Naked Scientists

Mitochondria - the longest and most successful partnership in biology - a symbiosis between bacteria and complex cells spanning billions of years - go under our microscope this week. We've teamed up with ARIA - the Advanced Research + Invention Agency - to find out more about the mitochondrion, including where they came from, what they do for us, what happens when they go wrong, and whether we can fix them. We hear from Danielle Grotjohn at Scripps Research, Siobhan Mitchell at MitoQ, Henry Lee at Cultivarium, Mike Murphy from the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, and ARIA's Max Sichrovsky. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Introducing "Smellyvision": this week, we talk about new tech that transmits smells alongside sounds and pictures, and ask whether smell is our most underrated sense. Also, are Bill Gates' fears that AI will erode our intellect well-founded, and why do some worry it might lead to better biological weapons? Meanwhile, how has Jonathan the giant tortoise lived to almost 200, and how long could a human theoretically survive? And why do scientists seem to say one thing one minute, and then change their minds a week later? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up: Africa's leading public health agency has warned that the Ebola outbreak could spread beyond the continent. What are the risks? Plus, we hear from the team behind an electronic implant with a catalytic converter to remove glucose from the blood; why Mars dust may pose a problem for astronauts; and the seabirds that experience jet lag when crossing the Atlantic. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week, Rachael Ralph investigates sugar. Perry Bateman from British Sugar tells her how white sugar and demerara differ; the British Dental Association's Mick Armstrong explains how a high-sugar diet leads to cavities; and Lucy Chambers at Diabetes UK looks at the long-term consequences of high blood sugar. Are artificial sweeteners truly better? Gunter Kuhnle and Jason Halford weigh in. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today, we explore a Japanese mission to return a sample from Phobos. What might the project tell us about Mars's moons? Plus, Mariam Jamal-Hanjani at Cancer Research UK on Pope Leo's lung cancer diagnosis and treatment; scientists develop a DNA typewriter to track where all the cells in a mouse come from, and can we put a price on the value of breastfeeding? Chris Smith and Rachael Ralph report. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Why has everyone got a cold at the moment? How does an elemental diet treat inflammatory bowel disease? How does chlorine clean up drinking water? What is cholera? Can silver sterilise surfaces and water? Is static electricity down to positive or negative charge? What is reverse osmosis water filtering, and why is it controversial? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

European Space Agency reserve astronauts John McFall and Meganne Christian join Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham to discuss their latest training, a new private space station mission and crossing the Atlantic in winter. And, as the joint ESA and Japanese Bepi-Colombo spacecraft prepares to arrive at Mercury, they meet mission project scientist Geraint Jones to discuss this ambitious mission. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Today, what causes ageing, and why some animals age faster than others. Joao Pedro Magalhaes discusses ageing biochemistry; Noah Snyder-Mackler links "jumping genes" to shorter lifespans in big dogs; Stephen Clark introduces Jonathan, the 194-year-old tortoise; and Andrew Steele explains Peto's Paradox, showing why large animals get less cancer than expected. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How do dogs decode human speech? Can they actually understand one another, and do they bark with an accent? Also, do all animals pair for life? Why are biometric fingerprint scanners tricky for older people? And is AI damaging our ability to think for ourselves? Plus, what's the problem with asking AI to solve complex maths puzzles, and can it also help decode what animals are saying? Dr Chris Smith and Clarence Ford have the answers. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Coming up, the US places restrictions on Starlink in Ukraine, and MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum warns that AI is accelerating cyber threats from Russia. Plus, an electronic sensor that can help detect Parkinson's disease, the health of a generation raised on sugar rations, and why dogs can understand our words and intonation. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists