The world, the universe and us

Episode 339 Humans are finally going back to the moon. NASA’s Artemis II mission is set to launch in April, taking four astronauts in a loop around the moon. If it goes well, it’ll set the stage for a lunar landing by Artemis III - bringing us closer to creating permanent settlements on the surface. And that’s not all - SpaceX is planning to visit Mars this year as part of its plans to colonise the Red Planet. Plus, in May we might see the launch of a new American space station. Will these missions mark 2026 as the year that kick-started our spread off planet? GLP-1 weight loss drugs are set to get cheaper this year. The patent on semaglutide - the active ingredient in drugs like Ozempic - is about to run out, meaning more people will be able to access these hugely impactful medications. A pill version is also on the horizon, plus one upcoming drug that can cut body weight by a whopping 24 per cent. The first phase 3 trials of LSD are taking place this year. 55 years after being banned, the psychedelic drug is being tested once again for its ability to reduce anxiety and treat mental health conditions. Research suggests LSD can rewire your brain and relieve moderate to severe anxiety for at least three months. But will the trials prove its benefits outweigh any side effects? A carbon border tariff is being imposed by the EU - taxing imports of materials like steel from countries that aren’t doing enough to keep their emissions down. The policy is a positive step for climate action and will help to make EU industries more competitive. And it looks like countries around the world are soon to follow suit. Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Jacob Aron, Michael Le Page and Alexandra Thompson. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 336 Looking for something great to read or watch on TV over the festive period? We’ve got you covered. In a special edition of the podcast, we share our favourite books, TV and films of 2025 - for those moments when you need a break from the festivities. From pure science fiction to books exploring climate change and the history of our early ancestors, we have something for everyone. Below is a list of our top picks. Films and TV Ocean with David Attenborough Andor Season 2 The White House Effect Human with Ella al-Shamahi Pluribus My Husband the Cyborg Severance Season 2 Books Every Version of You by Grace Chan The Story of CO2 is the Story of Everything by Peter Brannen Clearing the Air by Hannah Ritchie Positive Tipping Points by Tim Lenton The Last Neanderthal by Ludovic Slimak Hello Cruel World by Melinda Moyer Hosted by Rowan Hooper with guests Bethan Ackerley and Alison Flood. Sign up to our book club for more recommendations, discussion and author interviews https://www.newscientist.com/bookclub/  To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 337 As we reach the end of the year, catch up on some of New Scientist’s most exciting and thought-provoking features of the past twelve months.  For decades we’ve got autism in girls all wrong. Symptoms present quite differently in girls to boys, meaning they often go undiagnosed. So why have we failed to see the differences - and why are girls so often neglected by autism research? We review a feature written by Gina Rippon - one of the scientists studying autism who admits to getting it wrong for years. If you’re interested in living a longer life, you may have heard the name Bryan Johnson. He’s the tech millionaire who’s doing everything in his power to live as long as possible. From a 6.5 hour morning routine, to experimental gene treatments and hypoxia therapy - we dig into the life of the man whose slogan is “Don’t Die”. There is no space, no time, no particles. This is the radical new quantum vision of reality proposed by physicist Vlatko Vedral. He argues that our current lens for looking at reality is full of problems, especially concerning observers - this idea that reality is somehow contingent on us looking at it. So what really lies beyond quantum theory? Over tens of thousands of years, waves of Homo sapiens set out across Europe and Asia, only for their societies and cultures to mysteriously vanish. At last, ancient DNA from fossils is revealing why. We shed light on the lives of the LRJ people, a group of a few hundred ancient humans who roamed across Europe 43,000 years ago. There are new hints that the fabric of space-time may be made of "memory cells" that record the whole history of the universe. If true, it could explain the nature of dark matter and much more. But how could pure emptiness ever remember, or store information? We discuss how Florian Neukart, the feature writer, has tested this theory inside a quantum computer. Most of us see body fat as something we need to attack or get rid of. But we’re beginning to figure out just how important fat is for shaping our health and mind. The fat in our bodies is a communicative organ with a role in everything from bone health to mood. And it isn’t just one thing - it comes in various forms and colours, each with distinct functions and found in different locations. So do we need to respect fat a bit more? A whole library’s worth of papyri owned by Julius Caesar’s father-in-law were turned to charcoal by the eruption of Vesuvius. But nearly 2000 years later, we can at last read these lost treasures. Discover how a particle accelerator is being used to decode messages once thought completely lost. Our emotions can often get the better of us, taking control over our feelings and actions. But what if there were a way to harness your emotions for a happier, calmer life? Researcher Ethan Kross has found ways to do just that. Based on his own experience of his Grandmother’s resilience, who endured the trauma of Nazi occupation, he’s developed an actionable guide for anyone to master how they feel. Hosted by Penny Sarchet, with guests Cat de Lange, Joshua Howgego and Claudia Canavan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 336 In an unlikely turn of events, orcas and dolphins have been observed teaming up - to hunt and kill massive chinook salmon in the pacific. Given that orcas sometimes prey on dolphins, what’s going on? Despite the promising signs of cooperation between these two species, there may be something less heartwarming at play. We dig into the findings and discuss other surprising ways animals cooperate with each other. From schizophrenia to bipolar disease, autism to OCD, many mental conditions are classified into different categories. But in the largest study of its kind, it’s been discovered that 14 different disorders fall into just five genetic groups. The finding could explain why people are often diagnosed with multiple psychiatric conditions at once - and bring comfort to those who are. Could it also help us find better treatments? Exploding stars might be to thank for our very existence. It’s thought that supernovae may spew out the heavy elements required for the creation of planets and the emergence of life. A new model shows this is possible - and may help us figure out where to look next for alien life. Could this open up a new field of cosmic ecology? Plus, news of a strange new kind of star from the James Webb Telescope. Black hole stars may explain a running mystery about odd galaxies spotted by the telescope, called little red dots.  Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Alec Luhn, Michael Le Page and Alex Wilkins. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 335 Exercise has been shown to shrink tumours by 60 per cent. A new study shows another link between regular exercise and cancer prevention, this time revealing that muscle cells may outcompete cancer cells for energy - basically starving them. We explore the links between metabolism and glucose - with the caveat that so far this has only been demonstrated in mice, in a small study. The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS may be even weirder than we thought. Ever since we spotted this comet from another star system, scientists have been studying every inch of it. And no - it’s not an alien spacecraft. But it does seem to be home to surprising amounts of chemicals like carbon dioxide and methanol - essential ingredients for life. Could this shed light on the origin of life in the universe? A 100-year-old debate between two titans of physics has finally been settled. In the 1920s, Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr butted heads about the nature of light. Einstein said light is a particle. Bohr said it’s both a particle and a wave. They came up with an experiment to settle the argument - the trouble is, they had no way to run it. Now, 100 years later, we finally have the technology to perform the test - and the winner is… Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Alexandra Thompson, Alex Wilkins and Jacob Aron. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices