The world, the universe and us
Detalls del Canal
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 an...
Episodis Recents
465 episodis
New Discovery Reveals the Secret Lives of Denisovans
Episode 397
The first evidence has been discovered that Denisovans lived in south-west China. This ancient species of human spent over 10...
The Nepal Disaster: How Climate Change is Reshaping the World
Episode 396
A devastating climate disaster has killed at least 1,200 people in Nepal. A mass of ice and rock came crashing down off the L...
Scientists Find Best Evidence Yet For Dark Matter
Episode 395
Dark matter particles may have finally been spotted for the first time. LUX-ZEPLIN is the most sensitive dark matter detector...
Why Humans Like Bigger Breasts - And a New Way to Augment Them
Episode 394
A new technique using a woman’s own fat cells has been used to reconstruct her breast without silicone implants. By injecting...
ADHD Is Not a Myth - What the Science Really Says
Episode 393
A controversial TV show has suggested ADHD is a myth - a largely made up condition that is really just a “social construct”....
Wildfires Changed Human Evolution - Is It Happening Again?
Episode 392
Ancient wildfires may have shaped the course of human evolution. A reconstruction of the environment in East Africa 1.75 mill...
New Treatment Saves Children With Terminal Brain Cancer
Episode 391
Brain tumours are the most common and most deadly form of solid tumours in children. But a brand new kind of immunotherapy ha...
Latitude Special: Why Festivals Make You Live Longer; Clearing Alzheimer’s Proteins from the Brain;Clouds Made of Rocks and Rubies; Orcas Blow Up Giant Fish
Episode 390
In a special episode recorded live at Latitude Festival in England, we open with the finding that orcas in the Gulf of Califo...
Climate 2026: Record Heat, Tens of Thousands Dead, Mass Evacuations
Episode 389
Europe is burning through another summer of extreme heat. Temperatures are soaring across the continent, wildfires are forcin...
Scientists Pioneer Surgical Methods for Human Head and Eye Transplants
Episode 388
Two extraordinary breakthroughs have been made in transplant surgery. First, scientists have found a way of keeping human eye...
The Most Promising Alien Planet We've Ever Found?
Episode 387
Two big interstellar discoveries have hit the headlines. One is the discovery of the first atmosphere ever found on a small,...
Climate Crisis Is Triggering Global Food Shortages - New Predictions Are Devastating
Episode 386
The climate crisis is having a significant impact on yields of crucial food crops. Losses of maize, wheat and soybeans alone...
7 Essential Lessons We Can Learn From Homer’s Odyssey
Episode 385
What can Homer’s Odyssey teach us about psychology and human nature? Locked up in this 2,500-year-old text are a host of prof...
Chris Packham on the Untold Story of Evolution
Episode 384
The story of evolution is being brought to life in a new way. BBC series Evolution tells the story of 5 iconic animals, from elephan...
Heatwaves Are Getting Deadlier - And It’s Going To Get Worse
Episode 383
As another heatwave takes hold, figures are now showing just how deadly the last one was. With one early estimate suggesting...
Breakthrough Synthetic Cell Has Just Reproduced - But Is It Alive?
Episode 382
Scientists have created a synthetic cell with just 36 genes that can copy DNA and replicate. In an attempt to create a “minim...
The Science of Football: Inside the 2026 World Cup
Episode 381
Advances in sports science, data analysis and AI are having a huge impact on the way football is played. With England rated h...
Ancient Human DNA Found in Stone Age Cave Art For First Time
Episode 380
The DNA of ancient humans has been found preserved in cave art that’s more than 40,000 years old. This discovery could open a...
A “Super” El Niño May Be Coming - Here’s What It Means
Episode 379
El Niño has officially arrived – a natural climate event that raises global temperatures. The difference this time is it look...
The Lost Solstice Monument That Predates Stonehenge By 500 Years
Episode 378
A prototype Stonehenge has been discovered - an even older structure that may have been a first attempt at building the famou...
