Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea
Episodes
The Evolution of Flight & Digital Babies
07 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lev Parikian - Conducter & Author of Taking Flight: The Evolutionary Story of Life on the Wing @LevParikian&Professor Ines Thiele - Principal ...
Extra: You're All Talk, What Our Accents Say About Us
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Drummond - Professor of Sociolinguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University and author of You’re All Talk: why we are what we speak
The High Seas
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Olive Heffernan - Science Journalist and Author of The High Seas: Ambition, Power and Greed on the Unclaimed Ocean @O_Heffernan
Extra: The Swiftquake Comes to Dublin!
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eleanor Dunn - PhD Researcher at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies @DIAS_Dublin
How the things you see could alter how long you live!
23 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guest: Christi Gendron - Research Assistant Professor in Molecular & Integrative Physiology at The University of Michigan.
Extra: The Evolutionary Effects of Endurance Hunting
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eugene Morin - Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Trent University @TrentUResearch @TrentUniversity
Time Dilation & The Practical Challenges of Interstellar Travel
16 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Les Johnson - Author & Space Technologist
Gold: Faces
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of Futureproof we look at Face Blindness and super recognition with Professor Fiona Newell - Professor of Experimental Psychol...
Extra: Carbon Capture
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr John Breen - Chief Technology Officer of NEG8 Carbon @NEG8Carbon
How the way we walk can tell us how healthy we are!
02 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guests this week:Dr Aidan Boran - Founder/CEO at Digital Gait Labs @aidan_boran & Professor Seán Kennelly - Consultant Geriatrician and...
Extra: Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
George Musser - Contributing editor for Scientific American magazine and author of Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation: Why Physicists Are Studying...
Exoplanet Weather
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Johanna Vos - Assistant Professor in the School of Physics at Trinity College
Extra: How Do We Divide Geological Time?
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Siobhan Power - Geologist with the Geological Survey Ireland
The Video Game that Aids Stroke Recovery
19 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Krakauer - Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, and Director of the Center for the Study of Motor Learning and Brain Repair at Johns Hopkins
Extra: Could Europa Clipper Detect Life on Jupiter's Moon?
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fabian Klenner is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Washington
The Evolution of Eggs!
12 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jules Howard - Zoological Correspondent and Author of Infinite Life: A Revolutionary Story of Eggs, Evolution and Life on Earth
Extra: Ant Supercolonies
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Whitfield is a Science journalist and Author
Space Elevators
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Arun Misra is a Thomas Workman Emeritus Professor in Mechanical Engineering at McGill University.
Extra: Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Concussed?
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Van Wessenbergh is a Research Professor in the Laboratory for Functional Morphology of the Department of Biology at the University of Antwerp
The Interstellar Workshop
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joseph Meany is a Science consultant and board member of the IRG (Interstellar Research Group)
Extra: Extinctions: How Life Survives, Adapts and Evolves
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Benton is Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology at University of Bristol and author of Extinctions: How Life Survives, Adapts and Evolves
The Purpose of the Universe
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Philip Goff is Professor of Philosophy at Durham University and author of Why? The Purpose of the Universe
Extra: Could We Cure Brain Tumours?
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bryan Choi - Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School and Associate Director of the Centre for Brain Tumour Immunology and Immuno...
Near Death Experiences
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jimo Borjigin is Associate Professor of Molecular & Integrative Physiology at the University of Michigan
Gold: Where Are We?
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Vanessa Collingridge is an Author, Broadcaster and Doctor of Historical CartographyHelene Courtois is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of L...
Gold: DARPA - The Pentagon's Brain
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Annie Jacobsen is a Bestselling author & Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of DARPA - The Pentagon's Brain
Extra: Studying psi
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chris French is Emeritus Professor and Former Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at the University of London and author of The Science o...
Nuclear War: A Scenario
31 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Annie Jacobsen is a Bestselling author & Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Nuclear War: A Scenario
The Science of Menstruation
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jennifer Gunter is a Gynaecologist & author of Blood: The Science, Medicine and Mythology of Menstruation
Eat, Poop, Die
24 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Roman - Conservation biologist and marine ecologist at the University of Vermont and Author of Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World
Extra: Enhancing Daylight
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan speaks with Professor Brian Norton from the Tyndall National Institute
The Nocebo Effect
17 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlotte Blease is Associate Professor in the Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Sweden and co-author of The Nocebo Eff...
Extra: The Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Francis Halzen is Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Principle Investigator at the Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory
Who Owns The Moon?
10 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor AC Grayling is a Philosopher and Author of Who Owns the Moon?: In Defence of Humanity’s Common Interests in Space
Extra: Brain Fog
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s almost exactly 4 years since the Covid 19 pandemic came to these shores and although thankfully the pandemic is over, there is still a lot to l...
Why We Humans Can Get Used To Just About Anything
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan speaks to Cass Sunstein - Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard and Co-Author of "Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always...
Futureproof Extra: A New Habitat in the Pacific Garbage Patch
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan is joined by Jim Carlton - Professor of Marine Sciences, Emeritus, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Why Do Humans Grow Up So Slowly?
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan is joined by Brenna Hassett - Lecturer in forensic osteology and archaeology at the University of Central Lancashire and author of Growing Up...
Documentary Special: Scorched Earth
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition of Futureproof, Jonathan joins researchers from DIAS as they travel to a volcano on the Galapagos Islands. Funded by Coimisiú...
Extra: Managing Stress Via The Gut
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan speaks to Professor John Cryan from UCC
Could We Delay The Menopause?
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists at Yale think freezing ovarian tissue at a young age could help us to postpone or event prevent the onset of menopause altogether. Jonathan...
Futureproof Extra: The origins of Guinness yeast
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers from Diageo have discovered that the yeast used to make Guinness is genetically different from any other Irish beer. Joining Jonathan to d...
How does a brain implant affect your mind?
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week Elon Musk announced his Neuralink company has implanted a wireless brain chip into a human for the first time.But how significant is this st...
Futureproof Extra: What is the Coriolis Effect?
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we’ve discussed before on Futureproof, nature has some strange but very cool patterns - one such pattern is the Coriolis Effect. Joining Jonathan...
How does the human eye see so many colours?
28 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists in Maryland in the United States are exploring what a lab-grown retina can tell us about how we can see millions of colours. Joining Jonath...
Futureproof Extra: How does our skin age?
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we grow older, we experience a multitude of changes - both emotionally and physically - and while those changes can be challenging at times, it is ...
The science of quantum teleportation
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
That old maxim of “knowledge is power” is as true today as it was when Francis Bacon first coined the term back in the late 1500s; and while that ...
Futureproof Extra: The vest that could help predict sudden cardiac death
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers from University College London have developed an electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) vest that might help identify individuals at a higher...
What makes urine yellow?
14 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all know that our urine is yellow, or at least, it should be. While we have known for some time that it is urobilin that's responsible for the yell...
Futureproof Extra: Reaching for the Sun
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This year we will come closer than ever to touching the Sun than ever before. That’s because of an upcoming NASA mission called the Parker Solar Pro...
Warning drivers of road obstacles with 3D holograms
07 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Road safety has been at the forefront of the minds of many of us with the significant death toll last year but scientists at the University of Cambrid...
Best of 2023 - The Fascinating History of Measurement
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Looking back at the best episodes in 2023: Have you ever wondered how humans came about the concept of ‘measuring’ things? How did Ancient Egyptia...
Best of 2023 - Why Can't we Breathe Underwater?
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the best conversations from 2023: Ryan Kerney, organismal biologist at Gettysburg University, joined Jonathan to discuss why humans can’t bre...
Best of 2023 - Can we Live on Mars?
