…

Science Weekly

…

The Guardian

Twice a week, the Guardian brings you the latest science and environment news

#300

Telepathy…what’s the evidence?

A podcast promoting claims that non-verbal autistic children can read minds briefly knocked Joe Rogan off the top of the charts this month, which made the Science Weekly team wonder, how has science attempted to prove or disprove the existence of mind reading? To find out, Ian Sample speaks to Chris French, emeritus professor of parapsychology at Goldsmiths University. They discuss how scientists have tested this phenomenon, what else could be behind the apparent ability of some people to read minds, and why the idea is still so popular. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

6 hrs Ago

17 MINS

17:23

6 hrs Ago

#299

Our science predictions for 2025

Last year was full of unexpected science news, from a new strain of Mpox emerging in the DRC, to artificial intelligence dominating the Nobel prizes and two astronauts getting ‘stuck’ in space. So what will this year bring? Ian Sample and science correspondent Hannah Devlin discuss the big stories likely to hit the headlines and share their predictions for 2025. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

16 Jan 2025

18 MINS

18:37

16 Jan 2025

#298

How weather ‘whiplash’ set the stage for the LA fires

As wildfires continue to cause devastation in Los Angeles, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Albert van Dijk, professor of water science and management at the Australian National University, about how rising temperatures are causing rapid swings in extreme weather. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

14 Jan 2025

14 MINS

14:27

14 Jan 2025

#297

Where did our attention spans go, and can we get them back?

The Oxford English Dictionary announced its word of the year at the end of 2024: brain rot. The term relates to the supposedly negative effects of consuming social media content, but it struck a chord more widely with many of us who feel we just don’t have the mental capacity we once did. Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, has been studying our waning attention spans for 20 years. She tells Madeleine Finlay why she believes our powers of concentration are not beyond rescue, and reveals her top tips for finding focus. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

09 Jan 2025

17 MINS

17:10

09 Jan 2025

#296

Are we hardwired to commit ‘deadly sins’?

Scientists are increasingly finding that behaviours once seen as depraved often have a direct physical cause. To find out more, Ian Sample hears from Guy Leschziner, a consultant neurologist and sleep physician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital in London. His new book, Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human, looks at the neurological basis of behaviours often dismissed as evidence of bad character or lack of willpower. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

07 Jan 2025

20 MINS

20:33

07 Jan 2025

#295

Revisited: does the evidence on glucose tracking add up?

You might have noticed that everyone has recently become a bit obsessed with blood sugar, or glucose. Wellness firms such as Zoe in the UK – as well as Nutrisense, Levels and Signos – claim to offer insights into how our bodies process food based on monitoring our blood glucose, among other things. But many researchers have begun to question the science behind this. In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to the philosopher Julian Baggini, the University of Oxford academic dietician Dr Nicola Guess, and Zoe’s chief scientist the King’s College London nutrition expert Prof Sarah Berry to find out what we know about blood glucose levels and our health, and whether the science is nailed down on personalised nutrition. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

02 Jan 2025

30 MINS

30:06

02 Jan 2025

#294

Revisited: just how bad is alcohol for us?

For the regular drinker, the studies that say a daily tipple is better for a longer life than avoiding alcohol completely are a source of great comfort. But a new analysis challenges that thinking and says it was based on flawed research that compares drinkers with people who are sick and sober. In this episode from August, Madeleine Finlay hears from the study’s lead author, Tim Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, to find out why scientists (including him) were so convinced, and what the actual risks of alcohol are. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

31 Dec 2024

17 MINS

17:00

31 Dec 2024

#293

Revisited: the endless sexual diversity of nature

In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to Josh Davis, a science writer at the Natural History Museum in London and author of the book A Little Gay Natural History. A study published in June 2024 suggested that, although animal scientists widely observe same-sex sexual behaviour in primates and other mammals, they seldom publish about it. Josh considers why this might be and describes some of his favourite examples of sexual diversity from the animal kingdom.. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

26 Dec 2024

18 MINS

18:19

26 Dec 2024

#292

Revisited: are the world’s oldest people really that old?

In this episode from September, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Saul Newman, an interdisciplinary researcher at University College London and the University of Oxford, who has recently won an Ig Nobel prize – given to scientific research that ‘first makes people laugh, and then makes them think’ – for his work showing that many claims of people living extraordinarily long lives come from places with short lifespans, no birth certificates, and where clerical errors and pension fraud abound. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

24 Dec 2024

16 MINS

16:44

24 Dec 2024

#291

‘Soft and calorie dense’: Chris van Tulleken on how ultra-processed foods keep us hooked

Dr Chris van Tulleken has been at the forefront of the campaign to change our food system and better regulate the sale of ultra-processed foods (UPF). This year he will be giving the Royal Institution Christmas lectures, Britain’s most prestigious public science lectures, in which he’ll be investigating how food has fundamentally shaped human evolution, the importance of our microbiome – as the extra ‘organ’ we didn’t know we had – and how we can all eat better in future, for the sake of our own health and the health of the planet. Nicola Davis sat down with Van Tulleken to discuss the lectures, the challenge of understanding the impact of UPFs on our health, and his top tip for Christmas dinner. Madeleine Finlay hears from them both in this Christmas special edition of Science Weekly. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

19 Dec 2024

18 MINS

18:18

19 Dec 2024

#290

Is our model of the universe wrong?

For the past 10 years cosmologists have been left scratching their heads over why two methods for measuring the universe’s rate of expansion provide totally different results. There are two possible solutions to the puzzle, known as the Hubble tension: either something is wrong with the measurements or something is wrong with our model of the universe. It was hoped that observations from the James Webb space telescope might shed some light on the problem, but instead results published last week have continued to muddy the waters. To understand why the expansion rate of the universe remains a mystery, and what might be needed to finally pin it down, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Catherine Heymans, the astronomer royal for Scotland and a professor of astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

17 Dec 2024

17 MINS

17:45

17 Dec 2024

#289

Does Google’s ‘mindboggling’ new chip bring quantum computers any closer?

On Monday Google unveiled its Willow quantum computing chip. The new chip takes just five minutes to complete tasks that would take 10 septillion years for some of the world’s fastest conventional computers to complete. But despite its impressive power, it’s not clear the chip has any practical applications. So does it bring quantum computing any closer? To find out Ian Sample speaks to Winfried Hensinger, professor of quantum technologies at the University of Sussex. Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, you may notice some disruption to the availability of new episodes in your Guardian podcast feeds in the coming days. All the work on this episode was done before the strike action began. For more information please head to theguardian.com. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

12 Dec 2024

18 MINS

18:03

12 Dec 2024

#288

The science of laughing

Madeleine Finlay speaks to Sophie Scott, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, to dig into the science of laughter. Sophie explains what exactly laughter is, the many different purposes it serves for humans and animals, and how prioritising it could make us all feel a little better. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

10 Dec 2024

18 MINS

18:17

10 Dec 2024

#287

Revisited: Secrets of the gut microbiome

Ian Sample speaks to colorectal surgeon and researcher James Kinross about the miraculous world of our gut microbiome, how modern life is impacting it, and what we can do to look after it Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, we are re-running an episode from earlier in the year. For more information please head to theguardian.com. We’ll be back with new episodes soon.. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

05 Dec 2024

21 MINS

21:21

05 Dec 2024

#286

What really helps with hangovers?

What if you could take a pill or a shot that could reduce your blood alcohol level and make you feel better in the morning? That’s the promise of a range of wellness products aiming to be the next big hangover antidote. But what exactly are hangovers, and which methods of preventing them are backed by science? Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Sally Adams, an alcohol researcher and associate professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

03 Dec 2024

18 MINS

18:13

03 Dec 2024

#285

What’s going on with fluoride?

The conversation about fluoride’s health benefits has exploded recently after a US federal toxicology report, court ruling and independent scientific review all called for updated risk-benefit analysis. Ian Sample hears from Catherine Carstairs, professor of history at the University of Guelph in Canada, about how attitudes to fluoridation have evolved, and Oliver Jones, professor of chemistry at RMIT University in Australia, about where the science stands today. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

28 Nov 2024

16 MINS

16:06

28 Nov 2024

#284

‘Travesty of justice’: Cop29’s controversial deal

Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, about the controversial climate finance deal that brought Cop29 negotiations to a close in the early hours on Sunday morning in Baku, Azerbaijan. Developing countries asked rich countries to provide them with $1.3tn a year to help them decarbonise their economies and cope with the effects of the climate crisis. But the final deal set a pledge of just $300bn annually, with $1.3tn only a target. Damian tells Madeleine how negotiations unfolded, and what we can expect from next year’s conference in Brazil. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

25 Nov 2024

15 MINS

15:31

25 Nov 2024

#283

The science behind yo-yo diets, bird flu news and which Brits can spot a fake accent

Science editor Ian Sample joins host Madeleine Finlay to discuss some of the most intriguing science stories of the week. From a study finding that fat cells ‘remembering’ past obesity drives yo-yo dieting, to concerning developments in the bird flu virus, and research pinpointing which parts of the UK are best at spotting fake accents. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

21 Nov 2024

21 MINS

21:12

21 Nov 2024

#282

What does it take to become an astronaut?

It’s a dream for many children, but what does it actually take to become an astronaut? Science correspondent Hannah Devlin tells Ian Sample about her trip on a zero gravity flight with the European Space Agency (Esa). Back on solid ground she also got to speak to Rosemary Coogan, one of Esa’s newest recruits, about the rigorous process that led to her being chosen from more than 20,000 applicants, to become an astronaut, and what she hopes to achieve in her role. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

19 Nov 2024

15 MINS

15:46

19 Nov 2024

#281

Secrets of happiness: the happiness hacks backed up by science

At a moment when the world feels like a particularly unsettling place, Science Weekly is asking what it is that makes humans happy – and how we can bring more happiness into our lives. In episode two, Ian Sample asks which happiness strategies are backed up by science. He hears from Elizabeth Dunn, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, who recently scrutinised a whole lot of happiness research to work out which recommendations are most reliable. Help support our independent journalism at [theguardian.com/sciencepod] (https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod) ... Read more

14 Nov 2024

16 MINS

16:45

14 Nov 2024

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

#300

Telepathy…what’s the evidence?

#299

Our science predictions for 2025

#298

How weather ‘whiplash’ set the stage for the LA fires

#297

Where did our attention spans go, and can we get them back?

#296

Are we hardwired to commit ‘deadly sins’?

#295

Revisited: does the evidence on glucose tracking add up?

#294

Revisited: just how bad is alcohol for us?

#293

Revisited: the endless sexual diversity of nature

#292

Revisited: are the world’s oldest people really that old?

#291

‘Soft and calorie dense’: Chris van Tulleken on how ultra-processed foods keep us hooked

#290

Is our model of the universe wrong?

#289

Does Google’s ‘mindboggling’ new chip bring quantum computers any closer?

#288

The science of laughing

#287

Revisited: Secrets of the gut microbiome

#286

What really helps with hangovers?

#285

What’s going on with fluoride?

#284

‘Travesty of justice’: Cop29’s controversial deal

#283

The science behind yo-yo diets, bird flu news and which Brits can spot a fake accent

#282

What does it take to become an astronaut?

#281

Secrets of happiness: the happiness hacks backed up by science