Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

Scientists in Maryland in the United States are exploring what a lab-grown retina can tell us about how we can see millions of colours. Joining Jonathan to explain more about the research is Robert J. Johnston Jr. Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University.

Also joining Jonathan for this week's Newsround is Dr. Susan Kelleher, School of Chemical Sciences, DCU & Dr Fergus McAuliffe, Communications and Engagement Manager, iCRAG.

As we grow older, we experience a multitude of changes - both emotionally and physically - and while those changes can be challenging at times, it is inevitable.

One way we see the process of ageing is right in front of us with the skin on our faces, our hands, and the rest of our body - in many ways telling the story of our lives.

But what is actually happening as our skin continues to age throughout our lives.

Joining Jonathan to discuss this is consultant dermatologist, Professor Caitriona Ryan.

That old maxim of “knowledge is power” is as true today as it was when Francis Bacon first coined the term back in the late 1500s; and while that is itself still true, the speed at which we send and receive knowledge and information can be just as powerful.

We have been witnesses to this through the years as we laid Atlantic telegraph cables in the 1860s, sent satellites into space, and now we may stand again on the precipice of a new age of rapid communication with groundbreaking research into “teleportation”.

Joining Jonathan to discuss is Prof Andrew Forbes from the School of Physics at Wits University in South Africa.

Also joining us for this week's installment of Newsround is Lianne Shanley, PhD Researcher from the School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin & Dr. Shane Bergin, Assistant Professor in Science Education, UCD.

Researchers from University College London have developed an electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) vest that might help identify individuals at a higher risk of sudden cardiac death. Joining Jonathan to explain how it works is Gaby Captur, Consultant cardiologist in Inherited Heart Muscle Conditions at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust & Senior lecturer at the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science.

We all know that our urine is yellow, or at least, it should be.

While we have known for some time that it is urobilin that's responsible for the yellow pigment, it was unclear what was responsible for the urobilin's production - that is of course, until very recently.

Brantley Hall, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Maryland joins Jonathan to discuss.

Also joining us for this week's installment of Newsround is Fergus McAuliffe, Education, Public Engagement, and Communications Manager at iCRAG & Dr. Oran Kennedy, Associate Professor in Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine at RCSI.

This year we will come closer than ever to touching the Sun than ever before. That’s because of an upcoming NASA mission called the Parker Solar Probe that has been compared in significance to that of the Moon landing. Joining Phil Smyth to discuss is one of the scientists involved, Dr Nour Raouafi from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

Road safety has been at the forefront of the minds of many of us with the significant death toll last year but scientists at the University of Cambridge are exploring a new way of warning drivers of road obstacles through 3D holograms. Joining Phil Smyth to discuss this is Jana Skirnewskaja from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering.

Also joining Phil for Newsround is Lianne Shanley, Ph.D. Researcher from the School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin & Dr. Fergus McAuliffe from iCrag.

Looking back at the best episodes in 2023: Have you ever wondered how humans came about the concept of ‘measuring’ things? How did Ancient Egyptians use giant rulers to predict the harvest in coming months? James Vincent is the author of ‘Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement from Cubits to Quantum Constants’ and he joined Jonathan to talk about how this concept shapes the way we see the world.

One of the best conversations from 2023: Ryan Kerney, organismal biologist at Gettysburg University, joined Jonathan to discuss why humans can’t breath underwater and what the likelihood is of us ever developing that ability again.

The notion of human beings getting to and settling on Mars has been a staple of science fiction for decades.

But what are the social, scientific, and engineering constraints for establishing a colony, and what are the current blueprint and design concepts for the settlement of an entire Martian city?

Justin Hollander, Urban Planning Professor at Tufts University and the author of ‘The First City on Mars: An Urban Planner’s Guide to Settling the Red Planet’ joins Jonathan to discuss.

https://jholla03.pages.tufts.edu/