Podcasts by New Scientist Podcasts

Dead Planets Society: #6 Make Venus Earth Again from 2023-09-25T23:10:41

Are the stresses of life getting too much? Fancy a relaxing getaway to a planet with stifling sulfuric acid clouds, choking quantities of CO2 and punishing amounts of atmospheric pressure? Yeah,...

Weekly: First ever RNA from an extinct animal; big news about small solar system objects; “brainless” jellyfish can still learn from 2023-09-22T15:01:29

#216

For the first time ever, a team has extracted RNA from an extinct animal. Thylacines, or Tasmanian tigers, are carnivorous marsupials that went extinct in the early 20th century. Whil...

CultureLab: Real Life Supervillains - John Scalzi on the science of volcano lairs and sentient dolphin minions from 2023-09-18T23:05:08

You’re in the volcano lair of an evil supervillain, hellbent on taking over the world. In anger, he hurls one of his minions into the molten lava bubbling beneath them, as the unfortunate lacky ...

Weekly: Science that makes you laugh (and think); black holes behaving badly; drumming cockatoos from 2023-09-15T14:25:03

#215

A smart toilet with a camera inside that analyses your poop, plus a study of people who are fluent in speaking backwards – these are just two recipients of Listen

Dead Planets Society: #5 The Return of Pluto from 2023-09-11T23:08:39

Join Leah and Chelsea as they belatedly mourn the loss of Pluto as a planet. Back in 2006, Pluto was demoted to “dwarf planet”, sparking widespread outrage… a decision the team is still determin...

Weekly: New type of brain cell; Alaska’s first bridge over a moving glacier; quantum batteries that never age from 2023-09-08T14:13:08

#214

A multi-talented brain cell has been discovered – and it’s a hybrid of the two we already know about, neurons and glia. These glutamatergic astrocytes could provide insights into our ...

CultureLab: The weird ways animals sense the world – Ed Yong on his book An Immense World from 2023-09-05T14:00:17

Whether it’s the hidden colours of ultraviolet that bees can see, the complex rhythms and tones of birdsong that we’re unable to hear, or the way a dog can smell the past in incredible detail, t...

Weekly: Our ancestors nearly went extinct?; Why beer goggles aren’t real; Smelling ancient Egyptian perfume from 2023-09-01T10:00:52

#213

Our ancestors may have very nearly gone extinct. Around a million years ago, there were just 1300 humans left and it stayed that way for over a hundred thousand years. This is the dra...

Dead Planets Society #4: Asteroid Gong from 2023-08-28T23:05:51

In an unexpected twist of empathy, Leah and Chelsea are putting their heads together to save the Earth… yes, you read that right!

Asteroid researcher and planetary astronomer Listen

Weekly: India lands on the moon; Placenta cells could heal the heart; Mind-altering drugs and binge drinking on the rise from 2023-08-25T15:18:58

#212

India is celebrating after successfully - and gently - landing on the Moon. A huge win for the country, which is now only the fourth nation to do so. A look at the country’s next ambi...

CultureLab: Must watch science shows – the best TV of 2023 from 2023-08-22T09:19:59

Struggling to choose what to watch? Whether it’s sci-fi, medical dramas or documentaries about the natural world, we’ve got you covered. Our TV columnist Bethan Ackerley shares a rundown of her ...

Weekly: Climate Special - an antidote for doom; plus the key ingredient for alien technology, and surprising revelations about an ancient tattooed mummy from 2023-08-18T14:31:30

#211

The hottest July on record, a global surge in wildfires, bleached corals and collapsed cactuses - the story of climate change feels dire right now. But before you bury your head in th...

Dead Planets Society #3: Gravitational Wave Apocalypse from 2023-08-14T23:05:04

As if burrowing through a planet and blowing up the sun weren’t enough… This time, Chelsea and Leah hope to harness the power of gravitational waves to destroy everything we know and love. ...

Weekly: Ultra-processed foods not so bad?; Another milestone toward fusion power; Mapping the genes we know nothing about from 2023-08-11T14:58:35

#210

Ultra-processed foods are bad for us and we should avoid them at all costs – right? Well, it’s actually not as clear cut as that.The foods may actually form a much more important part...

