For many of us, slathering on sunscreen to protect our skin in the summer months is a no-brainer. But recently social media has been awash with influencers airing their concerns about the potential dangers of this seemingly innocuous product. So is there anything to the claims that sunscreen is toxic? To find out, Madeleine Finlay is joined by the Guardian’s ... Show More
Oct 7
All the news and science from the 2026 Nobel prizes
This year’s Nobel prizes in chemistry, physics and physiology or medicine have celebrated work that has been used to develop countless drugs and transform modern medicine, allowed physicists to observe one of the most mysterious particles, and provided a tool that could act as an ... Show More
23m 21s
Oct 6
Today in Focus: Should we be worried about a plague outbreak?
Several hospitals in eastern Russia are under quarantine after a lab worker fell ill at a plague research centre following a reported accident and died. Russia’s health watchdog has said Darya Shipilova, 28, died of ‘pneumonia of unknown aetiology’, but there is speculation about ... Show More
13m 42s
Jun 2023
A Smarter Way To Use Sunscreen
Sunscreen: we should all be using it, but we might not all be using it the right way. In fact, the type of sunscreen you use may not be nearly as important as using it effectively. With the help of a few expert dermatologists, NPR science correspondent Allison Aubrey cues Scienti ... Show More
12m 7s
Jun 2020
Wear Sunscreen? This is Required Listening
Are chemical sunscreens really worse than mineral sunscreens? Are you applying spray sunscreen incorrectly? And what's problematic about the term "reef safe"? We have Menas Kizoulis, Scientific Engagement Director at Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc, the company behind brands like ... Show More
1h 8m
Oct 2023
Ep 128 Skin Cancer: We love and fear the sun
<p>For every article about the risks of sun exposure or a guide to sunscreens, you don’t have to look far to find one about the health benefits of sunshine or a how-to for achieving the best tan. Messaging around sun exposure is mixed, to say the least, and it’s no wonder that de ... Show More
1h 37m
Oct 2019
What even is sunscreen and how does it screen the sun?
<p>This week Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of not being burned by the big, ominous, flaming ball of radioactive insanity that lights up our skies each day. Did you know that to some people, radiation burns are no big deal? ¯_(ツ)_/¯ It's actually a very big deal and the su ... Show More
29m 1s
Aug 2023
The fight for better sunscreen, from AOC to skincare influencers
Sharing your skincare routine, whether it’s on DermTok or Instagram, is a hugely popular trend on social media. These days, there is one product that you’ll hear talked about religiously: sunscreen. You’ll find dermatologists and skincare influencers alike evangelizing about the ... Show More
23m 44s
Oct 2022
What even is sunscreen and how does it screen the sun?
<p><strong>#013 Rebroadcast<br />
</strong><br />
This week Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of not being burned by the big, ominous, flaming ball of radioactive insanity that lights up our skies each day. Did you know that to some people, radiation burns are no big deal? ¯_ ... Show More
29m 55s