Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

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 ...

Futureproof Extra: Ηow air pollution affects our health

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to the World Economic Forum, 99% of the world’s population experiences air pollution levels exceeding WHO guidelines. But recent studies...

The Woman Who Feels No Pain

02 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The biology underpinning a rare genetic mutation that allows its carrier to live virtually pain-free, heal more rapidly, and experience reduced anxiet...

Futureproof Extra: Harvesting electricity from thin air

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As our energy consumption continues to grow, we will need to find more and more ways to actually create the electricity we need. But soon you might b...

The development of a new drug to prevent blood clotting

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to new research, the drug dimethyl fumarate has been shown to block blood clotting during infection, which could make a sizable impact on pe...

Futureproof Extra: Creating the First Synthetic Human Embryo

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have we just been made futile as a reproductive species? This week researchers in the University of Cambridge and in the US announced their creation o...

Why Ireland Has Fewer Earthquakes Than Britain

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Generally speaking, Ireland is a pretty safe place. For example, when it comes to natural phenomena, insects, or animals, very few things can do you s...

Futureproof Extra: The Dangers & Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recently hundreds of leading technology experts, journalists, and policymakers from across the world released a statement saying that: “Mitigating t...

Tackling the growing problem of light pollution

11 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you look up into the night sky and you see the incredible array of stars and planets that are visible to us here on Earth, it is impossible not t...

Futureproof Extra: Combating Bad Data & Misleading Numbers

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nature is, without over-egging things, an unstoppable force – one which we pale miserably in comparison to with all our brio and intellect. But we...

Innovating Healthcare: Galway's Clinical Revolution

04 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Induced temporary hibernation for surgery and long-term space travel, creating energy from nothing, skin patch immunotherapy for peanut allergies, and...

Futureproof Extra: Immunology Breakthrough

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Immunotherapy is a type of treatment which helps the immune system fight cancer. It enhances the system ability to recognize, target, and eliminate ca...

The First Egyptian Astronaut

28 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

People with prosthetic limbs are able to feel warmth in their missing hands, a type of bacteria in babies being a predictor of future weight struggles...

Futureproof Extra: AI Mindreading

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Speech to text, text to speech, but what about thoughts to text? A new technology has been developed which allows AI to convert your thoughts into tex...

Why can’t we breathe underwater?

21 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode, Eoin Murphy and Dr Jessamyn Fairfield take us through the latest stories in our Newsround. We hear about the world’s deadl...

Futureproof Extra: Is Immortality by 2045 Possible?

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is not a matter of how we become immortal, it's a matter of when- that’s according to this week’s guest, José Luis Cordeiro. He is the author ...

The Science of Measurement

14 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how humans came about the concept of ‘measuring’ things? How did Ancient Egyptians use giant rulers to predict the harvest ...

Futureproof Extra: The Secrets Of Our Seas

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Helen Czerski, bubble physicist and the author of 'Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World', joins Jonathan McCrea to discuss the secrets of our ...

Lab-Grown Blood

07 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Futureproof, Dr Susan Kelleher and Dr Lara Dungan join Jonathan McCrea for Newsround, and he explores the future of lab-grown blood...

Futureproof Extra: Curing Hearing Loss

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Zheng-Yi Chen, Associate Scientist in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at Mass Eye and Ear Hospital in Boston, speaks with Futureproof host Jonathan...

Vaccine Patches

30 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Futureproof: Dr Ruth Freeman, Science Foundation Ireland & Eoin Murphy, biochemist and science communicator, join Jonathan McCrea f...

Futureproof Extra: The Future of Surrogacy & AI

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Surrogacy can be a complicated enough process but if you bring in the potential of AI into it, how would it look? To discuss this and the future of su...

Short Term Memory Illusions

23 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over time, our memory begins to fade but new research suggests human memory can go wrong just three seconds after an event takes place. The author of ...

Futureproof Extra: 'JUICE' Mission & Exploring Jupiter

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Caitriona Jackman is an Irish space scientist and head of the planetary magnetospheres group at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies an...

Injectable Brain Implants

16 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Implanting an electrode into your fragile brain to control abnormal activity can cause extensive damage. But researchers in Sweden have developed a ty...

Futureproof Extra: Interpreting Alien Signals

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What would a message from ET sound like? Researchers at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Post-Detection Hub at the University of St Andrew...

Have we smelled everything in the world?

09 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Joining Jonathan on this episode of Futureproof is Dr Aashish Manglik, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California...

Futureproof Extra: How are diamonds formed?

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Diamond formation occurs when carbon deposits deep within the earth are subject to high temperatures and pressure. But what are the specific environ...

Thomas Hertog on space, time, and working with Stephen Hawking

02 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking is famous the world over, but one of his closest collaborators for twenty years was working alon...

Futureproof Extra: The Trust Race

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of Futureproof Extra, we host 'The Trust Race', a six-part podcast series about scandals and controversies that have affected ...

Tickertape Synesthesia & The Future of Quantum Computing

26 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Although on the outside we may all seem very similar, we experience the world in wildly different ways. A fascinating illustration of this is 'Ticke...

Futureproof Extra: Tenacious Beasts

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite being in an environmental and biodiversity crisis, there are a number of animals that have come to the brink of extinction. So what can we lea...

Space prisons & other realities of living beyond Earth

19 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Settling in space might seem like a fun otherworldly concept, but it could also bring a number of practical realities to consider like what would spac...

Is ChatGPT the beginning of a general AI revolution?

12 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When ChatGPT came on the scene late last year, it was seen by many as a novel and fun piece of new technology, to others like Nick Cave, "a grotesque ...

Futureproof Extra: Ireland's first solar-powered racing car

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Joining Jonathan to discuss the efforts going into creating Ireland's first solar-powered racing car is Philipp Eichhorn, Head of Business for the DCU...

Futureproof Gold: Face Blindness & Super Recognition

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode on 'Face Blindness' & 'Super Recognition' featuring Fiona Newell, Professor of Experimental Psychology at the Trinity Instit...

Do facial expressions influence our emotional state?

05 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we’re happy, our bodies become flooded with dopamine and serotonin, two types of neurotransmitters in the brain; our hearts might even beat fas...

The Psychology of Revenge

26 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Roughly 10% of murders in New York are motivated by revenge. But what exactly is revenge and why are some people consumed by it? Jonathan McCrea spea...

Futureproof Extra: Will we soon be living on the moon?

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How far away are we from actually inhabiting the Moon? Professor Mahesh Anand, Open University Professor in Planetary Science and Exploration, has be...

The Science of Antidepressants

19 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s estimated that 1 in 8 to 1 in 5 people have depression, but it’s mostly those at the moderate to the severe end who turn to antidepressants. ...

Creating a contraceptive pill for men

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to contraception it seems women have the lion's share of options. This is perhaps down to the fact that society has decided that they, n...

How to conduct an autopsy

12 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It takes a special kind of person to be keen to conduct an autopsy and this week's guest is taking that interest to a whole new level this month as sh...

Futureproof Extra: Underwater Avalanches

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At this stage, we are all pretty familiar with the circular way in which nature works. If we think of the hydrologic cycle for instance we know ther...

The Science of Sleep & Dreams

05 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For years we have wondered what the purpose of sleep really is, and while huge strides have been made regarding our understanding of the function of s...

Do facial expressions influence our emotional state?

05 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we’re happy, our bodies become flooded with dopamine and serotonin, two types of neurotransmitters in the brain; our hearts might even beat fas...

The Science of Semiconductors

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Semiconductor devices are everywhere, with almost 80% of the Irish population having a smartphone - not to mention any number of other computer device...