CultureLab: Adventures of a prehistoric girl – Alice Roberts on her new book Wolf Road from 2023-08-07T23:05:40

Scientist and broadcaster Alice Roberts has written her first children’s book. The fictional tale follows prehistoric girl Tuuli, and captures the story of her encounter with a strange boy who l...

Weekly: Surprise superconductor claims put to the test; Alzheimer’s test goes on sale; how NASA (briefly) lost Voyager 2 from 2023-08-04T13:44:10

#209

The saga of the room-temperature superconductor continues. The creators of a new material called LK-99 maintain that it perfectly conducts electricity at room temperature and pressure...

Dead Planets Society #2: Punch A Hole in a Planet from 2023-07-31T23:02:19

In this episode of Dead Planets Society, Leah and Chelsea embark on a boring journey… no, as in they literally try to bore through a planet! With the help of planetary scientists, Listen

Weekly: Cheaper cures for many diseases; How to understand the superconductor ‘breakthrough’; Hear a star twinkle from 2023-07-28T13:30:12

New Scientist Weekly #208

Better and cheaper treatments for everything from sickle cell disease to ageing should come as a result of a Listen

CultureLab: Oppenheimer – The rise and fall of the “father of the atomic bomb” from 2023-07-24T23:05:45

First J. Robert Oppenheimer created the weapon, then he fought for years to warn of its dangers. During the second world war, the so-called “father of the atomic bomb”, led a team of scientists ...

Weekly: How to measure consciousness; Nature-made graphene; New sabretooth cats from 2023-07-21T14:03:40

New Scientist Weekly #206

A major theory of consciousness is being Listen

Dead Planets Society #1: Kill The Sun from 2023-07-17T23:01:04

The sun is the centre of our solar system, the parent body to all the planets, unquestionably the most important cosmic object for life on Earth. But what if we were to destroy it?

Weekly: JWST’s amazing year; Giant sloth jewellery; $1million mathematics prize from 2023-07-14T15:01:02

New Scientist Weekly #205

Following a year of incredible, awe-inspiring images from deep space, the team is celebrating the Listen

CultureLab: Earth’s Deep History: Chris Packham on the epic and tumultuous story of our planet from 2023-07-11T16:40:16

Our world has led a long, sometimes tumultuous, and always complicated life. Over the last four billion years, Earth’s geology has changed radically and dramatically.

Earth, a new...

Weekly: Earth breaks heat records; Quantum LiDAR for self-driving cars; Cryptography in pre-Viking runic writing from 2023-07-07T08:24:16

New Scientist Weekly #203

July has become a record-busting month. In fact, this month has seen the hottest global average temperatures ever recorded on Earth. With heat waves hitting the U...

Weekly: New era in gravitational astronomy; Upending stereotypes of women in hunter-gatherer societies; Orangutan beatboxing and human speech origins from 2023-06-30T13:00:56

New Scientist Weekly #202

In a potentially Listen

Weekly: The truth behind the orca uprising; Earth enters uncharted territory; genetic treatments for unborn babies. from 2023-06-22T11:24:15

New Scientist Weekly #201

A new therapy is being used to treat a rare genetic disorder in babies, before they’ve even been born. The condition, called X-linked ectodermal dysplasia, which ...

Weekly: Claims that secret alien technology is held in the US; link between gut bacteria and intelligence; the parasite that makes ants live longer from 2023-06-15T10:06:52

New Scientist Weekly #200

Always trust your gut! A recent study shows that Listen

#199 Being Human: Lewis Dartnell on how our biology shapes our actions from 2023-06-13T13:13:17

Are humans the product of their environment, or do we shape the world around us? Lewis Dartnell, author of a series of books which explores this very question, sits down with culture and comment...

#198 Giant: An opera about the legacy of the ‘Irish giant’ Charles Byrne and the surgeon John Hunter from 2023-06-08T23:05:24

Welcome to CultureLab, from New Scientist podcasts. In this episode, culture and comment editor Alison Flood speaks with composer Sarah Angliss. 

Sarah has written a new opera called ...

#197 Ancient human Homo naledi had advanced culture; AI passes the world’s biggest Turing Test; climate change hits New York from 2023-06-08T13:32:33

A species of ancient human with a brain the size of a chimpanzee’s is upending what we thought we knew about human cognition and culture. Recent findings from Lee Berger and his team of palaeont...

#196 Animal Liberation Now: Peter Singer on eating and living ethically from 2023-06-05T17:10:28

What does it mean to eat and live ethically in today’s world? 

