Guardian Science Weekly

Evidence of alien life, a clue about the rise of colon cancer, and a new colour?

Loading player...
Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss three intriguing science stories from the week. From a hint at alien life on a distant planet, to a clue in the search for answers over why colon cancer rates are rising in the under 50’s, and news from a group of scientists who claim to have experienced a colour no one has ever seen before.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
24 Apr 2025 English United Kingdom Science · Nature

Other recent episodes

‘The undruggable became druggable’: a breakthrough cancer treatment

A daily pill can double survival time in patients with the world’s deadliest cancer, according to the results of a clinical trial that experts are saying is a gamechanger and one of the biggest breakthroughs in decades. To find out more about how daraxonrasib works and how life-changing it could…
11 Jun 14 min

The dinosaurs who survived the asteroid

While many dinosaurs were wiped out when a colossal asteroid struck Earth 66m years ago, one group survived: birds. Prof Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh, has written a new book, The Story of Birds, tracing the evolution of our feathered friends from their dinosaur origins. He…
9 Jun 17 min

The incredible science of the sleeping brain

Humans have been wondering why we sleep for thousands of years. Is sleep’s purpose rest and relaxation, memory consolidation or maybe cognitive processing? In the last 15 years, scientists have discovered another possible explanation – waste disposal. In 2012 neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard’s lab discovered that the brain has its own…
2 Jun 14 min

Are robots nearing their ChatGPT moment?

Last month at Beijing’s half marathon, a robot named Lightning beat the human world record by nearly seven minutes. It’s the latest in a string of AI-powered milestones that have got people wondering whether robots are about to enter our everyday lives, just as chatbots have. And the country leading…
28 May 17 min
All episodes