Science

Change Your Mind with New Scientist

Change Your Mind from New Scientist brings you the brain health advice you really need to know. Every week, award‑winning science journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson cut through wellness hype to find out what actually keeps your mind sharp, your mood steady and your memory strong. As friends, they’ve spent decades swapping stories, testing trends and exploring the latest neuroscience, and thought it was about time to share the tips and tricks that have genuinely changed their own lives. From cold plunges to coffee, supplements to sleep, Ozempic and AI they speak to leading experts and ask: does this really work? Expect smart conversations, clear answers, and practical takeaways – with plenty of laughs along the way. Because when you understand your brain, you really can change your mind – for the better.

New Episodes every Thursday.

Latest Episodes:

Caffeine - Could Your Morning Coffee be Protecting Your Brain? Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Can your daily coffee actually be good for your brain, or should we be listening to the influencers who claim we need to cut it out?

In this episode of Change Your Mind, Health Journalists Helen Thomson and Cat de Lange dive into the science of caffeine: to find out whether we can enjoy our coffee fix guilt free.

They’re joined by Dr Astrid Nehlig, a leading researcher on caffeine and the brain, to explore everything from the long term effects of caffeine on our aging brains, to the surprising ways coffee may be acting on our Gut Microbiome.

If you’ve ever wondered whether to cut down, quit, or top up your cup, this episode might just change how you think about caffeine.

Produced by Emily Bird

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more about Caffeine at New Scientist:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2525685-coffees-mood-boosting-effects-arent-just-down-to-caffeine/

Bonus Brain Tips - How to Maintain your Friendships and how to use Sunlight to get Better Sleep. Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Series 2 of Change Your Mind with New Scientistis on it's way! But we couldn't leave you with nothing whilst we put together our next batch of myth-busting interviews with top brain experts. Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson share the very best tips and tricks they've picked up in their decades as Health Journalists.

We learn how texting could be good for your brain health and how a morning walk in the sun could lead to a better night's sleep.

Produced by Emily Bird

Bonus Brain Tips - How To Hack Your Nap and How to Beat Chronic Stress Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

We learn why coffee could be the surprising secret to a successful nap, and why simple tricks can be the most effective in tackling chronic stress.

Produced by Emily Bird

Q&A special: When do you really become an adult? Plus booze, bad sleep and more Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Does your brain really stop developing at 25? How much damage does a bad night's sleep actually do? And if you stop drinking alcohol, can your brain recover?

In this special listener Q&A, Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson wrap up the first series of Change Your Mind with New Scientist by tackling your questions. Drawing on the latest neuroscience, they separate fact from fiction on some of the biggest brain health topics we've covered so far.

Along the way, they reflect on the habits that surprised them most this series, from cold-water swimming to spending time alone, before diving into your questions about brain development, memory, emotions, alcohol and even whether ditching your clothes could have unexpected benefits for your mental wellbeing.

Change your mind will be back in three weeks time for series two with brand new expert guests and brain-changing discoveries.

We want to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment or send us your ideas and questions for future episodes at changeyourmind@newscientist.com.

Produced by Emily Bird

Smell - The Surprising Link Between Olfaction and Dementia Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

Our sense of smell is often dismissed as our less important than sight and hearing, but what if it’s quietly shaping our memories, mood and long‑term brain health? In this episode, Health Journalists Helen Thomson and Cat de Lange explore the surprising brain superhighway between scent, emotion and memory, to explore why certain smells can yank you back to childhood and why smell could hold the key to healthy brain aging.

They are joined by neuroscientist Michael Leon, who explains what happens when we lose our sense of smell, and staggeringly that simply enriching your life with pleasant scents could help protect you from diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Produced by Emily Bird

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com⁠⁠⁠

Find out more about your senses at New Scientist:

⁠https://www.newscientist.com/article-topic/senses/⁠

Learn more about our sponsor Alzheimer’s Society: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.newscientist.com/alzheimers-society/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sources

https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.15048

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-69772-y

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448/full

https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trc2.70120

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ggi.14344

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2517205-if-a-drug-had-the-same-benefits-as-the-arts-wed-take-it-every-day/

Solitude - How Time Alone Can Strengthen Your Mental Resilience Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Health Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson just want some time to themselves... but not everyone feels that way, for others moments alone can be deeply uncomfortable. Research shows that solitude could be incredibly important for our mental health, so whether we’re craving it or avoiding we should probably learn how to do it right,

In this episode of Change Your Mind from New Scientist, Helen and Cat explore the surprising science of solitude. Including how it differs from loneliness, and why time alone can sometimes even improve our connections with other people. They’re joined by Professor Netta Weinstein, a psychologist at the University of Reading and co-author of Solitude: The Power and Science of Being Alone, to ask how much time alone is actually good for your brain? And how do you make the most of your alone time to restore your mood, creativity and patience?

