First climate tipping point triggered; Man controls another person's body by brain implant; health worries over sumo wrestlers
Episode 326
The world’s first major climate tipping point has been triggered. The decimation of warm water coral populations caused by rising temperatures is now irreversible - passing the point of no return. The global consequences of widescale coral dieback could be catastrophic, so experts are sounding the alarm. But is anyone listening?
A man with paralysis has telepathically controlled the hands of another person. Keith Thomas is unable to move or feel through his hands. But thanks to a new advancement, using brain and muscle electrodes, he was able to control the hands of a non-paralysed woman using his thoughts alone. Could this one day lead to Avatar-like body control technology?
For only the second time in its 1,500-year history, professional Sumo wrestling has left Japan. A Grand Sumo Tournament is being held at London’s Albert Hall, where over 40 elite wrestlers are competing in a five day tournament. Sumo writer John Gunning discusses the physics of sumo, the incredible diets of the wrestlers and the worrying consequences of the sport on their longevity.
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro
(01:34) Coral tipping point
(11:23) Avatar brain implant
(22:10) The longevity of sumo wrestlers
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Madeleine Cuff, Carissa Wong and John Gunning.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
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Space 2075: How Humanity Will Live, Work and Make Drugs off-planet | Live Recording at the Royal Society
A special episode all about the future of space exploration, recorded in front of a live audience at the Royal Society in London.
Earlier this year, the Royal Society published ‘The Space: 2075 report’, which recognises the huge changes we’re seeing in space exploration, and urges for action to be taken to make sure the next 50 years of activity in space is sustainable and benefits all of humanity. We brought together a panel of space experts to discuss the accelerated advances we’re seeing.
Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, blasted off Earth on a Soyuz rocket in 1991. She explains what it’s like to journey into space, the various ways it impacts the body and why humans still have the edge over robots for certain missions.
Irene Di Giulio is a Biomedical Engineer at King's College London. She explores her work helping to get the first disabled astronaut to space and why it’s critical we push towards making space flight accessible.
And Katie King is Co-Founder and CEO of BioOrbit, a pharmaceutical company which plans to make drugs in space. Discover why space is the perfect place to create drugs - potentially bringing at-home cancer treatments to the market.
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Abby Beall.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/Get your ticket for New Scientist Live here: https://live.newscientist.com/
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How Jane Goodall changed the world; How the universe ends; How “selfish sperm” affect male fertility
Episode 324
The legendary primatologist Jane Goodall died last week aged 91, leaving behind a remarkable legacy. Her work studying tool use in chimpanzees completely reshaped the way we view animal intelligence. Fiercely protective of the natural world, she was also responsible for a huge amount of advocacy during her life. Primatologist Alejandra Pascual-Garrido worked directly with Jane and shares the story of her life and work.
Will the universe end with a bang, or a quiet whimper? Katie Mack is a cosmologist, science communicator and best-selling author of The End of Everything. She explores why she’s fascinated by how the universe might end, the most likely scenarios for how it happens and why it’s an exciting time for both physics and cosmology. She also offers her thoughts on the recently announced Nobel Prize in Physics - and teases her upcoming book How To Build A Universe.
Older fathers may have a bigger impact on the health of their offspring than we realised. We know that sperm accumulates mutations as men age, but a study sheds new light on the risks. Men aged 70 are twice as likely to have children with serious genetic disorders. And it’s all to do with “selfish sperm”.
Chapters:
(00:51) Jane Goodall’s legacy
(20:52) Kate Mack on the end of the universe
(38:47) Selfish sperm
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Alejandra Pascual-Garrido, Katie Mack and Michael Le Page.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
Learn more about Yakult at www.yakult.co.uk
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Emergency in Antarctica; How movement changes the brain; Why women live longer than men
Episode 323
Temperatures in Antarctica have soared by over 35°C. Scientists are concerned about how quickly things are changing on the continent as these warmer temperatures impact the polar vortex. Coupled with record lows in sea ice cover over the last decade, this could be a sign that Antarctic weather patterns have shifted permanently. What’s driving this change - and what happens if we have reached a tipping point of no return?
Many mammals, including cats, can pivot their ears to focus on a particular sound. But our ears aren’t quite so flexible. But now it appears that a similar process happens inside our brain - ‘swivelling’ to focus on sounds from different directions. This has only recently been discovered thanks to new portable EEG equipment, as the process only happens when we’re moving. This finding may help us better understand how movement changes the brain - and could even help improve hearing aids.
Why do women tend to live longer than men? It could have something to do with the very chromosomes that determine biological sex. By looking at birds, whose sex chromosomes differ from those of mammals, researchers have discovered an intriguing hint at what’s going on. But does their new hypothesis hold up? Alongside all the emerging science, Rowan shares his own theory. And the team discusses the disappearance of the Y chromosome - and what that really means for men.
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro
(01:04) Emergency in Antarctica
(10:46) How movement changes the brain
(19:34) Why women live longer than men
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Madeleine Cuff, Edward Doddridge, Caroline Williams and Sam Wong.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
Learn more about Yakult at www.yakult.co.uk
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Skull rewrites story of human evolution; Autism and Tylenol; discovery of wind coming from black hole
Episode 322
An ancient skull discovered in China may have just rewritten the story of human evolution. It’s widely accepted that the common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Denisovans and Neanderthals came out of Africa. But this skull upends that assumption - potentially showing human evolution began in Asia. Discover how a new reconstruction of the Yunxian fossil skull could push back human origins by 400,000 years.
Tylenol does not cause autism. The US government has made headlines with claims that this common painkiller, also known as paracetamol, is playing a big role in what’s been falsely dubbed the ‘autism epidemic’. As Donald Trump and Robert F Kennedy Jr call for pregnant women to avoid Tylenol, we discuss what we know from science, and hear from medical experts of the danger of this new advice.
Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, is more active than we thought. Historically our black hole has seemed rather quiet. But a new discovery shows the first clear evidence of winds - streams of hot gas - coming from it. The finding could help us figure out what Sag A* looks like and what it’ll do in the future.
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro
(01:05) This skull could rewrite the story of human evolution
(16:39) Autism and Tylenol
(26:26) Black hole discovery
Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Michael Marshall, Grace Wade, Alex Wilkins, Chris Stringer, Arthur Caplan and Gretchen Goldman.
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/Get your ticket for New Scientist Live here: https://live.newscientist.com/
Find the New Scientist CoLab episode with Octopus Energy here: https://www.newscientist.com/podcasts/inside-the-uk-s-energy-revolution/
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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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