Guardian Science Weekly

Science Weekly

Alok Jha and the Guardian's science team bring you the best analysis and interviews from the worlds of science and technology.
Weekly English United Kingdom Science · Nature
726 Episodes
1 – 20

Keto: what’s the science behind the diet?

While other diet fads come and go, the ultra low carbohydrate Keto diet seems to endure. But as scientists begin to understand how the diet works, more is also being discovered about its risks. To find out more, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Javier Gonzalez, professor in the department of health…
1 Apr 17 min

The rise and fall of DNA testing company 23andMe

The genetic testing firm 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy, another twist in the story of a company that promised a pioneering approach to precision health. Now users are scrambling to delete their personal data, with the future ownership of the firm uncertain. To understand the highs and lows of 23andMe’s…
27 Mar 21 min

Where do our early childhood memories go?

It’s a mystery that has long puzzled researchers. Why can’t we remember our early childhood experiences? Freud called the phenomenon infantile amnesia, and for many years scientists have wondered whether it’s a result of failure to create memories or just a failure to retrieve them. Now new research appears to…
25 Mar 19 min

What a dark energy discovery means for the fate of the universe

Dark energy, the mysterious force powering the expansion of the universe, appears to be weakening over time, according to a major cosmological survey that has thrown the laws of modern physics into doubt. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay how this new finding could shed light on the ultimate fate of…
20 Mar 17 min

A mysterious millionaire and the quest to live under the sea – podcast

Before billionaires dreamed of setting up communities on Mars, the ocean was seen as the next frontier in human habitation. Reviving this dream is Deep, a project backed by an anonymous millionaire to the tune of more than £100m that aims to establish a ‘permanent human presence’ under the sea…
18 Mar 17 min

Use it or lose it: how to sharpen your brain as you age

Many of us believe that cognitive decline is an inevitable part of ageing, but a new study looking at how our skills change with age challenges that idea. Ian Sample talks to Ludger Woessmann, a professor of economics at the university of Munich and one of the study’s authors, to…
13 Mar 14 min

Mars-a-lago? Did the red planet once have sandy beaches?

The Mars we know now is arid and dusty, with punishing radiation levels. But, as science correspondent Nicola Davis tells Madeleine Finlay, two new studies add weight to the idea that billions of years ago the red planet was a much wetter place. Nicola explains why researchers now think it…
11 Mar 16 min

Moon missions, Musk v scientists, sperm and longevity

Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss three intriguing science stories from the week. From two private moon landings to the controversy over Elon Musk’s continued membership of the Royal Society, and a new study making a link between men’s health and their sperm quality. Help support our independent journalism at…
5 Mar 22 min

Why it’s boom time for beavers in the UK

Beavers were once abundant in the UK, but hunting them for their fur, meat and scent oil drove them to extinction. Now they’re back, with the news that the release of beavers into English waterways is to be allowed for the first time in centuries. To understand why this is…
3 Mar 16 min

How Trump unleashed chaos in science

In his first month in office the US president has thrown science in the US into chaos, delaying projects and casting the future of research funding and jobs into doubt. To understand everything that has happened in the month since he took office and what its impact could be, Madeleine…
24 Feb 21 min

Should we ban cats?

The Scottish first minister, John Swinney, was recently forced to deny plans to ban cats after a report from independent experts said the species was a threat to Scotland’s wildlife. In the UK, it is estimated that cats kill or bring home 57 million mammals and 27 million birds every…
17 Feb 18 min

What is ‘mirror life’ and why are scientists sounding the alarm?

Recently, a group of world-leading scientists called for a halt on research to create ‘mirror life’ microbes amid concerns that the synthetic organisms would present an ‘unprecedented risk’ to life on Earth. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay about why this work initially seemed exciting for scientists and what the risks…
12 Feb 20 min

Don’t look up: is an asteroid heading for Earth?

In a case of life imitating art, a 100-metre-wide asteroid has triggered global planetary defence procedures for the first time, after telescope observations revealed it had a chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. To find out what happens now and how worried we should be, Ian Sample hears from…
10 Feb 15 min

DeepSeek, weapons and climate? What’s on the table at the Paris AI summit?

From the shockwaves caused by DeepSeek’s launch, to fears of a new AI arms race, and the continued questions over the technology’s energy use, AI continues to throw up new challenges. As world leaders gather for the Paris AI summit, the Guardian’s global technology editor, Dan Milmo, joins Madeleine Finlay…
5 Feb 18 min

Can Trump and RFK Jr make America healthy again?

Senators are scheduled to vote today on whether to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as Secretary of State for Health and Human Services. RFK Jr is known for his vaccine skepticism and Make America Healthy Again slogan, which has won him support from everyone from wellness fans and ‘crunchy moms’…
3 Feb 17 min

Sugar, seed oils, and avoiding sickness: your health questions answered

We asked for your questions on getting healthy in 2025 and you delivered. In the first episode of our listener questions special, Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample what she has uncovered about the scientifically proven ways to cut down on sugar, the truth behind the panic over seed oils, and…
27 Jan 23 min

The science of racism, and how to fight it

Ian Sample speaks to Keon West, a professor of social psychology at the University of London, whose new book, The Science of Racism, explores what science can reveal about racism, the inventive methods scientists have used to study it and the scientifically proven ways of tackling racism and discrimination. Help…
22 Jan 18 min
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