PODCAST

Science Weekly

The Guardian

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

science

All Episodes

00:16:02

A mysterious millionaire and the quest to live under...

Science Weekly ·

2025/03/18

Before billionaires dreamed of setting up communities on Mars, the ocean was seen as the next frontier in human habitation. Reviving this dream is Deep, a project backed by an anonymous millionaire to the tune of more than £100m that aims to establish a ‘permanent human presence’ under the sea from 2027. Guardian Seascape editor Lisa Bachelor visited the project just outside Chepstow on the Welsh border, and tells Madeleine Finlay what scientists hope to learn about the ocean by spending extended

en-gb

00:14:03

Use it or lose it: how to sharpen your brain as you age

Science Weekly ·

2025/03/13

Many of us believe that cognitive decline is an inevitable part of ageing, but a new study looking at how our skills change with age challenges that idea. Ian Sample talks to Ludger Wößmann, a professor of economics at the University of Munich and one of the study’s authors, to find out how the team delved into the data to come to their conclusions, and what they discovered about how we can all maintain our faculties for as long as possible. Help support our independent journalism at <a

en-gb

00:13:52

Mars-a-lago? Did the red planet once have sandy beaches?

Science Weekly ·

2025/03/11

The Mars we know now is arid and dusty, with punishing radiation levels. But, as science correspondent Nicola Davis tells Madeleine Finlay, two new studies add weight to the idea that billions of years ago the red planet was a much wetter place. Nicola explains why researchers now think it was once home to sandy beaches, what a study looking into the type of rust on the planet has revealed about its damp past, and what all this might tell us about the former habitability of Mars. Help support our

en-gb

00:22:46

Moon missions, Musk v scientists, sperm and longevity

Science Weekly ·

2025/03/06

Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss three intriguing science stories from the week. From two private moon landings to the controversy over Elon Musk’s continued membership of the Royal Society, and a new study making a link between men’s health and their sperm quality. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:14:38

Why it’s boom time for beavers in England

Science Weekly ·

2025/03/04

Beavers were once abundant in the UK, but hunting them for their fur, meat and scent oil drove them to extinction. Now they’re back, with the news that the release of beavers into English waterways is to be allowed for the first time in centuries. To understand why this is seen as a huge win for the environment, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s environment reporter Helena Horton.. Help support our independent journalism at <a

en-gb

00:15:47

Drinks cans and chicken bones: will ‘technofossils’...

Science Weekly ·

2025/02/27

When the palaeontologists of the future search for clues to understand how we lived, what might they find? Two scientists exploring this question have suggested that ‘technofossils’ will be our lasting imprint on the Earth. To find out exactly what these are and what they could reveal about our lives, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, and from Sarah Gabbott, a professor of palaeontology at the University of Leicester and one of the scientists behind

en-gb

00:21:07

How Trump unleashed chaos in science

Science Weekly ·

2025/02/25

In his first month in office the US president has thrown science in the US into chaos, delaying projects and casting the future of research funding and jobs into doubt. To understand everything that has happened in the month since he took office and what its impact could be, Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and Prof Harold Varmus, a Nobel prize winner and former director of the National Institutes of Health under Bill Clinton. Help support our independent journalism at <a

en-gb

00:19:01

Singing mice, constipated kids and nurture beats...

Science Weekly ·

2025/02/20

Science editor Ian Sample joins co-host Madeleine Finlay to discuss some of the most intriguing science stories of the week. From a concerning rise in hospital diagnoses of constipation in children, to research suggesting that the environment is far more important for ageing and longevity than our genes, and how squeaks from genetically engineered mice are providing insight into how human language may have emerged. Help support our independent journalism at <a

en-gb

00:16:22

Should we ban cats?

Science Weekly ·

2025/02/18

The Scottish first minister, John Swinney, was recently forced to deny plans to ban cats after a report from independent experts said the species was a threat to Scotland’s wildlife. In the UK, it is estimated that cats kill or bring home 57 million mammals and 27 million birds every year. Ian Sample hears from cat-owner Madeleine Finlay and the ecologist Prof Robbie McDonald about the best ways to reduce our feline companions’ impact on wildlife without affecting welfare. Help support our

en-gb

00:17:26

What is ‘mirror life’ and why are scientists sounding...

