Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

Extra: CAR T-Cell Therapy (Best of)

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Larry Bacon, Consultant Haematologist from St James’s HospitalDr Nicola Gardiner, Chief Medical Scientist at the Cryobiology Laboratory St...

Best of Futureproof: Creating Dark Matter, Curing Addiction

28 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr John Regan, Maynooth UniversityYale Neuroscientist Vaughn Steele

Extra: Obtaining Fingerprints from Ammunition (Best of)

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Colm McKeever, Assistant Lecturer and Researcher in Analytical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biotechnology, at TUS

Best of Futureproof: Mirror Life & The Science of Embalming

21 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Kate Adamala, Associate Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development at the University of MinnesotaGlyn Tallon, Founder of Tallon Mortu...

Extra: Is butt breathing achievable?

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Prof John Laffey, Professor of Anaesthesia Intensive Care Medicine at the School of Medicine of the University of Galway and a Consultant in An...

The winter hibernation gene in animals

13 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Professor Tyler Stevenson, Head of Physiology, Ageing & Welfare at the University of GlasgowDr Ruth Freeman of Research IrelandDr Fergus Mc...

Extra: Vitamin D is linked to BMI?

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Prof Lena Zgaga, Professor in Epidemiology at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the School of Health in Trinity

Can we witness stars form planets?

06 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Emma Whelan, Department of Experimental Physics, Maynooth UniversityDr Tara Shine, Change by DegreesDr Ruth Freeman, Research Ireland

Extra: How we exploit artificial intelligence

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Taha Yasseri, Director of the Joint Centre for Sociology of Humans and Machines at Trinity College Dublin

Is the human mind the next frontier in warfare?

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Malcolm Dando, Emeritus Professor at the School of Social Sciences at the University of BradfordDr Shelley Brady of DCUDr Shane Bergin of UCD

Extra: The one thing you need to know about electricity

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Marcus Chown, Science Writer and author of ‘The One Thing You Need to Know’

Treatment-resistant depression

22 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Professor Valerie Voon, Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Neuromodulation at the University of CambridgeDr Jessamyn Fairfield of the School of N...

Extra: The Age of Rock

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Anjana Khatwa, earth scientist and author of ‘The Whispers of Rock – Stories from the Earth'

Creating 'Mirror Life'

16 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Kate Adamala, Associate Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development at the University of MinnesotaImmunologist Dr Lara DunganDr John R...

Extra: How chimps rationally revise their beliefs & face blindness

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Emily Sanford, Postdoctoral Researcher in Psychology at the University of California BerkeleyFiona Newell, Professor of Experimental Psychol...

Recovering Lost Memories

09 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Prof Jane Aspell, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Head of the Self and Body Lab at Anglia Ruskin UniversityDr Ruth Freeman of Research ...

Extra: How Close Are We To Lab-Grown Teeth?

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Ana Angelova Volponi of King’s College London

Unusual Metamorphoses

02 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Author Oren HarmanShane Bergin & Susan Kelleher

Extra: The Origin of Dark Energy

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Prof Kate Maguire, Professor In Astrophysics at Trinity College Dublin

Recovering fingerprints from ammunition for forensics

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Colm McKeever, Assistant Lecturer and Researcher in Analytical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biotechnology, at TUSDr ...

Extra: How to verify supplement quality

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Professor John Nolan

Why do pregnant women get morning sickness?

19 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Professor Molly Fox of UCLALaura HayesShane Bergin

Extra: The Future of Solar Energy

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Paul Deane, Clean Energy Futures Lecturer at UCC

The Harms of Over-Diagnosis

12 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Neurologist Dr Suzanne O'SullivanShelley Brady, DCUShane Bergin, UCD

Extra: Huntington’s disease slowed with gene therapy

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Lauren Byrne, Principal Investigator at the Huntington’s Disease Centre at UCL

Rebuilding Our Body With Regenerative Medicine

05 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Mary Roach, Science AuthorDr Laura Hayes, DIASDr Jessamyn Fairfield, University of Galway

Extra: Making the world's smallest violin

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Prof Kelly Morrison, Professor of Experimental Physics at Loughborough University

The creation of artificial cartilage

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Prof Oren A. Scherman, Professor of Supramolecular & Polymer Chemistry, and Director of the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis at th...

