On this week’s show, we explored the implications of the banned Iceland Christmas advert, Imperial College’s groundbreaking space exploration and some blue-sky scientists’ research – growing cells in a lab, which could create life.

This week: Soyuz spacecraft failure; fracking resumes in the UK; and mice with two mothers.

Sleep is vital for our bodies to function. Yet as our lives become more hectic, many of us dip in to sleep time for those extra hours. But Ravi Shankar explores why this may not be such a good idea.

Some of the greatest parasitic killers and diseases in the world are neglected. However, a new collaborative framework of chemistry students may be about tackle these overlooked killers.

‘De-extinction’ scientists are trying to bring back dead species, but some have raised concerns about these efforts

Doctors develop AI that diagnoses tuberculosis with 96 percent accuracy, and may lead to improved screening and better treatment success rates

Researchers have discovered that low levels of the protein NPTX2 and a build-up of amyloid plaques in the brain may play a role in dementia.

Scientists have found new chemistry that could hint at the origins of Life on Earth, and in turn, our ancestry.

We discuss the diversity of intersex people whose experience of gender goes beyond the traditional categories of male and female.

New Scientist Live is a festival of ideas and discovery, taking place at ExCeL London. Rooted in the biggest, best and most provocative science, New Scientist Live will touch on all areas of human life. The show will feature four immersive zones covering Brain & Body, Technology, Earth and Cosmos. For four days this September, […]

Flibanserin has become the first FDA-approved drug for female sexual dysfunction. But does lack of sexual desire require treatment?

Cheyenne McCray brings us the five weirdest lovers of the animal kingdom…

A unique opportunity to hear Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys FRS Hon FRSB give a first-hand account of how he developed DNA fingerprinting after a ‘Eureka moment’ in his Leicestershire lab back in 1984. This very special fundraising event at the Science Museum’s IMAX theatre, will give guests the inside story on Sir Alec’s famous discovery, […]

From revealing how inheritance works and developing evolutionary biology to manipulating viruses and bacteria to create products humans need, 20th century biology has been a revolution. In telling the stories of some of the greatest discoveries of 20th century biology, Sean B. Carroll reveals how a few simple rules govern all life on earth, from […]

When he’s not swabbing beards for bacteria on BBC’s “Trust me, I’m a Doctor” or getting members of the public to search for new antibiotics through his Swab and Send project, Adam Roberts leads his research group at UCL who are investigating the intricacies of antimicrobial resistance and how bacteria can withstand pretty much anything […]

There is a long history of debate about biological sex differences and their part in determining gender roles, with the ‘biology is destiny’ mantra being used to legitimise imbalances in these roles. The tradition is continuing, with new brain imaging techniques being hailed as sources of evidence of the ‘essential’ differences between men and women, […]

Syed Asaad Qadri explains the complex internal communication of giving birth

Long-term insect surveillance initiatives, such as the Rothamsted Insect Survey and the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, allow ongoing assessments of the conservation status of large numbers of insect species against a background of increasing environmental change. This meeting will highlight the key findings from long-term insect surveys, including a 50-year monitoring project for British moths and butterflies.

How was the code of DNA cracked? How did it confirm the theory of evolution? And why did life evolve the way it did? To celebrate their ground-breaking new books, Matthew Cobb and Nick Lane will come together to unravel the tangled story of DNA and answer the vital question: why are we as we are, and why are we here at all?

Biology appears to be less law-like than its sister sciences, but could we change this with design? Jane Calvert and Alistair Elfick discuss synthetic biology, an emergent discipline that aims to rationally design and fabricate biological devices; and how applying engineering principles to living systems might help us harness the power of the natural world. This is the final of three guest-curated talks by Michela Massimi.

Join us for an exclusive evening exploring the past, present and future of this iconic Museum.

New evidence from the forests of Brazil sheds light on glowing mushrooms…

The University of the Third Age once again teams up with the Ri for an afternoon of fascinating science talks.

To end Jim Al-Khalili’s series of guest-curated events, three researchers will explain how quantum theory is being applied to their own work in this cutting-edge field of scientific discovery.

Join us for an exclusive Valentine’s-themed night at the Museum. Our scientists will reveal the little-known love-lives of the natural world, from fish perfume trails to date-drugging insects.

Karin Valencia is a PhD student in Imperial’s DNA Topology research group. The term ‘DNA structure’ may bring to mind any number of things, from the television drama CSI to the famous double helix. Perhaps less familiar are the ‘higher-order’ structural features of DNA, namely knots. DNA in nature can be found to be ‘knotted’ […]

We all do a bit of running, whether to a bus, to the shops, or away from an awkward encounter. But, have you ever thought about just how complicated the motion is? Well a game that has become all the rage on the internet will show you just how difficult it is. QWOP (named after the keys […]

  There may be plenty of fish in the sea but the medaka knows what it likes. A single gene mutation that causes the Japanese Killifish to be born a drab grey colour has proved to be a turn-off to members of the opposite sex. By over-expressing the ‘ginger gene’ in the medaka ‘super attractive’ bright […]

Hollywood has never had a particularly good reputation for scientific accuracy. However, recently its science acumen has received a boost. It is currently the first time that the ‘reigning’ best actor and actress have been both been scientifically published. Colin Firth, has taken time out from swimming in country lakes and stuttering to co-author a […]

The dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman and the journey of the Emperor penguins warmed the hearts of millions following the release of March of the Penguins. However, the evolutionary trail of the species is equally as interesting. A new study, published in the journal Science, tells of the discovery of a ‘Giant Penguin’ fossil discovery with implications […]