Science Weekly ·

2025/02/13

Recently, a group of world-leading scientists called for a halt on research to create ‘mirror life’ microbes amid concerns that the synthetic organisms would present an ‘unprecedented risk’ to life on Earth. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay about why this work initially seemed exciting for scientists and what the risks of it continuing could be. And Kate Adamala, assistant professor of genetics, cell biology and development at the University of Minnesota, describes what made her change her mind

en-gb

00:15:43

Don’t look up: is an asteroid heading for Earth?

Science Weekly ·

2025/02/11

In a case of life imitating art, a 100-metre-wide asteroid has triggered global planetary defence procedures for the first time, after telescope observations revealed it had a chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. To find out what happens now and how worried we should be, Ian Sample hears from Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at MIT and inventor of the Torino scale, which is used to categorise the threat posed by objects such as asteroids and comets. Help support our independent

en-gb

00:16:03

DeepSeek, weapons and climate? What’s on the table at...

Science Weekly ·

2025/02/06

From the shockwaves caused by DeepSeek’s launch, to fears of a new AI arms race, and the continued questions over the technology’s energy use, AI continues to throw up new challenges. As world leaders gather for the Paris AI summit, the Guardian’s global technology editor, Dan Milmo, joins Madeleine Finlay to discuss what will be top of the agenda. And young people attending the Alan Turing Institute’s Children’s AI summit explain what their hopes and fears for the technology are. Help support our

en-gb

00:17:52

Can Trump and RFK Jr make America healthy again?

Science Weekly ·

2025/02/04

Senators are scheduled to vote today on whether to advance Robert F Kennedy Jr’s nomination as Secretary of State for Health and Human Services. RFK Jr is known for his vaccine skepticism and Make America Healthy Again slogan, which has won him support from everyone from wellness fans and ‘crunchy moms’ to traditional Republicans. US health reporter Jessica Glenza tells Ian Sample about how he fared at last week’s confirmation hearings, and what he might do if he takes a seat in Trump’s cabinet

en-gb

00:22:33

Protein, weights and the best way to keep fit: your...

Science Weekly ·

2025/01/30

In the second episode of our listener questions special, Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what he has uncovered about who the exercise guidelines were created for and whether they apply to all of us, which exercises are best for keeping us strong, whether we should be eating particular foods when we exercise, and how much protein we need to consume if we’re packing in the hours at the gym. With contributions from Jason Gill, professor of cardiometabolic health at the University of Glasgow; Benjamin

en-gb

00:23:31

Sugar, seed oils, and avoiding sickness: your health...

Science Weekly ·

2025/01/28

We asked for your questions on getting healthy in 2025 and you delivered. In the first episode of our listener questions special, Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample what she has uncovered about the scientifically proven ways to cut down on sugar, the truth behind the panic over seed oils, and why it is that some of us seem to have bullet proof immune systems, while others succumb to every bug they encounter. With contributions from Wendy Wood, provost professor emerita of psychology and business at

en-gb

00:18:49

The science of racism, and how to fight it

Science Weekly ·

2025/01/23

Ian Sample speaks to Keon West, a professor of social psychology at the University of London, whose new book, The Science of Racism, explores what science can reveal about racism, the inventive methods scientists have used to study it and the scientifically proven ways of tackling racism and discrimination. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:17:23

Telepathy…what’s the evidence?

Science Weekly ·

2025/01/21

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 psychology 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,

en-gb

00:18:37

Our science predictions for 2025

Science Weekly ·

2025/01/16

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 <a

en-gb

00:14:27

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

Science Weekly ·

2025/01/14

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 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:17:10

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

Science Weekly ·

2025/01/09

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

en-gb

530 results

Science Weekly

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Mission to Mars

Inception Point Ai

The 365 Days of Astronomy

365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Creek Devil

william Jevning

UFO Chronicles Podcast

Nik Hunter