Extra: Dinosaur eggs directly dated for the first time

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Professor Maria McNamara, Professor of Palaeontology at University College Cork

"Clearest sign" of life on Mars

21 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Professor Sanjeev Gupta, Professor of Earth Science at Imperial College LondonDr Susan Kelleher of DCUDr Shane Bergin of UCD

Extra: Heart attacks may be triggered by infections

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Prof Claudia Monaco, Professor of Cardiovascular Inflammation at the University of Oxford

Dublin head scanner is 'breakthrough' in brain research

14 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Prof Redmond O'Connell, Professor in Decision Neuroscience at Trinity College DublinDr Ruth Freeman of Research IrelandDr Shane Bergin of UCD

Extra: Misophonia Rehabilitation

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Olwyn Morris, Audiologist and clinic owner of Medico Audiology

How Humans Came to Walk Upright

07 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Terence D. Capellini, Chair of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard UniversityDr Lara Dungan, ImmunologistDr Shane Bergin of UCD

Extra: What is Weaver Syndrome?

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Adrian Bracken, Professor of Chromatin Biology at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin

Creating Toothpaste Made From Hair

31 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Sherif Elsharkawy, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Prosthodontics, at the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King's Colle...

Extra: Eirsat-1 and The Future of Irish Satellites

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With Dr David McKeown, Assistant Professor at the UCD Centre for Space Research.

Attacking Cancer: CAR T-Cell Therapy

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With Dr Larry Bacon, Consultant Haematologist from St James’s Hospital, and Dr Nicola Gardiner, Chief Medical Scientist at the Cryobiology Laborator...

Extra: Is slowing down ageing possible?

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Eamonn Mallon, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Leicester

The science behind memory distortion

17 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Ciara Greene, Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at UCD, where she heads up the Attention and Memory LaboratoryDr Lara Dungan, Imm...

Extra: Advances In Ophthalmic Medicine and Eyecare

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Patrick Condon, former Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at University Hospital Waterford and author of ‘Eye Healthcare – 90 Years of Progress’...

Can brain stimulation cure addiction?

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Yale Neuroscientist Vaughn SteeleDr Shane Bergin, UCDSciene Writer Dr Claire O'Connell

Extra: Why is our Earth spinning faster?

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Robin Edwards, TCD

Could colour be the answer to reviving marine life?

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Holly CunninghamScience Communicator Eoin MurphySusan Kelleher, DCU

Extra: The role of mitochondria in why we need sleep

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Gero Miesenböck of Oxford University

What determines the birth sex of a child?

27 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Siwen Wang, Harvard UniversityDr Ruth Freeman, Research IrelandDr Susan Kelleher, DCU

Extra: Why newborns feel pain differently to adults

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Professor Lorenzo Fabrizi, Professor of Developmental Systems Neuroscience at University College London

Biggest human imaging study completes scan of 100,000 people

20 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Kevin O'Sullivan of The Irish TimesCatherine McGuinness, Science CommunicatorProfessor Naomi Allen, Chief Scientist at UK Biobank and Professor...

Extra: Diabetes - could there be a cure?

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Simon Piggott, Clinical Research Fellow with the Diabetes Complications Research Centre at the Conway Institute, UCD

Why are some species better at fooling predators?

13 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Science Communicator Eoin MurphyDCU's Shelley BradyDr Tom Reader, Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecologist, University of Nottingham

Extra: How Does Pure Mathematics Shape Our World?

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is maths just about numbers and equations? Not even close. Today we’re exploring the hidden power of mathematical thinking with Junaid Mubeen, mathe...

Extra: Did black holes create dark matter?

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We recently got an email in from a listener to the show about a topic they thought we should cover, and we’d encourage you to get in touch too if th...

Can we programme life like software?

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can life be programmed like software? Synthetic biology says yes. We’re entering an era where DNA is code and biology is becoming a programmable pla...

Extra: How do new planets form?

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Christian Ginski, School of Natural Sciences at the University of Galway

Vacuuming DNA & Is the ocean darkening?

22 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr David Duffy, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Genomics at the University of FloridaDr Thomas Davies, Associate Professor of Marine Co...

'Mr Mummy' on King Tut's tomb and performing a mummification

15 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Eoin Murphy & Shelley BradyDr Bob Brier AKA Egyptologist 'Mr Mummy'

Extra: Lyme Disease

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They’re tiny, silent, and often go unnoticed – but their bite can change your life. Ticks are on the rise in Ireland, and with them, a disease tha...

Is The Earth's Core Leaking?

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Earth’s core was thought to be a sealed vault 3,000 kilometers beneath our feet, isolated from the layers above. But now, new evidence is shakin...

Extra: Imperfect Genetics

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Laurence Hurst, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at the University of Bath and the author of ‘The Evolution of Imperfection’

The Future of Fibre Optic Cables

01 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Professor David Webb, Professorial Research Fellow at Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies at Aston University in the UKDr Shelley Brady o...

Documentary Special: “Is There Anybody Out There?”

25 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are we alone in the universe? Could there be other civilisations out there that we could possibly contact?In 1961, Astrophysicist Frank Drake tried to...

