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Channel • 5 Shows

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Updated 26/04/2021
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Updated 24 Jan

22/11/2024

Weekly: Why chimps are still in the Stone Age and humans are in the Space Age

Episode 277 Chimps are an intelligent species, capable of using tools and developing culture - so why have humans surpassed them to such a huge extent? How is it that we are busy exploring space while chimps remain stuck in the Stone Age? It’s long been thought it’s because their culture doesn’t evolve cumulatively, but that assumption has just been challenged. Hear from Cassandra Gunasekaram, the lead author of a paper that shows chimp culture develops in a more complex way than we realised. We also hear from primatologists Andrew Whiten from the University of St Andrews and Andrea Migliano of the University of Zurich. How often do you check the calories of your meal, before ordering at a restaurant? In 2020 in the UK it became mandatory for many restaurants to print calories on their menus, as part of an anti-obesity campaign - the question is, has it been effective or a complete waste of time? We dig into new research and the results may surprise you. We also explore why 85 per cent of overweight or obese people who lose a significant amount of weight end up putting it all back on again within a year. In a Black Mirror-like development, computer scientists have managed to create simulated replicas of 1000 real people. These digital twins were created using the model behind ChatGPT and can accurately simulate their personalities. The method is surprisingly simple to recreate - so should we be worried? To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22/11/2024

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36 min
29/11/2024

Weekly: Is bird flu spreading between people? Plus 2024’s best science books

Episode 278 Concerns about bird flu are rising as two cases in North America suggest the virus is adapting to humans. Evidence of human-to-human transmission is not yet conclusive but public health experts are worried. This year outbreaks have been found in both poultry and dairy cows in the US. Although it only causes mild symptoms in people at the moment, is there a chance it could evolve to become deadly? A last-minute deal has been struck at the UN climate summit COP29 – and people are not happy. Richer nations have agreed to give money to poorer nations to help them go green, but the financing promised doesn’t come close to what’s needed. Another year, another unsatisfactory outcome, once again begging the question is the COP process no longer fit for purpose? Fancy stock-piling a load of new books ahead of the holiday season? We present to you 5 of the best science books of 2024, fiction and non-fiction. On the list are A City on Mars, What the Wild Sea Can Be, Frostbite, Nuclear War: A Scenario and Question 7. Read the full article of 18 must-reads here. Sign up to the New Scientist Book Club here: https://www.newscientist.com/sign-up/bookclub/ Find more information about the Book Club here: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2442618-welcome-to-the-new-scientist-book-club/ To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29/11/2024

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23 min
02/02/2021

#3 Music: the jazz swing of birdsong and the sonification of the orbits of planets

This episode is all about music, so today’s journey of escapism comes complete with odd, relaxing, soothing and interesting sounds to guide you through. The team opens with the sounds of animals, specifically the singing - if you can call it that - of gorillas, and the jazzy birdsong of the thrush. They then treat you to the sounds of data sonification, courtesy of Milton Mermikides, who translates motion into music, like the swinging of a pendulum, the crystallisation of salt, or the orbits of planets. Finally they tackle the small matter of just why exactly it is we humans love music so much. On the pod are Rowan Hooper, Bethan Ackerley and Timothy Revell. Find out more at newscientist.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

02/02/2021

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20 min
19/03/2024

Escape Pod: #7 Speed: From the quickest animal in the world to the fastest supercomputer

This is a re-airing of a podcast originally released in March 2021. From the quickest animal in the world to the fastest supercomputer, this episode is all about speed. Opening with the cries of the peregrine falcon, the team finds out how the bird has evolved to endure flying at more than 200mph. Then they explain how scientists, starting from Galileo, attempted to measure the speed limit of the universe, the speed of light, and how Einstein understood what it meant. And they explore the mind-blowing capabilities of Fugaku, the fastest supercomputer in the world. On the pod are Rowan Hooper, Anna Demming and Timothy Revell. Find out more at newscientist.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19/03/2024

