Science Weekly

The Guardian

4.3 (336)
SCIENCE
UPDATED WEEKLY

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

2 DAYS AGO

Revisited: the endless sexual diversity of nature

In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to Josh Davis, a science writer at the Natural History Museum in London and author of the book A Little Gay Natural History. A study published in June 2024 suggested that, although animal scientists widely observe same-sex sexual behaviour in primates and other mammals, they seldom publish about it. Josh considers why this might be and describes some of his favourite examples of sexual diversity from the animal kingdom.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

18 min
4 DAYS AGO

Revisited: are the world’s oldest people really that old?

In this episode from September, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Saul Newman, an interdisciplinary researcher at University College London and the University of Oxford, who has recently won an Ig Nobel prize – given to scientific research that ‘first makes people laugh, and then makes them think’ – for his work showing that many claims of people living extraordinarily long lives come from places with short lifespans, no birth certificates, and where clerical errors and pension fraud abound. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

17 min
DEC 19

‘Soft and calorie dense’: Chris van Tulleken on how ultra-processed foods keep us hooked

Dr Chris van Tulleken has been at the forefront of the campaign to change our food system and better regulate the sale of ultra-processed foods (UPF). This year he will be giving the Royal Institution Christmas lectures, Britain’s most prestigious public science lectures, in which he’ll be investigating how food has fundamentally shaped human evolution, the importance of our microbiome – as the extra ‘organ’ we didn’t know we had – and how we can all eat better in future, for the sake of our own health and the health of the planet. Nicola Davis sat down with Van Tulleken to discuss the lectures, the challenge of understanding the impact of UPFs on our health, and his top tip for Christmas dinner. Madeleine Finlay hears from them both in this Christmas special edition of Science Weekly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

18 min
DEC 17

Is our model of the universe wrong?

For the past 10 years cosmologists have been left scratching their heads over why two methods for measuring the universe’s rate of expansion provide totally different results. There are two possible solutions to the puzzle, known as the Hubble tension: either something is wrong with the measurements or something is wrong with our model of the universe. It was hoped that observations from the James Webb space telescope might shed some light on the problem, but instead results published last week have continued to muddy the waters. To understand why the expansion rate of the universe remains a mystery, and what might be needed to finally pin it down, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Catherine Heymans, the astronomer royal for Scotland and a professor of astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

18 min
DEC 12

Does Google’s ‘mindboggling’ new chip bring quantum computers any closer?

On Monday Google unveiled its Willow quantum computing chip. The new chip takes just five minutes to complete tasks that would take 10 septillion years for some of the world’s fastest conventional computers to complete. But despite its impressive power, it’s not clear the chip has any practical applications. So does it bring quantum computing any closer? To find out Ian Sample speaks to Winfried Hensinger, professor of quantum technologies at the University of Sussex. Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, you may notice some disruption to the availability of new episodes in your Guardian podcast feeds in the coming days. All the work on this episode was done before the strike action began. For more information please head to theguardian.com. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

18 min
DEC 10

The science of laughing

Madeleine Finlay speaks to Sophie Scott, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, to dig into the science of laughter. Sophie explains what exactly laughter is, the many different purposes it serves for humans and animals, and how prioritising it could make us all feel a little better. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

18 min
DEC 5

Revisited: Secrets of the gut microbiome

Ian Sample speaks to colorectal surgeon and researcher James Kinross about the miraculous world of our gut microbiome, how modern life is impacting it, and what we can do to look after it Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, we are re-running an episode from earlier in the year. For more information please head to theguardian.com. We’ll be back with new episodes soon.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

21 min
DEC 3

What really helps with hangovers?

What if you could take a pill or a shot that could reduce your blood alcohol level and make you feel better in the morning? That’s the promise of a range of wellness products aiming to be the next big hangover antidote. But what exactly are hangovers, and which methods of preventing them are backed by science? Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Sally Adams, an alcohol researcher and associate professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

18 min

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4.3

out of 5

336 Ratings

Top five podcast I listen to

Aug 17

S2024!!!

The guardian science is one of the best podcasts out there. They’re pretty short, well written, detail and character, they make science come alive, and they also tackled some of the biggest challenges of our world today – aging, the environment, climate, food and agriculture,sustainability and technology, the brain, etc. The journey with our thoughtful and it’s clear they worked really hard. You should definitely drive!
Science Weekly is excellent !

Jul 23

ALittleChaotic

love the podcast, am a guardian subscriber, and the guests - excellent info on supplements and multivitamins, recently, for young and old alike
Biophony

Apr 16

S. Que

So sad, yet not surprised, about the global decline in the sounds, the bird call etc, the Biophony of the woodlands. And so glad to have learned the word and its meaning, and the impact human activity has had on the natural world.
Inspirational

12/16/2022

Rsemeemoo

All of the hosts are brilliant