Produced by Emily Bird

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠⁠⁠⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com⁠⁠

Find out more about Solitude at New Scientist:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26134840-400-how-mastering-the-art-of-being-alone-can-boost-your-mental-health/⁠

Make space for solitude over the holidays: ⁠https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835751-800-why-it-is-important-to-make-space-for-solitude-over-the-festive-season/⁠

Learn more about our sponsor Alzheimer’s Society: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.newscientist.com/alzheimers-society/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sources

Mindset: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11705512/

Digital strain https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26935790-200-the-internet-feels-super-lonely-right-now-heres-why/

Microplastics - Are Tiny Plastics Harming Our Brains? Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

Microplastics can be found everywhere from freshly falling Antarctic snow to the bottom of the Mariana Trench and our brains are no exception. In this episode of Change Your Mind with New Scientist, Health Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson trace the origins of microplastics and nanoplastics to tell the story of how they end up in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. There’s no question that these tiny plastic particles are in all of our bodies, but are they causing any harm there?

With the help of “godfather of microplastics” Professor Richard Thompson, they explore what decades of animal studies really show about development, fertility, behaviour and brain health and why it’s so hard to get definitive answers in humans.

Are microplastics really building up in our brains, and if so, what might that mean for memory, mood or dementia risk? Should you be worried about your non-stick pans, plastic water bottles or synthetic clothes?

Produced by Emily Bird

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠⁠⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com⁠

Find out more about the microplastics at New Scientist:

https://www.newscientist.com/article-topic/microplastic/

Learn more about our sponsor Alzheimer’s Society: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.newscientist.com/alzheimers-society/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sources:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr8243#sec-3

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36867907/

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/924520

https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120173

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04324-7

Brain Training - Can a Game really Protect You from Dementia? Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Change Your Mind, Science Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson ask whether brain training is finally shaking off its flaky reputation and if a simple computer game could really cut your risk of dementia. For years, Sudoku and brain game apps promised to “keep your brain young”, then were largely dismissed as only making you better at the game itself. So why is brain training back in the headlines now?

Cat speaks to Professor Marilyn Albert, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins, about her study that recently linked a specific kind of speed‑processing training to a 25% lower risk of dementia. But is this finding too good to be true? Or should we all be signing up to give this brain training game a go?

Produced by Emily Bird

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠⁠⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com⁠

Find out more about Brain Training and dementia at New Scientist

Learn more about our sponsor Alzheimer’s Society

Microbiome - Explaining how your Gut affects your Mood Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

What if the key to a healthier brain isn't in your head at all?

This week on Change Your Mind, Health Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson dive into the fascinating world of the gut microbiota, to ask whether the trillions of microbes living inside us could be influencing everything from our mood and stress levels to how we think and feel.

With microbiome testing kits, probiotics and gut-health products booming in popularity, how much of the hype is backed by science? Can changing what you eat really alter your mental health? And do fermented foods, fibre supplements and expensive gut tests actually deliver on their promises?

To separate fact from fiction, we speak to one of the world's leading microbiome researchers, Professor Ted Dinan, to find out what decades of research reveal about the gut-brain connection.

Produced by Emily Bird

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com

Find out more about the microbiome at New Scientist: https://www.newscientist.com/article-topic/microbiome/

Learn more about our sponsor Alzheimer’s Society: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.newscientist.com/alzheimers-society/⁠⁠⁠

Sources:

https://www.factmr.com/report/gut-microbiome-testing-kit-market

https://mybioma.com/en/pages/analysis

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5501039/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23910373/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21876150/

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502203-the-gut-microbiome-may-play-a-role-in-shaping-our-personality/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33609-x
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28661940/

Manifesting - Is there any Neuroscience behind the Mood-Board? Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Manifestation has gone mainstream. From vision boards and affirmations to TikTok trends promising abundance and success, millions of people believe they can turn their thoughts into reality. But is there any science behind it?

In this episode of Change Your Mind, New Scientist journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson investigate the neuroscience of manifestation. Can visualising your goals really change your behaviour? Why does the brain focus so heavily on negative outcomes? And could techniques often dismissed as "woo" actually help you achieve what you want?

Joining them is neuroscientist Dr Sabina Brennan, who explains what happens in the brain when we focus our attention, challenge limiting beliefs and imagine future success. Together, they explore the surprising links between manifestation, neuroplasticity and goal-setting and reveal why the real power may not lie in the universe, but in your own mind.

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to ⁠changeyourmind@newscientist.com⁠

Learn more about Manifesting https://www.newscientist.com/article/2480659-can-imagining-a-better-future-really-make-it-come-true/

Learn more about our sponsor Alzheimer’s Society: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.newscientist.com/alzheimers-society/⁠⁠⁠

Produced by Emily Bird

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