If We Can Make Genetically Engineered Designer Babies - Should We?
Episode 377
Considered too dangerous and unreliable a few years ago, the technology for gene editing babies is advancing fast. Improved m...
Scientists Mapped Earth's Vast Fungal Network - And It's Critical For The Climate
Episode 376
For the first time, scientists have mapped Earth’s vast underground fungal network - and it’s bigger than anyone imagined. Be...
Millions of Fossil Whale Bones Found in Deep Ocean Graveyard
Episode 375
The world’s deepest known whale graveyard has been discovered in the southern Indian Ocean. Located at a depth of seven kilom...
DeepMind Is Simulating Entire Worlds - Ready for AI Robots
Episode 374
Google DeepMind is simulating entire worlds using AI - that can be interacted with in real time.
“World models”...
Ötzi the Ice Man Contains Still-Living Microbes
Episode 373
Despite being 5,300-years-old, the gut microbiome of the famous Ötzi the Ice Man appears to be still alive. A mix of ancient...
The Thwaites ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Is About To Collapse
Episode 372
Part of the world’s widest glacier is about to collapse – one of the dramatic changes underway that could ultimately trigger...
Some Scientists Want To Resurrect Extinct Species – Is It Even Possible?
Episode 371
The moa was a giant flightless bird from New Zealand that died out around 500 years ago. Are we about to see it brought back...
The Hidden Methane Time Bomb That Could Accelerate The Climate Crisis
Episode 370
The melting ice caps are accelerating global warming and contributing to sea level rise, but could also contribute to a diffe...
Science Reveals Neanderthals Had Dentists 60,000 Years Ago
Episode 369
A strange tooth found in a Siberian cave has pushed back the earliest evidence of dentistry by 45,000 years. The weird thing...
Scientists Concerned By a Sudden Increase in the Rate of Sea Level Rise
Episode 368
Scientists are concerned by a sudden increase in the rate of sea level rise. In 2012 it suddenly accelerated and has remained...
The Strange Case Of The Man Immune To Alzheimer’s
Episode 367
Some people are genetically destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease. But one man who carried the devastating mutation seems t...
Astronomers Stunned by a Tiny World With an Atmosphere
Episode 366
A Pluto-sized object in the outer solar system has shocked scientists. It’s so tiny that it shouldn’t have an atmosphere - bu...
Craig Venter’s Legacy: The Most Influential Geneticist Since Watson and Crick
Episode 365
Craig Venter, one of the world’s most influential geneticists, has died aged 79. He leaves behind an incredible - and complic...
Record Heat, Wildfires and Drought - The Climate Crisis Is About To Accelerate
Episode 364
Global temperatures are rising faster than ever - and with a strong
El Niño on the way, scientists are warning we coul...
The Wood Wide Web: The Forest Discovery That Sparked a Backlash
Episode 363
Suzanne Simard is a world-renowned forest ecologist who shot to stardom with her first book Finding the Mother Tree. It tells...
Chernobyl 40 Years On: Legacy of the World’s Worst Nuclear Disaster
Episode 362
It’s been 40 years since the world’s worst nuclear disaster unfolded. Since the explosion at Chernobyl in 1986, the world has...
A “Super El Niño” Is Coming - And It Could Trigger Global Climate Chaos
Episode 361
The Earth is about to enter an extremely strong climate phase that could cause major disruption on a planet-wide scale. This...
Britain’s First Astronaut on the New Race to the Moon | Helen Sharman
Episode 360
A new era of space travel is finally upon us. NASA’s Artemis II rocket successfully launched 4 astronauts around the moon and...
How to spot the Lyrid meteor shower: New Scientist's stargazing companion
The Lyrid meteor shower hits its peak on the evening of the 22nd April, but you can look for them any time between the 16th and 25th.
Li...
Genetic analysis reveals how the Neanderthals went extinct
Episode 359
DNA analysis of 10 Neanderthal people is shedding light on why their populations declined 75,000 years ago - eventually leadi...