In 1975, Australian philosopher Peter Singer published his landmark book Animal Liberation, in which he advocat...

#195 Breakthrough in suspended animation; treatment using stem cells from umbilical cord; moon dust threat from 2023-06-01T10:33:58

Suspended animation - the stuff of science-fiction, or a real-world solution to surviving long voyages into deep space? Actually it’s neither, butListen

#194 Rewilding special: a night in the beaver pen at the rewilded Knepp Estate from 2023-05-26T11:00:08

The world is undergoing a catastrophic biodiversity crisis, and the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The problems are big, but there are solutions. On this special e...

#193 Drug that could cure obesity; world’s largest organism; octopus dreams; mood-enhancing non-alcoholic drink from 2023-05-25T15:12:52

A new class of drugs that can reliably help you lose weight are generating great excitement in the fight against obesity - and Elon Musk and Hollywood actors have been using them too. Listen

#192 Life-extending mutation; Kangaroo poo transplant for cows; irregular sleep linked to increased risk of death from 2023-05-18T12:40:31

Want to live 20 percent longer? Well, it may be possible in the future thanks to a new discovery. A life-extending mutation has been found in mice, and the team explains how its benefits can be ...

#191 Special episode: the most mind-bending concepts in science from 2023-05-11T23:05:06

On this bonus episode of the podcast we present a guide on how to think about some of the most important and mind-bending concepts in science, fromListen

#190 Problems for lab-grown meat; do we need vitamin D supplements?; waking the sleeping Arctic ocean; fish sing for Eurovision from 2023-05-11T12:48:46

Lab-grown meat may be cruelty free, but is it really better for the environment? Not at the moment. In fact, tListen

#189 Spinal cord stimulation: bringing movement back to paralysed stroke survivors from 2023-05-04T23:05:29

Spinal cord stimulation has, for the first time, Listen

#188 Consciousness measured at point of death; the lifeform with seven genomes; impact of Covid on the gut from 2023-05-04T11:16:53

From bright lights at the end of a tunnel, to hearing dead loved ones, there are many common sensations related to near death experiences. But Listen

#187 CultureLab: The Power of Trees with Peter Wohlleben from 2023-04-28T08:00:36

As humans are responsible for the devastation of the world’s forests, surely it’s our job, then, to step in and make things right? Well, not according to German forester and best-selling author ...

#186 Private space company crashes on the moon; hypnotherapy as anaesthetic; record-breaking ocean warming; Rosalind Franklin and DNA from 2023-04-27T11:52:28

With SpaceX’s Starship b...

#185 CultureLab: Cosmo Sheldrake on capturing the sounds of our oceans from 2023-04-26T10:45:50

Have you ever stopped to think about what life underwater sounds like? 

Well, now is your chance to hear it first-hand as multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, Listen

#184 Dead Ringers TV review: Revolutionising the future of reproductive health from 2023-04-23T23:05:48

Based on the 1988 David Cronenberg film, the new six-part TV series Dead Ringers tells the story of identical twin doctors - played by Rachel Weisz - as they explore innovations in childbirth an...

#183 How To Blow Up A Pipeline film review: Is it time for more radical climate activism? from 2023-04-20T23:05:12

With action on climate change moving so slowly, is it time for more radical activism? Have we been left with no option but to use sabotage and property destruction as a way to protect our planet...

#182 3D-printing inside living organisms; what ChatGPT means for human intelligence; why insects fly towards light; carbon storage in the oceans from 2023-04-20T11:34:46

We’ve all seen the moths gather around the kitchen light or campfire flame at night, but have you ever wondered why they’re drawn to it? Well, there are loads of theories, but the team explores ...

#181 New York goes quantum; a tipping point in human culture; JUICE mission to Jupiter from 2023-04-13T10:11:24

How many people can we physically feed on Earth? As the global population is predicted to reach 11 billion by the end of the century, do we have enough land to feed all those mouths? The team di...

#180 Maximum human lifespan; a twist on a classic physics experiment; saving the kākāpō from 2023-04-06T14:55:53

How long can a human live for? The world record is 122 years, and while some people believe our bodies aren’t capable of surpassing that, a new theory suggests we Listen

#179 Black holes older than time; nine animals to save the climate; the largest creature ever to walk the Earth from 2023-03-30T11:46:48

Sea otters, American bison and grey wolves are among Listen

#178 Botox affects your understanding of emotions; GPT-4 exhibits human-level intelligence; IPCC climate change report 2023 from 2023-03-23T13:17:07

As countries continue dragging their feet on emissions reductions, thListen

#177 Field report from the High Arctic: polar bears and melting glaciers in Svalbard from 2023-03-21T16:21:05

In this bonus episode, join host Rowan Hooper as he ventures to Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago in the far north, just 1000 km from the North Pole. 

The Listen

#176 Human organoids are new AI frontier; Listening to the big bang through the cosmic microwave background from 2023-03-16T12:48:22

Brainoids - tiny clumps of human brain cells - Listen

#175 Living Off-Earth: Ethical questions for living in outer space with Erika Nesvold from 2023-03-15T14:31:32

Whether it’s on the Moon, Mars or somewhere even more distant, we may see human settlements in space in our lifetime. But when we do, will we be prepared?

Alongside all the concerns of whe...

#174 Finding the universe’s missing matter; saving babies’ lives by sequencing their genomes; the earliest horse riders - the latest news in science from 2023-03-09T14:18:48

Matter we’ve long thought missing from galaxies Listen

#173 Understanding chronic health conditions; Artificial sweetener linked to heart attacks; Re-thinking galaxies; UN geoengineering report from 2023-03-02T13:14:18

As millions of people around the world suffer from long covid, research into Listen

#172 Bio-electric special: how the electricity inside you shapes your body and your health from 2023-02-28T12:59:30

On this bonus episode of the podcast, host Rowan Hooper sits down with New Scientist magazine editor Cat de Lange, and science journalist Sally Adee to talk about the wonders of the electrome: t...

#171 Earth’s mysterious “dark biome” and the search for life on Mars; Quantum computers; Judge Dredd predicts the future - the latest news in science from 2023-02-23T13:44:24

While testing samples in the Atacama desert, a region of Earth with very similar rocks to those on Mars, astrobiologists have discovered a mysteriousListen

#170 How Venice is confronting climate change and adapting to the rising seas from 2023-02-20T00:10:24

Venice, Italy, is often voted the world’s most beautiful city. Built across 120 small islands in a shallow lagoon, it’s been an important financial and cultural centre for over a thousand years....

#169 Why the US is shooting down UFOs; the science behind period cravings; saving the UK’s rivers from 2023-02-16T13:22:15

The UK’s rivers are in a dire state. Full of sewage, chemicals and prescription drugs, Listen

#168 Polar Sounds: Rare underwater noises from the Arctic and Antarctic from 2023-02-13T00:05:04

Hear the chattering sounds of a narwhal, the surprisingly tuneful tones of singing sea ice, and the alarming crashes of ice shelves collapsing in this special bonus episode of the podcast. These...

#167 Bird flu in mammals, the cause of sunquakes, and the entropy of consciousness – the latest news in science from 2023-02-09T14:05:03

The continuing avian flu epidemic is devastating bird populations. And now there are concerns over Listen

#166 Immune systems: Is yours weak or strong and how can you boost your immune system to fight disease? from 2023-02-07T11:44:43

The immune system is the intricate constellation of cells and molecules in our bodies that defends us against disease and on this special bonus episode of New Scientist Weekly we delve into the ...

#165 Water dowsing to detect leaks; Astroforge going asteroid mining; AI discovers new bacteria-killing proteins – the latest news in science from 2023-02-02T13:45:02

An ancient and debunked method of searching for water leaks is still being used by some of the UK’s water companies. The team finds out Listen

#164 The Last of Us: the science of a fungal zombie apocalypse from 2023-01-30T00:05:27

The new HBO series The Last of Us is making waves, raking in a steady stream of high reviews. Based on a game of the same name, it’s set in a world where a Listen

#163 Antidepressants; Exoplanets; California’s megadroughts – the latest news in science from 2023-01-26T14:04:54

A vaccine for the respiratory virus RSV may be ready this year. In fact, after decades of efforts, successful vaccines have arrived like buses, with three of them on the way. As a particularly d...

#162 How to trigger positive tipping points to tackle climate change from 2023-01-25T11:50:57

On this special episode of the show, host Rowan Hooper and environment reporter Madeleine Cuff chat ...

#161 What they don’t tell you about the climate crisis with Assaad Razzouk from 2023-01-23T00:05:40

In this bonus episode of the podcast, hear Rowan Hooper’s extended interview with Assaad Razzouk, author of Saving the Planet Without the Bullshit: What they don’t tell you about the climate cri...

#160 Rejuvenation treatments; world to breach 1.5 degrees of global heating from 2023-01-19T11:54:58

A cure for ageing, without the price-tag? It might sound too good to be true, but the team digs into Listen

#159 Aboriginal stories describe ancient climate change and sea level rise in Australia from 2023-01-16T00:05:44

In this bonus episode of the podcast, hear an extended interview with Cassie Lynch, a descendent of the Noongar people of south west Australia who’s been studying their storytelling tradition. Listen

#158 Exxon’s 1970s predictions for climate change were super accurate from 2023-01-12T19:01:19

Scientists working for oil giant Exxon between 1977 and 2003 accurately predicted the pace and scale of climate change and warned of the harm of burning fossil fuels, while firm’s executives pla...

#157 Computer lawyer takes first court case; brains speed up with age from 2023-01-12T12:03:25

Will artificial intelligence replace lawyers in the future? The team learns about Listen

#156: What you need to know in science and culture for 2023 from 2023-01-05T12:43:03

To see in the New Year, host Rowan Hooper and the team look ahead to their science and cultural highlights for the coming months.

We start with 2 big planetary science missions due for lau...

#155: Our five favourite New Scientist long-reads from 2022 from 2022-12-25T00:05:41

A holiday special of the podcast and a free-gift giveaway this week, as we celebrate five of New Scientist’s best front-page features of 2022. As well as discussing the features and why they cho...

#154: News review 2022 - stand-out moments and funniest stories from 2022-12-21T10:14:24

Recorded live online for New Scientist subscribers, in this holiday special the team takes you through their stand out moments of the year, the funniest stories to hit the headlines, and their h...

#153: Fusion breakthrough; COP15 report; Shakespeare and climate change from 2022-12-15T13:12:53

There’s been an exciting breakthrough in nuclear fusion. Listen

#152 Ancient species of human could control fire; complete brain map of fly from 2022-12-07T14:06:29

An extinct species of ancient human may have been much more advanced than we first realised. First discovered 10 years ago, Listen

#151 COP15: the meeting to save life on Earth; anti-ageing properties of urine from 2022-12-01T13:34:47

Following repeated delays, the Listen

#150 Megadrought in the US; how to move an elephant from 2022-11-24T11:43:50

The southwestern US is currently in the midst of a megadrought - the worst in 1200...

#149 COP27 treaty emerges; a method to discover wormholes from 2022-11-17T15:13:25

Cheering greeted Brazil’s president-elect, Lula da Silva, when he appeared at COP27 this week. Madeleine Cuff brings us a report from the climate conference in Egypt, where Listen

#148 Climate action from COP27; world population reaches 8 billion from 2022-11-10T13:36:47

Warnings over the world’s mad dash to create new supplies of fossil fuels, discussions about Listen

#147 The oldest yew trees in Europe – and how to save them from 2022-11-07T00:05:37

In a special episode of the podcast, host Rowan Hooper visits Newlands Corner in the North Downs in southern E...

#146 Accelerated end to fossil fuel; double discovery on Mars from 2022-11-03T13:12:48

Spurred on by the war in Ukraine, we’re seeing a worldwide shift to green energy, with the global demand of fossil fuels now expected to peak in 15 years - a dose of optimism ahead of COP27. Listen

#145 COP27 climate summit preview; unexpected animal sounds from 2022-10-27T13:13:40

It’s already been a year since COP26, with its successor COP27 gearing up to begin on 6 November. 12 months on from some big pledges, the team Listen

#144 Geoengineering plan to slow the melt of arctic ice from 2022-10-23T23:05:51

An extended bonus episode of the podcast, where we learn more about proposals to slow the rate of ice loss in Greenland - and if it works, in Antarctica - using a local form of geoengineering.&n...

#143 Bird flu sweeps UK; secrets of the Neanderthal family from 2022-10-20T13:05

Wild bird populations have been devastated by an avian flu variant that’s sweeping the UK - and more than 3.5 million captive birds have been culled. It’s expected to be Listen

#142: We need to talk about mental health and climate change from 2022-10-17T08:27:34

In 2022, for the first time, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change included mental health as part of its assessment of the impacts of climate change. Conditions such as anxiety, stress a...

