Lateral with Tom Scott
Award-winning comedy panel game about weird questions with wonderful answers. Each week, Tom Scott is joined by three guests to ask each other questions with a sideways twist. There's no points or prizes - just reputation and bragging rights on the line. Enquiries and question submissions: https://www.lateralcast.com. Ad-free shows and bonus content: https://www.lateralcast.com/club.
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Recent Episodes
206: Chair on a pole
Sep 18, 2026Charlotte McDonnell, Libby Watson and Daniel Peake face questions about frigid food, door duties and collaborative commutes. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderfu...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott is joined by Dan Peake, Libby Watson, and Charlotte MacDonald for a puzzle-solving game that explores fascinating lateral thinking questions. The team tackles questions about advertising tricks, unusual toothbrush habits, ferry jigsaws, puppet theatre props, volcanic eruptions inspiring famous art, and royal dining logistics. The conversation is filled with clever deductions, humorous tangents, and surprising connections that span geography, history, and pop culture.
- Brazilian Car Keys Advertising Puzzle
- The Two Toothbrush Mystery
205: The secure ping pong ball
Sep 11, 2026James Smales, Jonny Robins and John Cantrell from 'Here's What You Do' face questions about binary botany, Olympic overachievers and flipped flyers. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird...
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This episode of Lateral features hosts Tom Scott, James Smales, Johnny Robbins, and John Cantrell tackling quirky trivia questions. The panel explores topics ranging from Victorian office furniture and unusual product failures to Olympic art medals and military aircraft testing. Each guest brings their own questions, creating a mix of lateral thinking puzzles that require creative problem-solving and unexpected connections. The episode showcases clever wordplay, historical oddities, and the kind of counterintuitive answers that make trivia compelling.
- The Victorian Office Chair Revolution
- Harbinger Customers: The People with Terrible Taste
204: An insane village
Sep 04, 2026Ria Lina, Dani Siller and Bill Sunderland face questions about data dichotomies, alcohol apologies and textual T-shirts. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful an...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott challenges three guests—Rialina, Bill Sunderland, and Danny Siller from Escape This Podcast—to solve a series of lateral thinking puzzles. The questions range from emoticon mishaps and tattoo art projects to medieval villagers feigning insanity and Norwegian driving safety tips. The format features collaborative problem-solving with humor, clever wordplay, and surprising historical anecdotes.
- Emoticon Face Mishap
- The Skin Story Tattoo Project
203: Looking for a hot rod
Aug 28, 2026Charlotte Yeung, Iszi Lawrence and Ólafur Waage face questions about Chinese cuisine, Transylvanian turrets and long-term logistics. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with ...
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This episode of Lateral features Tom Scott hosting guests Charlotte Young, Izzy Lawrence, and Oliver Vorge as they solve lateral thinking puzzles involving language puns, historical traditions, military tactics, and cultural misunderstandings. The puzzles range from French chopsticks to German tank crews doing piggyback rides, with questions about Swedish ships, Chinese restaurants, and Transylvanian marriage counseling.
- French Chopsticks and the Baguette Pun
- Swedish Ship and Argentina's Football Colors
202: A sudden square
Aug 21, 2026Sage the Bad Naturalist, Evan Heling and Katelyn Heling face questions about perilous pieces, mysterious Mercedes and culled cookware. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions wit...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott challenges guests Evan and Caitlin (from the Evan and Caitlin YouTube channel) and Sage the Bad Naturalist to solve bizarre trivia questions. The panel tackles puzzles about traffic gridlock in Oslo, urban finches in Mexico City, accidental ASMR videos, Mumbai's honking problem, Steve Jobs' license plate loophole, and dangerous cookware for pet birds. The questions span topics from urban planning to animal behavior to tech industry quirks.
- Oslo's Red Square Bus Gridlock
- Mexico City Finches and Cigarette Butts
201: Vegan art
Aug 14, 2026Matt Gray, Rowan Ellis and Kip Heath face questions about slipper sizing, traffic troubles and acting amateurishness. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful answe...
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Tom Scott hosts this episode of Lateral featuring returning guests Kip Heath, Rowan Ellis, and Matt Gray. The panel tackles lateral thinking puzzles ranging from UK government banned letter combinations on license plates to the invention that revolutionized painting. Questions explore creative censorship workarounds, theatrical terminology origins, automotive AI mishaps, and historical innovations that inadvertently advanced veganism and art movements.
- UK License Plate Bans for 2025
- The Origin of 'Winging It'
200: The pink hat
Aug 07, 2026Elle Cordova, Jarvis Johnson and Jordan Adika face questions about Finnish flags, worker wellness and fashion finances. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful ans...
