Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
From saving the planet to understanding ourselves, this podcast sees experts discuss the major topics of our times. Hosted by IFLScience’s Dr Alfredo Carpineti, Rachael Funnell, Dr Russell Moul, Laura Simmons, and Eleanor Higgs.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ expert-led science discussions • space/astronomy, SETI, black holes, space weather/junk • climate change, Anthropocene, glaciers, health impacts • extinction, conservation, de-extinction • human/animal evolution, cognition, belief/paranormal • computing/quantum, vaccines, biotech, sustainable techThis podcast features interviews and reported conversations with scientists, historians, and other specialists about wide-ranging questions in science and society. Episodes often take a familiar idea—such as time, black holes, evolution, or vaccines—and use it as a starting point to explain current research, how evidence is gathered, and what remains uncertain. Astronomy and space science appear frequently, including topics like space weather, solar flares, space debris, the long-term future of the Solar System and the universe, and debates around communicating with potential extraterrestrial life.
Another major thread is Earth systems and environmental change. The podcast examines how human activity is recorded in geology, what future fossils might look like, and how climate change affects glaciers, wildlife, and human health. Biodiversity loss and extinction are recurring themes, alongside discussions of conservation strategies and emerging technologies such as genetics, de-extinction efforts, and ethical questions about whether and how to intervene.
The show also explores biology, medicine, and neuroscience, including antibiotic discovery from the deep ocean, universal flu vaccines, the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain, and how diet interacts with disease. Several episodes focus on human behavior and cognition—why people believe paranormal claims, how magic reveals limits of attention and perception, how the internet reshapes language, and why competitive games appeal to us. Occasional specials investigate cryptids or haunted locations as a way to examine evidence, psychology, and the cultural appeal of the supernatural.