#141 Energy threat to international security; a new form of multiplication from 2022-10-13T12:32:41

The climate crisis is as ...

#140 New Scientist Live Ask-us-Anything bonus episode from 2022-10-11T10:40:25

At New Scientist Live we invited you to ask our journalists anything - and at two packed out sessions, you absolutely delivered.

Recorded live from the smoke-filled Space Shed at the E...

#139 Gas leak impact on climate change; a new way to explain life from 2022-10-06T12:49:05

Exploding gas pipelines have signalled a new environmental disaster. Nord Stream 1 and 2 have both sprung leaks, with many assuming sabotage. With Listen

#138 UK government’s attack on nature; when you can’t stop laughing from 2022-09-29T11:41:06

The UK government is being accused of mounting an attack against nature. Listen

#137 How to turn the shipping industry green; Enceladus passes habitability test from 2022-09-22T13:28:41

‘Get it Done’ is the theme for this year’s Climate Week in New York, with hundreds of events taking place across...

#136 A step towards building artificial life; solar-powered slugs from 2022-09-15T11:52:16

Ribosomes are tiny protein-making factories found inside cells, and a crucial component of life. And now a team of scientists has Listen

#135 The Amazon passes a tipping point; a place to live only 100 light years away from 2022-09-08T13:16:56

The Amazon rainforest may have passed the tipping point that will flip it into savannah. A new report suggests that Listen

#134 Artemis moon mission; decoding the dreams of mice from 2022-08-31T15:23:56

The launch of NASA’s Artemis moon rocket Listen

#133 A treatment for food allergies; predicting earthquakes from 2022-08-24T12:47:47

There may be a way of treating, or even preventing, food allergies. A promising new trial has used a fat molecule called butyrate Listen

#132 Impact of drought; monkeys using sex toys from 2022-08-17T11:37:16

Droughts in many parts of Europe are the worst in 500 years. Even as temperatures begin to cool and some rain begins to fall, it may be a long time till we’re out of the woods. The team explores...

#131 Why thinking hard tires you out; game-changing US climate bill from 2022-08-11T15:01:45

The US is about to pass an historic piece of climate legislation. Listen

#130 How to reverse death; Neil Gaiman on Sandman; AlphaFold and biology’s revolution; life in the multiverse with Laura Mersini-Houghton from 2022-08-04T13:04:23

A new type of artificial blood has been created which, in the future, Listen

#129 BlueDot special: Mysteries of the universe; stories of hope and joy; growing tiny human brains; solving global problems from 2022-07-28T13:19:23

Welcome to a special edition of the show recorded live at the bluedot music festival. On the panel are...

#128 Extreme heatwaves; China’s space station launch; covid’s effects in pregnancy; a black hole symphony from 2022-07-21T12:51:20

Following scolding 40 degree record temper...

#127: Pig hearts transplanted into dead people; James Webb Space Telescope gives best-ever view of the universe; boosting wheat genetics to feed the world from 2022-07-14T12:01:56

After the first pig-human transplant patient died just 2 months after receiving his new heart, researchers are now testing modified pig hearts by transplanting them into recently deceased people...

#126: Are we stuck in a time loop? Legal action against climate change; covid fifth wave; time loop are we stuck? from 2022-07-07T13:49:56

Ten years since the discovery of the fabled Higgs boson, can the Large Hadron Collider ever make us that excited again? Physicists are now kind of bored by the Higgs - the hype has well and trul...

#125: Poo transplants cure IBS; climate change shrinks the human niche; CRISPR babies; monkeypox latest from 2022-06-30T10:00:50

The world’s first CRISPR babies are now toddlers. Now, nearly four years since the super-controversial experiment was announced, Listen

#124: Lopsided universe; solar activity affects heart health; hero rats trained for rescue missions from 2022-06-23T11:21:36

If you like things orderly, we have bad news for you - our universe is lopsided. Based on everything we know about gravity and the early universe,Listen

#123: ‘Sentient’ claim for Google AI; spacecraft spots starquakes; the rise of the mammals; hot brains from 2022-06-16T10:56:04

How will we know when we’ve made a truly sentient artificial intelligence? Well, one Google engineer believes we’re already there. The team discussesListen

