A groundbreaking experiment in reproductive biology has resulted in mice being born from two biological fathers. By fusing sperm and putting them into an emptied egg cell, researchers in China have produced healthy and fertile offspring from two male mice. While it’s early days and the technique requires hundreds of embryos to get results, it opens up the possibility of same-sex reproduction in mammals, including humans, in the future.

New insights into the power of sleep reveal how short naps can boost creativity. A study found that reaching a certain stage of sleep, known as N2, significantly increased people’s chances of having an “aha!” moment. It’s more evidence of how deeply intertwined sleep is with problem-solving and innovation, and why naps might be more productive than we thought.

One ancient lizard family managed to survive the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, and they’re still around today! Scientists have traced the lineage of night lizards back to over 90 million years ago. Their ability to shelter underground and survive on little energy may have helped them live through one of Earth’s biggest disasters.

Chapters:

(00:38) Same-sex reproduction breakthrough

(12:09) Power naps and creativity

(22:37) Ancient lizard survives dinosaur-killing asteroid

Hosted by Rowan Hooper, Penny Sarchet, and Michael Le Page.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com

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Episode 308

An ancient skull discovered in China has been confirmed to belong to a Denisovan. It’s been tough to study this mysterious human ancestor, as we’ve only ever found a finger and jaw bone - so this new discovery could reshape our understanding of them. After being kept secret for decades, the “dragon man” skull is opening up a new window into our past.

We’ve unlocked another clue in our quest to decode whale language. Analysis of 15 sperm whales in the Caribbean suggest their language may contain vowels, used in a similar way to human language. Using their various clicks, researchers have discovered interesting patterns in the way they communicate.

Feeling hot and sweaty? Well, strap in - because these heatwaves are set to continue…and get worse. Summers are evolving fast as a result of climate change and weather events that would’ve once been rare are becoming much more common. Find out how the UK could be in for a string of long 40C summers in the very near future.

The winner of The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction has been revealed - Dr Rachel Clarke claims the title for her book “The Story of a Heart”. The book explores the history of heart transplants and tells the story of a nine year old girl whose heart saved two other children and two adults. Rachel explains why she chose to write this story and the surprising things she learnt along the way.

Chapters:

(00:41) Denisovan skull discovery

(14:02) Deconding whale language

(18:14) Hot summers becoming more common

(26:16) Winner of The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Madeleine Cuff, Mike Marshall, Gillian Kay, Alison Flood and Rachel Clarke.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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Episode 307

Using new “ultrasoft” electronics, researchers at Harvard have effectively created tadpole cyborgs. A soft bioelectronic device has been implanted into their brains - one which grows with them as they develop into frogs. This neural implant is a first step in helping us better understand the inner workings of the brain. But could this work in mammals…or humans? Discussing just that, the Royal Society held a meeting this week called Cyborg Futures. How soon until humans become one with machines?

A small fleet of cheap drones has been deployed by Ukraine’s security service, causing $7 billion of damage to Russian air power. Just 117 drones were able to take out a third of Russia’s nuclear bomb force. Difficult to catch, hard to jam and nearly impossible to shoot down - are drones a paradigm shift in warfare?

The Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile has just opened, promising to carry out a legacy survey of space and time. US editor Chelsea Whyte visited the newly operational telescope to see how it will map out the night sky in never-before-seen detail. Learn how it hopes to answer some of the biggest mysteries about dark matter and dark energy - and find out about the legacy of Vera Rubin, the astronomer the telescope is named after.

Think net-zero climate action is costing us way too much, driving up living costs and damaging the economy? Think again. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has taken on all of the misinformation circulating about our goal to achieve net zero emissions, showing that raising climate ambition would actually boost the global economy. Find out why.

Chapters:

(00:32) Frogs with cyborg brains…are humans next?

(11:25) How drones are reshaping warfare

(16:16) Vera Rubin observatory opens

(24:59) How net zero will boost the global economy

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Alexandra Thompson, Chelsea Whyte, Jonathan Rossiter, Tamar Makin, Robert Bunker and Simon Evans.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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Episode 306

It’s been discovered that the moon is probably home to $1 trillion worth of platinum. Researchers suggest nearly 6500 of the Moon’s craters were made by asteroids containing commercial quantities of platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. Does that mean space companies are going to head out on mining missions imminently…and should they? Hear the reasons for and against mining on the Moon.

