Science Unscripted
From advances that will change our lives to offbeat oddities, Spectrum keeps you abreast of developments in the realm of European science and technology news.
Weekly roundup — Run fast & live happy
A breakthrough in brain science for alcoholics (but not just them), a shoe tech revolution is underfoot, and the startling fact that living in a city means you're far more likely to suffer from depression.
The 'super shoe' debate & eight drunk monkeys
By delivering a gene to the brain, scientists appear to have 'cured' alcoholic primates of their booze lust. Also, why did the woman who shattered the marathon world record kiss her shoe as soon as she finished?
Mental health: Depression 30% more likely in a city
Why is it that people who live in an urban environment are 30%+ more likely to suffer depression than those in rural areas? And why does that rule just... absolutely not apply in developing countries?
Why do death tolls drop?
In the wake of natural catastrophes, the forensic work to identify the dead is critically important for loved ones' closure. But mistakes can be made.
Weekly roundup — Sometimes it's better to know
Humility, which is great to have, is also connected to whether you trust scientists (or people like Gabe and Conor). Also, what a tooth can tell us after a tragedy, and a fun study on what people do when they get a big lump sum of money.
What would you do with $10,000?
It sounds like a thereotical question. But for 200 lucky participants in a pretty novel study, it became very real.
'Moderate' knowledge leads to science skepticism
You'd think that the less someone knows, the more likely it is they'll buy in to misinformation. Right? Surprisingly, a new study suggests that, up to a point, it's actually worse to know more.
Weekly roundup — What you don't know [will] hurt you
Anxiety about the climate crisis actually drops as you learn more about it. Also, to avoid dying unnecessarily early, you may need to get a new job.
Risk of dying early rises 30% with 'precarious work'
Want to live longer? Sure, there's exercise and nutrition. But a new study makes a convincing case that a less 'precarious' work environment is the answer.
Deep inside the toxically masculine mind
What pops into your head when you hear the term toxic masculinity? You probably feel a strong response, but can you put it into words?
Weekly roundup — There's a first time for everything
On this week's show, we invite you to ponder roundworms in the human brain, a carbon tax that actually might have a chance, and a way to inject insulin that uses music instead of a needle.
Is it time for a carbon tax on investors?
Recent data from the United States shows unequivocally that the rich are (by far) most responsible for CO2 emissions. Private jets, yachts...this is probably not new information. What might be new for you, however, is the role that investments play in all of this.
How to avoid getting a brain parasite from a snake
The worms that live inside pythons (and that can wriggle their way into a human brain) are a healthy reminder for all of us to — please — handle our food better.
Weekly roundup — Back to school
It is possible to 'download' a song clip directly from human brains — and that's good news for 'brain-to-speech' technologies of the future. Also, SU listeners (and others) have weighed in on the debate about intimate cosmetic surgery.
Tears of blood & the real-life Dracula
Do you wear Crocs? Because that's the material Italian researchers used to see if the Prince of Walachia (aka 'Vlad the Impaler') was plagued by a rare condition called hemolacria.
I know what you did this summer
A dog in Iceland, Australians in Italy, and Gabe back in studio. Once in a while we have an episode that's not about science. This is one of them.
Why'd India delete the periodic table from textbooks?
How could a country that just put a lander on the moon's south pole decide to rob its students of fundamental science?
'Scrotum tuck': A surgery that needs parameters
A small German study on scrotum aesthetics has raised big questions: Does talking about 'beauty' in the context of genitalia lead to medically unnecessary surgeries? (Like some labiaplasties.) And do attempts to even define those standards contribute to the problem?
Why are so many people scared of clowns?
How could a character that's supposed to make us laugh cause 50% of people to feel terror?
When (if ever) do you stop the exchange of basic research?
When a DW co-investigation uncovers a path that leads from a German physics department to the Chinese military — and it involves technologies that could change the outcome of a war — it's time to ask uncomfortable questions.