Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill

The use of processed foods has lead to longer shelf lives and cheaper foods but just how damaging are they to our long term health? In this week's episode Luke lays bare the stark reality of the damage over compumption of ultra-processed food is causing. What exactly is the definition of ultra-processed food? Why and where is it so damaging and what can the huge number of studies do to help curb it's fatal influence.

This week Luke responds to a request from a listener to do an episode on the general science of evolution and he has duly obliged. Why do we see evolution? How LUCA started it all, the effect of modern technology and how the study of evolution could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of diseases such as alzheimers.

It's a question that has puzzled and perplexed the greatest minds for eons and has literally had them scratching their heads. Why do some people go grey and/or go bald and why do others keep their colour and lucious locks?. The answer science is discovering is a fascinating one and it just might have you binning your Grecian 2000 soon. Luke also reveals an incredible connection between balding and becoming president of The United States. Hair raising stuff!

Turbulence might be one of the only things that might make you dread jetting off on your summer holidays, especially after recent reports of injuries sustained on flights.

Luke will put your mind at ease by explaining the science behind the phenomenon and the differences between the various types. He also explains why there's an apparent increase in turbulence and why it's becoming more likely with global warming.

50,000 years ago homo-sapiens arrived in Papua New Guinea - It was a big change of environment and the evolution of the people there is a clear demonstration of the survival of the fittest.

Research looking at the DNA of the people in Papua New Guinea showcases two big genetic differences which helped them to survive. For one group living in the mountains, a variant which increases your red blood cell count helped them to cope with the altitude. Another group living in the jungle possessed a genetic variation making them prone to inflammation to fight off infection.

Luke explains the history of human evolution across Earth and in Papua New Guinea specifically and what these findings mean going forward.

What is the role of the brain in our immune response? We already know that the brain makes us feel rotten when we're sick so we stay away from the rest of the herd and don't spread the infection further. But, now there is new research into the brain stem which showcases the two neural pathways that increase and suppress inflammation.

While there are still questions to be answered about finding the right balance of suppressing inflammation without leaving us susceptible to infection, Luke explains why it's such an exciting breakthrough.

You know if things had worked out differently 800,000 years ago you wouldn't be here to listen to this podcast? There wouldn't even BE podcasts which is even more shocking to comprehend. In this week's episode Luke discusses how fossil records have recently revealed that there was a big disappearance of hominids which has led them to conclude that we may not have happened!

There is no doubting that A.I is here to stay and it is here to revolutionise pretty much every aspect of our lives. There has been many concerns as to what that future will look like but in this week's episode Luke tries to allay at least some of those fears by identifying 4 major benefits of A.I.

Utilizing our own immune systems to fight cancer has always been an interesting idea to scientists, and now there's serious progress being made in this filed that could see us developing personalized treatments for the disease.

Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgeries are all useful treatments but a vaccine against the tumor could be much more effective without being as intrusive.

Luke explains how they might make these vaccines and gives the latest update on the clinical trials going on.

Between 1980 and 2009, the rate of twinning in the US increased by 76%, and this trend is seen across the world. Twins can be either fraternal where two eggs are fertilized at the same time, or identical where one fertilized egg splits in two. Both of these offer huge opportunities for scientists to learn about genetic traits and environmental impacts on development.

Luke explains what we've learned from twin studies and why they're so useful.