Science Weekly

The fight to save a historic English landscape

Madeleine Finlay travels to the Rothbury estate in Northumberland, in north-east England. It’s a piece of land that has been in the same family for 700 years, but now it has been put up for sale and the UK’s Wildlife Trusts are trying to raise £30m to secure it intact. To find out what makes the area so special, Madeleine speaks to Katy Barke, the head of nature recovery for Northumberland Wildlife Trust. She also hears from Sam Turner, a professor of archaeology at Newcastle University, who is trying to work out how the land has been used across the centuries. This work will inform the strategy for nature recovery on the site. And Rosie Pearce, a farm liaison officer, explains how the project could bring more wildlife-friendly farming practices to the estate. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]

Revisited: Saunas and cold plunges, where does the evidence stand?

Saunas and cold plunge pools are popping up everywhere in the UK, bringing fiery heat and icy cold to a beach, city farm or park near you. Their users will be ready with all the reasons why it’s good for both the mind and the body. But what’s the evidence for the benefits of sauna and cold plunge? In this episode from April, Madeleine Finlay hears from Ian Sample and Dr Heather Massey, associate professor at the University of Portsmouth’s extreme environments laboratory. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]

Revisited: The surprising science of dreams and nightmares

In this episode from January 2026, Ian Sample puts listeners’ questions about dreams and nightmares to Dr Michelle Carr, the director of the Dream Engineering Laboratory in Montreal’s Centre for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, and the author of the book Into the Dream Lab. They look at why we dream, what we can learn by examining our dreams, and what we can do when dreams turn into nightmares. Carr gives her top tips for taking charge of our dreams and trying to influence their content. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]

Revisited: A Scottish tea mystery, episode three – a bag for life

Science correspondent Nicola Davis investigates the strange story of Tam O’Braan and his attempts to grow tea in Scotland. In episode three of this mini-series first broadcast in October 2025, all of O’Braan’s lies come to a head and it is revealed where he was sourcing the tea being supplied to hotels and shops. At trial, O’Braan takes the stand and the Scottish growers finally get some answers. But what remains today of the Scottish tea industry that O’Braan instigated?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]

Revisited: A Scottish tea mystery, episode two – the list

Science correspondent Nicola Davis investigates the strange story of Tam O’Braan and his attempts to grow tea in Scotland. In episode two of this mini-series first broadcast in October 2025, Nicola hears how O’Braan’s network of Scottish tea growers began to have suspicions about exactly what he was selling and where it came from, and how cutting-edge science helped provide some answers. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]