Science Weekly

The Guardian

#17 in Science this week

Twice a week, the Guardian brings you the latest science and environment news

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Avg 19 min
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Tuesday · 18 min
How a scientist went from hero to traitor in a US water crisis
Dr Siddhartha Roy, winner of the 2026 Maddox prize, which recognises individuals who stand up for science and evidence despite challenges or hostility, tells Ian Sample how his work on the Flint water crisis brought him accolades but lost him friends
October 29 · 18 min
‘Assad had one of my books by his bed’: life as a forensic scientist
Forensic anthropologist Dame Sue Black has been an expert witness in a myriad of high-profile criminal cases. She tells Ian Sample what it’s like to present scientific evidence to a jury, the challenges of being cross-examined and why she thinks AI might never make it into the courtroom
October 27 · 15 min
Perimenopause is everywhere. How do you know if you’re in it?
Perimenopause has become a hot topic, with celebrities sharing their experiences and doctors offering tips and advice online. But despite the benefits of growing awareness, a rising number of women are now encountering misinformation about treatments such as HRT
October 22 · 17 min
Elizabeth Holmes is back in the spotlight: why can’t we look away?
US technology editor Blake Montgomery tells Madeleine Finlay why the Theranos founder continues to fascinate us
October 20 · 15 min
‘These risks are real’: the threat of AI bioweapons
Dr Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, speaks to Ian Sample about why governments are so worried and what measures could be put in place to reduce the risks
October 15 · 17 min
Is your boss watching you? The rise of AI surveillance at work
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.
October 13 · 17 min
The surprising psychology of morbid curiosity
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’ me
October 7 · 23 min
All the news and science from the 2026 Nobel prizes
Madeleine Finlay talks to science editor Ian Sample and correspondents Nicola Davis and Linda Geddes
October 6 · 13 min
Today in Focus: Should we be worried about a plague outbreak?
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. Science Weekly co-host Madeleine Finlay discusses how concerned we should be
October 6 · 16 min
Narcolepsy: why you’ve been thinking about it all wrong
Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample why the reality of living with condition is no laughing matter, and Julie Flygare explains why a new drug could be a gamechanger
October 1 · 20 min
The incredible science of memory manipulation
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’s Trivedi science book prize.
September 29 · 17 min
Are household cleaning products damaging our health?
Journalist Rebecca Seal recently wrote for the Guardian about the potential health impacts of the many chemicals we now use in our homes. She tells Madeleine Finlay why this is so hard to study, and what the current evidence is that cleaning products may be causing harm
September 24 · 22 min
Are baby girls more sociable? Super El Niño, meningitis outbreak explained
Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss 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 450,000 deaths in the next six months, and an answer to why the UK’s meningitis outbreak earlier this year was so big
September 22 · 17 min
From paleo to intermittent fasting: are any diets actually good for us?
Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological sciences at Harvard, tried every fad diet going to understand which are actually backed by science. He tells Ian Sample what he discovered, and which diet has remained part of his daily routine
September 17 · 15 min
The week that changed maths for ever
To find out how AI is likely to upend maths, and how mathematicians might respond, Ian Sample speaks to Colva Roney-Dougal, professor of pure mathematics at the University of St Andrews
September 15 · 18 min
Is collagen all hype?
Dr Xand van Tulleken tells Madeleine Finlay what collagen does in the body, how we can get it without splashing out on expensive supplements, and why getting to the truth behind wellness claims can be so hard
September 13 · 1 hr 22 min
Live episode: how AI is reshaping our minds
In this episode of Science Weekly recorded in front of an audience at the London podcast festival, Ian Sample, Michael Safi and the Science Weekly co-host Madeleine Finlay explore the phenomenon labelled ‘AI psychosis’ and ask what it reveals about a technology now used by more than a billion people
September 10 · 16 min
‘One of the biggest discoveries in science’: have scientists found dark matter?
Scientists believe they may be a step closer to detecting dark matter for the first time. Science editor Ian Sample explains to Madeleine Finlay why, if confirmed, the finding could completely transform our understanding of the universe
September 8 · 18 min
Are rich people really worse behaved? Here’s the science
Science editor Ian Sample and Madeleine Finlay chat through their favourite winners of the 2026 Ig Nobel prizes for science that makes you laugh and then think
September 6 · 39 min
Introducing Black Box: The Chatbots
Guardian journalist Michael Safi investigates a phenomenon labelled ‘AI psychosis’, travelling to the US to meet two people who have been on weird journeys with their chatbots

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