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 a threat to Scotland’s wildlife. In the UK, it is ...
18 Feb 202516min
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 organisms would present an ‘unprecedented risk’ to life on...
13 Feb 202517min
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 observations revealed it had a chance of colliding with...
11 Feb 202515min
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 continues to throw up new challenges. As world leaders...
6 Feb 202516min
Can Trump and RFK Jr make America healthy again?
Senators are scheduled to vote today on whether to advance Robert F Kennedy Jr’s nomination as Secretary of State for Health and Human Services. RFK Jr is known for his vaccine skepticism and Make Ame...
4 Feb 202517min
Protein, weights and the best way to keep fit: your exercise questions answered
In the second episode of our listener questions special, Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what he has uncovered about who the exercise guidelines were created for and whether they apply to all of us,...
30 Jan 202522min
Sugar, seed oils, and avoiding sickness: your health questions answered
We asked for your questions on getting healthy in 2025 and you delivered. In the first episode of our listener questions special, Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample what she has uncovered about the sci...
28 Jan 202523min
The science of racism, and how to fight it
Ian Sample speaks to Keon West, a professor of social psychology at the University of London, whose new book, The Science of Racism, explores what science can reveal about racism, the inventive method...
23 Jan 202518min
