Science Weekly

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1. Elizabeth Holmes is back in the spotlight: why can’t we look away?

   22 oktober 2026 · 17 min

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   You Can See Everything, a documentary about the disgraced biotech company founder Elizabeth Holmes, has enjoyed a record-breaking opening in the US. It is a testament to how fascinated we remain by the convicted fraudster, but what is behind the enduring appeal? US technology editor Blake Montgomery tells Madeleine Finlay why Holmes continues to fascinate us, and reflects on whether the Theranos scandal has had a permanent impact on Silicon Valley. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

2. ‘These risks are real’: the threat of AI bioweapons

   20 oktober 2026 · 16 min

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   In his annual speech on threats to the nation, Sir Ken McCallum, the head of the UK’s intelligence service, MI5, warned that AI had the potential to ‘change the stakes’ on existing and even new bioweapons. To find out why, and how, Ian Sample speaks to Dr Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. He explains what has governments so worried and what measures could be put in place to reduce the risks. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

3. Is your boss watching you? The rise of AI surveillance at work

   15 oktober 2026 · 18 min

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   Workers have always been monitored by their bosses, first through output targets, and then via computer software labelled ‘bossware’. But AI is transforming the capabilities of these systems, processing huge volumes of data to provide minute-by-minute accounts of activity, and productivity. To find out more, Ian Sample hears from UK technology editor Robert Booth. He explains which sectors are adopting this approach, why they are doing it, and how it could end up being counterproductive.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

4. The surprising psychology of morbid curiosity

   13 oktober 2026 · 17 min

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   US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan has incurred condemnation from human rights groups and politicians on all sides. But according to Coltan Scrivner, an author and psychologist at Arizona State University and expert on morbid curiosity, people are still likely to watch in large numbers. He explains why we are drawn to dark and disturbing content, and Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample how consuming this kind of material can harm observers’ mental health. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

5. All the news and science from the 2026 Nobel prizes

   7 oktober 2026 · 23 min

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   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 on/off switch for brain cells. To find out more, Madeleine Finlay talks to our science editor, Ian Sample, and correspondents Nicola Davis and Linda Geddes. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

6. Today in Focus: Should we be worried about a plague outbreak?

   6 oktober 2026 · 14 min

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   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 a possible plague infection. Science Weekly co-host Madeleine Finlay tells Lucy Hough, the host of Today in Focus: The Latest, how concerned we should be. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

7. Narcolepsy: why you’ve been thinking about it all wrong

   6 oktober 2026 · 17 min

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   The sleep disorder has been the butt of jokes and a comedic plot point, but the reality of living with narcolepsy is anything but funny. Things could be about to change for people with the condition though, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first ever drug to treat narcolepsy itself, rather than just its symptoms. Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample how the scientific breakthrough came about, and Julie Flygare, who has narcolepsy and founded the non-profit Project Sleep, explains what it is like to live with the condition and how the drug could be gamechanger. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

8. The incredible science of memory manipulation

   1 oktober 2026 · 21 min

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   Madeleine Finlay hears from Steve Ramirez, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, whose book How to Change a Memory was shortlisted for this year’s Royal Society Trivedi science book prize. He explains how scientists have been able to locate memories in the brains of rodents, trigger them artificially and even remove them, and reveals what the practical applications of this science could one day be for humans.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

9. Are household cleaning products damaging our health?

   29 september 2026 · 18 min

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   Our use of cleaning products has increased since the pandemic, but do we understand what they could be doing to our health? The journalist Rebecca Seal recently wrote for the Guardian about the potential impacts of the many chemicals we now use in our homes. She tells Madeleine Finlay how social media has also played a role in transforming our cleaning habits, why the impact of indoor air pollution is so hard to study, and what the current evidence is that cleaning products may be causing harm. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

10. Are baby girls more sociable? Super El Niño, meningitis outbreak explained

    24 september 2026 · 22 min

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    Madeleine Finlay sits down with her co-host and Guardian science editor, Ian Sample, to discuss three science stories from the week, including a study that offers a clue in the age-old debate about whether sex differences are present from birth or a product of socialisation. Also on the agenda is the super El Niño, which is predicted to lead to 450,000 deaths in the next six months, and an answer to why the UK’s meningitis outbreak earlier this year was so big.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod Lees meer

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