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20 min
31/01/2020

#1: Wuhan coronavirus, nuclear fusion, and the Solar Orbiter spacecraft

It’s a rapidly spreading outbreak with the potential to become a full blown pandemic – but just how concerned should we be about the global impact of Wuhan coronavirus? On the panel for the inaugural episode of the podcast are New Scientist journalists Rowan Hooper, Penny Sarchet, Adam Vaughan and Jacob Aron. As well as answering your questions on the continuing spread of the coronavirus, the team explore the news that scientists are nearly ready to recreate nuclear fusion, the process that powers the Sun. They also explain why the Solar Orbiter spacecraft is visiting its poles, and what data it hopes to collect. To find out more about the stories mentioned in this episode, subscribe at newscientist.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

31/01/2020

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26 min
28/06/2024

Weekly: Even more powerful gene editing than CRISPR; first moon samples from the far side; dangerous new mpox

#256 A new gene editing technique may be more powerful than CRISPR. Bridge editing is still in its infancy, but could be revolutionary for its ability to more specifically target gene substitutions. This method of altering DNA may let us create single treatments for gene mutations across large groups of people – something even CRISPR can’t do. China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft has returned to Earth with samples from the far side of the moon – the first ever. Hear what the samples may tell us about this hard-to-study part of the lunar surface, plus what China is planning for its next big exploration missions. A dangerous new strain of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A thousand cases have been reported since September and several hundred people have died. What makes this strain so dangerous and can it be kept under control? A fossil has been discovered that is thought to be a Neanderthal child who had Down’s syndrome. It’s estimated the child lived to at least 6 years old and may have received extra care from the community – more evidence that Neanderthals weren’t as brutish and unfeeling as thought. Plus: The kind of paper that’s most likely to give you a papercut; AI being trained to perform elegant chess moves; a creepy robot made with human skin Hosts Timothy Revell and Christie Taylor discuss with guests Michael Le Page, Leah Crane, Alexandra Thompson and Chris Simms. To read more about these stories, visit newscientist.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28/06/2024

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27 min
14/02/2024

Transforming clinical trials: We ask James O'Shaughnessy how the UK independent review has influenced the reinvention of the clinical trials infrastructure

The UK has long been a world leader for clinical trials and life sciences research. But after losing ground post-COVID and post-Brexit, the country has begun to rethink the landscape for clinical trials. In this free New Scientist podcast, we meet the chair of the UK review into commercial clinical trials, James O'Shaughnessy, and ask how the independent review has influenced the reinvention of the clinical trials infrastructure for a new age of medicine. Sponsored by the UK Department for Business and Trade and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14/02/2024

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30 min
17/05/2024

Weekly: Hints of alien life in our galaxy; freezing human brains; solving a mystery of Egypt’s pyramids

#250 There are signs that aliens might be harnessing the power of stars in our galaxy to fuel their civilisations. Dyson spheres are structures that surround entire stars to absorb their energy. Although these are just hypothetical, researchers have detected hints of their existence. But aliens aren’t the only possible explanation. Being able to freeze human brain tissue could be a game-changer for medical research. While freezing brains is easy, thawing them out without damaging the tissue is much harder. But now a method involving a cocktail of chemical ingredients seems to have solved the problem.. The largest ever ‘ecoacoustic’ survey is being conducted throughout the forests of Costa Rica. Sound recordings of various habitats, from degraded pastures to regenerating forests, are being gathered to assess the biodiversity and health of the country’s ecosystems. Hear some of the amazing soundscapes that have been captured for the survey. Orchids may share food with their offspring. Lab experiments have shown for the first time that parent orchids may be using fungal pathways – the mycorrhizal network – to send vital sugars to seedlings that cluster around them. Ancient Egyptians were reliant on the Nile river to transport materials used to build the world famous pyramids. But many of those pyramids are built on inhospitable, arid land, far from the Nile. So how did they get the materials there? Geoscientists may have uncovered an ancient clue. Hosts Christie Taylor and Rowan Hooper discuss with guests Jacob Aron, Alexandra Thompson, James Dinneen and Chen Ly. To read more about these stories, visit newscientist.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17/05/2024

