Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

By NewstalkScience

Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea episodes

September 03, 2023 Will we soon be able to cure obesity?
Weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic have exploded in popularity over the past few years with them producing some quite incredible results. But could these drugs be the cure to obesity and do we have the wrong approach in dealing with the illness? Joining Johathan to discuss was Dr Margaret Steele a post-doctorate researcher at the School of Public Health at University Colledge Cork.
39 min
August 29, 2023 Futureproof Extra: The Science of Cultured Meat
From dietary downsides to the environmental impact large-scale farming has on the planet - not to mention the profound cruelty to which billions of animals are subjected annually - there are plenty of arguments against human consumption of animal meat. But what about meat that’s not derived from animals who once roamed in fields, but grown in labs instead? Is it really the future of food? Dr. Mark Post, Professor of Sustainable Industrial Tissue Engineering at Maastricht University joins Jonathan to discuss.
16 min
August 27, 2023 Womb transplants and the future of reproductive medicine
In a pioneering operation, the first womb transplant took place in the UK this week. But how soon could we see this in Ireland? Joining Jonathan to reflect on this is Conor Harrity, Consultant Gynaecologist, Sub-specialist in Reproductive Medicine at the Rotunda & Beaumont, and Medical Director of First IVF.
33 min
August 22, 2023 Futureproof Extra: Capturing Cosmic Dust
Cosmic dust might be closer than you think - in fact, it might even be on top of a nearby tall building.
And that’s exactly where Dr. Penelope Wozniakiewicz, Senior Lecturer in Space Science at the University of Kent, is focusing her searches as she and her colleagues are exploring cathedral roofs to find traces of these particles.
But why? What can we learn from cosmic dust and what is it in the first place?
Penelope joins Jonathan to discuss.
16 min
August 20, 2023 Can we reverse or stop ageing completely?
You might think becoming eternally young isn’t possible but scientists from Cornell University, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and Cancer Research UK, are actively exploring how to reverse the ageing process.
Dr. Meng Wang, Clinician Scientist in Haematology at Cornell University joins Jonathan to discuss.
41 min
August 15, 2023 Futureproof Extra: Burying nuclear waste in Finland
In the depths of the ground in Finland, high-level radioactive nuclear waste will be buried in the world’s first such permanent storage facility of this kind. So, what does this process look like and will other countries in Europe soon be following suit? Joining Jonathan is journalist Erika Benke who has been writing about this for the BBC.
18 min
August 13, 2023 How to build a spacesuit
Have you ever wondered about what goes into making a spacesuit? Amy Ross has been with NASA for 30 years, and is a spacesuit engineer specialising in pressure garments. She joins Jonathan to discuss her work.
This week’s Newsround with Dr Lara Dungan and Dr Ruth Freeman features a vaccine showing promise against the virus linked to multiple sclerosis; a massive sun 'umbrella' could be tethered to an asteroid to shield Earth from the sun and fight global warming; walking fewer than 10,000 daily steps still reduces the risk of death; and babies' and adults' love for Van Gogh shows a connection between early sensory preferences and later aesthetic judgments.
38 min
August 08, 2023 Futureproof Extra: The Science of Suncream
The science behind suncream is really surprising, as explored by writer Grace Browne in her recent piece in Wired. She joins Jonathan to shed light on something most people haven't thought of.
17 min
August 06, 2023 Black Holes in Bathtubs
Black holes - cosmic enigmas with immense gravitational forces - have long perplexed scientists. At Nottingham University's Black Hole Laboratory, Prof. Silke Weinfurtner pioneers an unconventional method using a hi-tech bathtub and superfluid helium as analogues to explore black hole behaviours. How might these analogues provide us with new insights into the mysteries of black holes and the fundamental laws of physics? Prof. Weinfurtner joins Jonathan to discuss her innovative research.
38 min
August 01, 2023 How technology affects our sleep
The way we sleep has dramatically changed in recent years.
Our alarm clock used to be the only piece of tech we associated with sleep, but we now have apps that track our sleep, evaluate its quality, and how much more or less we may need on a day-to-day basis.
But how do all of these advances in sleep-orientated actually technology affect us?
Katie Coveney is a senior lecturer in Sociology at Loughborough University in the UK & a medical sociologist with expertise in social and ethical aspects of medicine and health care. Catherine has just co-authored 'Technosleep: Frontiers, Fictions, Futures', a book that examines the relationship between sleep and technology.
She joins Jonathan to discuss.
18 min

About Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

From the publisher's feed

Jonathan responds to your texts and tweets, is joined in studio for all the latest science stories for Newsround and speaks to one of our two guests featured on the show.

CONVERSATION…