logo
episode-header-image
Aug 20
15m 57s

It’s finally raining. Will it be enough ...

The Guardian
About this episode
After a summer that has seen England and Wales experience the driest July since records began, rain is finally on the horizon. But with reservoirs at ‘exceptionally low’ levels, will there be enough rain to replenish stocks? Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Anna Murgatroyd, a lecturer in hydrology at Newcastle University, about how much rain we need to see us ... Show More
Up next
Aug 18
The ultra rich are collecting fossils, and that’s bad for science
One of the UK’s best fossil collections has been sold overseas in what experts have called a loss to the nation. The collection, which is now on display at the Natural History Museum in Abu Dhabi, was gathered on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. As dinosaur fossils sell to private collec ... Show More
14m 56s
Aug 13
The immortal jellyfish and other mindblowing invertebrates
Each year the Guardian runs a competition to find the invertebrate of the year. To find out more about the 2026 nominees science editor Ian Sample hears from climate reporter Petra Stock, environment reporter Oliver Milman and Science Weekly co-host Madeleine Finlay. They each no ... Show More
15m 27s
Aug 11
We’re reading less. And it’s making us stupid
Books have never been trendier, but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of cognitive benefits that we’re in danger of missing out on. To find out why declin ... Show More
19m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2018
Where’s my eternal youth? Part 1
<p>Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what comes of seeking immortality, but what does science tell us about the process? Why do we age? What purpose does it serve in natural s ... Show More
43m 53s
Jan 2018
Where’s my eternal youth? Part 2
<p>Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what comes of seeking immortality, but what does science tell us about the process? Why do we age? What purpose does it serve in natural s ... Show More
47m 48s
Sep 2025
Can We Live Forever?
Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel explore ageing, longevity and the science behind our lifespans. Human life expectancy has increased steadily over the last 200 years, but we may be reaching a ceiling. Is this our biological limit, or could the next big scientific breakthr ... Show More
44m 46s
Dec 2022
Can we cure ageing?
Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle the thorny issue of their own differing experiences of ageing, as they find out why Robin seems to be doing it so much more quickly than Brian and whether science might have the answer. They are joined by comedian Sarah Kendall, Professor Dame Lind ... Show More
42m 19s
Mar 2019
From the Vault: Eternal Youth, Part 2
Throughout history, humans have faced the inexorable process of aging and death. We’ve dreamt up countless myths to explain why we age and what comes of seeking immortality, but what does science tell us about the process? Why do we age? What purpose does it serve in natural sele ... Show More
48m 16s
Aug 2025
Living Longer, Aging Smarter [Sponsored]
Life expectancy has risen dramatically since 1900, reshaping how we understand aging. Scientists now view skin not just as a surface indicator, but as a biological marker of systemic health. In this podcast episode, Scientific American Custom Media explores how longevity science ... Show More
8m 32s
Dec 2024
Inside Health: How can we age well?
From the Hay Festival, James and a panel of experts explain what we can all do to help ourselves age well.We discover what’s going on in our bodies when we age, the difference between biological and chronological age, as well as getting the audience moving for a physical test.Jam ... Show More
26m 28s
Dec 2022
What Science Tells Us About Living Longer
Scientists are hard at work trying to understand what causes aging and how to help people stay healthy for longer. Biologist Matt Kaeberlein breaks down the science of longevity and tells us how he’s using a robot to test 100,000 aging interventions a year on microscopic worms an ... Show More
29m 38s
Oct 2023
8. In the Habit
What is the secret to ageing well? Humankind has been in search of an answer for millions of years. But one man believes he may have found the beginnings of an answer, and it’s hiding in a convent.Hannah Fry tells a tale of a single scatter graph which might reveal the key to lon ... Show More
14m 14s