The World, the Universe and Us

Episode 402

The current El Niño is shaping up to cause catastrophe on a global scale. Global temperatures are being pushed up, unleashing extreme weather which could devastate ecosystems. The heat alone is expected to kill half a million people over the next five months.

Sea-surface temperatures are expected to climb 4°C above average in parts of the Pacific - and it’s becoming clear this is an issue that affects us all. From extreme heat in some places to heavy rainfall in others, many countries are bracing for impact. Combined with the threat of “king tides”, California has even declared a state of emergency.

Despite the sweltering heat we’ve just experienced, forecasters now say 2027 will be the hottest year on record - before it’s even begun. So how can we prepare?

To discuss the threat we’re facing and possible solutions (like geoengineering), Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by climate journalists Madeleine Cuff and Alec Luhn.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
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Episode 401

Anxiety is everywhere. Climate change, political turmoil and a constant stream of alarming headlines can make optimism feel impossible. But to be hopeful you don’t need to ignore reality. What if it’s about paying attention to the breakthroughs that are already changing the world?

In this special episode Penny Sarchet and Rowan Hooper are joined by bestselling author Caitlin Moran, who spent a year chasing hope.

Prompted by her new book How to Be Hopeful, the New Scientist team shares eight recent developments that genuinely make them optimistic about the future. From the explosive growth of solar energy and the possibility of crops that make their own fertiliser, to new classes of medicines, AI-assisted scientific discovery, and even the search for life beyond Earth, this episode is a celebration of progress, curiosity and human ingenuity.

Also on the panel are Madeleine Cuff, Catherine de Lange, and Michael Le Page.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
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Episode 400

Should we really be afraid of AI? Many headline statements from the likes of Anthrophic, OpenAI and even the King are raising alarm bells over the threat of AI to humanity. AI companies are even calling to be more highly regulated. But does that mean the threats are worth considering - or are there ulterior motives?

Among the apocalyptic or disastrous ways it could go wrong, there are genuine issues we should be thinking about today. Alignment is one of those - how closely AI aligns with human values and whether it continues to obey us. And the threat of supercharged cyber attacks is another. But is extinction really on the cards?

To discuss the reality of the situation we’re facing, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Timothy Revell, Matthew Sparkes and Jacob Aron.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

Image credits:

Sam Altman: TechCrunch, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Mark Zuckerberg: Anthony Quintano from Honolulu, HI, United States, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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Episode 399

Some aspects of childbirth have remained surprisingly mysterious - and scientists haven’t been able to agree on what actually kicks off the labour process. But they’ve finally worked out what’s going on - and the discovery could turn birth into a much more predictable occasion.

The labour process in humans is much more complex than in other mammals. But researchers have now worked out the driving force that kicks it all off is the immune system - a special type of inflammatory macrophage sending mitochondria to the uterus just before birth.

To explain this new discovery and why it might be game-changing for avoiding pre-term births, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Australia reporter Alice Klein.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
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Episode 398

OpenAI says it has just solved one of the hardest problems in mathematics. The Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem has been unsolved for more than 200 years. Now AI has cracked it, some claim we’ve finally reached “AGI” - artificial general intelligence.

Navier-Stokes is one of the Millennium Prize Problems, chosen for being famously challenging. And as OpenAI sets its sights on solving more of these problems, what does it mean for the future of mathematics and even for the future of humanity?

This comes as fear mounts over the safety of AI - supercharged by the resignation of a researcher from Anthrophic who believes AI companies are “gambling with our lives.”

So have we really reached AGI? Is this new solution a good thing for humanity? To discuss all of this, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Matthew Sparkes and Timothy Revell.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
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