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This El Niño Is About To Cause a Global Catastrophe Sep 25, 2026

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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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How to Be Hopeful: Caitlin Moran and New Scientist Look to the Future Sep 21, 2026

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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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THIS Is What You Need To Worry About With The Rise Of AI Sep 18, 2026

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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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The Mystery of Childbirth Is Finally Being Unravelled Sep 16, 2026

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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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AI Just Solved One of the Hardest Problems in Mathematics Sep 11, 2026

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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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New Discovery Reveals the Secret Lives of Denisovans Sep 10, 2026

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Episode 397

The first evidence has been discovered that Denisovans lived in south-west China. This ancient species of human spent over 100,000 years in the region and left behind incredible artefacts that tell us how they lived.

64,000 fragments of bone have been discovered from Bianfu Cave in Yunnan province. And the site tells us a lot about the food they ate and the animals they hunted - including rhinoceroses, hyenas and prime-age deers.

As we discover an increasingly sophisticated culture in this previously mysterious species, what does it teach us about ourselves, and how exceptional Homo sapiens really are?

To discuss the findings, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by science writer Michael Marshall.

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

Image Credits:

Homo longi - Nobu Tamura, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Homo floresiensis - Cicero Moraes, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Neanderthal: Neanderthal-Museum, Mettmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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The Nepal Disaster: How Climate Change is Reshaping the World Sep 04, 2026

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Episode 396

A devastating climate disaster has killed at least 1,200 people in Nepal. A mass of ice and rock came crashing down off the Langtang mountain into the valley below. The climate crisis has made events like this much more likely.

This is just one of many retreating glaciers. We’re also on track for a record year of ice-loss in the European alps. As the world is reshaped before our eyes, what does this mean for the planet - and the 1.9 billion people who live downstream of glacier ice mountains?

This all comes as experts predict this year’s Super El Nino event will be the biggest in 1,000 years - plus an admittance from The UN Environment Programme that we will overshoot 1.5 degrees of global warming.

To discuss the tragedy in Nepal and the growing concern in the Alps, Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Professor of Glaciology Bethan Davies and climate journalist Alec Luhn.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Image Credit: The aftermath of severe flooding along the Bhotekoshi river in Nuwakot, Nepal, on 28 August Ambir Tolang/JNA/ZUMA Press/Alamy

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Scientists Find Best Evidence Yet For Dark Matter Sep 03, 2026

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Episode 395

Dark matter particles may have finally been spotted for the first time. LUX-ZEPLIN is the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth - and what it’s discovered has the potential, if confirmed, to shake up all of physics.

Despite making up about 85 per cent of the universe, dark matter has been notoriously difficult to spot. WIMPs, or weakly-interacting massive particles, are the leading theory to explain dark matter. That’s what this new, powerful detector has been built to search for.

To explain how LZ works and what it means if its results are supported, Rowan Hooper is joined by space reporter Leah Crane.

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

Image Credits:

Dark Matter illustration: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/J. Pinto, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Dark matter gif: Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Why Humans Like Bigger Breasts - And a New Way to Augment Them Aug 25, 2026

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Episode 394

A new technique using a woman’s own fat cells has been used to reconstruct her breast without silicone implants. By injecting her own tissue into a dissolving scaffold, it’s hoped this technique will make breast augmentation safer.

Traditional plastic surgery involves silicone or saline, which can cause health issues like breast implant illness and even cancer. And they typically only last 10-20 years before needing to be removed.

Penny Sarchet speaks to Australia reporter Alice Klein to find out how the surgery works and why humans evolved to prefer bigger breasts in the first place.

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

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ADHD Is Not a Myth - What the Science Really Says Aug 21, 2026

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Episode 393

A controversial TV show has suggested ADHD is a myth - a largely made up condition that is really just a “social construct”. But the science just doesn’t back this up. Decades of research prove ADHD is a real condition that impacts lives - and often needs treatment, which saves lives.

But at a time when diagnoses are rising, people are wondering what’s causing the increase. Are we overdiagnosing the condition? Are we medicalising normal behaviour? That’s what this documentary might have you believe - but such messaging is damaging.

Katya Rubia of King’s College London is one of the scientists featured in the documentary - and has spoken out about being misrepresented. She features on this episode to explain how harmful shows like this can be.

From the benefits of ADHD medication to emerging data on women with the condition, we explore what the science really shows.

Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are also joined on the panel by science writer and author Caroline Williams who is open about having ADHD and New Scientist’s Alexandra Thompson.

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

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