Science Weekly
Twice a week, the Guardian brings you the latest science and environment news
-
As ransomware and phishing attempts become increasingly common, Ian Sample speaks to the Yale law professor and author Scott Shapiro about the costs of cybercrime, how attacks hack into our psychology, and what individuals and governments could do to stop itPodcast
-
Ian Sample speaks to the Guardian’s health editor, Andrew Gregory, and Dr Roy Herbst about the world’s biggest annual gathering of oncology professionals. What were the standout research advances, and could they lead to permanent changes in the way we treat, think about and live with cancer?Podcast
-
Madeleine Finlay speaks to Doug Weir from the Conflict and Environment Observatory about why the collapse of the Kakhovka dam is likely to be so damaging for biodiversity, access to clean water and levels of pollution. He explains why the environment has become such a central part of the narrative and considers what this increased focus could mean for Ukraine’s eventual recoveryPodcast
-
Ian Sample talks to Prof David Spergel, the independent chair of a Nasa panel established to investigate sightings of UFOs, about what they hope to find and why there is so much stigma attached to this fieldPodcast
-
Ian Sample talks to Dr Rachel Clarke about her experience working in palliative care in the NHS and now with hospices in Ukraine. She tells him what dying can teach the living, what we can learn from the Covid pandemic, and reveals the anguish and defiance of trying to provide a dignified death in the midst of warPodcast
-
Food allergies appear to be increasing globally, but as scientific understanding improves, some experts believe we may one day be able to eliminate them altogether. Ian Sample speaks to Dr Kari Nadeau, an allergy specialist at Harvard School of Public Health and author of the book The End of Food Allergy, to discuss why food allergies are on the rise and what we can do to prevent – and possibly even cure – themPodcast
-
With six months to go until the Cop28 UN climate change conference, the world remains on track for a catastrophic 2.7C of warming by the end of the century. Progress has never been more critical and this year it lies in the hands of the United Arab Emirates, a country that has plans to expand its already extensive oil and gas productions. Madeleine Finlay talks to environment correspondent Fiona Harvey about Cop28’s hosts and president, why this year is particularly key, and how close we are getting to irreversible climate tipping pointsPodcast
-
Since it was introduced to the UK in 1850, Japanese knotweed has gone from novel ornamental plant to rampant invasive species. Madeleine Finlay speaks to journalist Samanth Subramanian about the huge costs associated with finding it on a property, and Dr Sophie Hocking explains what the plant, and our attempts to control it, might be doing to the environment.Podcast
-
We now know that global temperatures are likely to temporarily exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in the next five years. Breaching this crucial threshold will have serious consequences, including on our food. In the second of a special series of episodes looking at what a future world might look like, science editor Ian Sample explores how our diets could change as the world heats up, exploring climate-resilient vegetables, trying out mealworms, and discovering how to make flour out of microbesPodcast
-
A first-of-its-kind non-hormonal drug to treat hot flushes has been approved in the US. Madeleine Finlay speaks to endocrinologist and menopause specialist Prof Annice Mukherjee to find out what we know about the mechanism that causes hot flushes, how this new drug targets connections in the brain, and what it might mean for those experiencing menopause in the futurePodcast
-
More than 40 leading scientists have resigned en masse from the editorial board of a top science journal. Ian Sample speaks to Hannah Devlin about the lucrative business of scientific publishing and hears from Prof Chris Chambers about what was behind the recent mass resignationPodcast
-
The pioneering IVF procedure known as mitochondrial donation therapy (MDT) could prevent children from being born with devastating mitochondrial diseases. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Prof Darren Griffin, an expert in genetic diseases and reproduction, about how MDT works, the ethical considerations attached, and what techniques like it could mean for the future of reproductionPodcast
-
Ian Sample speaks to science correspondent Hannah Devlin about the evidence behind using psychedelics as medicines, and hears from Prof Celia Morgan about how they work, what we know about the risks and what’s left to learnPodcast
-
For the first time, researchers have found a way to non-invasively translate a person’s thoughts into text. Using fMRI scans and an AI-based decoder trained on a precursor to ChatGPT, the system can reconstruct brain activity to interpret the gist of a story someone is listening to, watching or even just imagining telling. Ian Sample speaks to one of the team behind the breakthrough, to find out how it works, where they hope to use it, and whether our mental privacy could soon be at riskPodcast
-
As the planet warms, and intense heatwaves become the norm, our urban environments need a radical rethink to keep them habitable. So what do we want the cities of the future to look like? In the first of our special series of episodes looking at what a future world could look like, Madeleine Finlay speaks to author and historian Ben Wilson, Prof Jessica Davies and Prof Diane Jones Allen about how to create cities that are fairer, greener and more self-reliant.Podcast
-
The environmental law charity ClientEarth and 13 other groups headed into a Flemish court this week in an effort to stop Ineos building a petrochemical plant that would be the biggest project of its kind in Europe for 30 years. Madeleine Finlay hears from correspondent Sandra Laville about how plastics are made, the environmental and health impacts of the process and what needs to be done to get a handle on plastic pollutionPodcast
-
Experts and campaigners have been pointing out the racial disparities in maternal healthcare for years. The latest report to highlight the issue comes from the House of Commons women and equalities committee. MPs behind the report have condemned the government’s failure to address the gulf in outcomes. So why are black and Asian women still more at risk from childbirth? Madeleine Finlay hears what it can be like to navigate the maternity system as a woman of colour, and speaks to Guardian health editor Andrew Gregory and Prof Shakila Thangaratinam about what lies behind the statistics and what can be donePodcast
-
Sliced supermarket bread, ham, cheese, crisps, a fruit-flavoured yoghurt and a fizzy drink. If this sounds like a standard lunch, you’re not alone. The average person in the UK gets more than 50% of their calories from ultra-processed foods – otherwise known as ‘industrially produced edible substances’. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Chris van Tulleken about what ultra-processed foods are really made of, how they have become a major part of our diets, and the impact they are having on our healthPodcast
-
Madeleine Finlay speaks to science correspondent Linda Geddes about trying out a virtual reality game that challenges you to keep your heart-rate down while facing a terrifying monster, why it could help with tackling anxiety, and whether the gamification of coping strategies could be the best way to integrate them into our every day livesPodcast
-
The European Space Agency’s long-awaited Juice Mission is about to blast off for Jupiter’s moons. Its goal: to find out whether the oceans below their icy surfaces could be capable of supporting life. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Stuart Clark about why moons are the new Mars for scientists seeking life, how magnetic fields can help us understand these mysterious lunar oceans, and what Juice might mean for our understanding of life beyond the solar systemPodcast