Science Weekly

The Guardian

Twice a week, the Guardian brings you the latest science and environment news

  1. Revisited: is curiosity the key to ageing well?

    2 DAYS AGO

    Revisited: is curiosity the key to ageing well?

    Psychologists have typically believed that we become less curious as we age, but recent research has shown curiosity actually becomes more targeted and specific in our later years. In this episode from September, Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Mary Whatley, an assistant professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, and Dr Matthias Gruber of Cardiff University’s Brain Research Imaging Centre to find out why we change in this way, and how maintaining broad curiosity into older age can help keep our brains young. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

    17 min
  2. Revisited: why do we age in dramatic bursts, and what can we do about it?

    4 DAYS AGO

    Revisited: why do we age in dramatic bursts, and what can we do about it?

    Scientists are beginning to understand that ageing is not simply a linear process and we age, according to recent research, in three accelerated bursts: at about 40, 60 and 80 years old. In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to Stanford University’s Prof Michael Snyder, who explains what the drivers of these bursts of ageing could be, and how they might be counteracted. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

    14 min
  3. Life beyond Earth? Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock on the mysteries of space

    18 DEC

    Life beyond Earth? Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock on the mysteries of space

    Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist and science educator who has worked on a number of instruments that are revolutionising our view of the cosmos, including the James Webb Space Telescope. This year she will be giving the Royal Institution Christmas lectures, Britain’s most prestigious public science lectures, in which she will be exploring some of the big questions space science still has to answer. Nicola Davis sat down with Dame Maggie to discuss the lectures, why she is convinced there is life beyond our planet, and her dream of journeying to a distant exoplanet. Madeleine Finlay hears from them both in this Christmas special edition of Science Weekly.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

    15 min
  4. What’s worse for us, sugar or sweeteners?

    16 DEC

    What’s worse for us, sugar or sweeteners?

    We all know eating too much sugar is bad for our health – but would we be better off replacing it with artificial sweetener? It’s a question Science Weekly listener Marion posed recently and, as Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample, the answer is complicated. She explains what the science says about sugar v sweeteners with the help of Prof Havovi Chichger, from Anglia Ruskin University, and Prof Jim Krieger, from the University of Washington’s school of public health. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

    20 min
  5. The Birth Keepers: I choose this, episode one

    13 DEC

    The Birth Keepers: I choose this, episode one

    The Free Birth Society was selling pregnant women a simple message: they could exit the medical system and take back their power by free birthing. But Nicole Garrison believes FBS ideology nearly cost her her life. This is episode one of a year-long investigation by the Guardian journalists Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne Listen to the full series from The Guardian Investigates podcast. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

    37 min
  6. Social media and ADHD diagnosis, new mpox strain in England and early firestarters

    11 DEC

    Social media and ADHD diagnosis, new mpox strain in England and early firestarters

    The Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample, sits down with co-host Madeleine Finlay to discuss three eye-catching stories from the week, including a study investigating the link between social media use in children and rising rates of ADHD diagnosis. Also on the agenda is groundbreaking evidence that humans were starting fires 350,000 years earlier than previously known, and the discovery of a new strain of the mpox virus in England. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

    20 min
  7. Rage room or yoga class? How to beat anger

    9 DEC

    Rage room or yoga class? How to beat anger

    At this time of year when stress levels are high, we can find ourselves being sent over the edge by frustrating post office queues, infuriating traffic jams and tension-filled family occasions. But what’s the best way to release our anger and find peace and calm this festive season? To find out, Ian Sample hears from science correspondent Nicola Davis, who recently tried out a rage room as a means of channelling her fury, and from Brad Bushman, professor of communication at the Ohio State University. Is venting the most effective way to overcome anger, and if not, what is?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

    16 min
  8. The brain’s 5 eras, the vaccine that protects against dementia, altruistic ants

    4 DEC

    The brain’s 5 eras, the vaccine that protects against dementia, altruistic ants

    Science editor Ian Sample sits down with co-host Madeleine Finlay and science correspondent Hannah Devlin to hear about three eye-catching stories from the week, including a study showing that the brain has five ‘eras’, with adult mode not starting until our early 30s. Also on the agenda is new research showing the shingles vaccine not only protects against dementia but could actually slow its progress, and a paper exploring how ants sacrifice themselves when they become infected with pathogens to protect their healthy relatives. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

    18 min
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About

Twice a week, the Guardian brings you the latest science and environment news

Information

  • Channel
    The Guardian
  • Creator
    The Guardian
  • Years Active
    2006 - 2025
  • Episodes
    464
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Science Weekly

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