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Posodobljeno: 21. 10. 2025
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26. FEB.

The Science of Cholesterol

Cholesterol has a reputation problem. We tend to think of it as the enemy, but your body makes it for a reason. Every cell membrane relies on it, and it’s the building block for key hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, and corticosteroids. You also get cholesterol from your diet. The real issue isn’t cholesterol itself — it’s where it ends up. In the early 1900s, pathologists examining people who died from heart attacks found arteries lined with cholesterol-rich plaques, complete with visible crystals. By the 1950s and 60s, research confirmed that high cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for heart disease. When plaques build up, they trigger inflammation and clotting, potentially cutting off blood supply to the heart. Cholesterol doesn’t travel freely in the bloodstream — it’s packaged into tiny particles called lipoproteins. These act like delivery vehicles, carrying cholesterol around the body. Drugs such as statins reduce cholesterol production and improve its clearance, saving millions of lives. Exercise, diet, and blood pressure control are also critical, especially since high blood pressure and high cholesterol together significantly increase risk. But there’s more to the story. Around one in 250 people have inherited conditions that leave them with very high cholesterol levels. And as listener Tara asked in her email to the podcast, what about Lipoprotein little a — or Lp(a)? Lp(a) is a specialised lipoprotein that can increase inflammation and clot formation. Elevated levels are linked to a greater risk of heart attack — even if your standard cholesterol numbers look normal. That means measuring total cholesterol alone may not tell the full story. On this week’s podcast Professor Luke O’Neill explores why cholesterol is essential, how it becomes dangerous, and why particles like Lp(a) could be key to identifying hidden heart risk. Have a science question you’d like answered? Email laoneill@tcd.ie and it might feature in a future episode.

26. feb.

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19 min
SEZONA 3, EPIZODA 5

Episode 05: An Innocent Man

Having been convicted of Una Lynskey's murder, Martin Conmey and Dick Donnelly began their sentences in Mountjoy prison in 1972. For Martin, his release almost three years later was supposed to mean a return to normality and a fresh start, but he found it almost unbearably hard to live with everything that had happened. However more than a decade later, one seminal moment in the history of The Troubles would ignite a determination in Martin to challenge the might of the State once more. It would take a change in the law, the unyielding love of his family, and yet more battles in the courtroom, but Martin set out to try get his conviction quashed.

S3, E5

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48 min
SEZONA 3, EPIZODA 3

Episode 03: Another Abduction

Having made false confessions to gardaí, Martin Conmey and Marty Kerrigan hoped the truth about what happened to Una Lynskey would emerge somehow, and this would lift the finger of suspicion. Her body was found before the end of 1971 and the investigation into her disappearance was upgraded to murder, but unfortunately it only added fuel to the fire of rumours already doing the rounds of Porterstown Lane. And very quickly afterwards, an act of misplaced vengeance would soon bring more tragedy to the lane.

S3, E3

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41 min
18. 12. 2025

The Science of Kissing

For his Christmas podcast, Professor Luke dives into one of the oldest, strangest and most delightful human behaviours: kissing. And yes, there really are scientists who study it. Kissologists? Why not. Someone has to keep the flame of enquiry burning under the mistletoe. Kissing isn’t new. In fact, our primate ancestors may have been at it 21 million years ago. Humans, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans all kiss, and the trail of evolution suggests the ancient snog goes back to a shared forebear long before Christmas was invented. So why do we do it? Luke’s answer brings joy to his immunologist’s heart: kissing is fundamentally about the immune system. It’s bonding, soothing, socially rewarding… but it’s also a biological exchange of information. When we kiss, we taste another person’s immune profile through their saliva. We’re wired to choose partners whose immune systems are similar enough to blend but different enough to give our potential offspring an advantage — the Goldilocks zone of mate selection. Kissing is also bound up in how humans live. We’re pack animals; our wellbeing depends on social closeness. For parents, early kissing and mouth-to-mouth feeding once helped babies survive. For adults, it floods the brain with oxytocin — the same hormone released during breastfeeding — building trust, comfort and connection. And yes, kissing is… messy. Saliva production surges to dissolve bacteria. Mouth microbes are swapped. Germs hitch a lift. Glandular fever is the classic “kissing disease,” especially among teenagers, and herpes simplex moves easily through saliva. The upside? Some research shows kissing can reduce allergic reactions — including a study where hives became less severe after a 30-minute smooch. The benefits stack up: reduced stress, better bonding, endorphin release, raised heart rate, improved mood, and even potential perks for your complexion. A deep kiss works 24 facial muscles, stimulates circulation and boosts collagen. Science says the Christmas kiss might be good for your skin as well as your soul.

18. 12. 2025

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17 min
5. FEB.

