Science Weekly

The Guardian

4.3 (331)
SCIENCE
UPDATED WEEKLY

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

9 HR. AGO

Could we really live on Mars?

Space-settling enthusiasts have long had an eye on Mars, and now they have the backing of the world’s richest man. Elon Musk recently claimed that humans could be on the planet by 2030 and be living there in a self-sustaining city within 20 years. But is it really that simple? Madeleine Finlay heads to Imperial College London where Prof Sanjeev Gupta gives her a tour of the red planet, and meets Kelly Weinersmith who, along with her husband, Zach, recently won the Royal Society Trivedi science book prize for their book A City on Mars. She explains why life on Mars may not be the idyll some would have us believe. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

21 min
5 DAYS AGO

Love motels and gridlocked talks: all the news from Cop16

Biodiversity correspondent Phoebe Weston takes Madeleine Finlay through the news from the UN Cop16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia. Countries are wrangling over funding to protect nature and who should profit from the natural resources of the world’s least developed nations. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

16 min
OCT 29

The US tech startup promising smarter babies

A startup company, Heliospect Genomics, is offering to help wealthy couples screen their embryos for IQ using controversial technology that raises questions about the ethics of genetic enhancement. Science correspondent Hannah Devlin tells Madeleine Finlay about the joint investigation into the company by the Guardian and the campaign group Hope Not Hate. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

20 min
OCT 24

What’s at stake for the climate if Trump wins?

With less than two weeks until the US election, Madeleine Finlay speaks to climate activist and author Bill McKibben to find out what a win for Donald Trump could mean for the environment and the world’s climate goals. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

16 min
OCT 22

How the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs made ants into farmers

Madeleine Finlay hears from Ted Schultz, curator of ants at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, about his recent study into the origins of fungi farming in ants. He tells Madeleine about the incredibly complex way that ants cultivate and protect their fungi gardens, and how the asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago could have kickstarted it all. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

16 min
OCT 17

Is sleep perfectionism making us more exhausted?

As the sleep tracking industry booms, some worry that it could be driving orthosomnia, the medical term for an unhealthy obsession with attaining perfect sleep, usually driven by a wearable device. Madeleine Finlay speaks to consultant neurologist and sleep physician Dr Guy Leschziner to find out whether this tech is helping or hindering our chances of maximising sleep’s health benefits. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

17 min
OCT 15

What Milton and Helene reveal about the future of hurricanes

Ian Sample speaks to Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at nonprofit Climate Central, about the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season so far, and what it tells us about how hurricanes will behave in future. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

15 min
OCT 9

All the news and science from the 2024 Nobel prizes

With awards for the discovery of microRNA and the creation of new proteins, plus recognition for artificial intelligence via the physics and chemistry prizes, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian science team – Nicola Davis, Ian Sample and Hannah Devlin – as they break down the news, science and surprises from this year’s Nobels. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

24 min

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4.3

out of 5

331 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