Afleveringen
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How much do our genes determine about our lives, and could they influence traits like risk-taking, antisocial behaviour or even violence? Ian Sample talks to Kathryn Paige Harden, a behavioural geneticist and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin who studies how genetic factors shape human behaviour. In her book Original Sin she explores how nature and nurture combine to influence our likelihood of committing crimes, and asks whether the ‘cause’ of our actions matters for how we think about culpability. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Met Office forecasters have issued a rare red weather warning for England, with temperatures potentially reaching 40C (104F) in some places. Europe is also dealing with a debilitating heatwave, with schools closed, trains cancelled and France even restricting the consumption of alcohol outdoors to take pressure off the emergency services. The high temperatures coincide with the coming El Niño, which some scientists have nicknamed Godzilla for its predicted strength. To find out whether the two are linked, Ian Sample hears from our Europe climate correspondent, Ajit Niranjan. He explains why it’s so hot, why we could be in for even worse and how we can keep as cool as possible. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Sea ice is melting fast and worsening the climate crisis. But what if there were a way to thicken it again? Madeleine Finlay is joined by environment editor Damian Carrington to discuss a bold attempt to refreeze the Arctic which is showing early signs of success. He visited the project to find out how it will work, how much it will cost and whether it really has potential to improve the fate of the Arctic’s ice. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has announced a social media ban for under-16s, as part of an online safety drive that aims to go even further than the world’s first ban, introduced by Australia last year. Many parents have welcomed the proposals, but scientists have pointed to the lack of strong evidence for the efficacy of bans, and some campaigners have argued that the proposal allows social media companies to avoid making meaningful changes on their platforms. Ian Sample is joined by co-host Madeleine Finlay to explore what the evidence indicates about the harms of social media and the impact of banning it outright. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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A daily pill can double survival time in patients with the world’s deadliest cancer, according to the results of a clinical trial that experts are saying is a gamechanger and one of the biggest breakthroughs in decades. To find out more about how daraxonrasib works and how life-changing it could be for patients, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Prof Naureen Starling, consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden hospital. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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While many dinosaurs were wiped out when a colossal asteroid struck Earth 66m years ago, one group survived: birds. Prof Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh, has written a new book, The Story of Birds, tracing the evolution of our feathered friends from their dinosaur origins. He joins science correspondent Nicola Davis to discuss how scales first became feathers, how winged dinosaurs survived the impact of the asteroid and why their extreme adaptability offers hope that birds might also make it through the current environmental crisis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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It’s just a week until the first whistle of the 2026 World Cup. To mark the occasion, Madeleine Finlay talks to Ian Sample about the science behind the tournament. It’s likely to be one of the hottest ever World Cups, and scientists have written to Fifa asking it to reconsider its heat mitigations for players and referees. Dr Oliver Gibson of Brunel University outlines their concerns. Also on the agenda is the huge fossil-fuel impact of the tournament, and the effect of VAR on the psychology of referees and fans. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Humans have been wondering why we sleep for thousands of years. Is sleep’s purpose rest and relaxation, memory consolidation or maybe cognitive processing? In the last 15 years, scientists have discovered another possible explanation – waste disposal. In 2012 neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard’s lab discovered that the brain has its own cleaning process, the glymphatic system, which clears away unhelpful proteins and metabolic byproducts, and only switches on at night. Since that groundbreaking discovery we’ve learned more about what drives this system and, importantly, how it could be impacting dementia. To understand more, Ian Sample talks to Prof Nedergaard about how she made the original discovery and how subsequent work is building a picture of sleep as anything but a quiet and inactive state. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Last month at Beijing’s half marathon, a robot named Lightning beat the human world record by nearly seven minutes. It’s the latest in a string of AI-powered milestones that have got people wondering whether robots are about to enter our everyday lives, just as chatbots have. And the country leading the charge is China, where the government has pledged to invest more than £100bn in robotics over the next 20 years. To find out how robots are already entering the workforce, and what needs to happen to get them cleaning our homes and weeding our gardens, Ian Sample hears from the Guardian’s senior China correspondent, Amy Hawkins, and from Nathan Lepora, professor of robotics and AI at Bristol University, who researches how robots can achieve human-like dexterity. