Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill

By Newstalk

Science & Medicine

What's Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill about?

Have you ever wondered why we laugh or if you can really die of a broken heart? Join Professor Luke O'Neill on ‘Show Me the Science’ as he tackles a different issue each week; from the serious to the silly, all explained through science. This Newstalk production will open the world of science to people of all ages. New episodes every Thursday. Show me the Science is with thanks to B Braun.
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LAST EPISODE

95. The Science of Death

11.17.2022

Every wondered about the odds of getting stung by a bee and surviving. This week Luke O'Neil dives deep into different causes of death and how to live your life as best you can!

Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill episodes:

11.17.2022 95. The Science of Death Every wondered about the odds of getting stung by a bee and surviving. This week Luke O'Neil dives deep into different causes of death and how to live your life as best you can!
11.10.2022 94. The Science of Sepsis Ever wondered what Sepsis is? Or how it is caught? Listen this week as Luke analyses the disease and potential artificial intelligence that could be used to spot other diseases. Luke explains how complex the immune system and how different ...
11.03.2022 93. The Science of The Ocean Ever wondered about the deep depths of the ocean and what creatures lie beneath the mysterious deep blue?? This week Luke explores the science of the ocean and the incredible creatures that have been discovered as a result of scientists ...
10.27.2022 92. The Science of Ghosts Do you believe in ghosts? Are stories of apparitions and hauntings verifiable truths, or fanciful falsehoods? This week Luke explores the science behind ghosts, hauntings and all things spooky, looking at some examples from the modern day and famous incidents ...
10.20.2022 91. The Science of Asteroids This week Luke O'Neill tells us all about the beginning of time and updates us on the current asteroid activity in space. Ever wondered how fast they travel, and what are the odds of them happening again? Listen now to ...
10.13.2022 90. The Science of Evolution Ever wondered about the Science behind evolution or how evolution started? Wonder what the fastest evolving gene in humans are? Well Luke O'Neill has all the answers as he deep dives into the evidence that shows us how we are ...
10.06.2022 89. The Science of Tea Did you know that the Irish are the biggest tea drinkers in the world? Ever wondered what the benefits of tea are? Green tea, Black tea, Hibiscus Tea, Oolong tea. Listen as Luke O'Neill explores the world of teas and ...
09.29.2022 88. The Science of Cheerfulness Feeling Cheerful or wanting to feel cheerful? Ever wondered why upbeat music makes you smile? In this weeks episode we discover why we are social creatures and learn some literary references to cheerfulness including some iconic tales from Shakespeare. We ...
09.22.2022 87. The Science of Potatoes The world's most glamorous, exotic or intriguing food they may not be (particularly if you're Irish) but the humble spud is no less than the world's super-food, with hidden depths and gifts beneath the skin. In this episode Luke explains ...
09.15.2022 86. The Science of Proteins Luke returns with tales of a potentially life altering breakthrough in the world of proteins - or the hunt for proteins to be more precise. Through an incredible new discovery the very building blocks of life are now at our ...
07.14.2022 85. The Science of Cancer Treatment Pancreatic and colorectal cancer are two of the most deadly forms of the disease, and science has struggled to ever come t grips with them. However a new breakthrough in treatment could mark the beginning of the turning of the ...
07.07.2022 84. The Science of Clever Animals Did you ever meet an optimistic pig? This week Luke looks at the cleverest of animals, from piggy of a sunny outlook, to birds who have taken up tools, and the bees who Luke wants to turn into the world’s ...
06.30.2022 83. The Science of Coffee It can feel like a lifeline in the morning, or when you need a boost during a long day, but could our daily coffee be doing far more for us that just that caffeine kick? Luke explores the findings of ...
06.23.2022 82. The Science of Exercise and Mental Health IT will come as no revelation that exercise is good for us, and good for our mental health. But the reality is science does not fully understand why it is so good for us. This week Luke delves into the ...
06.16.2022 81. The Science of Drones While most of us might associate the rise of drones as the world of hobbyists, or tools used for photography, in many parts of the world they are being utilised in creative ways to bring emergency medical care to people ...
06.09.2022 80. The Science of Curry It's a culinary favourite for many of us, but could curry hold the secret to health? This week Luke explores the science behind a particular spice at the heart of curries, and explains why it could continue serving us long ...
06.02.2022 79. The Science of IBS Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, is an affliction that comes in several forms and impacts a lot of us. This week Luke explores what we know about crohn's and colitis, how treatments have evolved over time and why a new ...
05.26.2022 78. The Science of Dopamine It's called the "motivation molecule" and it is a central factor why we do what we do every day. This week Luke explores the science of dopamine, explains why certain activities cause it to spike and fall, and how we ...
05.19.2022 77. The Science of Enceladus Enceladus is a moon of Saturn, and it perhaps offers the best chance of finding life beyond Earth Scientists have been exploring and probing Enceladus for decades, and discovering more about the mysteries contained within. And now new findings, and ...
05.12.2022 76. The Science of Modified Mosquitos Can the humble mosquito be genetically altered to become not a spreader of disease, but rather something far more beneficial to the environment? This week Luke delves into the science behind mosquito modification and explains why life on earth could ...
05.05.2022 75. The Science of Cloning Your Pets Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is a heartbreaking moment for anyone, and perhaps more than anything underscores just how deeply we come to care for the animals in our lives. But what if it need not be a final ...
04.28.2022 74. The Science of Dinosaurs We may think we know it all about the dinosaurs, and their end, but new discoveries continue to emerge and this week Luke delves into all that is new in the prehistoric world – including the “ultimate dinosaur drumstick” and ...
04.21.2022 73. The Science of Rheumatoid Arthritis In the course of Luke's career he has explored many areas and asked many questions, but one illness and the mysteries around it has taken up more of his life than almost any other - rheumatoid arthritis. This week he ...
04.14.2022 72. The Science of Musical Health Luke returns to one of his very favourite topics of discussion, music. Some exciting new info has emerged on the health benefits of a musical life, and the big part music has played in our evolution, and Luke is only ...
04.07.2022 71. The Science of Migraines For some of us they are an ongoing and excruciating menace in our lives, and for scientists they remain an unsolved mystery in many ways. This week Luke explores the science of migraines - asking what causes them, and how ...
03.31.2022 70. The Science of Aspirin It was the first ever drug ever made by a drug company, but for decades nobody knew exactly how it worked. It is also a drug that has led to many other drugs we now know so well. This week ...
03.24.2022 69. The Science of Human Hibernation Are you tired of winters? Sick of the those long dark months when not a lot happens? Would a bout of hibernation interest you? Well, science and space travel may soon bring about that possibility, and this week Luke explores ...
03.17.2022 68. The Science of Insomnia Sleep can be a tricky one for all of us - getting enough good quality snoozing time can seem an elusive, sometimes unattainable, goal in a busy life. But science may have some answers. This week Luke looks at why ...
03.10.2022 67. The Science of Whales One of earth's most fascinating creatures, and also perhaps the species with the biggest influence on the scientific life of one Professor Luke O'Neill. This week Luke explores the vast and complex world of whales, and why whale poo (or ...
03.03.2022 66. The Science of Beer For better and worse beer has been intertwined with human history for centuries, but what is the science behind one of the world's favourite drinks? This week Luke explores the experiments and discoveries that have guided the evolution of beer, ...
02.24.2022 65. The Science of Changing Your Blood Group There are things in life you cannot change - the past, the weather, your family - but there could be one less sure thing in this world, because your blood group could soon become a lot less definite. This week ...
02.17.2022 64. The Science of Dog Intelligence We know dogs are close to the top of the pecking order of animal intelligence, but the breadth of dog intelligence might just surprise you, from empathy to jealousy, and lots in between, our canine companions have plenty on their ...
02.10.2022 63. The Science of Laughing It makes your belly shake, make your eyes water, and binds us to each other - the power of a good laugh can be monumental. But why do we laugh, why are we prone to giggling a lot more depending ...
02.03.2022 62. The Science of the Nocebo effect This week Luke asks if it might all be in our heads? Or a lot of it anyway. While many of us are surely familiar with the idea of the placebo effect, what about the nocebo effect and the incredible ...
01.13.2022 59. The Science of Stopping Ageing Science forges towards breaking another frontier this week, as Luke brings us news of a vaccine for ageing. Could we one day live forever? Could a simple jab protect us from what was is today considered one of the universe's ...
01.06.2022 57. The Science of Weight Gain/Loss A new year and for many a new commitment to shift those extra pounds. But how much of weight gain is down to bad habits, and how much is down to more unalterable factors, like your age? Luke explores the ...
12.23.2021 55. The Science of Santa's Reindeer On the eve of the greatest journey of the year, as Santa and his reindeer depart the North Pole to cross the globe, Luke explores the science of the animals who make it all possible. From their specialised fur, to ...
12.16.2021 54. The Science of settling Europe On cold, rainy winter nights Luke has found himself pondering a question - why on earth did humans end up coming to live in Europe? Why would we leave warmer climates and head north? So he set about finding the ...
12.09.2021 53. The Science of Plastics Plastic waste is a problem that the world needs to solve, and this week Luke explains why new discoveries are offering a potential route away from the tonnes of waste we accumulate every year, and it involves a method that ...
12.02.2021 52. The Science of Genomic Medicine We return to the question of the human genome this week, as Luke explores how recent breakthroughs are paving the way for medical interventions of a kind doctors could long only have dreamed of. Listen and subscribe to Show Me ...
11.25.2021 51. The Science of Plant Diets We all know we should eat plenty of fruit and veg, but just why is a plant based diet so good for us? And is it able to give us all we need, without animal based foods? This week Luke ...
11.18.2021 50. The Science of Gene Therapy What was once just a dream has become reality for scientists in recent years, and even in recent months, as gene therapy technology has advanced at a rapid pace, allowing us to fight diseases that were once beyond all treatment. ...
11.11.2021 49. The Science of Birth without Pregnancy It sounds like the plot to science fiction set far into the future, but it is in fact seemingly growing nearer - the potential for human beings to reproduce without pregnancy. This week Luke explains how some major breakthroughs in ...
11.04.2021 48. The Science of Terrifying Creatures It can seem as though nature has an incredible, unlimited imagination, and it is no surprise that some of the creatures of scary books and movies might take their inspiration from the natural world. This week Luke looks at some ...
10.28.2021 47. The Science of Psychedelics From mysterious mushrooms to synthetic, mind-altering substances, humans have long used psychedelic drugs, leading to bouts of brilliant creativity and also dangerous delusional hallucinations. Science is exploring why they work, what they do to our brains, and why the potential ...
10.21.2021 46. The Science of Shoemaker's Comet This week Luke brings us the story of a comet, or more precisely the story of the woman the comet was named after, the incredible Carolyn Shoemaker, who began her astronomy work later in life but left a huge mark ...
10.14.2021 45. The Science of Touch Humans rely on our bodies' sense to survive and explore our world, but while we know a lot about some sense - like smell, hearing and vision - we know a lot less about others. This week Luke explains how ...
10.07.2021 44. The Science of Big Machines This week Luke looks at the biggest machines ever built, and explains why they are not only a testament to humanity's never ending curiosity and ambition, but also how they could soon change how we understand the universe and life ...
09.30.2021 43. The Science of Woolly Mammoths This week's episode might sound like it's pulled from a Hollywood screenplay - the rapidly moving plan for a resurrection of the long extinct Wooly Mammoth. This week Luke tells us about a fascinating scientific project underway to bring the ...
09.23.2021 42. The Science of Ig Nobel prizes The Ig Nobel awards are the silliest prizes in science, with experiments on everything from the power of beards to protect a face, to the best ways to kill a cockroach on a submarine. This week Luke looks at this ...

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