Science Weekly - The Guardian

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Do medicinal mushroom products actually work?

Thursday, June 19, 2025 • Duration 18:41

More of us are turning to products containing mushroom extracts, with the medicinal fungi market now worth billions of pounds. Promises of benefits to mental and physical health have seen its popularity spill over from wellness influencers to the shelves of Marks & Spencer – but is there any scientific evidence behind these claims? Ian Sample chats to Madeleine Finlay about the appeal of mushroom drinks and supplements, and hears from the mycologist Prof Nik Money on what we really know about how fungi can affect our minds and bodies. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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Does the UK need nuclear to reach net zero?

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 • Duration 15:14

The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has promised £14bn of investment to build the Sizewell C nuclear power plant, kicking off what the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, says will be a ‘golden age for clean energy abundance’. But for critics, the technology’s high costs and lengthy construction times have always eclipsed the benefits of abundant low-carbon electricity. Ian Sample is joined by the Guardian energy correspondent Jillian Ambrose to find out why the UK government is backing nuclear and whether it will help Britain hit its target of net zero by 2050. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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The extraordinary promise of gene editing

Thursday, May 22, 2025 • Duration 16:55

Doctors in the US have become the first to treat a baby with a customised gene-editing therapy after diagnosing the child with a severe genetic disorder that kills about half of those affected in early infancy. Ian Sample explains to Madeleine Finlay how this new therapy works and how it paves the way for even more complex gene editing techniques. David Liu, a professor at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the inventor of these therapies, also describes the barriers that could prevent them reaching patients, and how he thinks they can be overcome. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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Can the climate survive AI’s thirst for energy?

Tuesday, July 16, 2024 • Duration 18:08

Artificial intelligence companies have lofty ambitions for what the technology could achieve, from curing diseases to eliminating poverty. But the energy required to power these innovations is threatening critical environmental targets. Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s energy correspondent, Jillian Ambrose, and UK technology editor, Alex Hern, to find out how big AI’s energy problem is, and whether it can be solved before it is too late. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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‘Lesbian’ seagulls and ‘gay’ rams: the endless sexual diversity of nature

Thursday, July 11, 2024 • Duration 18:05

Same-sex sexual behaviours have been reported in a wide variety of species, and a new study suggests that, although animal scientists widely observe it, they seldom publish about same-sex sexual behaviour in primates and other mammals. To find out why and to hear about some of the examples of sexual diversity from the animal kingdom, Ian Sample hears from Josh Davis, a science writer at the Natural History Museum in London and author of the book A Little Gay Natural History. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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ZOE and personalised nutrition: does the evidence on glucose tracking add up?

Tuesday, July 9, 2024 • Duration 29:08

You might have noticed that everyone has recently become a bit obsessed with blood sugar, or glucose. Wellness firms such as ZOE here in the UK – as well as Nutrisense, Levels and Signos – claim to offer insights into how our bodies process food based on monitoring our blood glucose, among other things. But many researchers have begun to question the science behind this. To find out what we know about blood glucose levels and our health, and whether the science is nailed down on personalised nutrition, Ian Sample hears from philosopher Julian Baggini, academic dietician Dr Nicola Guess of Oxford University and ZOE’s chief scientist, and associate professor at Kings College London, Dr Sarah Berry. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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‘Spermageddon’: is male fertility really in crisis?

Thursday, July 4, 2024 • Duration 16:31

Recent research has suggested a global reproductive crisis could be in the offing, with researchers in Israel saying average sperm counts may have more than halved in the past 40 years. But a study published last month appears to call this narrative into question. Ian Sample is joined by the Guardian’s science correspondent Nicola Davis to unpick why these studies have come to different conclusions – and what could be causing the crisis, if declines are as dramatic as they appear. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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Caroline Lucas on climate, culture wars, and 14 years as the only Green MP

Tuesday, July 2, 2024 • Duration 18:34

As she steps down as the Green party’s first, and so far only, MP, Caroline Lucas tells Madeleine Finlay what it’s been like as the sole Green voice in parliament for the past 14 years, her hopes for her party in Thursday’s UK general election, and what she plans to do in her life beyond politics. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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The surprising psychology behind extremism, and how politics is driving it

Thursday, June 27, 2024 • Duration 17:01

Psychologists usually expect ambivalence to be a driver of political apathy. But a new study appears to show a link between ambivalence in our views and the likelihood that we’ll support extremist actions. Madeleine Finlay speaks to the study’s co-author Richard Petty, professor of psychology at Ohio State University, to find out what pushes people to take extreme actions, how politics could be driving this behaviour and how it could be combated. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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The infection that affects half of women and its link to antibiotic resistance

Tuesday, June 25, 2024 • Duration 16:49

Anyone who has had a urinary tract infection knows how agonising they can be. Some infections go away on their own, but many need antibiotics. Beneath the surface of this very common infection lie many mysteries, unanswered questions, and unnecessary suffering. And it gets to the heart of the challenge of tackling antimicrobial resistance. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Jennifer Rohn, head of the centre for urological biology at University College London, about what we now understand about how UTIs take hold, and the complexity surrounding their treatment. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

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Science Weekly – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

The Guardian1

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

The Guardian1

Apple Podcasts

Spotify