The World, the Universe and Us

How to Be Hopeful: Caitlin Moran and New Scientist Look to the Future

Episode 401 Anxiety is everywhere. Climate change, political turmoil and a constant stream of alarming headlines can make optimism feel impossible. But to be hopeful you

THIS Is What You Need To Worry About With The Rise Of AI

Episode 400 Should we really be afraid of AI? Many headline statements from the likes of Anthrophic, OpenAI and even the King are raising alarm bells over the threat of

The Mystery of Childbirth Is Finally Being Unravelled

Episode 399 Some aspects of childbirth have remained surprisingly mysterious - and scientists haven’t been able to agree on what actually kicks off the labour process. B

AI Just Solved One of the Hardest Problems in Mathematics

Episode 398 OpenAI says it has just solved one of the hardest problems in mathematics. The Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem has been unsolved for more than

New Discovery Reveals the Secret Lives of Denisovans

Episode 397 The first evidence has been discovered that Denisovans lived in south-west China. This ancient species of human spent over 100,000 years in the region and le

The Nepal Disaster: How Climate Change is Reshaping the World

Episode 396 A devastating climate disaster has killed at least 1,200 people in Nepal. A mass of ice and rock came crashing down off the Langtang mountain into the valley

Scientists Find Best Evidence Yet For Dark Matter

Episode 395 Dark matter particles may have finally been spotted for the first time. LUX-ZEPLIN is the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth - and what it’s discov

Why Humans Like Bigger Breasts - And a New Way to Augment Them

Episode 394 A new technique using a woman’s own fat cells has been used to reconstruct her breast without silicone implants. By injecting her own tissue into a dissolvin

ADHD Is Not a Myth - What the Science Really Says

Episode 393 A controversial TV show has suggested ADHD is a myth - a largely made up condition that is really just a “social construct”. But the science just doesn’t bac

Wildfires Changed Human Evolution - Is It Happening Again?

Episode 392 Ancient wildfires may have shaped the course of human evolution. A reconstruction of the environment in East Africa 1.75 million years ago suggests a particu

New Treatment Saves Children With Terminal Brain Cancer

Episode 391 Brain tumours are the most common and most deadly form of solid tumours in children. But a brand new kind of immunotherapy has shown incredible promise, savi

Latitude Special: Why Festivals Make You Live Longer; Clearing Alzheimer’s Proteins from the Brain;Clouds Made of Rocks and Rubies; Orcas Blow Up Giant Fish

Episode 390 In a special episode recorded live at Latitude Festival in England, we open with the finding that orcas in the Gulf of California have been making fish explo

Climate 2026: Record Heat, Tens of Thousands Dead, Mass Evacuations

Episode 389 Europe is burning through another summer of extreme heat. Temperatures are soaring across the continent, wildfires are forcing mass evacuations in France and

Scientists Pioneer Surgical Methods for Human Head and Eye Transplants

Episode 388 Two extraordinary breakthroughs have been made in transplant surgery. First, scientists have found a way of keeping human eyes alive for up to 10 hours after

The Most Promising Alien Planet We've Ever Found?

Episode 387 Two big interstellar discoveries have hit the headlines. One is the discovery of the first atmosphere ever found on a small, rocky exoplanet that could host

Climate Crisis Is Triggering Global Food Shortages - New Predictions Are Devastating

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 d

7 Essential Lessons We Can Learn From Homer’s Odyssey

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.

Chris Packham on the Untold Story of Evolution

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

Heatwaves Are Getting Deadlier - And It’s Going To Get Worse

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 hav

Breakthrough Synthetic Cell Has Just Reproduced - But Is It Alive?

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 professo