CrowdScience listener Nyankami, from Kenya, has a friend with dementia. Despite memory loss and no longer knowing his way around, his friend has no problem communicating. So what’s the connection between memory and language?
Caroline Steel discovers how dementia affects our speech. In most cases the illness does have an impact on our ability to speak but i ... Show More
Jul 4
Can we harness solar energy from other stars?
Listener Dickson Mukisa from Uganda has been gazing up at the stars. But he’s not making wishes. He wants to know whether we can harness their energy, in the same way we do with our OWN star – the sun. After all, they may seem small and twinkly to us, but each one is a gigantic f ... Show More
26m 28s
Jun 20
How can we persuade more people to cycle?
Cycling is good for our health, good for the planet, and it can be an efficient way of moving around busy cities. But despite all the rational arguments for it, in most cities the number of people who get on their bikes is low.CrowdScience listener Hans wants to know whether it’s ... Show More
26m 28s
Oct 2022
Dr. Eddie Chang: The Science of Learning & Speaking Languages
My guest is Eddie Chang, MD, a neurosurgeon and professor of neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the co-director of the Center for Neural Engineering & Prostheses. We discuss the brain mechanisms underlying speech, language learning and ... Show More
2h 31m
Oct 2023
How To Prevent Dementia | Lisa Genova
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Understanding the difference between ‘normal’ forgetfulness and actual memory loss, practical ways to stave off Alzheimer’s disease, and meditation’s role in ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 2023
How close are we to ending Alzheimer's?
A new drug, Donanemab, has been hailed as a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer's after a global trial confirms it slows cognitive decline.One trial was shown to have “significantly slowed” the progression of the disease—by 35%.Earlier this year, Lecanemab, the first dru ... Show More
48m 39s
Mar 2023
Julie Williams on Alzheimer’s disease
There are almost a million people in the UK living with dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common form. But the disease actually starts long before any noticeable symptoms appear, and over the past decade, studies have shown that it is much more complex than previously thought ... Show More
28m 21s