Extra: Could There Be Life On Mars?

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Clare Cousins, Reader in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews

The Man Who Endured 200 Snake Bites

18 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Susan Kelleher of DCULaura Hayes of DIASTim Friede

Extra: Immunology from Deadly Pathogens

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Prof Cliona O’Farrelly, Chair in Comparative Immunology at TCD

The Smells of an Epileptic Seizure

11 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Shane Bergin, UCDProfessor Annie Curtis, RCSIDr Shelley Brady Postdoctoral Researcher at the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analyt...

Extra: is the truth really the truth?

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Adam Kucharski, Mathematician and Epidemiologist, and Author of 'Proof: The Uncertain Science of Certainty'.

The new colour only 5 people have seen

04 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Shane BerginDr Jessamyn FairfieldProfessor Anya Hurlbert

Futureproof Extra: The Science of Risk (Best of)

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Don Ross, Experimental Economist and Philosopher of Science

Best of Futureproof: Becoming Concious & Rare Blood Plasma

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Lorina NaciDr Andrew Godfrey, Medical & Scientific Director of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service

Extra: How soon could we see lab-grown teeth?

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Bronagh Keane

The Science of Embalming

20 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Shane BerginDr Ruth FreemanGlynn Tallon

Extra: How micro-robots will help detect cancer in patients

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Nikita Greenidge

What we know (and don't know) about the cosmos

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Laura HayesDr Shane BerginBrian Schmidt

Extra: Why mosquitos taste before they bite

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Lisa Baik, Postdoctoral researcher with the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University

Building a super particle collider

06 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Jessamyn Fairfield from the University of GalwayMedic and Immunologist Dr Lara DunganDr Sarah Williams, Assistant Professor of High Energy P...

Extra: Why We Believe In Conspiracy Theories

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Daniel Jolley, Assistant Professor in Social Psychology at the University of Nottingham

Self-Assembling Long-Lasting Contraceptive

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Ruth FreemanDr Lara DunganDr Giovanni Traverso, Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT and a Gastroenterolog...

Extra: Using Virtual Reality To Conquer Fear of Public Speaking

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Chris MacDonald, Univeristy of Cambridge

The Great Whale Pee Funnel

23 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Laura HayesDr Jessamyn FairfieldJoe Roman, Biologist at the University of Vermont

Octopuses’ Weird Mating

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Wen-Sung Chung

When Do We Become Conscious?

16 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Laura HayesDr Ruth FreemanDr Lorina Naci

Extra: Rare Blood Plasma

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Andrew Godfrey, Medical & Scientific Director of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service

The Future of Space Food

09 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Jessamyn FairfieldTara ShineDr Joshua Pearce

Extra: The Advancement of AI

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Brian MacNamee, UCD

Should we reintroduce wolves to Ireland?

02 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Dr Jonny Hanson QUBDr Annie CurtisDr Shane Bergin

Extra: How our Brains Handle Aggression

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dayu Lin, Neuroscientist and Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Understanding More About the Sun & The Science of Risk

23 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Laura Hayes, Solar Physicist.Don Ross, Professor of Philosophy and Behavioural Economist.

Extra: Solving Obesity

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Professor Giles Yeo

The Migration Journey for ‘Animal Athletes’

16 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests: Dr Lucy HawkesDr Ruth FreemanDr Laura Dungan

Extra: Meteorite Hunting

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Joshua Howgego, author of 'The Meteorite Hunters'

Toxic Semen in Mosquitoes

09 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guests:Dr Ruth Freeman.Dr Laura Dungan.Associate Professor in Applied BiosSciences at Macquarie University, Maciej Maselko.

Futureproof Extra: Bioprinted Hearts

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Professor Andrew Daly, Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Galway.

When Mega-Icebergs Melt

02 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Prof Geraint Tarling of the British Antarctic Survey.Also Newsround with Shane Bergin and Ruth Freeman.

Extra: What is AMOC? And Why is it Changing?

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Gerard McCarthy, Oceanographer with ICARUS Climate Research Centre and Department of Geography.

How New Memories Are Formed

26 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Antonio Fernando Ruiz, Assistant Professor and Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences at Cornell University.

Extra: Carbon Dioxide's Secrets

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Hana Jurikova, senior research fellow at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews.

How Decontamination Happens in Space

19 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Dr Lokesh Joshi, Stokes Professor of Glycosciences at the Infectious Diseases Section of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at the ...

Extra: The Wallace Line

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Ian McFadden, Lecturer in Computational Ecology, Queen Mary University of London

What Trees Can Tell Us

12 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Tristan Gooley, author of 'How to Read a Tree'

Extra: Bird Flu Epidemic in American Cattle

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Maryn McKenna, Author and Journalist.