Podcasts about New Scientist

Setting goals is one thing. Knowing when to let go of them is another. In this Shortcut, Helen explores the idea of productive quitting and why trying to hold on to too many goals can get in the way of making progress. Drawing on research from the Goal Adjustment Scale and a New Scientist article on goal adjustment, she shares a practical way to review your goals so you can focus your time and energy where it matters most.

We have always been told that it takes millions of years for muddy deposits to turn into rock. Those who believe in creation have always disagreed. It seems pretty clear to us that much of the sedimentary rock we see today was deposited during the Great Flood at the time of Noah, which was not millions of years ago. Creationists generally place the Flood at about 4,600 years ago. Until recently, evolutionists dismissed this date as impossible: sedimentary rocks simply could not form that fast. Well, now it seems that they spoke too soon.While digging some trenches in a salt marsh, a team of sedimentologists found stony nodules in the mud. Further research on how the nodules formed revealed that a mud deposit can be transformed into a layer of sedimentary rock in as little as six months! They found that two bacteria are responsible for this. One species gets its energy from the sulphates in seawater. In the process, it produces hydrogen sulphide. The second species of bacteria can do the same thing. But if too much hydrogen sulphide is present, it can also change iron compounds so that they react with hydrogen sulphide and other salts. The result is stony lumps of iron sulphide and iron carbonate - sedimentary rock that is hardened quickly enough to fossilize any animal before it decays.Science has now confirmed what creationists who believe the Bible have always suspected. There are natural processes that can form sedimentary rock within the limited timeframe allowed by a literal reading of Scriptural history.Luke 19:40"And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”Prayer: Father, I thank You that your entire creation bears witness to You. Amen.Ref: Ref: Andy York, “Set in Stone,” New Scientist. Image: Layers of sedimentary rock in Makhtesh Ramon (50749) Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111

Three finalists for the 2026 Nebula Awards—Amy Chu, Somto Ihezue, and Annalee Newitz—discuss their craft, why they write, and the state of speculative fiction today. Moderated by Tananarive Due, Toastmaster of the 2026 Nebula Awards, which are given annually by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association. Featured writers and their 2026 Nebula Award nominations include: Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (Nebula Award for Best Novella) Carmilla Volume 3: The Eternal by Amy Chu (Nebula Award for Best Comic) "We Begin Where Infinity Ends" by Somto Ihezue (Nebula Award for Best Novelette) This program was part of the 2026 American Writers Festival. Co-hosted by the American Writers Museum and Chicago Public Library, the American Writers Festival is a free literary event featuring in-depth conversations with diverse writers from across genres and backgrounds. This conversation took place June 7, 2026 and was recorded live at the Harold Washington Library Center. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HUB About the writers: AMY CHU is a multi-genre writer for graphic novels and animation. Her most recent book is the Nebula Award nominated Carmilla: The Eternal (Dark Horse / Berger Books) the final chapter in the award-winning Carmilla the First Vampire trilogy. She teaches at the Kubert School and the School of Visual Arts, and is a board member of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. A frequent convention speaker, she has also judged the Harvey, Ringo and MoCCA awards. Amy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a double bachelor's degree in Architectural Design from MIT and East Asian Studies from Wellesley College. TANANARIVE DUE is an award-winning author who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA. A leading voice in Black speculative fiction for more than 20 years, Due has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award, and her writing has been included in best-of-the-year anthologies. Her books include The Reformatory (winner of a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Chautauqua Prize, Bram Stoker Award, Shirley Jackson Award, World Fantasy Award, and a New York Times Notable Book), The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, and The Good House. She and her late mother, civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due, co-authored Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights. SOMTO IHEZUE is a writer and filmmaker. He is an MFA fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Maryland. His writes about boyhood, land, disruption, and joy in Igbo communities. His work has been a finalist for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, the British Fantasy Award, the ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award, and has appeared in Clarkesworld, POETRY, Uncanny, Strange Horizons, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Sauúti, and others. He has received residencies and fellowships from the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Tin House, Clarion West, Sundress Academy for the Arts, Rabbit Island, and more. He was assistant editor of the Publishing Taught Me Anthology (SFWA & NEA) and co-editor of Will This Be a Problem? The Anthology. ANNALEE NEWITZ writes science fiction and nonfiction. They are the author of four novels: Automatic Noodle, The Terraformers, The Future of Another Timeline, and Autonomous, which won the Lambda Literary Award. As a science journalist, they are the author of Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind, Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age and Scatter, Adapt and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction, which was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize in science. They are a writer for the New York Times and elsewhere, and have a monthly column in New Scientist. They have published in The Washington Post, Slate, Scientific American, Ars Technica, The New Yorker, and Technology Review, among others. They were the co-host of the Hugo Award-winning podcast Our Opinions Are Correct, and have contributed to the public radio shows Science Friday, On the Media, KQED Forum, and Here and Now. Previously, they were the founder of io9, and served as the editor-in-chief of Gizmodo.

BONUS MONDAYS: Donald Hoffman received a PhD in Computational Psychology from MIT, and is a Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He is an author of over 100 scientific papers and three books, including The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes (2019), and Visual intelligence: How we create what we see (1998). He received a Distinguished Scientific Award of the American Psychological Association for early career research, the Rustum Roy Award of the Chopra Foundation, and the Troland Research Award of the US National Academy of Sciences.His writing has appeared in Scientific American, New Scientist, LA Review of Books, and Edge, and his work has been featured in Wired, Quanta, The Atlantic, Ars Technica, National Public Radio, Discover Magazine, and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. He has published a mathematical theory of consciousness. He has a TED Talk titled “Do we see reality as it is?”. A podcast titled “Reality is an illusion” with Lex Fridman, and a podcast with the philosophers Philip Goff and Keith Frankish titled "What Is Reality?". He has dozens of other podcasts available online.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next-level-soul-podcast-with-alex-ferrari--4858435/support.Take your spiritual journey to the next level with Next Level Soul TV — our dedicated streaming home for conscious storytelling and soulful transformation.Experience exclusive programs, original series, movies, tv shows, workshops, audiobooks, meditations, and a growing library of inspiring content created to elevate, heal, and awaken. Begin your membership or explore our free titles here: https://www.nextlevelsoul.tv

What if evolution isn't just about the survival of the fittest? Rowan Hooper, senior editor at New Scientist, joins Shirtloads to discuss his new book Togetherness - a challenge to the idea that nature is defined purely by competition. From the fig and wasp's ancient partnership to the mycorrhizal fungal networks threading through forest soils, Hooper makes a compelling case that relationships and symbiosis are overlooked fundamental aspects of evolution.

“The book is about the opposite of the eureka moment,” says science writer Roberta Kwok about her new book, LOST IN CURIOSITY: Field Notes From Scientists' Adventures into the Unknown. Join us in a conversation about the difficulties and gifts of showing up day after day. We talk about patience, wrestling with process, and the long slow path to epiphany–in science and in creative endeavors. We talk, too, about how to choose the right people to interview for a book based on research, how the body may or may not be a part of creative process, the possibility that walking is not the most important tool in a writer's toolbox, and the thrill of collaboration.Roberta Kwok is a science writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, NewYorker.com, Nature, New Scientist, Audubon, and otherpublications. She has received a fellowship from the Knight Science Journalism Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Geophysical Union. Before becoming a journalist, Kwok worked in a genetics lab at Stanford University. She lives in the Seattle area and is originally from Canada. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emergingform.substack.com/subscribe

It was an absolute pleasure to have Drs David and Jen Unwin on the show! Watch them dissect through Diabetes, Metabolic diseases, low carb, food addiction and much more! Dr. David Unwin is an award-winning general practitioner (or family doctor) known for pioneering the low-carb approach in the UK. Through the years, Dr. Unwin has been highly recognized for his work within his field.In 2015, Dr. Unwin was made a UK Royal College of General Practitioners expert clinical advisor in 2015 for his dedicated efforts within the areas of patient communication and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Unwin's work has been covered by BBC, New Scientist, Daily Mail,  and The British Medical Journal. he also plays a major role in the charity - The Public Health Collaboration. Dr. Jen Unwin is a consultant clinical health psychologist based in the United Kingdom. She works with the NHS helping patients manage chronic illness and achieve wellbeing. She also works with her GP husband Dr. David Unwin helping patients stick to lifestyle changes. She has focussed a lot of her time into food and carbohydrate addiction. She is also the author of the book - Fork in the Road: A Hopeful guide to Food Freedom which can be bought from Amazon globally.Check out the PHC website - https://phcuk.orgYou can download David's infographics from - https://phcuk.org/resources/#infographicsThe Unwins also host an online conference aimed at improving the food choices of youths - https://www.the-chc.org/fas/ifacc-2026The Unwins, Phil, Rishard, Zsofia, Anthony, myself and many more will be at the Carnivore Spain conference in November 2026. Grab your tickets on the website - https://carnivorespain.comFollow David on X - @lowcarbGPFollow Jen on X - @drjenunwin

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 viewers that we are all connected on a deep and fundamental level. Penny Sarchet sits down with Chris to discuss why they've chosen to tell the story in this way and explore some of his series highlights. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 episode we discuss the urgent need to adapt homes and infrastructure to deal with a warming climate, the impact of extreme heat on the human body - and how you can become better adapted for the coming hot weather.  Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist reporters Michael Le Page and Alec Luhn.  To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 artificial life in the future. Researchers have made their work open source so the next breakthrough can be fasttracked - and hope it will help provide a solution to the climate crisis by replacing the need for petrochemicals. To discuss the news - and its implications for the origin of life - Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist reporter Michael Le Page. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the churn of daily news growing more apocalyptic by the headline, and with earth scientists competing ferociously for the title of “gloomiest doomer,” it's time for some fun (or at least making fun) with a new fantasy-football-style draft. This time, Jason, Rob, and Asher are making their way through their top 3 signs of civilizational collapse, in 3 categories: Earth systems, pop culture, and politics. But they refuse to remain mired in the muck. Each draft pick has to be accompanied by a countervailing force, a real-world example of people facing reality and building resilience together. Originally recorded on 5/22/26.Sources & LinksThe 'Doomsday' Glacier's Giant Ice Shelf by Alison George, New Scientist, May 18, 2026Thwaites glacier in AntarcticaAntarctica's ‘doomsday glacier' by Hope Nguyen, Yahoo! News, May 20, 2026Plastic-Eating Microbe by Hafsa Aslam, UC Davis, Apr 7, 2025Gardening google search trendAdvances in AI will boost productivity, by Mark A. Wynne and Lillian Derr, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, June 24, 205Dallas Fed Chart 3 Possible AI Futures by Rudo Chakrabarti, Yahoo! Finance, May 9, 2026Local governments oases of compromise by Alexandra Marquez, NBC News, Oct 23, 2024North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre collapse by Laurie Laybourn, IPPR.org, Oct 9, 2024Global Tipping Points: Atlantic CirculationThe most pro-business Supreme Court ever by Felix Salmon, Axios, Aug 4, 2022Voting Rights Decision, New York Times, May 28, 2026Planetary Boundaries frameworkLand System ChangeWillamette Valley Wet PrairieWillamette Valley Upland Prairie and SavannaMaps of Crazy Town: Mar de Plastico by Rob Dietz, Resilience, Sep 4, 2025The Land Trust AllianceCommunity Land TrustsHow F1 Became the Fastest Growing Sport in the U.S. by Douglas Jase, Complex, May 6, 2026Fatalities in F1 racingExplainer: What's happening with gerrymandering in the United States—and who will “win” the redistricting battle? Harvard Kennedy School, May 4, 2026Democracy was never designed to work — but something better is emerging by Jeremy Lent, Resilience, May 6, 2026Related EpisodesEpisode 96, “The Frequent Flyer Tree: Losing the Last Bit of Sense in the Climate Emergency”Episode 103, “It Was Never Your Democracy Anyway: Thomas Linzey on Rethinking the Constitution”CreditsProduction and editing by Alex Leff. Editorial assistance and transcripts by Taylor Antal.Theme music is “Way Huge” and “Don't Give Up” by Midnight Shipwrecks, used with permission.Thanks to all the Crazy Townies, our listeners who are trying to understand humanity's overshoot predicament and do something about it.

The Author Events Series presents Chanda Prescod-Weinstein | The Edge of Space-Time In Conversation with Airea D. Matthews In her highly acclaimed debut, distinguished cosmologist and particle physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein shared with her audience an abiding sense of wonder at the cosmos, while imagining a world without the entrenched injustice that plagues her field. Now, in The Edge of Space-Time, she embraces that cosmic wonder, taking readers on a mind-altering journey to the boundaries of the universe, inviting us to spend time at the edge of what we know about space-time and about ourselves. Guided by her conviction that for humanity to go forward we must know our cosmic past and drawing on poetry and popular culture-from Langston Hughes, Queen Latifah, and Lewis Carroll, to Big K.R.I.T., Sun Ra, and Star Trek-Prescod-Weinstein renders accessible some of the most abstract concepts of theoretical physics to tell fascinating stories about the history and fundamental nature of our universe. Here we meet the quantum cat that is both dead and alive, learn the difference between dark matter and dark energy, explore the inner workings of black holes, and investigate the possibility of a unified theory of quantum gravity, following our guide out to the far reaches of the cosmic event horizon and down to the tiniest (and queerest) neutrino. Along the way, she calls on us to resist colonial approaches to space exploration and instead imagine a better path forward in our pursuit of humanity's undeniable connection with the stars. Through Prescod-Weinstein's clear-eyed and unique perspective, and informed by her deep knowledge of post-colonial history and Black feminist thought, The Edge of Space-Time argues that physics is an essential way for everyone to look at the universe and presents a compelling case that ''the edge'' is a powerful vantage point from which to see the big picture. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an associate professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women's and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. She conducts award-winning theoretical physics research on dark matter, the early universe, and neutron stars, while also researching Black feminist science studies. Her first book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, won the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science and Technology, the 2022 Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, and a 2022 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award. A columnist for New Scientist and Physics World, she is originally from East L.A., California, and now divides her time between the New Hampshire Seacoast and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians. Books will be available for purchase at the library on event night! All tickets are non-refundable. (recorded 4/8/2026)

