PODCAST

Science Weekly

The Guardian

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

science

All Episodes

00:15:46

What does it take to become an astronaut?

Science Weekly ·

2024/11/19

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

en-gb

00:16:45

Secrets of happiness: the happiness hacks backed up...

Science Weekly ·

2024/11/14

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

en-gb

00:18:18

Secrets of happiness: what makes a country happy?

Science Weekly ·

2024/11/12

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 can we bring more happiness into our lives? In episode one, Ian Sample asks what makes a country happy? Johannes Eichstaedt, assistant professor of psychology and human-centred AI at Stanford University, explains why the Nordic countries often rank highly in the annual World Happiness Report, and what we can learn if we look beyond them. Help support our

en-gb

00:17:43

What will Trump 2.0 mean for science?

Science Weekly ·

2024/11/06

Madeleine Finlay talks to science editor and podcast co-host Ian Sample about how Donald Trump approached science when in office last time, and what his second term is likely to mean for the environment, health and scientific research. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:21:25

Could we really live on Mars?

Science Weekly ·

2024/11/05

Space-settling enthusiasts have long had an eye on Mars, and now they have the backing of the world’s richest man. Elon Musk recently claimed that humans could be on the planet by 2030 and be living there in a self-sustaining city within 20 years. But is it really that simple? Madeleine Finlay heads to Imperial College London where Prof Sanjeev Gupta gives her a tour of the red planet, and meets Kelly Weinersmith who, along with her husband, Zach, recently won the Royal Society Trivedi science book

en-gb

00:15:35

Love motels and gridlocked talks: all the news from...

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/31

Biodiversity correspondent Phoebe Weston takes Madeleine Finlay through the news from the UN Cop16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia. Countries are wrangling over funding to protect nature and who should profit from the natural resources of the world’s least developed nations. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:19:43

The US tech startup promising smarter babies

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/29

A startup company, Heliospect Genomics, is offering to help wealthy couples screen their embryos for IQ using controversial technology that raises questions about the ethics of genetic enhancement. Science correspondent Hannah Devlin tells Madeleine Finlay about the joint investigation into the company by the Guardian and the campaign group Hope Not Hate. Help support our independent journalism at <a

en-gb

00:16:29

What’s at stake for the climate if Trump wins?

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/24

With less than two weeks until the US election, Madeleine Finlay speaks to climate activist and author Bill McKibben to find out what a win for Donald Trump could mean for the environment and the world’s climate goals. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:16:26

How the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs made ants...

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/22

Madeleine Finlay hears from Ted Schultz, curator of ants at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, about his recent study into the origins of fungi farming in ants. He tells Madeleine about the incredibly complex way that ants cultivate and protect their fungi gardens, and how the asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago could have kickstarted it all. Help support our independent journalism at <a

en-gb

00:17:23

Is sleep perfectionism making us more exhausted?

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/17

As the sleep tracking industry booms, some worry that it could be driving orthosomnia, the medical term for an unhealthy obsession with attaining perfect sleep, usually driven by a wearable device. Madeleine Finlay speaks to consultant neurologist and sleep physician Dr Guy Leschziner to find out whether this tech is helping or hindering our chances of maximising sleep’s health benefits. Help support our independent journalism at <a

en-gb

00:15:22

What Milton and Helene reveal about the future of...

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/15

Ian Sample speaks to Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at nonprofit Climate Central, about the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season so far, and what it tells us about how hurricanes will behave in future. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:23:49

All the news and science from the 2024 Nobel prizes

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/09

With awards for the discovery of microRNA and the creation of new proteins, plus recognition for artificial intelligence via the physics and chemistry prizes, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian science team – Nicola Davis, Ian Sample and Hannah Devlin – as they break down the news, science and surprises from this year’s Nobels. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:16:09

Could AI help fight conspiracy theories?

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/08

We’re used to hearing about the power of artificial intelligence to spread misinformation – but could it also be a tool for persuading people of the truth? Ian Sample speaks to Thomas Costello, an assistant professor of psychology at American University, who has published a study exploring the potential for AI chatbots to lead people away from conspiracy beliefs. Help support our independent journalism at <a

en-gb

00:16:05

Everything you need to know about Covid this autumn

Science Weekly ·

2024/10/03

Madeleine Finlay is joined by Ian Sample, the Guardian’s science editor and Science Weekly co-host, to answer the questions we are all asking about Covid this autumn, from what is going on with the new variant XEC to how to get a vaccine and what scientists think the government should be doing differently. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod">theguardian.com/sciencepod</a>

en-gb

00:17:52

End of an era: Britain finally says goodbye to coal

Science Weekly ·

2024/09/30

Just before Britain’s last coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, powered down for the final time, Madeleine Finlay travelled to Nottinghamshire with energy correspondent Jillian Ambrose for a last tour of the site. Britain is the first major economy to move away from coal entirely as it strives to meet the target of net zero by 2030. Jillian and Madeleine speak to employees to find out what working at the plant has meant to them, and how they’re feeling as the closing date approaches. Help

en-gb

00:14:40

Is the ocean becoming too acidic to sustain life?

Science Weekly ·

2024/09/26

Industrial civilisation is close to breaching a seventh planetary boundary, and may already have crossed it, according to scientists who have compiled the latest report on the state of the world’s life-support systems. They say ocean acidification is close to critical threshold, posing a threat to marine ecosystems and global liveability. Ian Sample speaks to Prof Helen Findlay, a biological oceanographer at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, to find out why the oceans have reached this state, and

en-gb

00:16:09

Are the world’s oldest people really that old?

Science Weekly ·

2024/09/24

Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Saul Newman, an interdisciplinary researcher at University College London and the University of Oxford, who has just 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. He tells Madeleine what happened when he went

en-gb

00:36:44

Live episode: will AI make a good companion?

Science Weekly ·

2024/09/21

In a special episode recorded live at the British Science Festival, Madeleine Finlay and guests explore the question: will AI make a good companion? AI could give us new ways to tackle difficult problems, from young people’s mental health issues to isolation in care homes. It also raises challenging questions about the increasing role of tech in our personal lives. To explore these questions, Madeleine is joined by the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample; Tony Prescott, a professor of

en-gb

00:14:25

The sweeping reorganisation of the brain in...

Science Weekly ·

2024/09/19

Ian Sample talks to Dr Laura Pritschet, a postdoctoral fellow of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, about her research using precision scans to capture the profound changes that sweep across the brain during pregnancy. She explains what this new work reveals about how the brain is reorganised in this period, whether it could it help us better understand conditions like pre-eclampsia and postnatal depression, and why women’s brains have often been overlooked by neuroscience. And

en-gb

00:16:52

From dementia to heart disease: could weight-loss...

Science Weekly ·

2024/09/17

They were developed as diabetes drugs, then their potential for promoting significant weight loss became apparent. And now study after study seems to suggest that drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy could have all sorts of health benefits, leading some scientists to hail them a breakthrough that could transform many chronic diseases of ageing. But what’s the mechanism for these effects and is it caused by more than weight loss? The Guardian’s science correspondent Nicola Davis tells Madeleine Finlay

en-gb

516 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