Science Weekly
Alok Jha and the Guardian's science team bring you the best analysis and interviews from the worlds of science and technology.
Exoplanets orbiting Trappist-1 and the search for life – Science Weekly podcast
Hannah Devlin explores the research behind the recent announcement of seven Earth-size planets and asks how we might probe their nature, including a suitability for life Exoplanet discovery: seven Earth-sized planets found orbiting nearby star
Nudge theory: the psychology and ethics of persuasion - Science Weekly podcast
This week, Ian Sample explores the psychology behind ‘nudging’, its usage by governments, and some of the ethical quandaries involved
A neuroscientist explains: magnetic resonance imaging
Dr Daniel Glaser explores the history and science behind a well known method of brain imaging, including a trip for producer Max into an MRI scanner
Poison tales: the chemistry of crime fiction – Science Weekly podcast
Nicola Davis sits down with Dr Kathryn Harkup to discuss a shared love of crime fiction and the chemistry contained within their poisonous plots
A neuroscientist explains: listener's emails about empathy
Responding to some of our listener’s emails, Dr Daniel Glaser ponders whether dogs have a Theory of Mind, the neuroscience behind bilingualism, and the value of introspection
Is emergent quantum mechanics grounded in classical physics? - Science Weekly podcast
Does strange quantum behaviour emerge from run-of-the-mill classical physics? If so, what does this tell us about the fundamental nature of reality?
A neuroscientist explains: listener's emails about memory
Responding to some of our listener’s emails, Dr Daniel Glaser explores the role of photographs for recall, and the vividness of musical memory
A neuroscientist explains: the need for ‘empathetic citizens’
What is the neuroscience behind empathy? When do children develop it? And can it be taught?
Cross Section: Uta Frith – Science Weekly podcast
Nicola Davis sits down with Professor Uta Frith to talk autism, passion, rebellion and the role of women in science
A neuroscientist explains: how the brain stores memories
How do brains and computers differ when it comes to memory storage? And what clues can we get from the ageing brain?
Communicating climate change: a psychoanalysis – Science Weekly podcast
What is the psychology behind climate change denial? Can it be overcome? And what communication tips can scientists take from political campaigns?
Stephen Hawking at 75: a brief history – Science Weekly podcast
The origin of the universe, the distribution of galaxies, and the nature of black holes – it’s all in a day’s work for one of the most prominent scientists of all time
Recast: Us and Them - Science Weekly podcast
Are we biologically primed to fear outsiders? And can science help us bridge the divide when conflicts arise?
Juno probe's Jupiter mission update - Science Weekly podcast
What has Juno revealed since it dropped into Jupiter’s orbit earlier this year? And how is the probe holding up against the solar system’s largest gas giant?
Big Unknowns: is free will an illusion? – Science Weekly podcast
Free will has been debated by philosophers and theologians for centuries. Neuroscientists and psychologists have now entered the fray - but what new light can they shed? And just how free are we when it comes to “free” will?
Big Unknowns Series 2 trailer - the Science Weekly podcast
How did life begin? Is free will an illusion? Where’s all the dark matter? And can we live forever? These are some of science’s big unknowns and in this returning mini-series, we’re going to pull some of them apart
Cross Section: Mike Massimino – Science Weekly podcast
Like many kids, Mike Massimino dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Against all odds, he turned that dream into reality. This is his story
Ethics and genetics: opening the book of life – Science Weekly podcast
When it comes to the ethics of genetic technologies who decides how far we should go in our pursuit for perfection?
False memories: from the lab to the courtroom - Science Weekly podcast
How much of our memory is fictitious? And how is this psychological research now being applied to the world of eyewitness testimony and victim statements?
The quest for a theory of everything – Science Weekly podcast
In the race for a unifying ‘theory of everything’ two frontrunners are miles ahead. But what will win? String theory? Loop quantum gravity? Or something else entirely?