New Scientist Discovery Tours runs 100 tours with a team of four, works with six operator partners worldwide, and has guests putting deposits down on a solar eclipse in Australia in 2028. The entire operation is built around one idea: go to the same places as everyone else, but tell a story nobody else is telling.Kevin Currie, Director of New Scientist Discovery Tours, joined the company in 2019 to build what three journalists had started off the side of their desks. The pitch was simple: curate an itinerary around a science story, not a destination, and put an expert on the tour who can actually tell it. Kevin spent months in due diligence before signing on, looking at guest feedback, partner relationships, and industry data. Experiential travel was growing at 19% annually, roughly double the rate of standard travel. He built a business case, launched 20 tours, sold most of them out, and then lost everything to the pandemic. New Scientist kept him. He's been building since 2022 with a team of four.The episode covers how New Scientist structures tour development from the inside of a media company, what Kevin looks for when he chooses scientists to accompany tours, and how the team manages a supply chain of partner operators, DMCs, and tour leaders without becoming a tour operator themselves. Kevin explains why they work with only six partners and why the pre-departure briefing between the expert and the tour leader is one of the most important things they do. He describes the 4.6-kilometer walk in the Brecon Beacons where every hundred meters represents 100 million years of Earth's history, and the moment a guest looks up and realizes the last 20 centimeters represent all of human existence. The episode is also a case study in how a niche operator competes not by being cheaper, but by doing the thing competitors literally cannot copy: getting the science right.

Episode 379 El 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 find out how a “Super” El Niño differs from a normal one, the extent of the damage it could cause and whether it's responsible for the strange weather we've already had this year in the UK. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Emily Black, Climate Professor at the University of Reading and New Scientist climate journalist Alec Luhn. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Altman and Dario Amodei both published essays this week on the future of AI and what we must do so everyone benefits. One of them is literally titled "Our Plan." The other one has an actual plan.Kwaku and I dig into it all on this week's FAFO Friday. Plus — and this story isn't getting enough attention — according to New Scientist, two years ago Ukraine used fully autonomous “Terminator” drones that killed everything they saw. No human in the loop. Dead Russian soldiers. But rest assured, according to the drone-maker cited, it was just a one-off “test.” But how long until this is standard practice? And do we want that future? So, yeah, maybe we should get planning… ---Support Future Around & Find Out:* Follow Dan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dblums/* Get the free newsletter: https://www.futurearound.com* Become a paid subscriber and help future proof FAFO! https://www.futurearound.com/upgradeMusic by Jonathan Zalben

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 of the other fascinating discoveries Ötzi has led us to over the years, from the type of food ancient people ate during this period, to the different animal skins they wore as clothing. We also discuss the six tools he was found with - and why he was covered in 61 tattoos.  To discuss the new finding, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist's Sam Wong. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 372 Part of the world's widest glacier is about to collapse – one of the dramatic changes underway that could ultimately 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 Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist's Alison George – former British Antarctic Survey scientist. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Bailey is a Bristol-based theatremaker and artist, and creative director of Herald Angel award-winning company MECHANIMAL, whose work — described by New Scientist as "extraordinary… moving and enlightening" — has toured to over 15 countries and explores humanity's relationship to a changing planet. We caught up with Tom from a remote shack in northern Norway, where he is currently midway through *Threshold – A Wild New Border Journey*: a 600km ultra-slow expedition by ski, sled, foot and boat across the Arctic borderlands of Norway, Finland and Sweden. Beginning on 10 March 2026 at Barents Spektakel, the two-month journey travels westwards through the Russia–Finland–Norway border region before concluding at Stamsund International Theatre Festival in the Lofoten Islands in May 2026. Along the way, Tom is meeting local communities, artists and researchers to document the lived realities of life in a fast-changing Arctic — with a new performance piece set to premiere in 2027. Threshold builds on a body of work that has consistently used endurance and landscape as artistic material. In 2024 Tom walked 1,000 kilometres solo as a tribute to lost species, research that fed directly into *Wild Thing!* — his most recent Edinburgh Fringe production, in which he attempts to embody 48,000 endangered species. Supported by Arts Council England, Arts Council Norway and the Danish Arts Foundation, his practice remains one of the most distinctive and committed voices in ecological theatre.Tom Bailey is our guest in episode 586 of My Time Capsule and he chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .To find out more about Tom's theatre visit - https://mechanimal.co.uk .Follow Tom Bailey's theatre company on Instagram: @_mechanimal_ .Visit our website! - https://mytimecapsulepodcast.com .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast and get all episodes ad-free, please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 371 The 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 headline goal of bringing back the woolly mammoth to assist in the climate crisis. Rowan Hooper is joined by New Scientist's Michael Le Page and palaeontologist Victoria Herridge. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is all about how childhood literally shapes the brain.Our most important experiences – from learning to read, to the growing complexity of our social lives at school, and even the video games we play – leave physical traces in how our brains get organized that shape how we see the world as adults.But how does the brain actually know what parts of our lives are actually important enough to reorganize around? How do particular experiences get under the hood to leave their mark on the developing brain?Today's guest, Stanford psychology professor Kalanit Grill-Spector, has spent her career trying to answer these questions. She's has been imaging children's brains – from infants to teenagers – to watch this reorganization unfold. Her work focuses on how our visual experience as children shapes our brains and how we see the world – what she and her team have found is not always what they expected.Learn MoreThe Vision and Perception Neuroscience Lab at Stanford Humanities and SciencesBrain's face recognition area grows much bigger as we get older (New Scientist, 2017)Neuroscientists use AI to simulate how the brain makes sense of the visual world (Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, 2025)Bridging nature and nurture: The brain's flexible foundation from birth (Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, 2025)Extensive childhood experience with Pokémon suggests eccentricity drives organization of visual cortex (Nature Human Behavior, 2019)Cortical recycling in high-level visual cortex during childhood development (Nature Human Behaviour, 2021)A unifying framework for functional organization in early and higher ventral visual cortex (Neuron, 2024)The emergence of visual category representations in infants' brains (eLife, 2024)White matter connections of human ventral temporal cortex are organized by cytoarchitecture, eccentricity and category-selectivity from birth (Nature Human Behaviour, 2025)Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience.We want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.eduLearn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

