Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea
Episodes
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.
What connects cancer & Alzheimer's disease?
05 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Erin Abner, Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University of Kentucky.
The Best of 2024
29 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guests:Les Johnson - Author & Chief Technologist with NASA @LesAuthor @IRG_Space.Robin Tanamachi - Associate Professor in the Department of Earth,...
Extra: What Animals Understand About Death
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Susana Monso - Philosopher of Animal Minds at the National Distance Education University in Madrid and Author of Playing Possum: How Animals Un...
Into the Unknown
22 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Kelsey Johnson - Professor of Astronomy at the University of Virginia, former president of the American Astronomical Society & author of In...
Extra: Mushroom Robots
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Shepherd - Professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University @CornellMAE @Cornell.
How quantum computing works
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Ciaran Hickey - Assistant Professor in the School of Physics at UCD and a member of UCD's Centre for Quantum Engineering, Science and Technology (...
Extra: Private speech in twins
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nancy Segal - Professor of Psychology, Director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University and author of 9 books about twins @nlsegal.
Can death be abolished?
08 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston - Neuroscientist and author of The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death @ariel_zj.
Extra: The Prosthetic Memory System
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Robert Hampson - Professor of Physiology/Pharmacology and Neurology at Wake Forest School of Medicine and lead author of this paper @wakehealth
Evolution's Bite and the Synthetic Age
01 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Ungar - Paleoanthropologist and Author of Evolution’s Bite: A Story of Teeth, Diet, and Human Origins @PeterSUngarChristopher Preston - Profes...
Extra: Regeneration - The Internal World
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Caroline Curtin - Senior lecturer in the Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland @CarolineCurtin8 @An...
What 'mastering' AI looks like
24 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jeremy Kahn - AI Editor at Fortune Magazine and author of Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future @jeremyakahn @FortuneMagazine
Extra: Regeneration - Virtual Worlds
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Lynch - Lecturer in Computer Games in TUD 0868130745 @WeAreTUDublinAphra Kerr - Professor of Information & Communication Studies and a senio...
Futureproof Live Science Week Special
17 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Collie Ennis - Science Officer with the Herpetological Society of Ireland, Zoology research associate at Trinity College and co-host of The Critter Sh...
Extra: A new blood pressure diagnostic device
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
David Connolly - Cardiovascular Research Programme Manager - College of Medicine, Nursing Health Sciences at National University of Ireland, Galway.
Landing the Paris Agreement
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Todd Stern - Chief US negotiator on climate change for President Barack Obama and author of Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why ...
Extra: Why are animals the size they are?
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Shovonlal Roy - Ecosystem modeller and Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Reading.
Extra: What Is The Fairest Electoral System?
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Now if you’re anything like me, it’s at around this time every four or so years when you once again find yourself wondering how it’s possible th...
Was ancient Greece's Antikythera mechanism the world's first computer?
03 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Edmunds - Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics at Cardiff University & Founding member of the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project @cardiffPH...
Extra: Mapping the brain of a fly
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Tamara Boto - Assistant Professor of Physiology in Trinity College Dublin @TamaraBoto @TCDPhysiology @tcddublin
The future of law enforcement
27 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Martin Mullins - Director of Transgero and Professor of Risk Manangement at the University of Limerick @mjamullins @transgero @UL
Extra: Estimating Ireland's ancient populations
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Rowan McLaughlin - Researcher in the Hamilton Institute at Maynooth University @MU_Hamilton @MaynoothUni
Replicating the moon
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Aidan Cowley - Science Officer at European Space Agency @esa @esaspaceflight
Extra: Incredible new heart-imaging technology
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Dr. Christoph Hennersperger, Co-Founder and CTO, Luma Vision.
How drugs are discovered
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Dr William Pao, former Chief Development Officer at Pfizer and Head of Research at Roche and author of 'Breakthrough: The Quest for Life-Changi...
Extra: The Myths of Evolution
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Conway Morris - Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Paleobiology at Cambridge University and Author of From Extraterrestrials to Animal Minds: Si...
The Search for Male Contraception
06 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Logan Nickels - Chief Research Officer with the Male Contraceptive Initiative @MaleBCNow
Extra: Inflammatory Bowel Disease - What Causes It?
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Colm Collins, Assistant Professor at the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences in UCD, and Conway Investigator.
A brief history of UFOs
29 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Greg Eghigian, Professor of History and Bioethics at Pennsylvania State University, Visiting Research Fellow at the Davis Center for Historical...
Extra: Lucid Dreaming
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Peters, a PhD student in the Lucid Lab at the University of Bern in Switzerland.
How AI will change your life
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Dixon, Futurist Keynote Speaker and author of ‘How AI Will Change Your Life: A Futurist's Guide to a Super-Smart World’.
Extra: When can we have lab grown meat?
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Seren Kell - Head of science and technology at the Good Food Institute Europe @SerenLaurelKell @GoodFoodEurope
What happens to your data after you die?
15 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Carl Öhman - Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at Uppsala University and author of The Afterlife of Data: What Happens to Your Info...
Extra: What is Psilocybin and how does it work?
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joshua Siegel - Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Life after death
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Parnia - Director of Critical Care & Resuscitation Research at the New York University School of Medicine and author of Lucid Dying: The New S...
Extra: How our biology shaped world history
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Professor Lewis Dartnell, Astrobiology Research Scientist at the University of Westminster and Author of 'Being Human: How Our Biology Shaped W...
What really happens during brain surgery
01 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Neurosurgeon Ted Schwartz @TedSchwartz13
Extra: Inflammatory Bowel Disease - What Causes It?
01 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Colm Collins, Assistant Professor at the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences in UCD, and Conway Investigator.
Extra: A guide to our immune system
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: John Trowsdale, Emeritus Professor of Immunology at the University of Cambridge.
How neurons encode the meaning of words
25 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Ziv Williams, Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School.
Extra: Is the dream of fusion power dead?
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Dr. Brian D. Appelbe - Research Fellow in the Physics Department at Imperial College London.
What is MicroRNA?
18 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: David Henshall - Professor of Physiology and Medical Physics at RCSI and author of Fine-Tuning Life: A Guide to MicroRNAs, Your Genome's Master...
Extra: The Wooden Age
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dirk Leder - Research associate in the office for Cultural Heritage in Lower Saxony.
Studying Consciousness
11 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lorina Naci - Associate Professor, leader of the 'Consciousness and Cognition' group at TCD.
Extra: Symbiosis
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Gregory Moore - Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences at The University of Melbourne joined Jonathan on th...
Storm Chasing: The Science of Tornadoes
04 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Robin Tanamachi - Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University, joined Jonathan on the sho...
Moon Landing 55th Anniversary Special
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Jonathan was joined by Oliver Morton, Senior Editor at The Economist and author of The Moon: A History For The Future and by Sarah T. Stewa...
Extra: Do I know you?
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sadie Dingfelder - Author of Do I Know You?: A Faceblind Reporter’s Journey into the Science of Sight, Memory, and Imagination
Why do some people always get lost?
21 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nora Newcombe - Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Temple University @NoraNewcombe
Extra: Turbulence
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ivan Marusic is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Melbourne School of Engineering @engunimelb @unimelb
What can we learn from whale ear wax?
14 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen J. Trumble - Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Baylor University & Affiliate Professor in the Institute of Marine Scienc...
Extra: Mapping the Cosmos
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Seshadri Nadathur, a co-author of the work and senior research fellow at the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation @S...