Merry Christmas you filthy lab rats! Welcome to the second of our wonderful Christmas episodes. Lexx Education loves Christmas… and this week instead of our planned episode on the science of the poles (which we think would be interesting but potentially less festive) we bring you a big examination of the Grinch.

We all know and love the Grinch… we see him up on Crumpit Mountain being saddened by Whos and then having his heart grow three sizes. But what do we actually know about Grinches and their science?

Ron takes everything we know or can interpret from Grinches and tries to explain to Laura what this must mean about the wider species of Grinch.

It starts with a bit of sickly catching up and slowness but then very soon you are in the classic world of Lexx Education madness trying to work out when and where Homo Grinchus separated from Homo Erectus and got his green fur… (obviously there’s some minecraft chat because… of course and then some flaked almond chat because… who knows)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Hello and welcome to another CHRISTMAS episode of Lexx Education! Normally it's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx tries to learn science from her nerdy younger brother Ron but this week and next it's the weeks where we take a break from the usual exam nonsense to focus on Christmas!

For the first of our two Christmas special podcasts this year we are discussing Christmas trees! Laura gets a much needed break from science and a chance to focus on something she's actually interested in: history. She looks at the development of the tradition of Christmas trees right through from the earliest use of winter greens for decoration in Egyptian and Roman culture up to the present day.

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These show notes were generated by Headliner AI. If you enjoy them please tell other podcasters by giving a shoutout to https://headliner.app in your episode ✨

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💬 Show Notes

Hello and welcome to the first of two very special Christmas episodes of Lexx Education! This week, the festive spirit takes over as comedian Laura Lexx and her cheeky elf of a brother, Ron, delve into the world of Christmas trees. This isn't your usual science lesson; it's a merry exploration of the history and science behind those festive favourites.

Laura takes us on a journey through the ages, revealing how the tradition of bringing evergreens indoors predates even Christianity, with ancient Egyptians, Romans, Celts, and Vikings all having their versions of this winter custom. From the symbolic paradise trees of medieval German plays to the Victorian Christmas trees popularised by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the evolution of decorating with evergreens is as rich as it is fascinating.

Meanwhile, Ron keeps it scientific, explaining the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees, and why conifers are the true giants of the tree world. Discover the science behind why conifers are so adept at surviving harsh conditions, and learn about the oldest, tallest, and thickest trees on Earth. Did you know the oldest non-clonal tree is over 4,700 years old?

Whether you're a fan of traditional Norway spruces or prefer a plastic tree, this episode is packed with festive facts and a sprinkle of sibling banter. So, grab a mince pie, sit by your decorated tree, and enjoy this yuletide edition of Lexx Education!

00:00:00 " Ron: Welcome to the first of two special Christmas episodes of Lex Education

00:02:11 " Ron, we're talking Christmas trees today. We are, yeah. You probably can't talk about one without the other

00:03:21 " All right. For some reason I thought we'd do yours first. In several different ways

00:03:42 " Conifers are the largest terrestrial carbon sink on planet Earth

00:05:51 " There's several different types that we associate with Christmas trees

00:09:05 " If you had to decorate your house with something to remind you of summer

00:11:44 " Ancient Egyptians used to decorate their house with evergreens

00:16:36 " All extant conifers are perennial woody plants, not extinct

00:21:45 " Deciduous trees grow slower during the winter, so they get denser

00:22:18 " Kissing bows and mistletoe first appeared in England during Tudor period

00:24:00 " It's widely held belief that Martin Luther first added lighted candles to trees

00:24:57 " Georgians had a tradition of kissing under the mistletoe

00:26:38 " Ron: I think deciduous trees would be the A list celebrities

00:28:54 " All of the world's tallest, thickest and oldest living trees are conifers

00:33:44 " A Chilean tree is believed to be more than 5,000 years old

00:35:38 " So actual Christmas trees probably began in Germany, according to Ron

00:40:58 " The earliest conifers appear during the late Carboniferous

00:44:28 " There's debate about how long it took for the dinosaurs to die...

Hello and welcome to another episode of Lexx Education! It's the last episode of term before we head off on our Christmas break (obviously we're not stopping - we never have and we never will) but we are going to be doing TWO Christmas special episodes.

This week however we plunge into chemistry higher tier and really try to knuckle down.

Well, after the false start where we accidentally do a question from the wrong paper but other than that it is FLAWLESS!

Hello and welcome to another episode of Lexx Education! It's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx tries to learn science from her eternally under the weather yet uncompromisingly normal and nerdy younger brother Ron.

This week we get the results for the biology higher tier paper... how will Laura fare? Will she improve on her foundation tier 5? Will she catastrophically pull that 5 down to a 2? Will BMI be her downfall in the podcast world as well as the real world?

How did you get on with this paper if you played a long a little at home?

Next week we move on to chemistry... but only for one week and then things get interrupted for some Christmas fun!

Don't forget, if you're hoping Santa will bring you Leicester tickets you can pass this link on to friends and family as a helpful hint for what they could get you to make you ecstatically happy come 2025...

https://comedy-festival.co.uk/events/lexx-education-live-podcast/

These show notes were generated by Headliner AI. If you enjoy them please tell other podcasters by giving a shoutout to https://headliner.app in your episode ✨

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💬 Show Notes

Hello and welcome to another episode of Lexx Education! It's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx tries to learn science from her nerdy and perpetually sniffly younger brother Ron!

This week, Laura faces the challenging higher tier biology exams with a mix of determination and, eventually, resignation. As Ron battles through yet another cold, the siblings dive into the world of microscopes, red blood cells, and the ever-controversial BMI. Despite the odds, Laura manages to hold her own, achieving a commendable 50% on the higher tier exam, which translates to a solid B grade. Not too shabby for someone who was dreading the results!

Expect plenty of laughs, a bit of frustration, and a healthy dose of sibling banter as they navigate through the complexities of GCSE biology. Laura's righteous rage at the inclusion of BMI in the curriculum provides a humorous highlight, as she challenges the status quo with her unique perspective.

Join us for our annual trip to Twycross Zoo and come see us live in Leicester at The Black Horse in February. Tickets are available now, so don't miss out on the chance to see the chaos unfold in person!

And don't forget to participate in our new competition: finish Laura's BMI rant with your most creative and inflammatory answers. The winner will receive a special knitted prize from Laura herself!

Enjoy the episode, and remember, we hope you love us!

00:00:00 " Ron: I got rid of one illness and just picked up another one

00:01:35 " End of Tom Cruise's tour tonight; I'm a bit sad

00:03:07 " Our Leicester show has been announced; get your tickets now

00:03:32 " Laura Charter: I think you're a bit glass half empty this episode

00:08:05 " Paid your Patreon money today, Ron. Thank you. We are swimming in cash these days

00:08:47 " Question one was all about microscopes; we're off to an okay start

00:10:17 " Ask one reason why student could not see any cells using microscope

00:11:52 " Question four was about why red blood cells burst and plant cells don't

00:15:45 " Question number two was all about antibiotics and growing things on agar plates

00:18:42 " You correctly guessed the smallest area of no bacterial growth around antibiotic discs

00:22:56 " Laura: I lost some marks because of my rage on this exam

00:24:46 " You were asked to give three significant figures in GCSE maths

00:25:56 " Rob says he and his wife have been watching fireworks from their house

00:26:35 " You were asked to describe two patterns related to BMI category

00:27:05 " Explain the financial impact on the UK economy of increasing number of obese

00:29:21 " You correctly identified that arthritis...

Hello and welcome to another episode of Lexx Education! It's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx tries to learn science from her nerdy younger brother Ron!

This week we get stuck into some Higher Tier exams, starting naturally with biology and it doesn't take very long before the wheels come off, hit Laura in the face and cause a collosal brain failure.

Apologies for the slight technical gremlins with Ron's sound... he isn't his usual crisp elegant self due to some technical gremlins.

Our Leicester Live show is now on sale: get your tickets for your loved rats now and then wrap them in beautiful paper and give them as Christmas gifts... https://www.gigantic.com/leicester-comedy-festival-2025-tickets/leicester-the-black-horse/2025-02-09-15-45 9th February at 4pm at The Black Horse in Aylestone.

These show notes were generated by Headliner AI. If you enjoy them please tell other podcasters by giving a shoutout to https://headliner.app in your episode ✨

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💬 Show Notes

Hello and welcome to another episode of Lexx Education! It's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx tries to learn science from her nerdy younger brother Ron.

This week, we delve into the higher tier biology exams, where Laura grapples with the intricacies of red blood cells, microscopes, and the contentious topic of BMI. Expect laughs, confusion, and a fair bit of frustration as Laura and Ron navigate through the murky waters of GCSE science.

Laura struggles with the concept of aseptic techniques and gets riled up over the inclusion of BMI in the curriculum, offering a humorous protest against its scientific validity. Meanwhile, Ron battles a cold and tries his best to keep the podcast on track amidst the chaos.

Don't forget, our Leicester Live show is on sale now! Join us on the 9th of February at The Black Horse in Aylestone for an afternoon of laughs and learning. Tickets are just £7, so grab yours now and make it a date!

And a big shoutout to our new patron, Luke Evans. Whether you're the actor or someone else entirely, we're thrilled to have you on board. Thank you for supporting our little science experiment!

Enjoy the episode, and remember, we hope you love us!

Show notes created by https://headliner.app

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🎙️ Thanks for podcasting with Headliner!

Hello and welcome to another episode of Lexx Education! It's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx tries to learn science from her nerdy younger brother Ron!

This week we get stuck into some Higher Tier exams, starting naturally with biology and it doesn't take very long before the wheels come off, hit Laura in the face and cause a collosal brain failure.

Apologies for the slight technical gremlins with Ron's sound... he isn't his usual crisp elegant self due to some technical gremlins.

Our Leicester Live show is now on sale: get your tickets for your loved rats now and then wrap them in beautiful paper and give them as Christmas gifts... https://www.gigantic.com/leicester-comedy-festival-2025-tickets/leicester-the-black-horse/2025-02-09-15-45 9th February at 4pm at The Black Horse in Aylestone.

These show notes were generated by Headliner AI. If you enjoy them please tell other podcasters by giving a shoutout to https://headliner.app in your episode ✨

---

💬 Show Notes

Hello and welcome to another episode of Lexx Education! It's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx tries to learn science from her nerdy younger brother Ron.

This week, we delve into the higher tier biology exams, where Laura grapples with the intricacies of red blood cells, microscopes, and the contentious topic of BMI. Expect laughs, confusion, and a fair bit of frustration as Laura and Ron navigate through the murky waters of GCSE science.

Laura struggles with the concept of aseptic techniques and gets riled up over the inclusion of BMI in the curriculum, offering a humorous protest against its scientific validity. Meanwhile, Ron battles a cold and tries his best to keep the podcast on track amidst the chaos.

Don't forget, our Leicester Live show is on sale now! Join us on the 9th of February at The Black Horse in Aylestone for an afternoon of laughs and learning. Tickets are just £7, so grab yours now and make it a date!

And a big shoutout to our new patron, Luke Evans. Whether you're the actor or someone else entirely, we're thrilled to have you on board. Thank you for supporting our little science experiment!

Enjoy the episode, and remember, we hope you love us!

Show notes created by https://headliner.app

---

🎙️ Thanks for podcasting with Headliner!

Hello and welcome to another episode of Lexx Education! It's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx tries to learn science from her normal brother Ron!

This week Laura and Ron take a mini break from the relentless slog of GCSE exams to have a look at the revision help on offer before Laura takes the plunge into Higher Tier.

First they take a quiz to find out what kind of a learner Laura is - spoiler alert: she’s not.

Then they look at some helpful exam advice that turns out to be utterly unhelpful.

Then they look at do’s and don’ts…

They realise that ultimately, nothing can help her.

Hello and welcome to another sparkling episode of Lexx Education! We are reaching the end of the foundation exams and finally get to the results from physics... will Laura be dreadful or brilliant? Will she flourish? Will they argue? Will they reminisce over trifle? So many questions... and finally... some answers.

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Hello and welcome to another delightful episode of Lexx Education! It's the comedy science podcast where comedian Laura Lexx attempts to learn science from her brother Ron, who is unfortunately absent for the intros and outros this week. Laura finds herself on the train home from Nottingham after a few nights on tour, but fear not, because the much-anticipated physics results are finally in!

After last week's Halloween special, it's back to exam business as Laura delves into the physics results. How did she fare? Did she manage to beat her expectations? Spoiler alert: Laura surprises herself with a stellar performance, scoring an impressive 76%! It seems the physics gods were smiling upon her, despite the rocky start with circuits.

In this episode, Laura and Ron navigate through various physics topics, from circuits to particles, and even a bungee jumping student. Laura's newfound exam skills shine through, and there are plenty of laughs along the way as they reminisce about trifle and the trials of exam season.

Next week, they'll take a break from exams to focus on some exam prep, gearing up for the higher-tier exams. Meanwhile, don't forget to check out the Guy Fawkes episode on Patreon, and keep an eye out for the live Cheerful Earful episode coming soon.

Tickets for the Leicester Festival show on the 9th of February are now on sale, so grab yours and join in the fun. As always, thank you for listening, and remember to keep those pencils down!

For our live episode about Werewolves from the 2024 Cheerful Earful Podcast Festival go to patreon.com/lexxeducation and become a member (werewolves will be released November 24th - the episode, not actual werewolves).