The World, the Universe and Us

New Scientist

From the evolution of intelligent life, to the mysteries of consciousness; from the threat of the climate crisis to the search for dark matter, The world, the universe and us is your essential weekly dose of science and wonder in an uncertain world. Hosted by journalists Dr Rowan Hooper and Dr Penny Sarchet and joined each week by expert scientists in the field, the show draws on New Scientist’s unparalleled depth of reporting to put the stories that matter into context. Feed your curiosity with the podcast that will restore your sense of optimism and nourish your brain.

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458 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes458

Newest first

Yesterday · 49 min
Latitude Special: Why Festivals Make You Live Longer; Clearing Alzheimer’s Proteins from the Brain;Clouds Made of Rocks and Rubies; Orcas Blow Up Giant Fish
Episode 390 In a special episode recorded live at Latitude Festival in England, we open with the finding that orcas in the Gulf of California have been making fish explode like piñatas. Sunfish are too large for orcas to get their teeth around, but they’ve been seen working together to tackle them - another amazing display of their ability to coordinate. We also discuss a surprising new way to clear proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease from the brain. An early-stage experiment shows that inhaling carbon dioxide could boost your brain’s waste disposal system and clear out harmful proteins. But don’t try this at home. Also on the agenda, the clouds on distant exoplanets are now being studied - and they are made of incredible materials. Some are made of sand, molten iron and even rubies and sapphires. As we explain how materials like this can stay suspended in the air, we also discuss the importance of clouds on Earth. And we wrap up with the finding that festivals protect the brain and help keep us young. A study involving 3500 people found that those who attended social gatherings like festivals and concerts showed clear reductions in their biological age. Discover why this happens, plus the wider benefits of music on brain health. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by: Astrophysicist Hannah Wakeford Neuropsychologist Catherine Loveday Musician Steve Pretty To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Friday · 21 min
Climate 2026: Record Heat, Tens of Thousands Dead, Mass Evacuations
Episode 389 Europe is burning through another summer of extreme heat. Temperatures are soaring across the continent, wildfires are forcing mass evacuations in France and Spain, and scientists warn that heatwaves are becoming more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting as the climate warms. The fires are changing too. Hotter, drier conditions are creating larger and more destructive wildfires. Some are even generating their own weather systems, pyrocumulonimbus thunderstorms, in regions we’d never seen before. Find out what is driving Europe’s escalating heat and wildfire crisis, and whether district cooling networks could help cities stay livable in a much hotter future. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Alec Luhn and Michael Le Page. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Image credit: Death Valley: Mikenorton, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 27 · 16 min
Scientists Pioneer Surgical Methods for Human Head and Eye Transplants
Episode 388 Two extraordinary breakthroughs have been made in transplant surgery. First, scientists have found a way of keeping human eyes alive for up to 10 hours after death, opening up the possibility of eye transplants in the future. And in a second controversial surgery, another team has managed to restore severed spinal cords in pigs, allowing them to walk again after being paralysed. While it’s hoped this will eventually allow people with spinal injuries to walk again, one of the scientists involved is a proponent of human head transplants - or body transplants as they should really be known. Is that the ultimate goal? Find out how the scientists achieved these feats - and what’s required to take both surgeries to the next level. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Alexandra Thompson. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 20 · 11 min
The Most Promising Alien Planet We've Ever Found?