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Home red-light therapy devices have exploded in popularity as masks, body wraps and mittens promise to reduce wrinkles, redness and even acne. But do the claims stack up, and what other benefits are scientists investigating? Ian Sample hears from his co-host, Madeleine Finlay, and the consultant dermatologist Dr Jonathan Kentley. Kentley explains how the potential benefits of red light were discovered, how it is thought to interact with collagen in our skin, and what science has to say about its impact on our appearance. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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The US supreme court has preserved nationwide access to mail-order abortion pills – for now. As Carter Sherman explains, the fight to protect this medication is far from over, as a nationwide, near-total abortion ban could be on the horizon. Carter speaks with Dr Angel Foster, co-founder of the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, who reveals how the legal battle over abortion pills has affected patients across the US – and what could happen next. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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After more than a decade of global consultation, polycystic ovary syndrome – which affects as many as one in eight women – has been renamed. The condition is caused by high levels of androgens, which can lead to symptoms such as excess hair, weight gain and irregular periods. To understand why campaigners wanted it renamed, and what its new name – polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) – could mean for patients, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s science correspondent, Nicola Davis, and Rachel, a campaigner from the charity Verity. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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An outbreak of Ebola has emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, leading to nearly 400 confirmed cases and more than 100 deaths. To find out how the outbreak might have begun, what authorities can do to contain it and why this outbreak is causing particular concern, Ian Sample hears from Daniela Manno, a clinical epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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The US supreme court dealt a devastating blow to the 1965 Voting Rights Act when it ruled in Louisiana v Callais in April that states cannot consider race in redistricting. Southern states from Tennessee to Alabama have rushed to erase majority-Black districts, sparking chaos for the midterm elections. Kai Wright talks to Stacey Abrams, a voting rights activist and former Georgia house minority leader, about the fallout from the decision, and why, despite it all, she still believes the way forward lies in engaging more voters to participate in democracy. ‘They have fractured communities and said we’re going to scatter these seeds. Our job is to grow,’ she says. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Madeleine Finlay sits down with co-host and science editor Ian Sample to discuss three eyecatching stories from the week, including an update on hantavirus. Also on the agenda is the Pentagon’s release of a tranche of never before seen documents relating to UFOs, and a study looking at the link between taking part in cultural activities and slower biological ageing. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Last month President Trump signed an executive order designed to fast track both research and access to psychedelic drugs as treatments for mental health illnesses. The most prominent in the order was ibogaine, a drug derived from the root bark of a West African shrub, that has shown some promise in relieving the long term effects of traumatic brain injury. Madeleine Finlay talks to journalist Mattha Busby about podcaster Joe Rogan’s role in the story, what else is behind the President’s interest in psychedelic research, and what the order will change in practice for scientists and researchers. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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To celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s centenary, Madeleine Finlay catches up with natural history writer Patrick Barkham, who has met the celebrated presenter. They explore how the natural world has changed in the century that Attenborough has been on Earth, and how his programming has reflected his growing commitment to highlighting the devastating impacts of the climate crisis on nature and biodiversity. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Three people have died after an outbreak of hantavirus onboard a cruise ship travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde. The World Health Organization says a total of seven cases – two confirmed by laboratory testing and five suspected – have been identified on the cruise ship so far. It is also investigating whether rare human-to-human transmission of the virus could be behind the cases. Madeleine Finlay talks to Prof Jonathan Ball from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to find out where the virus comes from, how it is transmitted to humans, and what health agencies will be doing to try to contain it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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The transition towards renewable energy received a boost last week when representatives from 57 countries met in Santa Marta, Colombia, for a world-first climate meeting aimed at bringing the fossil fuels era to an end. Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s global environment editor, Jon Watts, about how the landmark conference came about, who was missing, and whether the optimism can translate into real world action. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Madeleine Finlay sits down with co-host and Guardian science editor Ian Sample to talk through three eye-catching stories from the week, including the news that the number of years people in the UK are spending in good health has declined compared with a decade ago. Also on the agenda is the science, tech and nutrition behind two runners at this weekend’s London marathon breaking the two-hour threshold, and an answer to why some old houses feel particularly spooky. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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