Newstalk

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Channel • 36 Shows

Science

Science

Every two weeks
Science

Science

Updated weekly
Politics

Politics

Updated 1 day ago
Kids & Family

Kids & Family

Updated weekly
History

History

Updated weekly
True Crime

True Crime

Weekly series
Politics

Politics

Weekly series

2 DAYS AGO

The Science of Gut Health

This week on Show Me The Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of the gut microbiome, how the health of your gut is important for your health overall and new findings on bacteria and cancers.

2 days ago

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17 min
6 DAYS AGO

Early flavour memories may shape picky eaters

Guests: Professor Nadja Reissland of Science Foundation Ireland Dr Ruth Freeman of Research Ireland Dr Fergus McAuliffe of Trinity College Dublin

6 days ago

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35 min
4 DAYS AGO

Extra: Does science back up weird skincare trends?

Guest: Dr Xinyi “Beibei” Du-Harpur, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at St John’s Institute of Dermatology and King’s College London

4 days ago

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15 min
14 MAY

The Science of Saunas

This week on Show Me The Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of saunas. How does taking a sauna benefit your health and mood, and exactly how much time should you spend in a sauna?

14 May

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13 min
25/08/2022

Parenting: My adult son is always asking for money

Joanna Fortune, psychotherapist specialising in Child & Adult Psychotherapy, answers your parenting questions.

25/08/2022

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17 min
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
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
22 JAN

The Science of Lewy Body Dementia

This week on the podcast, Professor Luke O’Neill turns his attention to a condition that’s often misunderstood and far more common than many people realise: Lewy Body Dementia. Requested by listener Eben Stewart ahead of World Lewy Body Dementia Day on January 28th, the episode looks at what causes LBD, how it differs from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and why so many people are living with it without a diagnosis. Around 10,000 people in Ireland are believed to have Lewy Body Dementia, yet only a fraction are formally on the register — a gap that has real consequences for care, treatment, and awareness. Luke explains how abnormal protein clumps, known as Lewy bodies, build up in nerve cells and trigger inflammation and neurodegeneration. LBD affects both cortical and sub-cortical regions of the brain. That helps explain why early symptoms are often cognitive rather than physical — confusion, memory problems, difficulty with decision-making, and, in many cases, vivid visual hallucinations and delusions. As the condition progresses, Parkinson’s-like symptoms such as tremor and rigidity usually emerge too. Treatment is complex and requires care, with some anti-psychotic medications risking a worsening of symptoms, while drugs like L-Dopa can help manage movement issues. Luke also talks about ongoing research, including work happening in his own lab on potential new treatments now in clinical trials. The episode also touches on why Lewy Body Dementia is more common in men, why it typically appears after the age of 50, and the role family history can play. And it reflects on the stories of well-known figures who lived with Parkinson’s and LBD, including Robin Williams, Glen Campbell and Michael J Fox, whose experiences helped shine a light on just how challenging — and misunderstood — LBD can be. Trinity College Dublin will host a Lewy Body Dementia awareness event on January 28th in Unit 18 on the Pearse Street campus from 12pm, as part of efforts to improve understanding and recognition of the condition.

22 Jan

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17 min
15 MAY

Best of May Books

‘Seven Sisters: Captives and Rebels in Revolutionary Europe's First Family’ with Veronica Buckley, historical biographer; ‘Gothic: Building Castles in post-Union Ireland’, with Dr Judith Hill, architectural historian; and ‘Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade’, with Dr Hannah Durkin, historian specialising in transatlantic slavery and African diasporic art and culture.

15 May

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52 min
12 MAR

The Science of St Patrick

With St Patrick’s Day just around the corner, Professor Luke O’Neill takes a closer look at the man behind the legend—and the science behind the stories. Drawing on Patrick’s own Confessio, Luke explores how the saint lived a long life, likely thanks to a mix of lifestyle and genetics. Could there have been two Patricks, Patricius and Palladius? Luke unpacks this theory and shares its surprising connection to the early days of Ireland’s Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. He also tackles the myth of Patrick banishing snakes, explaining how the last Ice Age shaped Ireland’s landscape and wildlife. And he examines the shamrock, used by Patrick to illustrate the Holy Trinity, and its medicinal properties, from easing menopausal symptoms and asthma to treating wounds and fevers. It’s history, myth, and biology all rolled into one festive podcast.

12 Mar

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14 min

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