What can we learn from the T-rex? (with Tom Oliver and Marzia Briel)

Absolute Units

Absolute Units
What can we learn from the T-rex? (with Tom Oliver and Marzia Briel)
Jul 16, 2026
The Museum of English Rural Life

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We're back with our second episode with the University of Reading's Tom Oliver and Marzia Briel! We continue talking about their Nature-centric Catalyst project, how we can rebuild our relationships with the natural world, and what's coming up next for our collaboration with Tom and Marzia at the museum.

Relevant links:

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Absolute Units is the official podcast of The Museum of English Rural Life. This series is made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England and Museums Partnership Reading, a partnership of The MERL with Reading Museum. Theme tune by Tai Dawson. This podcast contains audio from Epidemic Sound.

Co-hosts: Ollie Douglas and Joe Vaughan
Producer: Joe Vaughan
Episode Artwork What can we learn from the T-rex? (with Tom Oliver and Marzia Briel) 1:01:41 Episode Artwork Ego vs eco (with Tom Oliver and Marzia Briel) 55:42 Episode Artwork Radical Rural Revisited (Joe and Ollie special) 59:36 Episode Artwork The art of accessible spaces (with Anahita Harding) 42:28 Episode Artwork 50 Million Pheasants Later (with Guy Shrubsole) 50:06 Episode Artwork Who owns England? (with Guy Shrubsole) 1:00:03 Episode Artwork Quick schedule update 0:28 Episode Artwork Celebrating 1 year of Absolute Units + listener questions 53:34 Episode Artwork Life on Marsh (with Adrian Lawson) 1:21:54 Episode Artwork The Fight for Wild Camping on Dartmoor (with Ruth Webb and Lisa Schneidau) 45:58 Episode Artwork Old Crockern Awakes (with Ruth Webb and Lisa Schneidau) 55:53 Episode Artwork Rural Britannia (with Ollie Douglas) 51:15 Episode Artwork Making The MERL (with Ollie Douglas) 53:33 Episode Artwork Jane Austen: Verdure, Culture, and Comfort (with Paddy Bullard and Isabel Hughes) 52:59 Episode Artwork Jane Austen: How to Spot a Wrong'un (with Paddy Bullard and Isabel Hughes) 46:50 Episode Artwork Contested Countryside (with George Monbiot), pt. 2 25:43 Episode Artwork Contested Countryside (with George Monbiot), pt. 1 33:36 Episode Artwork Death, Rebirth, and Scooby Doo (with Mark Norman) 51:47 Episode Artwork Queer Rural Lives: Love Letters and Farm Papers (with Tim Jerrome) 37:56 Episode Artwork Queer Rural Lives: Searching the Archives (with Tim Jerrome) 39:01 Episode Artwork Rural Riots, Raves, and Robin Hood (with Katrina Navickas) 44:57 Episode Artwork A Radical History of the Commons (with Katrina Navickas) 41:09 Episode Artwork Flying Your Drone Through a Michelin-Starred Polytunnel (with Amy Bateman) 40:42 Episode Artwork Forty Farms (with Amy Bateman) 34:58 Episode Artwork The Rural Art of Dog Poo Posters (with Man in the Woods) 42:03