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The Guardian

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

Science Weekly

Madeleine Finlay speaks to Sophie Scott, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, to dig into the science of laughter. Sophie explains what exactly laughter is, the many different purposes it serves for humans and animals, and how prioritising it could make us all feel a little better. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

The science of laughing

On Monday Google unveiled its Willow quantum computing chip. The new chip takes just five minutes to complete tasks that would take 10 septillion years for some of the world’s fastest conventional computers to complete. But despite its impressive power, it’s not clear the chip has any practical applications. So does it bring quantum computing any closer? To find out Ian Sample speaks to Winfried Hensinger, professor of quantum technologies at the University of Sussex. Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, you may notice some disruption to the availability of new episodes in your Guardian podcast feeds in the coming days. All the work on this episode was done before the strike action began. For more information please head to theguardian.com. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Does Google’s ‘mindboggling’ new chip bring quantum computers any closer?

For the past 10 years cosmologists have been left scratching their heads over why two methods for measuring the universe’s rate of expansion provide totally different results. There are two possible solutions to the puzzle, known as the Hubble tension: either something is wrong with the measurements or something is wrong with our model of the universe. It was hoped that observations from the James Webb space telescope might shed some light on the problem, but instead results published last week have continued to muddy the waters. To understand why the expansion rate of the universe remains a mystery, and what might be needed to finally pin it down, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Catherine Heymans, the astronomer royal for Scotland and a professor of astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Is our model of the universe wrong?

Dr Chris van Tulleken has been at the forefront of the campaign to change our food system and better regulate the sale of ultra-processed foods (UPF). This year he will be giving the Royal Institution Christmas lectures, Britain’s most prestigious public science lectures, in which he’ll be investigating how food has fundamentally shaped human evolution, the importance of our microbiome – as the extra ‘organ’ we didn’t know we had – and how we can all eat better in future, for the sake of our own health and the health of the planet. Nicola Davis sat down with Van Tulleken to discuss the lectures, the challenge of understanding the impact of UPFs on our health, and his top tip for Christmas dinner. Madeleine Finlay hears from them both in this Christmas special edition of Science Weekly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

‘Soft and calorie dense’: Chris van Tulleken on how ultra-processed foods keep us hooked

In this episode from September, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Saul Newman, an interdisciplinary researcher at University College London and the University of Oxford, who has recently won an Ig Nobel prize – given to scientific research that ‘first makes people laugh, and then makes them think’ – for his work showing that many claims of people living extraordinarily long lives come from places with short lifespans, no birth certificates, and where clerical errors and pension fraud abound. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Revisited: are the world’s oldest people really that old?

In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to Josh Davis, a science writer at the Natural History Museum in London and author of the book A Little Gay Natural History. A study published in June 2024 suggested that, although animal scientists widely observe same-sex sexual behaviour in primates and other mammals, they seldom publish about it. Josh considers why this might be and describes some of his favourite examples of sexual diversity from the animal kingdom.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Revisited: the endless sexual diversity of nature

Since Vladimir Putin’s bizarre televised address announcing a ‘military operation’, the Russia-Ukraine war has been rife with disinformation and propaganda. Last week, Facebook and Instagram blocked access to the Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik across the European Union. In retaliation, Russia completely blocked access to Facebook and restricted access to Twitter. At the same time, misattributed videos purportedly showing nuclear weapons and Ukrainian fighter jets have been going viral. Ian Sample speaks to the Guardian’s global technology editor, Dan Milmo, about the ‘war myths’ propagated online, how the information war is being fought, and whose propaganda is having the biggest impact. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Is Russia losing the information war?

Although several countries around the world continue to have high rates of Covid-19 infections, including the UK and US, many of their citizens are yet to be infected with the Sars-Cov-2 virus. This includes countless individuals who have knowingly been exposed, often multiple times, but have still never had a positive test. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Linda Geddes about how scientists are trying to solve the mystery of why some people seemingly don’t catch Covid, and what could be behind this phenomenon. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

How come some people haven’t had Covid yet?

As the world watches oil and gas prices soar – the next big shock could hit the dinner table. Collectively, Russia and Ukraine are responsible for more than a quarter of global wheat exports and for around 80% of the world’s supply of sunflower oil. Russia — along with ally, Belarus — is also a huge source of fertiliser, accounting for around 15% globally. The war in Ukraine will undoubtedly have a major impact on its agricultural production and exports, putting even more pressure on a system already in crisis. Madeleine Finlay speaks to food policy researcher, Dr Joseph Glauber, about what the war will mean for the supply and cost of food around the world. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

10% of the world’s wheat comes from Ukraine - will war change that?

After falling for the past few weeks, the number of Covid cases in the UK is increasing once more. Since the easing of restrictions, scientists have been expecting an upwards trend in infections – but could other factors also be at work? Guardian science correspondent Nicola Davis speaks to Anand Jagatia about the latest coronavirus data and what it could mean.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Covid cases are rising again – how worried should we be?

Covid cases are rising again – how worried should we be?

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