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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 usis 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 onNew Scientist’s unparalleled depth of reporting to put the stories that matter into context. Feed your curiosity with the

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All Episodes

20:09

Climate Crisis Is Triggering Global Food Shortages -...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/07/17

Episode 386 The climate crisis is having a significant impact on yields of crucial food crops. Losses of maize, wheat and soybeans alone are costing $20 billion a year due to heat and drought. New estimates expect this to rise to $160 billion per year by 2100 - although that could be an underestimate. While this means food prices will keep on rising in developed countries, the majority of the population in the world’s least developed regions work in farming, so crop losses have the potential to

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31:38

7 Essential Lessons We Can Learn From Homer’s Odyssey

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/07/13

Episode 385 What can Homer’s Odyssey teach us about psychology and human nature? Locked up in this 2,500-year-old text are a host of profound lessons and ancient wisdom. In her new book The Odyssey Mindset, Oxford classicist and clinical psychologist Sam Akbar draws on seven essential lessons from this classic piece of Greek literature. She showcases what it teaches us about issues like grief, ego and dealing with trauma - translating The Odyssey into a toolkit for modern life. The book is out

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28:19

Chris Packham on the Untold Story of Evolution

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/07/09

Episode 384 The story of evolution is being brought to life in a new way. BBC series Evolution tells the story of 5 iconic animals, from elephants to ostriches, using CGI to reimagine ancient fossils. And this isn’t just about the animals that came before them, but also explores the intricacies of how locomotion, intelligence, feeding, and reproduction emerged. The series is hosted by broadcaster, natural history legend, and New Scientist superfan Chris Packham, who hopes Evolution will remind

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20:01

Heatwaves Are Getting Deadlier - And It’s Going To...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/07/07

Episode 383 As another heatwave takes hold, figures are now showing just how deadly the last one was. With one early estimate suggesting as many as 25,000 people may have died in Europe as a result of June’s extreme heat. Heatwaves across Europe, Asia, Australia and the US hit record highs last month and wildfires are now spreading across southern Europe. And as the effects of climate change increase the intensity year on year, can we be better prepared for the next ones coming our way? In this

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20:38

Breakthrough Synthetic Cell Has Just Reproduced - But...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/07/03

Episode 382 Scientists have created a synthetic cell with just 36 genes that can copy DNA and replicate. In an attempt to create a “minimal cell”, a team led by professor Kate Adamala have built “SpudCell” from the ground up, using non-living components. But is it alive - and is it dangerous? Despite being able to carry out some of the tasks of a normal cell, it’s not clear that it’s capable of evolution - yet. But it is a major breakthrough in the field and could pave the way for the creation of

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47:36

The Science of Football: Inside the 2026 World Cup

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/07/02

Episode 381 Advances in sports science, data analysis and AI are having a huge impact on the way football is played. With England rated highly in this year’s World Cup, and teams such as Paraguay causing upsets - how will science help give teams an edge? In the past there was very little data available to help assess player performance - and diet and training were much more rudimentary. But now we can analyse information in an incredibly sophisticated way, which is changing what players can

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16:40

Ancient Human DNA Found in Stone Age Cave Art For...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/06/30

Episode 380 The DNA of ancient humans has been found preserved in cave art that’s more than 40,000 years old. This discovery could open an entirely new avenue for finding out about the lives of our ancient ancestors. Researchers from the First Art project found these unexpected samples while examining 11 different caves decorated with rock art. Although it’s unclear if the DNA belongs to the original artist, it may soon be possible for researchers to identify the exact person who did the painting

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25:59

A “Super” El Niño May Be Coming - Here’s What It Means

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/06/22

Episode 379El Niño has officially arrived – a natural climate event that raises global temperatures. The difference this time is it looks very likely to become a “Super” El Niño. This is a more extreme warming phase which could lead to record high temperatures. Coupled with the ongoing impacts of climate change, weather agencies are predicting an increase in extreme weather events around the world. From droughts to floods and devastating coral bleaching, what will this year’s warming bring? We

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21:01

The Lost Solstice Monument That Predates Stonehenge...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/06/18

Episode 378A prototype Stonehenge has been discovered - an even older structure that may have been a first attempt at building the famous megalithic calendar. A team led by archaeologist Phil Harding, best-known for the TV series ‘Time Team’, discovered a range of artefacts at a site near Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Excavations at Bulford uncovered pottery, animal bones, flints - and something even more telling. Signs of a structure of wooden poles were found, that line up

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19:03

If We Can Make Genetically Engineered Designer Babies...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/06/15

Episode 377Considered too dangerous and unreliable a few years ago, the technology for gene editing babies is advancing fast. Improved methods of using CRISPR gene editing are making the technique safer and more targeted. But does that mean we should be creating designer babies? A new, more powerful version of CRISPR has already saved lives by correcting cells in children linked to leukaemia. But editing human embryos is a different story - and less safe. Despite this, researchers have been

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26:16

Scientists Mapped Earth's Vast Fungal Network - And...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/06/12