When you imagine something in your mind, how does your brain know that it’s not real? Certain brain regions have been identified in a new experiment which help keep reality and make-believe separate. This finding could tell us a lot about conditions like schizophrenia - or what’s going on when we dream. It may even answer that question; are we living in a simulation? Read our imagination special here: https://www.newscientist.com/issue/3545/ 

A newly discovered emergent behaviour has been found in nematode worms - the world’s commonest animal. These millimetre long worms are able to merge to form superorganisms, creating tentacles or towers that can straddle long distances. Learn about this collective behaviour and how it's coordinated. 

Chapters:

(00:16) Platinum on the moon

(08:44) How your brain distinguishes between reality and imagination 

(18:05) Rise of the hyperworm - nematodes merge to form superorganism

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Carissa Wong, Jayanth Chennamangalam, Steve Fleming and Serena Ding.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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Episode 305

As artificial intelligence grows into more and more aspects of our lives, it seems we’re just at the beginning of the boom. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being pumped into advancing AI capabilities, making it the best funded area in science. But, just like the dot-com revolution, is it a bubble waiting to burst?

In this special episode of the podcast, we explore the growing promise of AI - and also the existential threat it poses.

Despite the amount of money going into AI, chatbots are still making glaring mistakes, plagued with hallucinations. All the while students are relying on them to do their homework for them, and others are using them to replace very human tasks, like writing wedding speeches. So we hear from two authors who have been thinking hard about AI and machine learning - and what that means for the future.

We also get into the idea of AGI, artificial general intelligence - and its cousin, artificial superintelligence, which may already exist in certain areas. With many researchers concerned about AI overthrowing humanity, is it even worth worrying about? We dig into whether AGI is even possible and who would want to develop it.

This discussion has to include some mention of the human and environmental costs of these technologies, too. Energy demands are expected to skyrocket over the next few years - can the planet keep up with the demand? And alongside that, there’s a lot of human exploitation going on to help fuel these machines - a little-known fact that has to be tackled.

Finally, is superintelligent AI a threat to the existence of humankind - will they want to wipe us out when they get smart enough? Or is the threat more insidious, one where we watch the slow erosion of truth and democracy?

Chapters:

(02:49) How chatbots and LLMs came to dominate

(15:50) Superintelligent AI

(18:18) What does $500 billion buy?

(19:30) The high energy demand of AI

(20:56) The murky ethics of the AI race

(25:15) How AI is being thrust upon us

(26:48) The existential threat of AI

(29:57) Is AI a bubble waiting to burst?

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Sophie Bushwick, with guests Alex Wilkins, Adam Becker and Emily Bender.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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Episode 304

It seems the world is on heightened alert about the impact smartphones are having on our children’s brains. But are we right to be worried? Jonathan Haidt’s book the Anxious Generation has played a big role in this debate, with many researchers agreeing smartphones cause harm and action needs to be taken. But is there actually any scientific evidence to back all of these claims up?

The “strongest evidence” for alien life was announced just a few weeks ago - but not everyone was happy with this discovery and it came under quite a lot of fire. The team that discovered this alien signal were analysing data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Now other researchers have looked at the same data and have come to different conclusions. But rather than proving critics right, it seems the evidence for aliens just got stronger.

A digital oak tree is on display at Kew Gardens in London. Of the Oak is an immersive installation by art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast in collaboration with ecologists, biologists and researchers. The aim is to show the inner workings of the oak, to allow people to connect more deeply with it and to tune into “tree time”. 

Chapters:

(00:32) Are smartphones causing mental illness in teens?

(05:58) More evidence for alien life

(13:28) Of the Oak display at Kew

Hosted by Timothy Revell and Madeleine Cuff, with guests Jacob Aron, Alex Wilkins, Rowan Hooper, Ersin Han Ersin and Ruth Mitchell.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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Episode 303

China is becoming a de facto leader in the fight against climate change. Right now it’s the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, but after years of keeping its emissions steady, they have finally begun to fall. And this is all while China’s power demands have increased - suggesting its efforts to build clean energy are paying off. But is this enough to make a realistic dent on curbing global warming? And how will the uncertainty of President Trump’s administration impact this trend?

A vaccine for the dreaded norovirus is in the works - and it’s already proving effective. Known as the winter vomiting bug, this nasty gastrointestinal illness affects 685 million people a year. Thanks to a company in San Francisco and some heroic people who served as test subjects, we may be closer than ever to staving it off.

At some point, in a few billion years, our solar system may break up in the most spectacular fashion, simply because of random chaos and instability. But now researchers have found a bigger threat to the survival of our solar system - passing stars. Less random and chaotic, stars actually pass by our sun fairly regularly, and could dislodge planets like Pluto, flinging them out of orbit and impacting the other planets.

Do you find yourself teary eyed when cutting onions? Well, you’re in luck. Scientists have found the perfect way to cut an onion without crying. We provide a live demonstration for your amusement.

