The world, the universe and us podcast

The world, the universe and us

From the evolution of intelligent life, to the mysteries of consciousness; from the threat of the climate crisis to the search for dark matter, The world, the universe and us is your essential weekly dose of science and wonder in an uncertain world. Hosted by journalists Dr Rowan Hooper and Dr Penny Sarchet and joined each week by expert scientists in the field, the show draws on New Scientist’s unparalleled depth of reporting to put the stories that matter into context. Feed your curiosity with the podcast that will restore your sense of optimism and nourish your brain. For more visit newscientist.com/podcasts

From the evolution of intelligent life, to the mysteries of consciousness; from the threat of the climate crisis to the search for dark matter, The world, the universe and us is your essential weekly dose of science and wonder in an uncertain world. Hosted by journalists Dr Rowan Hooper and Dr Penny Sarchet and joined each week by expert scientists in the field, the show draws on New Scientist’s unparalleled depth of reporting to put the stories that matter into context. Feed your curiosity with the podcast that will restore your sense of optimism and nourish your brain. For more visit newscientist.com/podcasts

 

#416

We Now Have Early Warning Signal Of Ocean Current Collapse

Episode 349 One of the most vital systems of ocean currents - needed to keep life in north... more

Yesterday

25 MINS

25:11

Yesterday


#415

Two 'Extinct' Mammals Species Have Been Discovered in New Guinea

Episode 348 Thought extinct for 6,000 years, two marsupial species have been discovered al... more

05 Mar 2026

19 MINS

19:15

05 Mar 2026


#414

How Ukraine Became a Drone Factory - and Changed Warfare Forever

Episode 347 Drones have taken over the battlefield in Russia’s war on Ukraine. Tens of tho... more

27 Feb 2026

19 MINS

19:32

27 Feb 2026


#413

The world is running out of water - can cloud-seeding save us?; Why some people get stuck in grief; ...

Episode 346 The world is running out of water, with many countries suffering from signific... more

20 Feb 2026

30 MINS

30:44

20 Feb 2026


#412

How ancient humans crossed the vast ocean; Brain training for dementia; Life of science legend Maggi...

Episode 345 More than 8,500 years ago, ancient people crossed the ocean to the remote isla... more

13 Feb 2026

40 MINS

40:10

13 Feb 2026


#411

Why Elon Musk plans to put 1 million satellites in orbit; Should we be giving sleep drugs to kids?; ...

Episode 344 Elon Musk has announced he wants to merge SpaceX with another of his companies... more

06 Feb 2026

37 MINS

37:39

06 Feb 2026


#410

Mini human brain grows blood vessels; The geoengineering risk of termination shock; Trove of ancient...

Episode 343 The task of growing human brains in a lab has taken a step forward. Scientists... more

30 Jan 2026

40 MINS

40:29

30 Jan 2026


#409

The 5 worst ideas of the 21st century – and how they went wrong

Episode 342 Social media began with the best intentions - but it soon went sour. Platforms... more

23 Jan 2026

41 MINS

41:10

23 Jan 2026


#408

Rutger Bregman on the crisis of moral ambition; Why primates have same-sex relationships; Living lon...

Episode 341 "The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click a... more

16 Jan 2026

54 MINS

54:25

16 Jan 2026


#407

Why does America want Greenland?; Mystery of dark DNA; Ozempic weight rebound

Episode 340 Acquiring Greenland has been deemed a national security priority by America. P... more

09 Jan 2026

31 MINS

31:18

09 Jan 2026


#406

Humans are finally heading back to the moon; Cheaper weight loss drugs are coming; Milestone for LSD...

Episode 339 Humans are finally going back to the moon. NASA’s Artemis II mission is set to... more

02 Jan 2026

32 MINS

32:30

02 Jan 2026


#405

Best science TV, film and books of 2025 | The New Scientist culture review

Episode 336 Looking for something great to read or watch on TV over the festive period? We... more

26 Dec 2025

24 MINS

24:03

26 Dec 2025


#404

Top Science Stories of 2025 | The New Scientist Features Special

Episode 337 As we reach the end of the year, catch up on some of New Scientist’s most exci... more

19 Dec 2025

59 MINS

59:57

19 Dec 2025


#403

Orcas and dolphins are now hunting together; Genetic root of psychiatric conditions; Black hole star...

Episode 336 In an unlikely turn of events, orcas and dolphins have been observed teaming u... more

12 Dec 2025

33 MINS

33:02

12 Dec 2025


#402

How exercise shrinks tumours and starves cancer; Weird molecules found on comet 3I/ATLAS; Einstein v...

Episode 335 Exercise has been shown to shrink tumours by 60 per cent. A new study shows an... more

05 Dec 2025

25 MINS

25:25

05 Dec 2025


#401

The evolution of sperm and the enduring mystery of the scrotum; How our brain rewires itself 4 times...

Episode 334 Which sperm is the oldest sperm - the ancestor sperm that came before all othe... more

28 Nov 2025

39 MINS

39:11

28 Nov 2025