Episode 387 Two big interstellar discoveries have hit the headlines. One is the discovery of the first atmosphere ever found on a small, rocky exoplanet that could host alien life. The planet LHS 1140b is about 50 light years from Earth and sits in the “Goldlocks” zone, meaning it’s close enough to its star to be habitable. So what do we know about its atmosphere – and could it be just like Earth? The second story is of sugar molecules discovered in interstellar space for the first time – detected in a cosmic cloud nearly 27 light years away. Researchers believe this sugar could have formed before the solar system itself. Find out more with Senior Editor Chelsea Whyte and Space Reporter Leah Crane. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Image credits: Chester Harman, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons ESO/spaceengine.org, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 17 · 20 min
Climate Crisis Is Triggering Global Food Shortages - New Predictions Are Devastating
Episode 386 The climate crisis is having a significant impact on yields of crucial food crops. Losses of maize, wheat and soybeans alone are costing $20 billion a year due to heat and drought. New estimates expect this to rise to $160 billion per year by 2100 - although that could be an underestimate. While this means food prices will keep on rising in developed countries, the majority of the population in the world’s least developed regions work in farming, so crop losses have the potential to destabilise them, creating social unrest and increased migration. But beyond getting emissions under control, do we need to completely rethink how we produce food globally in order to combat this? Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Michael Le Page to discuss this new prediction and the action needed to stop it coming true. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 13 · 31 min
7 Essential Lessons We Can Learn From Homer’s Odyssey
Episode 385 What can Homer’s Odyssey teach us about psychology and human nature? Locked up in this 2,500-year-old text are a host of profound lessons and ancient wisdom. In her new book The Odyssey Mindset, Oxford classicist and clinical psychologist Sam Akbar draws on seven essential lessons from this classic piece of Greek literature. She showcases what it teaches us about issues like grief, ego and dealing with trauma - translating The Odyssey into a toolkit for modern life. The book is out just as Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey hits the big screen. So if you want to have a deeper appreciation of Homer’s work before you visit the cinema, this one’s for you. Rowan Hooper speaks to Sam Akbar about the incredible influence this work has had on Western culture, and Homer’s lessons for clinical psychology. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 9 · 28 min
Chris Packham on the Untold Story of Evolution
Episode 384 The story of evolution is being brought to life in a new way. BBC series Evolution tells the story of 5 iconic animals, from elephants to ostriches, using CGI to reimagine ancient fossils. And this isn’t just about the animals that came before them, but also explores the intricacies of how locomotion, intelligence, feeding, and reproduction emerged. The series is hosted by broadcaster, natural history legend, and New Scientist superfan Chris Packham, who hopes Evolution will remind viewers that we are all connected on a deep and fundamental level. Penny Sarchet sits down with Chris to discuss why they've chosen to tell the story in this way and explore some of his series highlights. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 7 · 20 min
Heatwaves Are Getting Deadlier - And It’s Going To Get Worse
Episode 383 As another heatwave takes hold, figures are now showing just how deadly the last one was. With one early estimate suggesting as many as 25,000 people may have died in Europe as a result of June’s extreme heat. Heatwaves across Europe, Asia, Australia and the US hit record highs last month and wildfires are now spreading across southern Europe. And as the effects of climate change increase the intensity year on year, can we be better prepared for the next ones coming our way? In this episode we discuss the urgent need to adapt homes and infrastructure to deal with a warming climate, the impact of extreme heat on the human body - and how you can become better adapted for the coming hot weather. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist reporters Michael Le Page and Alec Luhn. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 3 · 20 min
Breakthrough Synthetic Cell Has Just Reproduced - But Is It Alive?
Episode 382 Scientists have created a synthetic cell with just 36 genes that can copy DNA and replicate. In an attempt to create a “minimal cell”, a team led by professor Kate Adamala have built “SpudCell” from the ground up, using non-living components. But is it alive - and is it dangerous? Despite being able to carry out some of the tasks of a normal cell, it’s not clear that it’s capable of evolution - yet. But it is a major breakthrough in the field and could pave the way for the creation of artificial life in the future. Researchers have made their work open source so the next breakthrough can be fasttracked - and hope it will help provide a solution to the climate crisis by replacing the need for petrochemicals. To discuss the news - and its implications for the origin of life - Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist reporter Michael Le Page. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 2 · 47 min
The Science of Football: Inside the 2026 World Cup
Episode 381 Advances in sports science, data analysis and AI are having a huge impact on the way football is played. With England rated highly in this year’s World Cup, and teams such as Paraguay causing upsets - how will science help give teams an edge? In the past there was very little data available to help assess player performance - and diet and training were much more rudimentary. But now we can analyse information in an incredibly sophisticated way, which is changing what players can achieve on the pitch. In this special World Cup episode recorded at the Royal Society in London, we explore the emerging role of data and AI in football, the neuroscience of penalty shootouts, the impact of extreme heat on player performance, differences between the men’s and women’s game - and much more. Rowan Hooper is joined by a panel of expert guests, including: Dr Charlotte Cowie, Chief Medical Officer of the British Olympic Association Dr Ian Graham, Founder of sports advisory business Ludonautics Holly Bridge, Professor of Neuroscience at University of Oxford To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Image credit: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 30 · 16 min
Ancient Human DNA Found in Stone Age Cave Art For First Time
Episode 380 The DNA of ancient humans has been found preserved in cave art that’s more than 40,000 years old. This discovery could open an entirely new avenue for finding out about the lives of our ancient ancestors. Researchers from the First Art project found these unexpected samples while examining 11 different caves decorated with rock art. Although it’s unclear if the DNA belongs to the original artist, it may soon be possible for researchers to identify the exact person who did the painting - and even uncover traits like their hair and eye colour. Now this has been done once, the potential for more discoveries is massive. We may even be able to figure out if Neanderthals were also making art like this. Rowan Hooper is joined by features editor Alison George and Genevieve von Petzinger at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 22 · 25 min
A “Super” El Niño May Be Coming - Here’s What It Means
Episode 379 El Niño has officially arrived – a natural climate event that raises global temperatures. The difference this time is it looks very likely to become a “Super” El Niño. This is a more extreme warming phase which could lead to record high temperatures. Coupled with the ongoing impacts of climate change, weather agencies are predicting an increase in extreme weather events around the world. From droughts to floods and devastating coral bleaching, what will this year’s warming bring? We find out how a “Super” El Niño differs from a normal one, the extent of the damage it could cause and whether it’s responsible for the strange weather we’ve already had this year in the UK. Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Emily Black, Climate Professor at the University of Reading and New Scientist climate journalist Alec Luhn. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 18 · 21 min
The Lost Solstice Monument That Predates Stonehenge By 500 Years
Episode 378 A prototype Stonehenge has been discovered - an even older structure that may have been a first attempt at building the famous megalithic calendar. A team led by archaeologist Phil Harding, best-known for the TV series ‘Time Team’, discovered a range of artefacts at a site near Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Excavations at Bulford uncovered pottery, animal bones, flints - and something even more telling. Signs of a structure of wooden poles were found, that line up directly with the summer solstice sun. Phil Harding joins Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet to discuss what he found and why it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Image Credits: Wessex Archaeology - www.wessexarch.co.uk Marijane Porter Dr Fabio Silva garethwiscombe, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Andrew Dunn, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 15 · 19 min
If We Can Make Genetically Engineered Designer Babies - Should We?