Episode 377For the first time, scientists have mapped Earth’s vast underground fungal network - and it’s bigger than anyone imagined. Beneath our feet, plants and fungi have a hidden symbiotic relationship, sharing nutrients through fine fungal threads called hyphae. With these new global maps, we’re now starting to understand just how important the mycorrhizal network is in keeping the Earth’s climate stable - including the extent of the carbon it draws down. But the ecosystems where these

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11:40

Millions of Fossil Whale Bones Found in Deep Ocean...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/06/11

Episode 375The world’s deepest known whale graveyard has been discovered in the southern Indian Ocean. Located at a depth of seven kilometres, it contains millions of whale bones and has been described as a “deep-sea fossil megasite” and a whale necropolis. Chinese researchers, diving in the crewed Fendouzhe submersible, undertook 32 dives along 1200 kilometres of the seafloor in an area known as the Diamantina Zone. They discovered a vast amount of whale bones of different ages. Recent

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27:39

DeepMind Is Simulating Entire Worlds - Ready for AI...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/06/05

Episode 374Google DeepMind is simulating entire worlds using AI - that can be interacted with in real time. “World models” simulate the environment and physics of the real world. And DeepMind’s Genie 3 model allows people to create these worlds with basic image and text prompts. The idea is not just to allow people to explore these worlds, but to serve as a testbed for AI agents to learn how to interact with the world before they are deployed in humanoid robotic bodies. Could this be the next

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15:53

Ötzi the Ice Man Contains Still-Living Microbes

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/06/03

Episode 373 Despite being 5,300-years-old, the gut microbiome of the famous Ötzi the Ice Man appears to be still alive. A mix of ancient and modern bacteria have been found on Ötzi’s mummified remains - which are preserved in icy conditions. Found in 1991 by hikers on a glacier in the Alps, Ötzi has already taught us an incredible amount about the life of humans living in Europe during the Copper Age - and continues to reveal his secrets. While we unpack this surprising news, we also explore some

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16:44

The Thwaites ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Is About To Collapse

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/05/25

Episode 372Part of the world’s widest glacier is about to collapse and could trigger a 3 metre rise in sea levels, threatening coastal cities around the world. Thwaites is a massive glacier in Antarctica - the size of Florida. A key part of the glacier could break away any day now - an ice shelf that helps protect the main glacier from warm ocean water. Scientists are shocked by the speed at which these changes have happened. Is there anything we can do to stop it? To discuss the news, Rowan

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26:52

Some Scientists Want To Resurrect Extinct Species –...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/05/22

Episode 371The moa was a giant flightless bird from New Zealand that died out around 500 years ago. Are we about to see it brought back from extinction? Colossal Biosciences say they have made an artificial egg shell that is a step towards recreating the massive eggs of moas (and dodos). This is huge news… if it works. Is this really enough to bring them back to life - and should we even be trying? We discuss the news and wider ethical implications of de-extinction - including Colossal’s

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18:27

The Hidden Methane Time Bomb That Could Accelerate...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/05/20

Episode 370The melting ice caps are accelerating global warming and contributing to sea level rise, but could also contribute to a different kind of climate catastrophe. The melting may cause massive amounts of frozen methane to bubble up into the atmosphere. It happened thousands of years ago - and scientists are concerned it’s about to happen again. Methane is a greenhouse gas which is 86 times more potent than CO2. Some estimates suggest this frozen methane - methane hydrates - contain twice

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20:45

Science Reveals Neanderthals Had Dentists 60,000...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/05/15

Episode 369A strange tooth found in a Siberian cave has pushed back the earliest evidence of dentistry by 45,000 years. The weird thing is, the evidence comes from a Neanderthal tooth - upending what we thought these ancient humans were capable of. Markings on the 60,000-year-old molar show Neanderthals may have used stone tools to “drill” the tooth to treat dental decay. A team of scientists has recreated the experience - and it sounds gruesome. And that’s not all for Neanderthal news - as

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16:57

Scientists Concerned By a Sudden Increase in the Rate...

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/05/13

Episode 368Scientists are concerned by a sudden increase in the rate of sea level rise. In 2012 it suddenly accelerated and has remained high ever since. From melting glaciers to oceans expanding as they warm, global sea levels have risen by more than 0.2 metres over the past 15 years. Places like Venice and New Orleans are already under threat - and this fast pace of change is only set to make things worse. So what’s causing this sudden shift? As sea level rise is now moving faster than we

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16:56

The Strange Case Of The Man Immune To Alzheimer’s

The World, the Universe and Us ·

2026/05/08

Episode 367Some people are genetically destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease. But one man who carried the devastating mutation seems to have escaped it entirely - and scientists think it may be because of his job. Doug Whitney inherited the rare variant of a gene that should have caused early-onset Alzheimer’s in his mid-40s. Many of his family members died from it. Instead, he is now 76 years old with no memory problems and no trace of the disease. Researchers investigating his case uncovered

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