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32 min
24/06/2021

#73: How to treat long covid; evolution of cooperation; Turing’s ACE computer; aliens watching Earth

The symptoms of long covid are diverse and numerous, and we’re still getting to grips with a clinical definition. Adam Vaughan visited the UK’s first long covid clinic, and explains how it provides both physical and psychological support to patients. The team then discusses the evolution of cooperation with professor Nichola Raihani, author of ‘The Social Instinct’, who explains why species collaborate, an act which seems to contradict the competitive nature of life in Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Then they get into the unnerving news that aliens might be spying on us from other planets. They mark the birthday of one of the greatest and most influential figures of the twentieth century, Alan Turing, who features on the Bank of England’s new £50 note. And they explain how quantum mechanics is being used to protect our data online. On the pod are Rowan Hooper, Tiffany O’Callaghan, Adam Vaughan, Matt Sparkes, Leah Crane and Chelsea Whyte. To read about these stories and much more, subscribe at newscientist.com/podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24/06/2021

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31 min
16/01/2024

CultureLab: Breaking space records, human bowling and a trip to the Moon with astronaut Christina Koch

NASA astronaut Christina Koch not only took part in the first ever all-female spacewalks, but she also holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, after spending 328 days on board the International Space Station. So what does it take to live in space for such a long time, what does it mean to be a record-breaking astronaut – and how do you get used to gravity again when you finally come back home? New Scientist space reporter Leah Crane asks Chrstina all of these questions and more in a special interview for CultureLab. Plus: the surprising sport of human bowling, what things smell like when you leave planet Earth and how Christina’s sights are now set on the Moon as she prepares for the Artemis 2 mission. To read about subjects like this and much more, visit newscientist.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16/01/2024

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26 min

Keep up with the latest scientific developments and breakthroughs in the weekly podcasts from the team at New Scientist, the world’s most popular weekly science and technology magazine.

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Top Shows

Weekly: Why chimps are still in the Stone Age and humans are in the Space Age

Weekly: Is bird flu spreading between people? Plus 2024’s best science books

#3 Music: the jazz swing of birdsong and the sonification of the orbits of planets

Escape Pod: #7 Speed: From the quickest animal in the world to the fastest supercomputer

#1: Wuhan coronavirus, nuclear fusion, and the Solar Orbiter spacecraft

Weekly: Even more powerful gene editing than CRISPR; first moon samples from the far side; dangerous new mpox

Transforming clinical trials: We ask James O'Shaughnessy how the UK independent review has influenced the reinvention of the clinical trials infrastructure

Weekly: Hints of alien life in our galaxy; freezing human brains; solving a mystery of Egypt’s pyramids

#73: How to treat long covid; evolution of cooperation; Turing’s ACE computer; aliens watching Earth

CultureLab: Breaking space records, human bowling and a trip to the Moon with astronaut Christina Koch

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New Scientist

Top Shows

Top Episodes

Weekly: Why chimps are still in the Stone Age and humans are in the Space Age

Weekly: Is bird flu spreading between people? Plus 2024’s best science books

#3 Music: the jazz swing of birdsong and the sonification of the orbits of planets

Escape Pod: #7 Speed: From the quickest animal in the world to the fastest supercomputer

#1: Wuhan coronavirus, nuclear fusion, and the Solar Orbiter spacecraft

Weekly: Even more powerful gene editing than CRISPR; first moon samples from the far side; dangerous new mpox

Transforming clinical trials: We ask James O'Shaughnessy how the UK independent review has influenced the reinvention of the clinical trials infrastructure

Weekly: Hints of alien life in our galaxy; freezing human brains; solving a mystery of Egypt’s pyramids

#73: How to treat long covid; evolution of cooperation; Turing’s ACE computer; aliens watching Earth

CultureLab: Breaking space records, human bowling and a trip to the Moon with astronaut Christina Koch

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