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The notion of human beings getting to and settling on Mars has been a staple of science fiction for decades.But what are the social, scientific, and e...
How can Humans Survive Extreme Cold?
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Mike Tipton from the University of Portsmouth joins Jonathan to discuss the effect of the extreme cold on our bodies and how we try to stay ...
The Atmospheric Phenomenom: STEVE
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Claire Gasque, physics graduate at the University of California, Berkeley, joins Jonathan to discuss the mysterious atmospheric phenomenon only known ...
Futureproof Extra: How your organs can be a different age to the rest of your body
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that your organs can be a different age than your body? Jonathan is joined by Jarod Rutledge, longevity scientist and Stanford Excellence...
Creating VR Goggles for Mice
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever experimented with VR, you know it can trick your brain into thinking that what you see is real.But in the United States, they are tak...
The Potential of Functional Foods
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathon is joined by Prof. Daniel Granato, course director for Functional Foods and Product Development at the University of Limerick to discuss func...
The Benefits of Hypoxia Training with Prof. Phil Jakeman
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hypoxia training could help patients at risk of health complications ahead of surgery, scientists at the University of Limerick have found. Joining Jo...
Futureproof Extra: How leaves form their shapes
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leaves have many different jobs: photosynthesis, gas exchange, water exchange, and more. But how do they end up in the shapes that they are? Joining J...
The importance of scepticism in science
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For centuries we have been marketed and sold products that claim extraordinary things only to find out that the evidence and application don’t match...
Futureproof Extra: Where do we save our memories?
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our brain has about 86 billion neurons making it a pretty busy place but how much of that space is dedicated to storing our memories and where exactly...
Should we delay clamping the umbilical cord?
26 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Jonathan to discuss new research that indicates that a delay in clamping the umbilical cord of premature babies could decrease the risk of dea...
Science Week Special: What are the biggest threats to humanity?
19 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to the end of humanity, there are numerous ways it might come to pass - be it a wayward asteroid, the eruption of a super volcano, the e...
Futureproof Extra: Exploring why UTIs persist with artificial bladders
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are around 400 million global cases of UTIs or urinary tract infections per year, and they can often persist, but why? Researchers in the UK hav...
EIRSAT-1: Ireland’s first satellite set for launch
12 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Educational Irish Research Satellite 1 (EIRSAT-1) is set for launch in November, which will make it Ireland’s first venture into space. To discu...
Best of Futureproof: Why You Can't Focus
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Futureproof, Jonathan McCrea interviews Johann Hari, author of ‘Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention'.
Futureproof Extra: The problem with 'Forever Chemicals'
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Synthetic compounds are found in a multitude of items that we manufacture. They can help us create newfound or superior chemical composites that go in...
Nature’s most effective and delicious toxins
29 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Prof. Noah Whiteman has been exploring the secrets of nature’s toxins, how they evolved, and how we use them. Noah is Professor of Genetics, Genomic...
Futureproof Extra: Pigments in the fossil record & the medical applications of Biophotonics
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why is your cat ginger or black? Often it comes down to a very small type of pigment that scientists in Cork have been examining to learn more about t...
Does free will exist?
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to free will, we think of our ability to independently make decisions based on our own desires or interests. That being said, there are ...
Do athletes perceive the world differently?
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Now when it comes to elite sports, there are many attributes that set the best apart from the rest. Not only do you probably have to have won the gene...
Futureproof Extra: What causes male pattern hair loss?
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Male pattern hair loss is something that over 80% of men will experience in their lifetime. Yet despite it being so widespread, the fundamentals of wh...
What are the "JuMBO" objects found in the Orion Nebula?
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists at the European Space Agency have used the James Webb Space Telescope to reveal the presence of pairs of planet-like objects in the Orion N...
Futureproof Extra: Just how big can our brains get?
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have conducted the largest-ever study of the genetics of our brain structure. But how can the shape and siz...
Are we too fixated on optimising our world?
