national treasure Michael Palin.

I love him so. And of course, if you're a fan of giant foam skeletons, guitar solos and double denim, you'll know that Iron Maiden also have a heavy metal song called Stranger in a Strange Land about the Arctic. If you're listening from Canada, you might be familiar with the song Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers. But what is the Northwest Passage? Or what was the Northwest Passage?

I love him so. And of course, if you're a fan of giant foam skeletons, guitar solos and double denim, you'll know that Iron Maiden also have a heavy metal song called Stranger in a Strange Land about the Arctic. If you're listening from Canada, you might be familiar with the song Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers. But what is the Northwest Passage? Or what was the Northwest Passage?

Why did so many explorers risk everything to find it? And how was the humble tin can both blessing and a curse? Let's find out. Right, we've called this episode Arctic Exploration, but really we're talking about the Northwest Passage. Which is what? Or which was what? I mean, is it still a thing?

Why did so many explorers risk everything to find it? And how was the humble tin can both blessing and a curse? Let's find out. Right, we've called this episode Arctic Exploration, but really we're talking about the Northwest Passage. Which is what? Or which was what? I mean, is it still a thing?

Not the official one. So this Northwest Passage is? Yes. Ah, already we're in trouble. And for sort of geography fans, when we say around North America, it's around North America but under Greenland.

Not the official one. So this Northwest Passage is? Yes. Ah, already we're in trouble. And for sort of geography fans, when we say around North America, it's around North America but under Greenland.

And then under Russia, so that whole kind of...

And then under Russia, so that whole kind of...

Gotcha. OK. So you're sort of rounding off. Once you go past Alaska, you're clear. You're out.