The World, the Universe and Us
Episodes
#21: How to prevent future pandemics, black lives matter and racism in science, suspended animation
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are now more than 8 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide, and at least 450,000 deaths. Given the lack of preparation for this pandem...
#20: Human cryptic mate choice, cracking nuclear fusion, countering coronavirus misinformation
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists have discovered a fascinating new way that women might choose between men to father their babies - and the choice may happen after having s...
#19: How the UK got it wrong on coronavirus, mystery around chronic Lyme, Greta Thunberg’s musical debut
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The UK now has the highest number of covid-19 deaths in Europe, and worldwide, the total number of confirmed covid-19 deaths is second only to the US....
#18: Bending the curve on climate change, the era of commercial space travel, staying safe from coronavirus
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The coronavirus pandemic is a human disaster that is dominating the news right now, but climate change is going to be worse and longer-lasting. The tw...
#17: The truth about our appetites, the impact of coronavirus on conservation, mud volcanoes on Mars
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rather than simply eating until we are full, humans selectively try to eat the right amounts of three macronutrients – protein, carbs and fat – pl...
#16: Hints of a new force of nature; making mice with human cells; seaweed in the fight against climate change
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are four fundamental forces that describe how everything works, from black holes to radioactive decay to sounds coming out of your headphones. B...
#15: Mystery of radio signals from deep space; the future of music; epidemic of bad coronavirus science
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
MIDI, the digital encoding technology that revolutionised music production in the 1980s, is getting an upgrade. We explore how MIDI 2.0 will change no...
#14: Dreams, sleep and coronavirus, a new explanation of consciousness, brain-stimulation anorexia treatment
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is the coronavirus crisis giving you bad dreams? Anxiety and stress about covid-19 has changed our sleeping patterns and the tone of our dreams. But r...
#13: Evidence for a parallel universe, protecting mental health in lockdown, why covid-19 hits men harder
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We might have the first evidence for the mind-blowing idea that there is a parallel universe to our own, an antimatter universe which is mirror-flippe...
#12: Strength training for better health, bats mimic sound, biggest ever supernova
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While much of the world is still on lockdown and with global cases of coronavirus now over two million, one positive thing that’s come out of this c...
#11: Covid World, coronavirus in New York, invasion of parakeets, bacteria and their amazing powers
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The United States now accounts for one-fifth of all new coronavirus cases globally, with New York at the epicentre with over 150,000 cases. In this ep...
#10: Coronavirus questions answered, revolution in human evolution, mind-reading computers
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There’s still so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, from the symptoms and spreadability to matters like how long you should self-isolate. In thi...
#9: Coronavirus lockdown – how to flatten the curve, reset the immune system, and the world’s most hardcore mammal
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The UK government says they are going to distribute millions of covid-19 coronavirus testing kits in the next few days, but how effective will these b...
#8: Coronavirus special – disaster preparation, environmental change and disease emergence; plus science round-up
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The actions taken now by countries and governments globally is crucial in limiting the impact of the covid-19 coronavirus - but has the response been ...
#7: Coronavirus vaccine, neutrinos in the early universe, and organ transplants
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone wants a coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible - but what is involved, and how long will it take? On the panel for this week’s episode are...
#6: Coronavirus special - the spread of covid-19, fatality rates, and the importance of hand washing
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Governments globally are taking serious measures to halt the spread of the covid-19 coronavirus, from shutting schools to cancelling major events. On ...
#5: Pandemic preparations, mind-reading – and a trillion trees
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the covid-19 coronavirus spreads around the globe, we’ve been warned to prepare for a pandemic. On the panel this week are New Scientist journali...
#4: Lab-grown meat, Neanderthal burials, and space tourism
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Would you eat lab-grown meat? The guilt-free, environmentally friendly animal alternative will be hitting our shelves this year. On the panel for this...
#3: Coronavirus latest, a woman with half a brain, and love drugs
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just when we thought we were seeing a decline in the number of Wuhan coronavirus cases, there has been a sharp uptick in reported deaths. On the panel...
#2: Weird quantum experiment, origin of the alphabet, and coronavirus developments
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Being in two different places at once — it's one of the deeply weird things that happens in the quantum realm. On the panel for this week’s episod...
#1: Wuhan coronavirus, nuclear fusion, and the Solar Orbiter spacecraft
31 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a rapidly spreading outbreak with the potential to become a full blown pandemic – but just how concerned should we be about the global impact...