Episode 370 The 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 as much warming potential as all the coal, oil and gas on Earth. Scientists have now discovered a new way for methane in Greenland to be unleashed. It's not a threat that has been taken seriously as the evidence has been inconclusive. But perhaps it's time for us to take notice? Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist's Alec Luhn to discuss the news. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 369 A 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 archaeologists have discovered an ancient kneeprint made in clay around 175,000 years ago. It was found in a cave containing a mysterious stalagmite circle that may have been deliberately constructed. Could this suggest Neanderthals were engaging in some sort of religious practice? Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist's Sam Wong and Michael le Page to discuss these two discoveries Listen to Change Your Mind, the new podcast from New Scientist: https://podfollow.com/1896636265 To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 368 Scientists 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 expect, is there something else driving up the tides? We also look to the future, when we could face truly catastrophic change.  Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist climate reporter Michael le Page to discuss the latest research.To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Further reading: Jump in rate of sea level rise - https://www.newscientist.com/article/2525773-there-has-been-a-sudden-increase-in-the-rate-of-sea-level-rise/ Global warming is accelerating - https://www.newscientist.com/article/2518362-earth-is-now-heating-up-twice-as-fast-as-in-previous-decades/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 367 Some 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 a surprising clue: his inadvertent heat exposure while working as a mechanic in ship engine rooms.  Could heat exposure really help shield the brain from Alzheimer's? What does Doug's case reveal about the disease? And should we all build a sauna in our backyard? Rowan Hooper is joined by New Scientist reporter Alice Klein to discuss Doug Whitney's extraordinary case and what it could mean for the future of Alzheimer's research. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Make Pluto a planet again" was the call this week from Donald Trump's NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman. The icy body was first seen in 1930 and was the only planet whose discovery was claimed by the United States. In 2006, though, it was officially stripped of its planet status. Tom Whipple is joined by astronomer Chris Lintott to discuss the debate that has raged ever since over whether Pluto should or shouldn't be reinstated as the solar system's 9th planet.We also hear about the big money scientific prize hoping to lead to breakthroughs in how humans can communicate with animals. Head judge Professor Yossi Yovel, from Tel Aviv University, and finalists Dr Catherine Crockford, from the CNRS Institute for Cognitive Sciences in Lyon, and Professor Nicolas Mathevon, from the University of Saint-Etienne, tell us what the Coller Dolittle Challenge is hoping to uncover.Plus, Penny Sarchet from New Scientist brings us the science news that might have slipped under the radar this week, including why there's a scientific gap in the dating lives of over 50s.Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Alex Mansfield Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Ziedonis dabā tā vien mudina doties garās pastaigās un atpūtu meklēt pie dabas krūts. Taču, vai protam ne tikai atpūsties zaļumos, bet arī pamanīt un novērot lietas dabā? Dabas vērošana bija vienīgā agrāk pieejamā laika ziņu prognozēšanas metode, mūsdienās talkā nāk zinātne un tehnoloģijas. Vai latvietis aizvien prot vērot dabu un norises tajā? Vai pamanām lielas un mazas pārmaiņas? Vai protam atpazīt dažādos augus un dzīvniekus un pamanīt arī to, kā laika gaitā mainās gada laiku mija Latvijas dabā? Raidījumā Zināmais nezināmajā sarunājas ģeogrāfijas doktore, fenoloģe Gunta Kalvāne un Latvijas Dabas fonda pārstāve Liene Brizga-Kalniņa. Uzklausām arī Latvijas Ornitoloģijas biedrības pārstāvi Agni Bušu. "Mūsdienu sabiedrībā cilvēkiem vairs nav nepieciešamības pamanīt to, kas notiek dabā, vairs nav nepieciešamības pazīt augus un dzīvniekus, jo tas nav mūsu izdzīvošanas jautājums," norāda Liene Brizga-Kalniņa. "Dabas vērošana šobrīd ir izvēle. Kaut kādā ziņā tas ir vērtību jautājums, dzīvesveida jautājums, cilvēciskās ziņkāres jautājums." Gunta Kalvāne vērtē, ka esam pazaudējuši saikni ar dabu un pats svarīgākais ir - ejiet dabā. "Nav svarīgi, vai jūs zināt vai nē. Sākumā ir pilnīgi normāli nezināt. Pētījumi rāda, ja sāksi ar 10 minūtēm, pēc divām nedēļām tās būs jau 25 minūtes un vairāk," atzīst Gunta Kalvāne. Viņa arī min, ka līdzīgi kā ir uzmanības deficīta sindroms, daži pētnieki runā arī par dabas deficīta sindromu, kas cilvēkos rada trauksmi. Zinātnes ziņās par mākslīgā intelekta datu centru ietekmi uz vidi Mākslīgā intelekta datu centriem ir dažāda funkcionalitāte, tostarp tie nepieciešami, lai mēs saņemtu atbildes no daudziem jau labi zināmā sarunu bota jeb “ChatGPT”. Vienlaikus šie datu centri varot pamatīgi uzsildīt to tuvumā esošo vidi un atstāt ietekmi uz vairākiem miljoniem cilvēku. Par to pavisam nesen vēstīts zinātnes ziņu vietnē “New Scientist”. Vai problēma patiesi ir samilzusi? Saruna ar Elektronikas un datorzinātņu institūta direktoru un vadošo pētnieku, kā arī Latvijas Zinātņu akadēmijas akadēmiķi Modri Greitānu. Viņš norāda, ka pirms trim gadiem Latvijā rīkotā Baltijas intelektuālās sadarbības konferencē, kur apspriesti enerģētikas jautājumi, arī bijušas bažas, ka mākslīgā intelekta datu centri uzsildīs vidi. Tāpat ir satraukums, ka mākslīgais intelekts it visā pārspēs cilvēku, tomēr pētnieks atgādina - cilvēka smadzeņu darbības efektivitāte ir desmitiem tūkstošiem reižu lielāka, kaut enerģijas patēriņš tām ir tūkstošiem reižu mazāks nekā mākslīgajam intelektam. 

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if drinking the same milkshake could make you gain or lose weight, just based on what you believe about it? The same idea could also affect your stress, how you age, and your relationships.   In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton talks with David Robson, a science writer and author of The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life and The Laws of Connection. David used his mind training approach to go from an average student to getting in to Cambridge University to study mathematics. He is now a respected science journalist in the UK, writing for the BBC, The Guardian, and New Scientist. His work explores how our beliefs not only shape our actions but also affect our cortisol levels and our health. ​ For example, just having a positive view of ageing can add 7.5 years to your life. David also challenges the idea that willpower runs out as the day goes on, showing that what we believe about self-control is more important than the time of day. He explains why self-compassion is the key to lasting performance, backed by scientific evidence.   We discuss: The art of being a "Beautiful Mess" How to rapidly build rapport It's not just about listening to them Why they might like you more than you think How to eat decadently and lose weight Links:  David's Website    

Episode 365 Craig Venter, one of the world's most influential geneticists, has died aged 79. He leaves behind an incredible - and complicated - legacy. Venter is primarily known for playing a leading role in the sequencing of the human genome. Later he pioneered the field of synthetic biology, creating what was described as the first synthetic life form - a feat that was not without controversy. So what drove Venter? And why was he so compelled to promote the idea of science as a competitive race? We discuss his many achievements, including his work in marine biology - and explore the pioneering methods behind it all. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by science writer Mike Marshall, and former New Scientist editor Roger Highfield. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Image Credits: Marjorie McCarty, CC BY 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5, via Wikimedia Commons Arienette22, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons The original uploader was Bruno Comby at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0, via Wikimedia Commons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 364 Global temperatures are rising faster than ever - and with a strong El Niño on the way, scientists are warning we could temporarily breach 2°C of warming above pre-industrial levels. While other models suggest it may only hit 1.75°C, either option is bad news for the climate. The European state of the climate report has just been released, painting a picture of a rapidly warming world. Temperatures in Europe are rising faster than any other continent - and places like Iceland, Norway and the UK have all experienced record breaking years. As we're already watching the impacts of this heat on biodiversity, wildfires, harvests and more - can we handle a 2°C rise in temperatures? And does this signal the end of the Paris goal to limit warming to 1.5°C?  Despite the gloom, there is one glimmer of hope. One species of warm water corals seems to have adapted to these extreme surges in heat - and is surviving against the odds. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist reporters Alec Luhn and James Woodford. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 362 It's been 40 years since the world's worst nuclear disaster unfolded. Since the explosion at Chernobyl in 1986, the world has feared nuclear power - and the widespread damage it can do. But are we right to fear it? Though it's left a lasting scar on the region, nuclear power is still safer than fossil fuels - which kill millions of people each year. So what will it take to change public opinion? We examine the lasting impact of nuclear fallout on Chernobyl - and how things have changed in the exclusion zone over four decades. Rowan Hooper is joined by New Scientist reporter Matt Sparkes, who shares news of his recent visit where he met the families who still live there. And Professor Jim Smith, author of Chernobyl: Catastrophe and Consequences, explains how the ecosystem and wildlife are thriving - and how he's been making Atomik Brandy out of radioactive apples from the region. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ To buy Atomik drinks and help support communities in Ukraine affected by Chernobyl and the war, see www.atomikvodka.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Heard Online, we dive into a fascinating article from The New Scientist by Helen Thompson. We explore the "propaganda" surrounding the 8-hour sleep rule and look at groundbreaking research that suggests how you think you slept is actually more important for your performance and mood than how many hours you actually slept. If you're ready to leave insomnia for good, check out our coaching options. Head over to www.thesleepcoachschool.com and click on GET SLEEP in the menu. The Insomnia Immunity program is perfect if you like learning through video and want to join a group on your journey towards sleeping well. BedTyme is ideal if you like to learn via text and have a sleep coach in your pocket. The 1:1 Zoom based program is for you if you like to connect one on one with someone who has been where you are now.  Do you like learning by reading? If so, here are two books that offer breakthroughs! Tales of Courage by Daniel Erichsen https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Courage-Twenty-six-accounts-insomnia/dp/B09YDKJ3KX Set it & Forget it by Daniel Erichsen https://www.amazon.com/Set-Forget-ready-transform-sleep/dp/B08BW8KWDJ Would you like to become a Sleep Hero by supporting the Natto movement on Patreon? If so, that's incredibly nice of you

Episode 361 The Earth is about to enter an extremely strong climate phase that could cause major disruption on a planet-wide scale. This “super El Niño” - or “Godzilla El Niño” - threatens to make 2027 the hottest year on record. If it's as strong as scientists fear, the weather event will bring droughts to some areas of the world and floods to others, causing food shortages and billions of pounds of damage. And with the world already warming faster due to human activity, the effects will only be intensified. To discuss what we can expect from the near future, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist climate reporter Alec Luhn. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Lyrid meteor shower hits its peak on the evening of the 22nd April, but you can look for them any time between the 16th and 25th. Listen along with New Scientist's Abby Beall as she guides you through what a meteor shower is, when to see the Lyrids and how to look for them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're letting you run the airwaves. Victoria Gill puts your science questions to Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland and Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh, Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, and Penny Sarchet, Managing editor of New Scientist. If you've ever wondered why men have nipples, how gravity slingshots work, or whether photosynthesis could solve our energy problems, that's all on this week's BBC Inside Science. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Ella Hubber & Debbie Kilbride Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Episode 357 A global food shock is on the way because of the ongoing war in Iran. Your food bill is expected to rise significantly. The conflict is showing just how fragile our food system is, as spikes in fuel, fertiliser and pesticide prices begin to have knock-on effects around the world. With food availability in jeopardy, should we be stocking supplies at home? Coupled with the worsening climate and environment crises - and governments increasingly incentivising the production of biofuel - there could be tough times ahead. So how can we prepare? From eating less meat and raising less livestock, to countries focusing on renewable energy and becoming more self-sufficient - will this shock finally be what's needed to force leaders to take action? To discuss this critical issue, Rowan Hooper is joined by climate, energy, and food systems professor Paul Behrens - and New Scientist reporter Michael Le Page. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Booty Gang, and welcome back to another episode of BUTT HONESTLY—where the carry-on is full, the questions are layered, and the science is… unexpectedly specific.This week, Dr. Carlton returns from Spain with stories that are equal parts cultural immersion and… extracurricular exploration. From darkrooms to sex clubs to a suspiciously high concentration of very friendly bears, let's just say the trip was educational. The flight over? Memorable. The kind of memorable where you question your seating choices and your life decisions simultaneouslyBack in the studio, the guys dive into a wild New Scientist article featuring an extremely detailed study of the male anatomy—because nothing says intellectual curiosity like peer-reviewed curiosity. It's science, it's fascinating, and it's just clinical enough to make you feel smarter while listening.In the inbox, a Booty Gang member opens up about being in a long-term relationship while feeling pulled toward unexplored fetishes—raising the age-old question: how do you honor your desires without detonating your stability? The guys approach it with honesty, nuance, and just enough realism to keep things grounded.Another listener writes in asking about the new A-Ball alternative to douching, and yes—this turns into exactly the kind of conversation you think it will. Informative, slightly skeptical, and deeply Butt Honestly.As always, the episode wraps with the guys' Love Language of the Week, because after travel chaos, scientific deep dives, and emotional honesty, we all deserve a little connection.Press play. It's worldly, weirdly educational, and just the right amount of inappropriate.

Episode 351 Artificial intelligence is starting to solve mathematical theorems better than humans. Mathematicians say AI is now an existential threat to their work. As one professor puts it; “We are running out of places to hide.” From winning gold medals at mathematics competitions, to solving previously unanswered Erdős problems, multiple AI achievements have come together recently to exceed all expectations of its capabilities. Find out just how quickly the tech is advancing, how we can tell the AI isn't just hallucinating answers, why it may help us formalise all of mathematics - and whether it will really put humans out of a job. And 10 years on since Google's AlphaGo AI first beat human Go master Lee Sedol, we reflect on that epic moment and hear from Chris Maddison who saw it all unfold. Rowan Hooper is joined by New Scientist's Alex Wilkins to discuss “one of the most remarkable stories” he's ever worked on. Chapters (00:00) Intro - The biggest moment in the history of mathematics (01:10) The many problems AI is now solving (04:11) Are these models similar to ChatGPT or Claude? (05:09) Will AI help us advance the field of mathematics? (07:28) How can we check AI's answers - are they just hallucinations? (10:51) Why it's important to “formalise” maths (12:03) Will we become too reliant on this AI? (13:00) 10 years on since AI beat Lee Sedol at Go (14:54) AI creativity: The famous ‘Move 37' (16:50) How it felt to watch this epic moment (19:21) How AlphaGo led to the LLMs of today (20:25) Are regular chatbots becoming more creative? To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rapa Nui, known to Western cultures as Easter Island for centuries, has long been a source of mystery. While the massive stone statues that populate the island's landscape have loomed in the popular Western imagination since Europeans first set foot there in 1722, in recent years, the island has gained infamy as a cautionary tale of eco-destruction. The island's history as it's been written tells of Polynesians who carelessly farmed, plundered their natural resources, and battled each other, dooming their delicate ecosystem and becoming a warning to us all about the frailty of our natural world. But what if that history is wrong? In The Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island (Bloomsbury, 2025), archeological writer and scholar Mike Pitts offers a direct challenge to the orthodoxy of Rapa Nui, bringing to light new research and documents that tell a dramatic and surprising story about what really led to the island's downfall. Relying on the latest archaeological findings, he paints a vastly different portrait of what life was like on the island before the first Europeans arrived, investigating why a Polynesian people who succeeded for centuries throughout the South Pacific supposedly failed to thrive in Rapa Nui. Pitts also unearths the vital story of one of the first anthropologists to study Rapa Nui, an Oxford-trained iconoclast named Katherine Routledge, who was instrumental in collecting firsthand accounts from the Polynesians living on Rapa Nui in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But though Routledge's impressive scholarship captured the oral traditions of what life had been like pre-1722, her work was widely dismissed because of her gender, her reliance on indigenous perspectives, and her conclusions which contradicted her historical peers. A stunning work of revisionism, this book raises critical questions about who gets to write history and the stakes of ignoring that history's true authors. Provocative and illuminating, The Island at the Edge of the World will change the way people think about Easter Island, its colonial legacy, and where the blame for its devastation truly lies. Mike Pitts is a writer and broadcaster, archaeologist and former museum curator. His books include A Fairweather Eden: Excavations at Boxgrove, Hengeworld, Digging for Richard III, Digging up Britain, and How to Build Stonehenge. He has also written for almost all of the important British newspapers - the Guardian, Observer, Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, New Scientist, BBC History Magazine, Spectator and other papers and magazines - and conduct original research and publish in peer-reviewed journals. He also edited British Archaeology magazine for 20 years and is a Fellow of the London Society of Antiquaries. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Rapa Nui, known to Western cultures as Easter Island for centuries, has long been a source of mystery. While the massive stone statues that populate the island's landscape have loomed in the popular Western imagination since Europeans first set foot there in 1722, in recent years, the island has gained infamy as a cautionary tale of eco-destruction. The island's history as it's been written tells of Polynesians who carelessly farmed, plundered their natural resources, and battled each other, dooming their delicate ecosystem and becoming a warning to us all about the frailty of our natural world. But what if that history is wrong? In The Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island (Bloomsbury, 2025), archeological writer and scholar Mike Pitts offers a direct challenge to the orthodoxy of Rapa Nui, bringing to light new research and documents that tell a dramatic and surprising story about what really led to the island's downfall. Relying on the latest archaeological findings, he paints a vastly different portrait of what life was like on the island before the first Europeans arrived, investigating why a Polynesian people who succeeded for centuries throughout the South Pacific supposedly failed to thrive in Rapa Nui. Pitts also unearths the vital story of one of the first anthropologists to study Rapa Nui, an Oxford-trained iconoclast named Katherine Routledge, who was instrumental in collecting firsthand accounts from the Polynesians living on Rapa Nui in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But though Routledge's impressive scholarship captured the oral traditions of what life had been like pre-1722, her work was widely dismissed because of her gender, her reliance on indigenous perspectives, and her conclusions which contradicted her historical peers. A stunning work of revisionism, this book raises critical questions about who gets to write history and the stakes of ignoring that history's true authors. Provocative and illuminating, The Island at the Edge of the World will change the way people think about Easter Island, its colonial legacy, and where the blame for its devastation truly lies. Mike Pitts is a writer and broadcaster, archaeologist and former museum curator. His books include A Fairweather Eden: Excavations at Boxgrove, Hengeworld, Digging for Richard III, Digging up Britain, and How to Build Stonehenge. He has also written for almost all of the important British newspapers - the Guardian, Observer, Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, New Scientist, BBC History Magazine, Spectator and other papers and magazines - and conduct original research and publish in peer-reviewed journals. He also edited British Archaeology magazine for 20 years and is a Fellow of the London Society of Antiquaries. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Episode 350 What If Alzheimer's disease starts in the body, not the brain? A radical new theory upends everything we thought we knew about the disease. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia - the leading cause of death in the UK. And for 100 years we believed it all happened in the brain. Despite all of the major symptoms of Alzheimer's being brain related, scientists studying gene activity have discovered something surprising. Most risk variants for the disease appear in the skin, lungs and gut - not the brain. This could mean the leading suspects of the disease - amyloid plaques and tau proteins - may not be to blame. But if not them, then what? Rowan Hooper is joined by New Scientist's Australia reporter Alice Klein to discuss the findings. Chapters (00:00) Intro - A radical new understanding of Alzheimer's (01:23) Why amyloid and tau treatments aren't proving effective (02:16) How gum and dental health is linked to Alzheimer's (03:09) Could proteins in the brain be a protective feature? (03:56) Why amyloid and tau really aren't the full picture (04:35) Why scientists have gone back to the drawing board (05:37) Does Alzheimer's start in the skin, lungs and gut? (06:14) Alzheimer's risk genes found in the immune system and barrier tissues (07:12) Where inflammation fits into the puzzle of Alzheimer's (09:10) The role of the blood brain barrier (10:00) How have scientists responded to these findings? (10:58) What other health conditions are linked to Alzheimer's? (12:08) Preventative measures you can take to reduce your Alzheimer's risk (15:03) How reframing diseases leads to better treatments To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Read the latest New Scientist CoLab article: https://newscientist.com/eternal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rapa Nui, known to Western cultures as Easter Island for centuries, has long been a source of mystery. While the massive stone statues that populate the island's landscape have loomed in the popular Western imagination since Europeans first set foot there in 1722, in recent years, the island has gained infamy as a cautionary tale of eco-destruction. The island's history as it's been written tells of Polynesians who carelessly farmed, plundered their natural resources, and battled each other, dooming their delicate ecosystem and becoming a warning to us all about the frailty of our natural world. But what if that history is wrong? In The Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island (Bloomsbury, 2025), archeological writer and scholar Mike Pitts offers a direct challenge to the orthodoxy of Rapa Nui, bringing to light new research and documents that tell a dramatic and surprising story about what really led to the island's downfall. Relying on the latest archaeological findings, he paints a vastly different portrait of what life was like on the island before the first Europeans arrived, investigating why a Polynesian people who succeeded for centuries throughout the South Pacific supposedly failed to thrive in Rapa Nui. Pitts also unearths the vital story of one of the first anthropologists to study Rapa Nui, an Oxford-trained iconoclast named Katherine Routledge, who was instrumental in collecting firsthand accounts from the Polynesians living on Rapa Nui in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But though Routledge's impressive scholarship captured the oral traditions of what life had been like pre-1722, her work was widely dismissed because of her gender, her reliance on indigenous perspectives, and her conclusions which contradicted her historical peers. A stunning work of revisionism, this book raises critical questions about who gets to write history and the stakes of ignoring that history's true authors. Provocative and illuminating, The Island at the Edge of the World will change the way people think about Easter Island, its colonial legacy, and where the blame for its devastation truly lies. Mike Pitts is a writer and broadcaster, archaeologist and former museum curator. His books include A Fairweather Eden: Excavations at Boxgrove, Hengeworld, Digging for Richard III, Digging up Britain, and How to Build Stonehenge. He has also written for almost all of the important British newspapers - the Guardian, Observer, Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, New Scientist, BBC History Magazine, Spectator and other papers and magazines - and conduct original research and publish in peer-reviewed journals. He also edited British Archaeology magazine for 20 years and is a Fellow of the London Society of Antiquaries. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Rapa Nui, known to Western cultures as Easter Island for centuries, has long been a source of mystery. While the massive stone statues that populate the island's landscape have loomed in the popular Western imagination since Europeans first set foot there in 1722, in recent years, the island has gained infamy as a cautionary tale of eco-destruction. The island's history as it's been written tells of Polynesians who carelessly farmed, plundered their natural resources, and battled each other, dooming their delicate ecosystem and becoming a warning to us all about the frailty of our natural world. But what if that history is wrong? In The Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island (Bloomsbury, 2025), archeological writer and scholar Mike Pitts offers a direct challenge to the orthodoxy of Rapa Nui, bringing to light new research and documents that tell a dramatic and surprising story about what really led to the island's downfall. Relying on the latest archaeological findings, he paints a vastly different portrait of what life was like on the island before the first Europeans arrived, investigating why a Polynesian people who succeeded for centuries throughout the South Pacific supposedly failed to thrive in Rapa Nui. Pitts also unearths the vital story of one of the first anthropologists to study Rapa Nui, an Oxford-trained iconoclast named Katherine Routledge, who was instrumental in collecting firsthand accounts from the Polynesians living on Rapa Nui in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But though Routledge's impressive scholarship captured the oral traditions of what life had been like pre-1722, her work was widely dismissed because of her gender, her reliance on indigenous perspectives, and her conclusions which contradicted her historical peers. A stunning work of revisionism, this book raises critical questions about who gets to write history and the stakes of ignoring that history's true authors. Provocative and illuminating, The Island at the Edge of the World will change the way people think about Easter Island, its colonial legacy, and where the blame for its devastation truly lies. Mike Pitts is a writer and broadcaster, archaeologist and former museum curator. His books include A Fairweather Eden: Excavations at Boxgrove, Hengeworld, Digging for Richard III, Digging up Britain, and How to Build Stonehenge. He has also written for almost all of the important British newspapers - the Guardian, Observer, Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, New Scientist, BBC History Magazine, Spectator and other papers and magazines - and conduct original research and publish in peer-reviewed journals. He also edited British Archaeology magazine for 20 years and is a Fellow of the London Society of Antiquaries. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/archaeology

Michiel van Elk (1980) is a researcher and writer in the field of psychology, philosophy and neuroscience. Having received his PhD at the Donders Institute, the Netherlands, he has worked at several international institutions including the University of California Santa Barbara the École Polytechnique Féderale de Lausanne in Switzerland and Stanford University. He is currently affiliated as associate professor at Leiden University. He has conducted pioneering work on psychedelics, altered states of consciousness, feelings of awe, the evolution of religion and mystical experiences. His work, including more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters and books, has been featured by the New York Times, Vice, Lonely Planet, New Scientist, The Daily Beast and Psychedelic Spotlight. VISIT PRSM Lab: https://prsmlab.com/teams/michiel-van-elk/ Visit Sacred Writes: https://www.sacred-writes.org/  

My conversation with Matt Kaplan starts at minutes 31 mins in to today's show after headlines and clips Subscribe and Watch Interviews LIVE : On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 750 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right Matt Kaplan is a science correspondent at The Economist where he has written about everything from paleontology and parasites to virology and viticulture over the course of two decades. His writing has also appeared in National Geographic, New Scientist, Nature, and The New York Times. He is the author of The Science of Monsters and Science of the Magical, and co-author of David Attenborough's First Life: A Journey Through Time. He completed a thesis in Paleontology at Berkeley, and one in science journalism at Imperial College, London. In 2014 he was awarded a Knight Fellowship to study at MIT and Harvard. Born in California, he lives in England. Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube  Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page  

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, I'm joined by Starre Vartan — science and environment writer, author, and lifelong question-asker whose work sits at the powerful intersection of the human body and the natural world. With a background in geology and biology, Starre began her career as an environmental geologist before pivoting into journalism to tell the stories behind the science. Over the past 15+ years, she's written for publications including National Geographic, Scientific American, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and New Scientist, becoming known for her ability to make science both rigorous and deeply human — especially when it comes to women's bodies. We dive into Starre's latest book, The Stronger Sex: What Science Tells Us About the Power of the Female Body, a myth-busting, research-driven celebration of women's endurance, longevity, adaptability, and strength. From the messages girls receive about their bodies at a young age, to puberty, bone density, menopause, and why women often excel in endurance sports, Starre unpacks the science that has been overlooked — and what it means for women's health, sport, and everyday life. We also talk about Starre's upbringing between Australia and the U.S., the influence of her formidable grandmother, growing up active and outdoors, and how reconnecting with strength training later in life has left her feeling more powerful than ever. This conversation is about listening to your body, trusting its wisdom, and reclaiming strength — physically, mentally, and scientifically. If you've ever been told women are the weaker sex, this episode will change how you think about the female body forever. ***  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Starre Working as a scientist journalist focusing on women's health recently  Being based in a beach town south of Sydney, Australia  Growing up in NYC Being a dual citizen with Australia and America  Book: The Stronger Sex: What Science Tells us about the Power of the Female Body  The dedication to her grandmother -the strongest women's she's ever known  Growing up with her grandmother  Doing her age appropriate chores; stacking wood, working in the garden, being involved and active in the running of the house  The messages that young girls receive about their bodies from a young age Heading off into the woods to go on adventures  The lessons learned from her grandmother  Muscles and bone density for women and why puberty is such an important age for girls  Puberty in girls and athletics  The knowledge gap for women in sports Women, endurance and the longer races Differences between all human beings  The science and muscle and getting surprising results Women's body fat and location  Visiting Japan to research longevity  How women's body handle diseases The risks that men take  Finding purpose in life and figuring out your life goal  Making changes in her own life Starting to weigh lift 3 years ago Can you grown bone once you are at the stage where you have more extreme bone loss Bone loss in women during menopause Prof Belinda Beck  Feeling empowered by lifting heavy weights Becoming a stronger runner and dancer Starre's ultimate life goal and purpose  Using AI in scientific ways Wanting to be as strong as her grandmother How to connect with Starre online  Starting a new newsletter—Palimpsest of Flesh Vodcast Words of advice and wisdom for the stronger sex  Reflecting back on life in her 20s Listen to your body and the wisdom it holds   Social Media Website: starrevartan.com Instagram: @starrevartan Bluesky: @starrevartan.bsky.social Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/starrevartan/membership    

