AI wins first gold at maths Olympic games; How mitochondria are linked to sleep; Famous psychology trick works on octopuses too
Episode 313
AI has won gold at the world’s hardest maths event. For the first time, AI programs that use entirely natural language like ChatGPT, have used general reasoning to solve incredibly difficult tests at the International Maths Olympiad in Australia. Humans are still in the lead…for now. But could this be a big leap forward in the quest for artificial general intelligence?
Mitochondria - famously the powerhouses of our cells - are linked to sleep in ways we never realised. In a study on fruit flies, researchers discovered that the longer they stay awake, the more damage is caused to their mitochondria. This pressure increasingly pushes the flies to go to sleep - to begin the repair cycle. They also showed ways of engineering and altering fruit fly mitochondria that could impact their sleep duration. Given how mitochondria is essential in all complex life forms - like us - could it one day lead to sleep treatments?
An iconic psychology experiment has been used to trick octopuses. The rubber hand illusion has been used on people - and some other mammals - to fool them into thinking a fake hand is their own. And now it turns out octopuses are fooled just as easily. Researchers used a fake tentacle to recreate the trick - giving us a deeper insight into how octopus brains work.
Chapters:
(00:33) AI wins gold at maths Olympics
(12:24) How mitochondria are linked to sleep
(22:13) Octopus rubber hand illusion
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Alex Wilkins and Alexandra Thompson.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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28:48
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28:48
Scientists test engineered microbes to fight disease; Has 1.5 degrees failed?; New theory why we’ve not found aliens
Episode 312
People have been given genetically engineered microbes to prevent a common health condition - and it worked. The gut microbiome is now known to be associated with many health conditions - and in this case, the team managed to treat 9 people who get recurring kidney stones. With the gut’s links to mental health, cancer and more, could engineered microbes be used to treat more conditions in the future?
Is 1.5C dead? It’s looking increasingly likely that we’re going to breach 1.5C of global warming - the goal set out in the Paris agreement. So do we need to set a new goal now? As scientists come up with alternative numbers to aim for, many are worried that moving the goalposts will kill climate ambition. But is there a middle ground that keeps everyone happy?
Where are all the aliens? We may now have a solution to the famous Fermi paradox, which questions why we’ve never met anyone else in the universe, despite the existence of many Earth-like planets. And it’s all to do with tectonic plates - a geological phenomenon that may be rare outside of Earth, helping complex life to emerge on our planet.
Chapters:
(00:39) Genetically modified gut microbes
(07:03) Setting a new goal for global warming
(17:20) Solving the Fermi paradox
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Grace Wade, Madeleine Cuff, Alex Wilkins, Ilana Seid, Robert Stern and Taras Gerya.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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30:23
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30:23
How geoengineering could save us from climate disaster; Have we broken mathematics?; Why exercise reduces cancer risk
Episode 311
Geoengineering could be the best way to avoid catastrophic climate disaster - but there’s a big catch. In the recent Global Tipping Points Conference in the UK, scientists discussed growing concerns that the AMOC may be on the verge of collapsing. This is a system of ocean currents that plays a crucial role in regulating global climate. With the window of action rapidly closing, one climate model suggests geoengineering is the fastest way to stop this from happening. But without global consensus, the team explains how geoengineering could also damage the climate further or even lead to a new kind of warfare.
We’re brushing up against the edge of mathematics with the uncovering of a number so large it’s hard to even describe. Busy Beaver numbers are used to describe the longest possible run-times of ‘Turing machines’ - a theoretical model of computation conceived by Alan Turing. These numbers are surprisingly hard to figure out. But after uncovering the fifth Busy Beaver number in 2021, an online community of mathematicians now thinks they’ve figured out the sixth number - and it’s beyond massive. What does this mean for the nature of mathematics?
We’ve known for a long time that exercise is a great way of reducing cancer risk - and now we finally know why. A new study suggests changes in the microbiome caused by exercise can reduce tumour growth - and there appears to be one particular molecule that’s doing this good work. Does this mean we could one day use poop transplants as a cancer treatment?
Chapters:
(00:22) Can geoengineering save us from climate disaster?
(16:59) Have we broken mathematics?
(25:42) Why exercise reduces cancer risk
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Michael Le Page, Jacob Aron, Claudia Wieners and Marlies Meisel.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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33:02
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33:02
First full genome of Ancient Egyptian sequenced; Wild killer whales offer gifts to humans; First demonstration of interstellar navigation
Episode 310
An ancient Egyptian's complete genome has been read for the first time. The DNA of a man who lived in Egypt over 4500 years ago offers a new window into the ancient society and hints at surprising genetic connections with Mesopotamia. Based on forensic analysis of the man's skeleton and preserved images of different Egyptian occupations, the researchers think his most likely occupation was a potter. The team discusses what the breakthrough means for our understanding of early Egypt and even for the origin of writing.
Wild orcas, or killer whales, have been seen giving gifts to humans - things like pieces of liver, rays and dead birds. This is the first time these apparent acts of altruism have been documented. Does this prove whales are capable of showing compassion or kindness?
Images beamed back from the New Horizons spacecraft, which has left the solar system, have enabled the first test of interstellar navigation. By measuring the distance between two stars that it snapped images of, astronomers have been able to pinpoint its location in the galaxy. And in other interstellar news, we also just spotted an object hurtling towards our solar system. Recently named ‘Atlas’, this object will be whizzing by in October, close enough for us to study.
Chapters:
(00:42) Ancient Egyptian genome sequenced
(12:33) Killer whales give humans gifts
(18:59) First demonstration of interstellar navigation
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Mike Marshall, Alex Wilkins, Joel Irish and Lori Marino.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
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29:31
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29:31
Mice with two dads; perfect your sleep with science; how lizards survived dinosaur-killing asteroid
Ep 309
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From the evolution of intelligent life, to the mysteries of consciousness; from the threat of the climate crisis to the search for dark matter, The world, the universe and us is your essential weekly dose of science and wonder in an uncertain world. Hosted by journalists Dr Rowan Hooper and Dr Penny Sarchet and joined each week by expert scientists in the field, the show draws on New Scientist’s unparalleled depth of reporting to put the stories that matter into context. Feed your curiosity with the podcast that will restore your sense of optimism and nourish your brain.
For more visit newscientist.com/podcasts
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