Tom Scott: England · SEASON 1

Can a 70-Year-Old Telescope Still Be Useful?

Episode 12 · 2026-06-08

★ N/A
Tom Scott: England poster
Season 1Episode 12★ N/A/10

    Episode overview

    At Jodrell Bank in Cheshire, I get to fulfill a childhood dream: but more importantly, I ask whether a telescope built in the 1950s can still do useful science.

    22 minutes

    Season 1 episodes

    1. I Helped Break a 142-Year-Old Bell, and That’s Okay2026-03-23 2. They Can Fly 200 Miles With No Fuel. Here’s How.2026-03-30 3. I Missed the Evidence. Can You Spot It?2026-04-06 4. These People Walk Towards Mining Disasters2026-04-13 5. These Mannequins Can Bleed2026-04-20 6. I Finally Got to Drive Yorkshire’s Tiny Boats2026-04-27 7. If You Found Candy With My Name in It, Here’s Why2026-05-04 8. Oh No, I Sympathized With a Victorian Arms Dealer2026-05-11 9. The Mist That Keeps the Tyne Tunnels Safe2026-05-18 10. This Man Stops People Drowning in Quicksand2026-05-25 11. Pulling the Lever Is the Easy Part2026-06-01 12. Can a 70-Year-Old Telescope Still Be Useful?2026-06-08 13. We Can’t Invent a Robot Better Than These Ferrets2026-06-15 14. I Got Hit in the Teeth With 900-Year-Old Antlers2026-06-22 15. I Launched the Mighty Trebuchet2026-06-29 16. If I Get this Wrong, 50,000 People Will Hear It.2026-07-06 17. I Have a Weird Conspiracy Theory About This Bridge2026-07-13 18. I Get Excited About an Ampersand2026-07-20 19. I’m So Glad This Hidden Monorail Broke Down2026-07-27 20. Two Nerds Try to Build a Wall2026-08-03 21. This 100-Year-Old Ride Must Never Change Again2026-08-10 22. How Do You Keep 8,995 Codebreakers Secret?2026-08-17 23. I Didn’t Need to Drive This Mars Rover, but I Did2026-08-24 24. Flying a Plane Badly, On Purpose2026-08-31 25. Thomas, a Tank Engine, is not Thomas the Tank Engine.2026-09-07 26. I’m the 97th Best Tiddlywinks Player in the World2026-09-14 27. When I Blow This Whistle, a Swimming Pool Appears2026-09-21 28. This Arcade Game Makes You Climb a Ladder2026-09-28 29. Why Robots Can’t Pick Strawberries Yet2026-10-05 30. Tom Gets Excited About a Pendulum2026-10-12 31. This Machine Breaks Things2026-10-19 32. This Room Keeps Great Britain’s Lights On2026-10-26 33. Why You Can’t Touch Stonehenge2026-11-02 34. Episode 342026-11-09 35. Episode 352026-11-16 36. Episode 362026-11-23 37. Episode 372026-11-30 38. Episode 382026-12-07 39. Episode 392026-12-14 40. Episode 402026-12-21 41. Episode 412026-12-28