Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchMars-a-lago? Did the red planet once have sandy beaches?
The Mars we know now is arid and dusty, with punishing radiation levels. But, as science correspondent Nicola Davis tells Madeleine Finlay, two new s…
1 year, 1 month ago
Moon missions, Musk v scientists, sperm and longevity
Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss three intriguing science stories from the week. From two private moon landings to the controversy over Elon M…
1 year, 2 months ago
Why it’s boom time for beavers in England
Beavers were once abundant in the UK, but hunting them for their fur, meat and scent oil drove them to extinction. Now they’re back, with the news th…
1 year, 2 months ago
Drinks cans and chicken bones: will ‘technofossils’ be humanity’s lasting legacy?
When the palaeontologists of the future search for clues to understand how we lived, what might they find? Two scientists exploring this question hav…
1 year, 2 months ago
How Trump unleashed chaos in science
In his first month in office the US president has thrown science in the US into chaos, delaying projects and casting the future of research funding a…
1 year, 2 months ago
Singing mice, constipated kids and nurture beats nature: science stories of the week
Science editor Ian Sample joins co-host Madeleine Finlay to discuss some of the most intriguing science stories of the week. From a concerning rise i…
1 year, 2 months ago
Should we ban cats?
The Scottish first minister, John Swinney, was recently forced to deny plans to ban cats after a report from independent experts said the species was…
1 year, 2 months ago
What is ‘mirror life’ and why are scientists sounding the alarm?
Recently, a group of world-leading scientists called for a halt on research to create ‘mirror life’ microbes amid concerns that the synthetic organis…
1 year, 2 months ago
Don’t look up: is an asteroid heading for Earth?
In a case of life imitating art, a 100-metre-wide asteroid has triggered global planetary defence procedures for the first time, after telescope obse…
1 year, 2 months ago
DeepSeek, weapons and climate? What’s on the table at the Paris AI summit?
From the shockwaves caused by DeepSeek’s launch, to fears of a new AI arms race, and the continued questions over the technology’s energy use, AI con…
1 year, 3 months ago