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In this 200th episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott celebrates the milestone with guests Jarvis Johnson, Jordan Adika, and Elle Cordova as they tackle lateral thinking puzzles involving emoji proposals, baseball superfans, railroad construction, bridges, theme park illusions, celebrity endorsements, and license plates. The episode features clever wordplay, cultural trivia, and the guests' collaborative problem-solving across diverse topics.
- The Elephant Test for New Emojis
- Pink Hat Guy: A Baseball Promise
199: Unburned gasoline
Jul 31, 2026VT Physics, VeeVee and Geoff Marshall face questions about banned building blocks, rampant rhinos and software steps. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful answe...
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This episode of Lateral features returning guests Geoff Marshall, Vivi (VVTV), and VT (VT Physics) solving lateral thinking puzzles. The panel tackles questions about Mexican banknotes hoarded due to cute axolotls, Melbourne tram safety campaigns featuring rhinos on skateboards, Boris Becker's tongue-revealing tennis serves, medieval bell-making casting pits, deep-sea submarines using gasoline for buoyancy, and Dick Van Dyke's age making him ineligible for Lego's recommended age range.
- Axolotl Banknote Shortage in Mexico
- Melbourne's Rhino Tram Safety Campaign
198: The impossible photograph
Jul 24, 2026Ella Hubber, Caroline Roper and Tom Lum from 'Let's Learn Everything!' face questions about academic admissions, eight-legged equines and five-dollar flights. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast a...
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Tom Scott hosts the Let's Learn Everything team—Ella Hubber, Tom Lum, and Caroline Roper—for a chaotic episode of lateral thinking puzzles. The show opens with an intentionally comedic pratfall before diving into riddles about T9 texting mishaps, video game tricks, creative song-writing methods, sailing life hacks, historic bridge construction, the invention of instant photography, and chess terminology. The trio's chemistry shines through as they work through increasingly bizarre clues with humor and occasional frustration.
- T9 Texting Disaster: Selected vs Rejected
- Golfing Over It: The Alt-F4 Troll
197: Jumping in the fountain
Jul 17, 2026Rosalie Minnitt, Verity Babbs and Bob Hagh face questions about academic admissions, eight-legged equines and five-dollar flights. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wo...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott is joined by comedians Verity Babs and Rosalie Minnett, along with game show enthusiast Bob Haig, to solve a series of curious lateral thinking puzzles. The panel tackles questions about Boston tunnel tiles, 1950s horror movie audience participation, urban exploration tactics, counting systems in South Asian languages, tech support tricks, art theft, and emo hairstyles from the 2000s.
- Boston Tunnel Color Coding System
- William Castle's Interactive Horror Cinema
196: A tiny umbrella
Jul 10, 2026Davina Bentley, Ólafur Waage and Stuart Laws face questions about flatulent felines, careful cetaceans and gnarly gnats. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful an...
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In this comedian special episode of Lateral, Tom Scott hosts Oliver Vorge, Davina Bentley, and Stuart Laws for a series of lateral thinking puzzles. The contestants tackle questions ranging from historical spelling mistakes and medical devices to celebrity disguises and wildlife-assisted sports victories, with Stuart Laws creating memorable tension by gleefully announcing when answers are wrong.
- Goal vs Gaol: The Stonemason's Spelling Error
- Radio Opaque Rings: Medical Tracking Technology
195: Dumped pizza
Jul 03, 2026Annie Rauwerda, Jen the Archaeologist and Emily Graslie face questions about emergent emoji, fiddly film and competitive careers. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with won...
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Tom Scott hosts a puzzle show where Emily Graslie, Annie Rauwerda, and Jen the Archaeologist solve lateral thinking questions. The episode covers fascinating topics including the origin of the Vulcan salute, why certain historic films can only be shown at one UK cinema, how teachers learn music backwards, and various quirky facts about archaeology, Wikipedia editing, and deadly sea creatures. The guests demonstrate impressive knowledge while tackling questions that blend science, pop culture, and unexpected connections.
- The Vulcan Salute's Religious Origins
- Emily's Fish Fact: Freshwater Diversity Paradox
194: Cockpit balls
Jun 26, 2026Charlotte Yeung, Iszi Lawrence and Ólafur Waage face questions about Latin lingo, legal leniency and gaming grass. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful answers,...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott is joined by returning guests Izzy Lawrence, Oliver Vorge, and Charlotte Young to solve a series of lateral thinking puzzles. The panel tackles questions ranging from upside-down billboards in Texas to K-pop idols' hand gestures, with topics spanning American injury lawyers, British interrogation techniques, airplane safety protocols, judicial bias in Louisiana, and South Korean election sensitivities.
- Guest Introductions and Updates
- The Upside-Down Billboard Mystery
193: The empty-handed winner
Jun 19, 2026Sabrina Cruz, Melissa Fernandes and Taha Khan from 'Answer in Progress' face questions about Stuttgart spheres, bruising bodies and ornamental opposites. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about ...