The Science of Marathon Running

Why does the marathon push the human body to its absolute limits? And why do some people seem built to keep going when everyone else hits the wall? On this week’s podcast, Professor Luke O’Neill takes a biochemical deep dive into marathon running, sparked by a listener’s request. The modern marathon may trace its roots back to Ancient Greece, but what happens inside the body during those 26.2 miles is a very modern scientific story — one that turns runners into walking, sweating demonstrations of bioenergetics. Luke explains how the body powers long-distance running by converting energy rather than creating it, moving between carbohydrates and fats to keep muscles firing. ATP — the energy currency of life — sits at the heart of the process, with phosphocreatine, glycolysis and oxygen all playing starring roles. When carbohydrate stores finally run dry, runners hit the infamous “wall”, a moment when the body is forced to switch fuel sources, and everything suddenly feels much harder. The podcast also looks at how training physically reshapes marathon runners over time: denser networks of capillaries in muscles, powerful hearts with remarkably low resting heart rates, and lungs capable of shifting huge volumes of oxygen. Luke explores why elite runners can seemingly run a marathon at will. There’s science behind the mental side too. Endorphins and the so-called “runners high” can lift mood for days, while visualisation plays a key role in endurance. Luke even dips into the Guinness Book of World Records to uncover astonishing marathon facts, including runners in their 90s and some jaw-dropping physiological extremes. Along the way, Luke admits he’s never run a marathon himself — but from a biochemist’s point of view, few sports are more revealing of how the human body really works. You can suggest future topics by emailing Luke at laoneill@tcd.ie.

5. feb.

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17 min
SEZONA 3, EPIZODA 4

Episode 04: A Hostile Witness

Just a few months after the horrific events of December 1971, Martin Conmey and Dick Donnelly were charged Una Lynskey's murder. Martin had made a false confession to gardaí at Trim Garda Station, however Dick refused to sign anything despite claiming he came under similar pressure. They each hoped that the truth would emerge before the judge and jury at the Central Criminal Court in the height of the summer of 1972. In this episode, we'll bring you into the courtroom for those 13 days of evidence - could they put their faith in Lady Justice?

S3, E4

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43 min
SEZONA 3, EPIZODA 2

Episode 02: The Zodiac

Within an hour of Una's disappearance, the entire neighbourhood around Porterstown Lane was out looking for her. Soon enough, gardaí were on the scene and beginning their investigation, and a Ford car became a focus point. Una's body hadn't been found but the investigating officers were convinced within weeks they'd solved the case. Or had they?

S3, E2

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41 min
11. 12. 2025

The Science of the Hangover

It’s that time of year when the big nights out collide with the biological reality of the morning after… and Professor Luke is here to explain exactly what’s going on in your head, your liver and your rattled nervous system. Hangovers are ancient — literally. Chimps get tipsy on fermented fruit, so our ancestors were drinking alcohol millions of years before the first Christmas party. Humans began brewing around 10,000 years ago… and the first hangover probably arrived right on cue. Luke breaks down why hangovers feel so grim: the acetaldehyde formed when alcohol is broken down in the liver; the dehydration caused by alcohol acting as a diuretic; and the rebound in neurotransmitters like glutamate that may fuel “the fear”, the “living horrors”, and that uneasy post-session anxiety listeners know too well. He runs through the classic symptoms — headache, fatigue, nausea, tremors, dizziness, sweating, irritability and a heart that seems to have joined a drum circle — and explains why some drinks make it all worse. Darker alcohols carry extra chemicals like tannins and methanol that crank up the misery, while clearer spirits tend to be less punishing. Luke also notes a surprising trend: alcohol consumption in Western countries has fallen by a third since 2001, while alcohol-free beer is booming. Even French vineyards are pulling up vines because people are drinking less wine. Maybe we’re finally copping on — and our livers are grateful. And of course, we get to the good stuff: how to avoid a hangover, and how to treat one. Hydrate between drinks, rotate in 0.0% options, eat beforehand, skip the full Irish, take B-vitamins or clove-based remedies if they help you, steer clear of paracetamol, and leave “the hair of the dog” to folklore. Sugar helps, rest definitely helps, and moderation helps most of all. Luke’s holiday message? Enjoy yourself — but pace yourself. Your future self will thank you when the sun rises on December 26th.

11. 12. 2025

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15 min
30. JAN.

‘Melania’ feature length documentary, which releases today

A who’s who of republican politics in the United States lined out at the Kennedy Centre’s red carpet for the premiere of the ‘Melania’ feature length documentary, which releases today. But will it be a box office hit or flop? All to chat with Dee Reddy, Podcaster and Cultural Commentator.

30. jan.

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12 min
NAPOVEDNIK ZA SEZONO 3, EPIZODO 1

Inside the Crime: The Una Lynskey Murder - coming soon

The third season of Inside the Crime will be released on Tuesday, 30th January. It'll follow the story of Una Lynskey's murder in 1971. She disappeared just a few hundred metres from her home after stepping off the bus on Porterstown Lane, Co Meath on October 12th. What followed would shatter not only the lives of Una's loved ones, but many other families in the small rural community.

Napovednik za sezono 3, epizodo 1

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1 min

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