Episode 377 Considered too dangerous and unreliable a few years ago, the technology for gene editing babies is advancing fast. Improved methods of using CRISPR gene editing are making the technique safer and more targeted. But does that mean we should be creating designer babies? A new, more powerful version of CRISPR has already saved lives by correcting cells in children linked to leukaemia. But editing human embryos is a different story - and less safe. Despite this, researchers have been studying whether it’s possible. To discuss the obstacles that still need to be overcome and the ethical challenges, Rowan Hooper is joined by reporter Michael Le Page. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 12 · 26 min
Scientists Mapped Earth's Vast Fungal Network - And It's Critical For The Climate
Episode 376 For the first time, scientists have mapped Earth’s vast underground fungal network - and it’s bigger than anyone imagined. Beneath our feet, plants and fungi have a hidden symbiotic relationship, sharing nutrients through fine fungal threads called hyphae. With these new global maps, we’re now starting to understand just how important the mycorrhizal network is in keeping the Earth’s climate stable - including the extent of the carbon it draws down. But the ecosystems where these networks exist are being stripped back for agriculture and damaged by fungicides - so how can we protect them? To explore this topic, Rowan Hooper is joined by some of the researchers behind the project - Toby Kiers, Tom Shimizu and Merlin Sheldrake. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Find out more about SPUN, the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks: https://www.spun.earth/ See the Mycorrhizal Infrastructure Map: https://a-hidden-infrastructure.spun.earth Read Rowan’s symbiosis book ‘Togetherness’: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/459006/togetherness-by-hooper-rowan/9781911717140 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 11 · 13 min
Millions of Fossil Whale Bones Found in Deep Ocean Graveyard
Episode 375 The world’s deepest known whale graveyard has been discovered in the southern Indian Ocean. Located at a depth of seven kilometres, it contains millions of whale bones and has been described as a “deep-sea fossil megasite” and a whale necropolis. Chinese researchers, diving in the crewed Fendouzhe submersible, undertook 32 dives along 1200 kilometres of the seafloor in an area known as the Diamantina Zone. They discovered a vast amount of whale bones of different ages. Recent carcasses support a thriving ecosystem of invertebrates such as bone eating worms and brittle stars, but there are also fossil bones up to 5 million years old. Why are the bones collected in this area? Join host Rowan Hooper and reporter James Woodford as they discuss the startling and eerie discovery. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 5 · 27 min
DeepMind Is Simulating Entire Worlds - Ready for AI Robots
Episode 374 Google DeepMind is simulating entire worlds using AI - that can be interacted with in real time. “World models” simulate the environment and physics of the real world. And DeepMind’s Genie 3 model allows people to create these worlds with basic image and text prompts. The idea is not just to allow people to explore these worlds, but to serve as a testbed for AI agents to learn how to interact with the world before they are deployed in humanoid robotic bodies. Could this be the next big step towards artificial general intelligence (AGI)? Joshua Howgego speaks to Jack Parker Holder, Research Director at Google DeepMind, about the latest developments. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 3 · 15 min
Ötzi the Ice Man Contains Still-Living Microbes
Episode 373 Despite being 5,300-years-old, the gut microbiome of the famous Ötzi the Ice Man appears to be still alive. A mix of ancient and modern bacteria have been found on Ötzi’s mummified remains - which are preserved in icy conditions. Found in 1991 by hikers on a glacier in the Alps, Ötzi has already taught us an incredible amount about the life of humans living in Europe during the Copper Age - and continues to reveal his secrets. While we unpack this surprising news, we also explore some of the other fascinating discoveries Ötzi has led us to over the years, from the type of food ancient people ate during this period, to the different animal skins they wore as clothing. We also discuss the six tools he was found with - and why he was covered in 61 tattoos. To discuss the new finding, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist’s Sam Wong. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 25 · 16 min
The Thwaites 'Doomsday' glacier's ice shelf is about to break away
Episode 372 Part of the world’s widest glacier is about to collapse – one of the dramatic changes underway that could ultimately trigger a 3 metre rise in sea levels, threatening coastal cities around the world. Thwaites is a massive glacier in Antarctica – the size of Florida. A key part of the glacier could break away any day now -– an ice shelf that helps protect the main glacier from warm ocean water. Scientists are shocked by the speed at which these changes have happened. Is there anything we can do to stop it? To discuss the news, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist’s Alison George – former British Antarctic Survey scientist. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 22 · 26 min
Some Scientists Want To Resurrect Extinct Species – Is It Even Possible?
Episode 371 The moa was a giant flightless bird from New Zealand that died out around 500 years ago. Are we about to see it brought back from extinction? Colossal Biosciences say they have made an artificial egg shell that is a step towards recreating the massive eggs of moas (and dodos). This is huge news… if it works. Is this really enough to bring them back to life - and should we even be trying? We discuss the news and wider ethical implications of de-extinction - including Colossal’s headline goal of bringing back the woolly mammoth to assist in the climate crisis. Rowan Hooper is joined by New Scientist’s Michael Le Page and palaeontologist Victoria Herridge. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices