The world, the universe and us

The world, the universe and us

From the evolution of intelligent life, to the mysteries of consciousness; from the threat of the climate crisis to the search for dark matter, The world, the universe and us is your essential weekly dose of science and wonder in an uncertain world. Hosted by journalists Dr Rowan Hooper and Dr Penny Sarchet and joined each week by expert scientists in the field, the show draws on New Scientist’s unparalleled depth of reporting to put the stories that matter into context. Feed your curiosity with the podcast that will restore your sense of optimism and nourish your brain. For more visit newscientist.com/podcasts

Episodes

How exercise shrinks tumours and starves cancer; Weird molecules found on comet 3I/ATLAS; Einstein v Bohr on the nature of light

December 5, 2025 • 25 mins
Episode 335 Exercise has been shown to shrink tumours by 60 per cent. A new study shows another link between regular exercise and cancer prevention, this time revealing that muscle cells may outcompete cancer cells for energy - basically starving them. We explore the links between metabolism and glucose - with the caveat that so far this has only been demonstrated in mice, in a small study. The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS may be...
Mark as Played

The evolution of sperm and the enduring mystery of the scrotum; How our brain rewires itself 4 times in life; The (real) disaster scenarios of imminent climate breakdown

November 28, 2025 • 39 mins
Episode 334 Which sperm is the oldest sperm - the ancestor sperm that came before all others? Well, you might think it links back to an ancient animal that came before us, but the oldest sperm may actually predate animals altogether. We explore this plus the enduring mystery of the scrotum - and why a male’s most important body part is so delicate and…exposed. The team hears about the variation in scrotum morphology across mammals...
Mark as Played

The origin and evolution of music: Steve Pretty plays the conch

November 21, 2025 • 30 mins
Episode 333 It’s not often you get to see or hear someone playing music on a conch shell. So prepare yourself for a musical treat with musician and podcaster Steve Pretty, who brings into the studio a trumpet and a collection of his favourite conches, rigged up to some modern electronics. Steve is best known as the bandleader of the Hackney Colliery Band, and also hosts the Steve Pretty On the Origin of the Pieces podcast. Perfo...
Mark as Played

New genome of ancient human; 95% of us have a dormant virus that causes disease; Formula E cars faster than F1; Bill Bryson joins the pod!

November 14, 2025 • 45 mins
Episode 332 For only the second time, the genome of an ancient Denisovan has been sequenced - thanks to the discovery of a 200,000-year-old tooth found in a Siberian cave. This ancient member of the human family has long been a mystery, so this genome is being described as a bombshell moment, revealing an early stage of Denisovan history. We explore how this reshapes our understanding about the origins of our species. Some 95 per...
Mark as Played

Why the claims about Hitler’s genome are misleading

November 13, 2025 • 29 mins
Episode 331 This week sees the broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK of a documentary called Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a dictator. Geneticists have managed to find a DNA sample from Adolf Hitler and have sequenced it and verified it, and now we have his genome. The big question is what does this really tell us – what can we tell from someone’s genome?  In this special episode of the podcast, Rowan Hooper is joined by two of the lead ...
Mark as Played

COP30: The world's climate future hinges on this meeting

November 7, 2025 • 31 mins
Episode 330 COP30 is nearly upon us - and this climate conference may be the most crucial so far. In a year where we’ve seen the first major global tipping point reached, destructive wildfires raging in Los Angeles and much more, joint action has never been more urgent. But as hope starts to wane and climate goals continue to be missed, many are questioning the value of the COPs. Even legendary figure  Christiana Figueres is show...
Mark as Played

The collapse of America’s health data system; How sleep affects your focus; Life on Mars in liquid veins?

October 31, 2025 • 23 mins
Episode 329 America’s health data system is in crisis. The US government has been bleeding public health experts – many of whom run crucial public health surveys and databases which help identify, monitor and respond to health threats across the country. From drug use to food security and birth data, discover the 5 surveys most critically hit by the axing of over 20,000 jobs. If nothing is done to address this, vital health inform...
Mark as Played

How mRNA vaccines teach your body to kill cancer; Grim state of climate action; Why birds sing the dawn chorus

October 24, 2025 • 29 mins
Episode 328 Not only has the mRNA covid vaccine saved 14 million lives, it may also help our bodies fight off cancer. A study of cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy treatment showed those who received an mRNA vaccine lived nearly twice as long - and this effect was discovered by accident. In a trial of cancer vaccines, Elias Sayour’s team at the University of Florida used standard mRNA vaccines as a control - they weren’t mea...
Mark as Played

Neuroscience of reality; Quest for dark matter; Folklore of geoscience (New Scientist Live Special)

October 20, 2025 • 28 mins
Episode 327 A special episode recorded on October 18 at New Scientist Live in London, featuring experts in geoscience, dark matter and neuroscience. Anjana Khatwa is an Earth scientist and TV presenter. In her new book, The Whispers of Rock, she brings together Western scientific knowledge about the evolution of our Earth and indigenous knowledge and stories. She demonstrates this connection by exploring the volcanic formation of...
Mark as Played

First climate tipping point triggered; Man controls another person's body by brain implant; health worries over sumo wrestlers

October 17, 2025 • 34 mins
Episode 326 The world’s first major climate tipping point has been triggered. The decimation of warm water coral populations caused by rising temperatures is now irreversible - passing the point of no return. The global consequences of widescale coral dieback could be catastrophic, so experts are sounding the alarm. But is anyone listening? A man with paralysis has telepathically controlled the hands of another person. Keith Thom...
Mark as Played

Space 2075: How Humanity Will Live, Work and Make Drugs off-planet | Live Recording at the Royal Society

October 13, 2025 • 53 mins
A special episode all about the future of space exploration, recorded in front of a live audience at the Royal Society in London. Earlier this year, the Royal Society published ‘The Space: 2075 report’, which recognises the huge changes we’re seeing in space exploration, and urges for action to be taken to make sure the next 50 years of activity in space is sustainable and benefits all of humanity. We brought together a panel of s...
Mark as Played

How Jane Goodall changed the world; How the universe ends; How “selfish sperm” affect male fertility

October 10, 2025 • 43 mins
Episode 324 The legendary primatologist Jane Goodall died last week aged 91, leaving behind a remarkable legacy. Her work studying tool use in chimpanzees completely reshaped the way we view animal intelligence. Fiercely protective of the natural world, she was also responsible for a huge amount of advocacy during her life. Primatologist Alejandra Pascual-Garrido worked directly with Jane and shares the story of her life and work....
Mark as Played

Emergency in Antarctica; How movement changes the brain; Why women live longer than men

October 2, 2025 • 30 mins
Episode 323 Temperatures in Antarctica have soared by over 35°C. Scientists are concerned about how quickly things are changing on the continent as these warmer temperatures impact the polar vortex. Coupled with record lows in sea ice cover over the last decade, this could be a sign that Antarctic weather patterns have shifted permanently. What’s driving this change - and what happens if we have reached a tipping point of no retur...
Mark as Played

Skull rewrites story of human evolution; Autism and Tylenol; discovery of wind coming from black hole

September 26, 2025 • 33 mins
Episode 322 An ancient skull discovered in China may have just rewritten the story of human evolution. It’s widely accepted that the common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Denisovans and Neanderthals came out of Africa. But this skull upends that assumption - potentially showing human evolution began in Asia. Discover how a new reconstruction of the Yunxian fossil skull could push back human origins by 400,000 years. Tylenol does not c...
Mark as Played

The evolutionary price we pay for longer lives; the asteroid coming VERY close to Earth; how dinosaurs shaped the ecosystem

September 19, 2025 • 32 mins
Episode 321 Humans live a lot longer than other primates - and much of that is down to our immune system. But there’s a price we pay for the capacity to fight off infections: inflammation. Chronic inflammation is to blame for a range of health issues, especially those related to older age. And now research has revealed exactly why inflammation is good for longevity but bad for health. Find out how proteins called death-fold domain...
Mark as Played

Why we can't announce life on Mars (yet); The Romans' impact on the British economy; Link between exercise and your microbiome

September 12, 2025 • 29 mins
Episode 320 Was Mars once home to alien life? The evidence is stronger than ever, since NASA’s discovery of rocks marked by patterns similar to those made by microbes on Earth. Found in an area now named Bright Angel, these rocks give us a tantalising insight into Mars’ ancient past - but just how definitive is this finding? It’s long been thought that when the Roman Empire withdrew from Britain in the early 400s, the result was ...
Mark as Played

First complete map of brain activity; Queen ant lays eggs of another species; The perils of scrolling while on the toilet

September 5, 2025 • 31 mins
Episode 319 Scientists have created the first complete activity map of a mouse’s brain. Combining brain images from multiple mice, researchers recorded more than 650,000 neurons while these mice manipulated little Lego steering wheels in a driving game. This complex behaviour has allowed scientists to examine the interplay between various parts of the brain - and could help us better understand consciousness. This might be the we...
Mark as Played

Scientists discovered a 100,000-year-old organism; Breakthrough brain implant uses AI to treat pain; How climate change leads to revolutions

August 29, 2025 • 25 mins
Episode 318 An ancient organism has been discovered that has been alive for at least 100,000 years. Found in the Siberian permafrost, this lifeform doesn’t appear to have just remained dormant - but instead has actually been growing extremely slowly. Our understanding of life is already quite fuzzy, and this finding adds to the idea that life itself is a fuzzy state of being.  A breakthrough method of treating previously untreata...
Mark as Played

Could we end winter illness?; Cold fusion’s comeback; The delicious microbiome of chocolate

August 22, 2025 • 20 mins
Episode 317 Winter bugs are notoriously hard to vaccinate against. But as cold, flu and covid season is about to descend on us once more, one group researchers are working on an entirely new solution to the misery. A team out of Columbia University has been testing an mRNA-based treatment that could prime our immune systems to fight against any kind of viral infection, perhaps in the form of an asthma-like inhaler. But there is a ...
Mark as Played

Climate special: How to fix the climate crisis with Tim Lenton and Kate Marvel

August 14, 2025 • 44 mins
Episode 316 “All of the other planets out there are just complete garbage. The Earth is the only good place.” – Kate Marvel The climate crisis can leave many of us feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. But, as climate scientists Kate Marvel and Tim Lenton say, there are many reasons to be optimistic.Both have new books out that hope to reframe the way we think about the issue. Kate’s book Human Nature grapples with the complicated e...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

    My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

    My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Breakfast Club

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.