Often in the history of science, myths overrun scientific findings and take hold with such force that they are difficult or nearly impossible to dislodge from public understanding. Perhaps no example of this phenomenon is more pronounced than that of the societal collapse of Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui. With us to unravel the myth from the science is Mike Pitts. Mike is a writer and broadcaster (a frequent voice on BBC radio), archaeologist (directing excavations at Stonehenge), and one-time museum curator. He has written for The Times, Telegraph, Sunday Times, Observer, and Guardian, and many magazines including New Scientist, Archaeology, and BBC History. He edited British Archaeology magazine for 20 years and has written books on topics ranging from the discovery of Richard III's grave to How to Build Stonehenge. His original research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature, World Archaeology, and Antiquity. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

The space science world is buzzing. In the next few days, NASA is expected to begin the rollout of its Artemis II rocket to the launch pad with the launch itself expected as early as February. Science journalist Jonathan Amos explains why NASA is interested in travelling around the moon now? And what we will learn from sending humans further into space than ever before. Penny Sarchet, Managing Editor at New Scientist brings Tom Whipple her pick of the best new science this week. And why are scientists shipping ice cores from around the world to a frozen cave in Antarctica? Dr Liz Thomas, head of ice core research at the British Antarctic Survey explains the science behind the Ice Memory Sanctuary as it officially opens.To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Tim Dodd and Clare Salisbury Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

We live in an ever-changing world, but it is not always obvious what kinds of evolutionary change we are seeing in the broader web of life: in physiology, behaviour, language - and human responses to these.  How plastic is the natural world? How resilient?  How capable - or not - of adapting to the chaos of the climate emergency, the cascade of toxins in our air, soil and water, to the plastics, heavy metals and other detritus we throw out into the world as if the entire planet were one vast sewer for waste we forget about as soon as we've had the dopamine drip that acquiring it evoked? How thin is the ice on which we are skating?  And how can we change the ways we do things so we don't fall into the void of extinction. Our guest this week spends his life exploring these questions. David Farrier is Professor of Literature and the Environment at the University of Edinburgh. David's first book, Footprints: In Search of Future Fossils, looked at the marks we are leaving on the planet and how these might appear in the fossil record in the deep future. It was named by both The Times and Telegraph as a book of the year, earned praise from Robert Macfarlane and Margaret Atwood, and has been translated into ten other languages. His most recent book is the one we're going to be exploring today - Nature's Genius: Evolution's Lessons for a Changing Planet is one of the few non-fiction books I've come across that is capable both of going deep into the science of the anthropocene - the full genetic, chemical, noise-pollution havoc of it and going deep into how we can engage with indigenous cultures, languages and ways of thought so that we in the western trauma culture might become something new.  As he says early in the book, 'We pollute because we see ourselves as separate from the rest of the living world, but…learning to coordinate our time with nature's rhythms…could revolutionise our politics.'  The whole quote is in the episode. What you need to know now is that this is a genuinely ground-breaking, mind-opening book and I cannot imagine better reading as we step into 2026.  If you need to know I'm not alone in thinking this, it has been shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing, and the Saltire Award (Scotland's national book awards) for non-fiction. For the New Scientist and Waterstone's bookshop, it is 'Best popular Science Book of 2025'.  You do need to read this.  And in the meantime, enjoy a conversation that left me buzzing for long after we stopped recording. David's booksFootprints: In Search of Future Fossils https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/footprints-david-farrier/6489943Nature's Genius: Evolution's Lessons for a Changing Planet https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/nature-s-genius-evolution-s-lessons-for-a-changing-planet-david-farrier/7811885David on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/david-farrier.bsky.socialDavid on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/proffarrier/If you'd like to support us, the best way is to come and join the Accidental Gods Membership: that way you can share in the ideas, the programme that will help you connect to the Web of Life in ways that will last—and you can come to the Gatherings half price. Or if that doesn't appeal, come along to one of the Gatherings. Or buy a subscription/Gathering for a friend... do something that feels like a good exchange of energy and minimises our connection with old economic paradigm. Remember that if any of this is difficult, contact us and we'll find something that works for you. Details below: What we offer: Accidental Gods, Dreaming Awake and the Thrutopia Masterclass If you'd like to join our next Open Gathering offered by our Accidental Gods Programme, it's 'Honouring Fear as your Mentor' on Sunday 8th February 2026 from 16:00 - 20:00 GMT - details are here You don't have to be a member -but if you are, all Gatherings are half price.If you'd like to join us at Accidental Gods, this is the membership where we endeavour to help you to connect fully with the living web of life. If you'd like to train more deeply in the contemporary shamanic work at Dreaming Awake, you'll find us here. If you'd like to explore the recordings from our last Thrutopia Masterclass, the details are here

We’re bringing you something special this week in place of our usual daily show. Every day, we are making one of the stories that listeners loved this year free for everyone. Today it is from New Scientist on the rising life expectancy of humans and the evolving science behind how we measure aging, written by Graham Lawton and narrated by Mike Cooper for Apple News+.

Machine learning using neural networks has led to a remarkable leap forward in artificial intelligence, and the technological and social ramifications have been discussed at great length. To understand the origin and nature of this progress, it is useful to dig at least a little bit into the mathematical and algorithmic structures underlying these techniques. Anil Ananthaswamy takes up this challenge in his book Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI. In this conversation we give a brief overview of some of the basic ideas, including the curse of dimensionality, backpropagation, transformer architectures, and more.Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/11/24/336-anil-ananthaswamy-on-the-mathematics-of-neural-nets-and-ai/Support Mindscape on Patreon.Anil Ananthaswamy received a Masters degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle. He is currently a freelance science writer and feature editor for PNAS Front Matter. He was formerly the deputy news editor for New Scientist, a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, and journalist-in-residence at the Simon Institute for the Theory of Computing, University of California, Berkeley. He organizes an annual science journalism workshop at the National Centre for Biological Sciences at Bengaluru, India.Web siteAmazon author pageWikipediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.