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A word-game podcast where host Tom Scott challenges the Answer in Progress team (Sabrina Cruz, Taha Khan, and Melissa Fernandez) with lateral thinking puzzles. The team tackles questions ranging from French horn training techniques to meteor impacts, horse rustling laws, and police-spotting rear-view mirrors, using creative reasoning and collaborative problem-solving to uncover surprising answers.
- French Horn Embouchure Training with Button and String
- Hospital Floors and Rolling Billiard Balls
192: Picnic by the prison
Jun 12, 2026Michelle Wong, Bill Sunderland and Dani Siller face questions about stamp selections, diplomatic diagrams and worrisome wordings. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with won...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott tests three Australian guests with lateral thinking puzzles covering topics from Elvis's car painting choices to sumo wrestlers' dietary superstitions. Michelle Wong from Lab Muffin Beauty Science, and Dani Siller and Bill Sunderland from Escape This Podcast work through questions about border control mix-ups, Formula 1 helmet controversies, and the surprising connection between coin collecting and stamp collections.
- Elvis's Red BMW: Avoiding Lipstick Kisses
- Sumo Wrestlers and Chicken Chankonabe
191: Half of a mountain
Jun 05, 2026Ella Hubber, Caroline Roper and Tom Lum from 'Let's Learn Everything!' face questions about inward injuries, backwards bars and Luneburg lenses. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird que...
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In this episode of Lateral, Tom Scott welcomes the hosts of Let's Learn Everything—Caroline Roper, Tom Lum, and Ella Hubber—back to the show. The panel tackles a series of lateral thinking puzzles ranging from Australian mnemonics and cold play music videos to stealth fighter modifications and submarine food storage. The team's chemistry and quick wit lead them to unlock the bonus question, as they work through questions involving geography, physics, pop culture, and military technology.
- Sydney Sheep and Toilet Mnemonic
- Coldplay's Backwards Performance
190: A second toastie
May 29, 2026Rosalie Minnitt, Verity Babbs and Bob Hagh face questions about topsy-turvy tipples, reclaimed roads and baseball busts. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful an...
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A puzzle-solving podcast where Tom Scott challenges three comedians—Bob Haig, Verity Babs, and Rosalie Minnett—to work through lateral thinking questions. The episode features questions about baseball records, Wisconsin town naming mishaps, Scottish seagull insurance, art forgeries, early motor racing, Sydney billboards, and product marketing tricks, blending humor with clever problem-solving.
- Cy Young's Baseball Paradox: Most Wins and Most Losses
- The Belgian-Luxembourg Town Mix-Up
189: Sleep-inducing hangers
May 22, 2026Davina Bentley, Ed Patrick and Stuart Laws face questions about feline fatalities, Portland park picnics and devious deliveries. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wond...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott is joined by comedians Stuart Laws, Davina Bentley, and Dr. Ed Patrick as they tackle quirky lateral thinking puzzles. The panelists navigate through questions about weight loss milestones, pizzeria arbitrage schemes, the psychology of pricing and placebos, hotel room hacks, the world's smallest park, preschool behavior management techniques, and cross-cultural cat mythology—all while promoting their upcoming Edinburgh Fringe shows.
- Weight Loss Celebration with Airline Baggage
- The Placebo Effect and Pricing Psychology
188: 76 degrees
May 15, 2026Sage the Bad Naturalist, Evan Heling and Katelyn Heling face questions about disruptive droughts, moved moments and sneaky snaps. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with won...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott challenges three guests—Evan, Caitlin, and first-time guest Sage the Bad Naturalist—to solve lateral thinking puzzles. The questions range from why Power Rangers was banned in Malaysia to how scientists used pig bristles on stilts to prove desert ants count steps. The team works through riddles involving Ethiopian calendars, Apple Store psychological tricks, circus-inspired ant experiments, and creative film production workarounds, showcasing both brilliant deductions and hilariously wrong guesses along the way.
- Power Rangers Ban in Malaysia
- Ethiopian Calendar and Alexander Graham Bell's Patent
187: The lion and the poet
May 08, 2026Matt Gray, Rowan Ellis and Verity Babbs face questions about pervasive players, biscuit barrels and foreign flags. LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful answers,...
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In this episode of Lateral, host Tom Scott welcomes three guests to solve lateral thinking puzzles: first-time player and art historian Verity Babs (author of 'The History of Art in One Sentence'), returning video essayist Rowan Ellis, and returning guest Matt Gray. The team tackles questions about derisive nicknames, New Zealand's marriage lottery system, sign language contrast, the French flag's presidential proportions, a Chinese tongue-twister poem, and a court case paint-off that proved artistic authorship.
- Derisive Nicknames Across History
- New Zealand's Marriage Lottery and the Biscuit Tin