COMEDIAN Dara O Briain has taken a lot of flack on Mock the Week, the panel show he hosts, thanks to the size of his head.

Despite attracting comments along the lines of Russell Howard’s jibe “I’m going to take you to a hall of mirrors, and show you how you should look”, there seems to be an upside to his oversized cranium – all the evidence suggests that it houses an extraordinarily vast brain. And this is going to come in very useful indeed for his latest series, Dara O Briain’s Science Club.

The stand-up comic has been on telly almost as much for his scientific knowledge as for his skill with a witty line. His recent series on Freeview channel Dave, School of Hard Sums, was a maths-based challenge show in which he and co-host Marcus du Sautoy baffled celebs and viewers alike with some astonishingly difficult conundrums.

O Briain has also turned his hand to scientific presenting with Stargazing Live, alongside Professor Brian Cox. And, on more than one occasion, he has shown off his penchant for the more cutting edge aspects of the scientific world with flashes of genius on the QI panel.

It’s hardly surprising, when you consider that he holds a degree in maths and theoretical physics from University College, Dublin.

What is constantly amazing, though, is how Dara makes science funny and fascinating in equal measure.

He won’t be on his own for this new series.

Assisting him with the more cerebral aspects of the programme will be materials scientist and engineer Mark Miodownik, neuroscientist Tali Sharot, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski and journalist Alok Jha, as well as other leading lights from the global scientific community.

Helping to keep things entertaining and light-hearted, meanwhile, will be guests including Marcus Brigstocke, James May, Jessica Hynes, Mark Steel, Josh Widdicombe and Ed Byrne.

Each week a range of topics, from space exploration to music, will be considered and examined from every possible angle. We’re promised in-depth studio discussions in front of a lively audience, with exploratory films and on-the-spot reports to uncover some of the most fascinating aspects of modern science.

“It’s for anyone who like me, is curious about space, brains, extinction and sex and all the great ideas about how the universe works,” says O’Briain.

“And if that doesn’t grab you, we’ll show you how to measure the speed of light using cheese on toast or find your DNA with strong Polish vodka.”