#122: The science of Top Gun; the 1.5°C climate goal is out of reach; return to the moon; hepatitis mystery from 2022-06-09T11:46:16

While it may be technically possible to keep global heating to 1.5°C it’s really not very likely - at all. So why are we clinging to it? The team asks, Listen

#121: Creation of artificial life; gene therapy saves children’s lives; new understanding of chronic pain from 2022-06-01T14:13:08

Synthetic cell membranes have been fused with protein machinery from living cells to create an artificial membrane. Listen

#120: DeepMind claims artificial intelligence breakthrough; searching for ancient life on Mars; Stonehenge surprise; monkeypox latest from 2022-05-26T09:32:09

DeepMind’s new artificial intelligence, Listen

#119: How to tackle the global food crisis; rainforest animal orchestra; George Monbiot on humanity’s biggest blight from 2022-05-19T13:11:32

We’re in the middle of a global food crisis, brought on by a combination of the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and the war in Ukraine. As food prices rise and the world faces “hunger on an...

#118: Heatwaves push limits of human tolerance; chemical computer to mimic brain; first non-human to practice medicine from 2022-05-12T09:05:56

It feels like temperature records ...

#117: US threat to women’s health; saving the world with bacteria; Darwinian feminism and primate gender; invasion of the earthworms from 2022-05-05T11:31:38

Women’s abortion rights are under threat in the US. Leaked documents suggest the Supreme Court is on the verge of overturning the landmark Roe v Wade decision that protects the right to abortion...

#116: DNA from outer space; Devi Sridhar on covid lessons; climate change in an Oxford wood from 2022-04-28T12:58:41

Could life on Earth have an extraterrestrial origin? The team revisits this ancient theory as Listen

#115: Quantum consciousness; next decade of space exploration; songs played on rat whiskers from 2022-04-21T12:59:34

What is consciousness? We’ve discussed many theories on the podcast, but in this episode the team explores a particularly bonkers one. Listen

#114: A message to aliens, phage therapy for acne, calibrating the world’s oldest computer from 2022-04-14T14:33:25

Two teams are developing messages to send into space, in the hope that some advanced alien civilization will be able to pick them up. While METI Listen

#113: Climate change: suing governments to cut emissions; shock discovery in particle physics; a new function for dreams from 2022-04-07T23:05:48

The latest major report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is out, and the message is clear. Listen

#112: Gene therapy success; biodiversity talks; the genetics of blood sucking; the farthest star ever seen from 2022-03-31T12:49:54

A world-first gene therapy ...

#111: Antarctic and Arctic record-breaking heat; octopus brains insight; black hole paradox explained from 2022-03-24T12:35:33

Extreme weather events have been recorded at both of Earth’s polar regions, Listen

#110: Solution for Ukraine food crisis; why young blood rejuvenates; climate horror in Australia; Hannah Peel’s new music from 2022-03-18T00:05:42

As 10 percent of the world’s wheat comes from Ukraine, Russia’s attack on the country could spark global food shortages. But the team discuss Listen

#109: Ukraine war stokes energy crisis; emergency sounded over Amazon rainforest; secular intelligent design; mammalian virgin birth from 2022-03-11T00:05:34

The war in Ukraine has sparked an energy crisis, as Listen

#108: Ukraine: health crisis and threat of nuclear war; IPCC report on limits to climate adaptation; Wuhan origin of covid from 2022-03-04T00:05:05

As the war in Ukraine intensifies, Vladimir Putin raised Russia’s nuclear readiness level. The team discusses Listen

#107: Ukraine invasion: cyberwar threat and effect on climate targets; Covid pandemic isn’t over; how we sense pain from 2022-02-25T00:05:52

Russia has begun its invasion of Ukraine, a move which will have far reaching consequences. The team discusses two of those - the first being Listen

#106: Saving children from cancer; new ways to remove greenhouse gases; brain growth in adults from 2022-02-18T00:05:56

Children with some of the most aggressive forms of cancer are being saved by a Listen

#105: Electrodes treat paralysis; first detected isolated black hole; the ancient human inhabitants of a French cave; breakthroughs in transplant organs from pigs; why you should pick up your dog’s poo from 2022-02-11T00:05:43

Three men paralysed from t...