01 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the consequences of living in a world so driven by efficiency, pace, and cost? Applied mathematician Coco Krumme, uses mathematical modelling...
Futureproof Extra: Toxoplasma Gondii
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What if we told you that a tiny parasite might be influencing the very core of wolf behaviour, making these fierce predators act in ways contrary to t...
Lessons in longevity from the naked mole-rat
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Listeners to the show might remember that last year we spoke to Dr. Vera Gorbunova from Rochester Aging Research Center at the University of Rochester...
Futureproof Extra: Protecting our underwater cultural heritage
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Walk into any national museum, in any part of the world, and you will see artifacts of significance – from coins and jewellery, to weapons, utensils...
Can a robot be a person?
17 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While the question of 'what is a robot?' might have been easily answered just a few years ago, it is increasingly difficult to define.So, rather than ...
Futureproof Extra: The World of Dust
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dust. You might hate it, you might want to get rid of it, you might not know where it comes from, but did you know there are actually two billion tonn...
What our eyes can tell us about our health
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We think of our eyes as external organs, but anatomically we can also consider them to be an extension of the brain, and this feature is proving to be...
Futureproof Extra: How rotational force is essential to everything
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that in one sleep you will have travelled close to million miles by the time you wake up? This is due to the fascinating science of spin ...
Will we soon be able to cure obesity?
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic have exploded in popularity over the past few years with them producing some quite incredible results. Bu...
Futureproof Extra: The Science of Cultured Meat
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From dietary downsides to the environmental impact large-scale farming has on the planet - not to mention the profound cruelty to which billions of an...
Womb transplants and the future of reproductive medicine
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a pioneering operation, the first womb transplant took place in the UK this week. But how soon could we see this in Ireland? Joining Jonathan to re...
Futureproof Extra: Capturing Cosmic Dust
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cosmic dust might be closer than you think - in fact, it might even be on top of a nearby tall building. And that’s exactly where Dr. Penelope Woz...
Can we reverse or stop ageing completely?
20 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might think becoming eternally young isn’t possible but scientists from Cornell University, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridg...
Futureproof Extra: Burying nuclear waste in Finland
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the depths of the ground in Finland, high-level radioactive nuclear waste will be buried in the world’s first such permanent storage facility of ...
How to build a spacesuit
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered about what goes into making a spacesuit? Amy Ross has been with NASA for 30 years, and is a spacesuit engineer specialising in ...
Futureproof Extra: The Science of Suncream
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The science behind suncream is really surprising, as explored by writer Grace Browne in her recent piece in Wired. She joins Jonathan to shed light on...
Black Holes in Bathtubs
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Black holes - cosmic enigmas with immense gravitational forces - have long perplexed scientists. At Nottingham University's Black Hole Laboratory, Pro...
How technology affects our sleep
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The way we sleep has dramatically changed in recent years. Our alarm clock used to be the only piece of tech we associated with sleep, but we now hav...
The relationship between your gut and your relationships
30 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know your gut might be able to tell you about the strength of your relationships? A recent study from Arizona State University shows that the ...
Futureproof Extra: How To Expect The Unexpected
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Kit Yates, senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and co-director of the Centre for Mathematical Biology at the University of ...
How deepfakes impact your memory
23 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the advancement of artificial intelligence, deepfakes are becoming easier and cheaper to produce and as a result, scientists are testing the pote...
Weapons of the Future, The Fibonacci Sequence & Cryo Conservation
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Weapons of the Future We can see it in our newsfeeds every single day, as war rages on the eastern frontiers of Europe - so too are the changing dyna...
Futureproof Extra: Geothermal Power
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan is joined by Jon Blundy, Royal Society Research Professor, Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford who proposes we utilise v...
MDMA as a treatment for PTSD
09 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might think of MDMA as more of a recreational drug but actually it is being clinically trialled in a therapeutic setting as a potential treatment ...