Chapters:

(00:47) Decline of China’s carbon emissions

(11:05) Norovirus vaccine

(17:52) Catastrophic break-up of our solar system

(23:26) Scientific way to cut an onion without crying

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests James Dinneen, Carissa Wong, Alex Wilkins, Lauri Myllivirta, Chris Packham and Sean Raymond.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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We dive into the mysterious world of the deep sea, sparked by a recent executive order aiming to ramp up offshore mineral extraction, as well as new research revealing that 99.999 per cent of the seabed remains unexplored. Experts discuss the surprising lack of deep-sea exploration, the ecological wonders already discovered, like hydrothermal vents and bizarre deep-sea creatures, and the debate over mining nodules from the ocean floor. With new battery tech on the horizon and mounting environmental concerns, questions grow about whether deep-sea mining is driven by necessity or a disregard for the ecosystems we barely understand.

Researchers have captured the faint glow emitted by living things to explore what happens when life ends. First theorised a century ago by Russian physicist Alexander Gurwitsch, biophotons are ultraweak light emissions which appear to track metabolism and fade dramatically at death. Could this eerie glow one day help detect disease, or even confirm the moment of death?

Chimpanzees across Africa have been observed rhythmically drumming on trees, but what are they trying to say? A new study spanning 11 chimp communities reveals that these drum beats may be individual signatures, offering fresh insight into the roots of musicality and communication. The team discuss how chimps may even show signs of awe or ritual, with their unique responses to storms, fire, and waterfalls. Could drumming mark not just the evolution of rhythm, but the first flickers of spiritual thought?

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:33 The mysterious deep sea and the race to mine its resources

13:43 The science of biophotons: what happens when we die?

20:27 Chimpanzee drumming: Rhythm, awe, and the roots of musicality

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Alex Wilkins. Maddie Cuff, Dustin Mulvaney, Olive Heffernan, Alasdair Mackenzie, Catherine Hobaiter, and Jessica Battle.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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Episode 301

Our understanding of the nature of light might be completely wrong. The double-slit experiment is one of the most famous experiments in physics and is how we’ve understood light for over 200 years. But a team is now suggesting we’ve got the interpretation all wrong - that light is in fact not a wave and is only made up of particles. If true, this is major. The authors of this study were left scrambling as “all hell broke loose” when they made the discovery. And the best part? Dark photons may be involved.

A 7 year study into the nature of consciousness has reached its conclusion - pitting two major theories against one another. Integrated information theory suggests levels of consciousness exist in any system, including rocks and fetuses. Global neuronal workspace theory claims specific brain regions are responsible for consciousness. After 256 brain scans - are we any closer to an answer?

A decades-long study involving 170 wild dolphins has allowed biologists to decode their whistles. Hear dolphins recorded in the waters of Sarasota, Florida, which show how the animals communicate in various ways - and even give themselves names.

Chapters:

(00:45) Dark photons and our understanding of light

(11:07) Major theories of consciousness go head-to-head

(21:05) Decoding whale language

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Chelsea Whyte, Celso Villas-Boas, Gerhard Rempe, Christof Koch, Anil Seth and Laela Sayigh.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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Episode 299

In a climate justice special episode of the podcast, the biggest issue of the century is up for discussion. Find out the true impact of climate change on our planet and who should be paying to fix the crisis.

Rowan Hooper and Madeleine Cuff are joined by two climate experts - Friederike Otto and Joyce Kimutai from the World Weather Attribution project at Imperial College London.

This episode is dedicated to answering three questions - starting with the issue of climate attribution. To what extent can we blame climate change for extreme weather events like hurricanes, droughts, heatwaves, floods and wildfires? Find out how climate attribution began as a fringe science and how it has evolved to become a firm part of public consciousness.

The next question is one of climate justice - how can we make sure rich countries pay for the loss and damage caused to poorer countries by climate change? The argument is that poorer nations are least responsible for climate change, yet they are most affected by its impacts. So at the latest UN climate summit, COP28, a lot of money was pledged - yet hardly any of it has actually materialised. So what’s going on?

And the third question is about litigation - can climate attribution be used to achieve justice, by forcing climate polluters to pay up? A trial is ongoing where a company in Germany is being sued for its role in damaging the climate - but it’s still unclear whether the case will be successful. The hope is with climate attribution, it’ll be easier to bring cases like this forward and offer up a more detailed picture of how much damage has been done - and how much money is owed.

Chapters:

(01:16) Weather attribution

(19:58) Climate justice

(32:52) Climate litigation

To read more about stories like this, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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