#104: Gene variant for extreme old age, gravitational waves and dark matter, what fruit flies tell us about nature and nurture from 2022-02-04T00:05:43

The quest for a longer life continues - raising the question of whether we can escape death. The team discusses a rare gene variant that may explain Listen

#103: How covid affects brain function; glacier loss on Svalbard; start of the Anthropocene; hottest life on Earth from 2022-01-28T00:05:51

Covid-19 can have profound consequences for the brain, and now we’re beginning to understand why. The team explains Listen

#102: Living with covid; Tonga eruption; neutral atom quantum computers; phage therapy for superbugs; AI with Beth Singler from 2022-01-21T00:05:29

We’re being told we have to “le...

#101: Man gets first pig heart transplant; robot therapy for mental health; omicron update; dolphin sexual pleasure from 2022-01-14T00:05:54

David Bennett has become the first person in history to have a pig to human heart transplant. Scientists have edited several genes to make this possible. On the pod, the team say that if it proves ...

#100: New Scientist journalists pick out their scientific and cultural highlights for 2022 from 2022-01-07T00:05:42

In this special episode the team looks ahead to the next 12 months, sharing the science and cultural events they’re most looking forward to in 2022. Highlights include the launch into orbit of Spac...

#99: The legendary New Scientist end-of-year holiday party and quiz from 2021-12-24T00:05:19

What a year 2021 has been. For our final podcast of the year, we’re signing off with a party and quiz. And as this is a Christmas special, this quiz delivers a sleigh-full of optimism, starting wit...

#98: Brain cells wired to the Matrix; omicron latest; how to make truly intelligent machines; the mysterious border between sleep and wake from 2021-12-17T00:05:18

In a step towards creating intelligent cyborg brains, Cortical Labs in Melbourne have trained lab-grown brain organoids to play a classic 1970s video game. The team explains how the brain cells liv...

#97: The latest on omicron; Don’t Look Up review; Steven Pinker on human rationality; the sound of melting glaciers from 2021-12-10T00:05:30

Omicron is spreading quickly and once again we’re facing another wave of infections and restrictions over the holiday period. The team says although it’s early days, we’re beginning to get a handle...

#96: What does the rise of omicron mean for us?; living robots able to reproduce; mini black holes and the end of the universe from 2021-12-03T00:02:32

Omicron, a new covid-19 variant of concern, has become Listen

#95: The origin of coronavirus; how red light boosts eyesight; deflecting asteroids; body chemical changes human behaviour from 2021-11-26T00:05:18

Where did covid-19 really come from? Well, the team explains why the wet market in Wuhan is back on top as the most likely place of origin. They also look ahead to the future of the pandem...

#94: IBM’s huge quantum computer, Russia’s anti-satellite weapon, the verdict on COP26, AI predicting the next legal highs from 2021-11-19T00:05:09

The race for quantum supremacy continues, with Listen

#93: COP26 special, week 2: voices from the Global South; what does the Glasgow Accord look like - and where does it go from here on climate action from 2021-11-12T01:01:12

Young climate activists from nations bearing the brunt of climate change speak out. In this Listen

#92: COP26 week 1 special from Glasgow; first Earthlings to go interstellar; genetically engineered microbes for our cells from 2021-11-05T00:00

It’s the most consequential climate meeting in a generation. COP26 is underway and we’re bringing you special episodes of the podcast featuring in-depth analysis and interviews. Reporter Graham Law...

#91: Earth heading for climate disaster; Kim Stanley Robinson looks to the future; hunt for aliens; Tesla worth $1 trillion from 2021-10-28T23:00

The Earth could be heading for disaster. In the lead up to COP26 the team discusses The Emissions Gap, a new UN report which has found that even if countries around the world stick to their emissio...

#90: COP26 climate playlist; the science of Dune; life-saving treatment for children without immune systems; covid sweeps Iran from 2021-10-21T23:00

In rare cases children can be born without an immune system, and sadly their chances are very bad. Fortunately the team brings news of a life-saving implant which has now been approved for use in t...

#89: Climate-ready food of the future; the biology of poverty; deepfake audio; mystery cosmic signal; Captain Kirk in space from 2021-10-14T23:00

Breadfruit could help us weather the storm of climate change. The team hears how the Listen

#87: Mini black holes impacting the moon; first CRISPR gene-edited food goes on sale; why leaves turn brown in autumn from 2021-09-30T23:00

CRISPR gene-edited food has gone on sale commercially for the first t...