Science Weekly
Alok Jha and the Guardian's science team bring you the best analysis and interviews from the worlds of science and technology.
Best of 2023, Killing the Skydancer: episode two, The Perfect Crime
In this special Age of Extinction mini-series from Science Weekly, which first aired in August 2023, the Guardian’s biodiversity reporter, Phoebe Weston, explores the murky world of the illegal killing of birds of prey on grouse moors, and asks why it is so difficult to solve these crimes. In episode…
Best of 2023: Killing the Skydancer episode one, Susie’s chicks
In this special Age of Extinction mini-series from Science Weekly, which first aired in August 2023, the Guardian’s biodiversity reporter, Phoebe Weston, explores the illegal killing of birds of prey on grouse moors and asks why it is so difficult to solve these crimes. In episode one, Phoebe hears about…
All the buzz and no hangover? The next generation of alcohol-free drinks
What with Christmas parties and work drinks, this time of year can feel like one long hangover. But a new generation of alcohol-free alternatives is emerging which claim to offer the fun of alcohol without the painful morning-after. Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample are joined by science correspondent Hannah Devlin…
Can machines ever be like us? Prof Michael Wooldridge on the future of AI
Prof Michael Wooldridge has been an AI researcher for more than 30 years, and in the year that AI was supercharged by ChatGPT, he is giving the Royal Institution’s Christmas lectures on the truth about AI. The Guardian science correspondent Nicola Davis sat down with him to find out how…
Cop28: what just happened?
A deal has been announced at Cop28 in Dubai, and depending who you talk to, it’s either a historic achievement or a weak and ineffectual agreement full of loopholes. Ian Sample speaks to the Guardian environment editor Damian Carrington, who explains what the deal on fossil fuels will mean in…
The incredible world of animal perception, and what it can teach us
Ian Sample meets Ed Yong, who recently won 2023’s Royal Society book prize for An Immense World, which delves into the incredible world of animal senses. From colours and sounds beyond our perception, to the weird and wonderful ways that animals grow new ears and experience smell, Ed explains why…
All the drama from the first week of Cop28
Madeleine Finlay hears from biodiversity and environment reporter Patrick Greenfield who is reporting for the Guardian from Cop28 in Dubai. He describes the rollercoaster first week of highs and lows, which saw a landmark agreement on loss and damage and a tetchy press conference from summit President Sultan Al Jaber…
Why are we still struggling to get contraception right?
As the pill becomes available over the counter and free of charge in England, Madeleine Finlay talks to science correspondent Nicola Davis about the problems women in the UK face in getting access to appropriate contraception, and how unwanted side-effects and lack of support have led to a rise in…
Everything you need to know about Cop28 as the summit begins
Every year the world’s leaders gather for the UN climate change conference, and after a year of record temperatures, this year’s summit has been called the most vital yet. As Cop28 begins in Dubai, Ian Sample hears from Guardian environment editor and resident Cop expert Fiona Harvey. She explains why…
Weight of the world – the climate scientists who saw the crisis coming
Science Weekly brings you episode one of a new mini-series from Full Story. Pioneering Australian scientists Graeme Pearman, Lesley Hughes and Ove Hoegh-Guldberg saw the climate crisis coming. Pearman predicted the increase of carbon dioxide levels, Hughes foresaw the alarming number of species extinctions and Hoegh-Guldberg forecast the mass coral…
What have we learned from the James Webb space telescope so far?
Madeleine Finlay sits down with science correspondent Hannah Devlin to discuss the amazing discoveries the James Webb space telescope has made in the year since it became operational. From planets that rain sand to distant galaxies, Madeleine explains how some of these discoveries could fundamentally change our understanding of the…
Superyachts and private jets: the carbon impact of the ‘polluter elite’
Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s Europe environment correspondent Ajit Niranjan, and from wealth correspondent Rupert Neate, about the highly polluting transport habits of the ultra-wealthy. From private jets to superyachts, the emissions produced by the super-rich as they travel around the globe are contributing to staggering inequalities in carbon…
The mysteries of volcanoes: what’s going on beneath the ground in Iceland?
As Iceland braces for a volcanic eruption, Madeleine Finlay hears from volcanologist Helga Torfadottir about how the country is preparing, and why this is happening now. She also speaks to Cambridge professor of volcanology Clive Oppenheimer about how scientists predict volcanic activity, and what it feels like to stare into…
CBD: what’s the science behind the wellness trend?
Last month the UK’s Food Standards Authority slashed the recommended safe daily intake of cannabidiol (CBD) from 70mg to 10mg. An estimated one in 10 people in the UK have used products containing CBD, and many users believe it can help with ailments such as insomnia, anxiety and pain. But…
Why is the Amazon rainforest drying up?
Ian Sample talks to Guardian global environment editor Jon Watts about the withering drought currently devastating the Amazon rainforest. Jon explains the complex mix of factors that are driving the drought, and considers whether it might be a catalyst for more concerted climate action in Brazil and beyond. Help support…
Understanding the science of addiction
After Matthew Perry’s death was announced, a clip of the actor debating the science of addiction on the BBC’s Newsnight programme went viral. To find out where we’ve got to in our understanding of addiction, Ian Sample talks to Dr Nora Volkow, director of the US National Institute on Drug…
Nuclear fusion, new drugs, better batteries: how AI will transform science
As the UK hosts the first global AI safety summit, Guardian science editor Ian Sample joins Madeleine Finlay to look on the bright side and consider some of the huge benefits AI could bring to science. Madeleine also hears from Prof Mihaela van der Schaar, an expert in machine learning…
What could near-death experiences teach us about life, death and consciousness?
Seeing a bright light, floating above your body, being guided by an angel. All of these are common elements of reported near-death experiences, but what’s really going on? Ian Sample meets Sam Parnia, an intensive care doctor and associate professor at NYU Grossman school of medicine in New York City…
Black holes, but backwards: unlocking the mysteries of white holes
Ian Sample meets the Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli to find out about his cutting-edge research into white holes. A white hole is essentially a time-reversed black hole: a region of spacetime where matter spontaneously appears and explodes outwards. At the moment they are hypothetical objects, so Rovelli explains why he…
‘We’ve lost control’: what happens when the west Antarctic ice sheet melts?
Madeleine Finlay hears from environment editor Damian Carrington about why Antarctic ice may be melting even faster than we thought. He also reflects on the life and career of former environment editor John Vidal, whose death was announced last week. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod