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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

science

All Episodes

21:52

Dead Planets Society: #5 The Return of Pluto

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/09/11

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 determined to reverse.Special guests are Kathryn Volk of the University of Arizona and Konstantin Batygin of the California Institute of Technology, who discuss several approaches to boosting Pluto’s status, from helping it pack on the pounds, to dragging it into the inner solar system, to sabotaging one of its

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29:23

Weekly: New type of brain cell; Alaska’s first bridge...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/09/08

#214A 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 brain health and function, and even enable treatments for conditions like Parkinsons.Building a bridge over a moving glacier is no mean feat. But rising global temperatures have thawed the permafrost in Denali National Park in Alaska, causing its only access road to sink. A bridge may be the only way to continue

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34:04

CultureLab: The weird ways animals sense the world –...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/09/05

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, the way humans experience the world is not the only way.Every animal has its own ‘umwelt’ – a unique sensory experience that allows it to perceive the world differently. As humans we can barely begin to understand what the world looks like to many of the other creatures that inhabit the Earth. But author Ed

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27:02

Weekly: Our ancestors nearly went extinct?; Why beer...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/09/01

#213Our 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 dramatic claim of research into the genetic diversity of our early ancestors – though some scientists disagree with the conclusions.Despite being completely paralysed and unable to speak, Rodney Gorham can still communicate… by typing messages with his mind. Rodney is one of the first people in the world to use a new

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14:03

Dead Planets Society #4: Asteroid Gong

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/08/28

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 Andy Rivkin of John Hopkins University joins them to discuss the myriad ways in which we could deflect, destroy or intercept asteroids headed towards Earth. Among the team’s suggestions: a humongous net (a world-wide-web?), a gigantic gong… and Bruce Willis.Dead Planets Society is a podcast that takes outlandish ideas about how

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25:58

Weekly: India lands on the moon; Placenta cells could...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/08/25

#212India 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 ambitions after a historic touchdown. Plus why Russia’s rival mission ended in disaster, and the future of lunar exploration worldwide.Cells found in placentas may be able to treat heart attacks. Researchers were first clued into this amazing healing capability after two pregnant women spontaneously recovered from heart

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28:15

CultureLab: Must watch science shows – the best TV of...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/08/22

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 top TV choices from 2023 so far, as well as what to look out for the rest of the year.Reviews of some of the shows featured in this episode:Foundation (Apple TV)The Last Of Us (HBO Max and Sky Atlantic)Best Interests (Sky Go, Amazon, Apple TV)Wild Isles (BBC iPlayer, Amazon)Dead Ringers (Amazon)Silo (Apple

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32:49

Weekly: Climate Special - an antidote for doom; plus...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/08/18

#211The 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 the sand or succumb to doom and gloom - a dose of reality and hope. In this climate special, a look at how our record-setting year fits the predictions, the incredible good news about the global energy transition and an appeal to the power of our decisions to make a difference in the future.There’s a new covid-19

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16:18

Dead Planets Society #3: Gravitational Wave Apocalypse

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/08/14

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.Christopher Berry at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) explains how they could create their own gravitational waves using a bespoke black hole machine, and helps them understand how to control such a device for their nefarious purposes…Dead Planets Society is a podcast that takes

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25:51

Weekly: Ultra-processed foods not so bad?; Another...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/08/11

#210Ultra-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 of healthy diets than we release.Nuclear fusion, which could some day offer a low-waste source of clean power, is one step closer to becoming viable. Last year scientists managed to get more power out of a fusion reactor than they put in – a huge breakthrough for the technology. And this year they’ve done one

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19:55

CultureLab: Adventures of a prehistoric girl – Alice...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/08/07

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 leads her on a great adventure.Inspired by her own experiences trekking through the arctic, the book imagines what life would’ve been like for humans of the time, how they might’ve interacted with neanderthals and grapples with questions like: how were the first wolves domesticated?In this episode of

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32:32

Weekly: Surprise superconductor claims put to the...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/08/04

#209The 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 and so other scientists are racing to try to test it for themselves. If the findings are true it would be transformative to science and technology. It’s not just researchers, however, who are testing the material, citizen scientists are also trying to create it at home. Early results are now in.There’s a plan to

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21:17

Dead Planets Society #2: Punch A Hole in a Planet

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/07/31

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, Baptiste Journaux of the University of Washington and Konstantin Batygin of the California Institute of Technology, our hosts drill down into the science of achieving this momentous task, discussing which planets are perfect for perforation, how to deal with melting drill bits, and catapulting a whale to outer space…Tune

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27:27

Weekly: Cheaper cures for many diseases; How to...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/07/28

New Scientist Weekly #208Better and cheaper treatments for everything from sickle cell disease to ageing should come as a result of a new technique for delivering mRNA to blood stem cells. The technique has been adapted from the technology in mRNA covid-19 vaccines and could even be used for doping in sport.Controversial claims of a superconductor that works at room temperature and pressure have ignited heated discussion this week. Such a finding would be revolutionary, with implications for

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25:22

CultureLab: Oppenheimer – The rise and fall of the...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/07/24

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 in the US in a race against Nazi Germany to create the first nuclear weapon. Then it was used to kill thousands in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.In Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s new 3-hour blockbuster, the film focuses on the years that followed and how the physicist’s campaigning ultimately led to his

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30:02

Weekly: How to measure consciousness; Nature-made...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/07/21

New Scientist Weekly #206A major theory of consciousness is being put to the test with brain scans. Integrated information theory proposes a value called "phi" to represent consciousness and in a new experiment, it seems to work. Does the discovery bring us any closer to solving the elusive “hard problem” of neuroscience?Graphene has been hailed as a super material since its synthesis in 2004. But, unbeknownst to us, nature has long-been producing graphene, right under our noses. Understanding

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19:44

Dead Planets Society #1: Kill The Sun

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/07/17

The sun is the centre of our solar system, the parent body to all the planets, unquestionably the most important cosmic objectforlife on Earth. But what if we were to destroy it?It turns outthat iseasier said than done. In the premier episode of the Dead Planets Society podcast, our hosts Leah Crane and Chelsea Whyte resort to extreme methods in their quest to put out the sun. They learn that adding a giant ball of water to the equation will only provide more fuel for the fire, stretching the sun

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29:14

Weekly: JWST’s amazing year; Giant sloth jewellery;...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/07/14

New Scientist Weekly #205Following a year of incredible, awe-inspiring images from deep space, the team is celebrating the 1st birthday of the James Webb Space Telescope. They reflect on the amazing discoveries so far, and look at how JWST will alter our understanding of the universe.From this summer, the International Seabed Authority will be considering licences for deep sea mining, despite the fact that no set of rules has been agreed upon to govern it. At this critical time, the team explores

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19:54

CultureLab: Earth’s Deep History: Chris Packham on...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/07/11

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 five-part BBC documentary narrated by naturalist Chris Packham, tells the story of this change by looking at significant moments in the planet’s history - from the dramatic moment when nearly all life on Earth was wiped out, to the end of the dinosaurs and the rise of humanity.In this episode, Chris explains why he was

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24:19

Weekly: Earth breaks heat records; Quantum LiDAR for...

The world, the universe and us ·

2023/07/07

New Scientist Weekly #203July 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 US and the UK coast, the team finds out what’s driving temperatures to such extremes.Driverless cars could someday go quantum. LiDAR, a light-detection device used in driverless cars to help them navigate, could be replaced by quantum light, or photons. The team explains how this would make driverless cars better at

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