Science Weekly

The brain’s 5 eras, the vaccine that protects against dementia, altruistic ants

Science editor Ian Sample sits down with co-host Madeleine Finlay and science correspondent Hannah Devlin to hear about three eye-catching stories from the week, including a study showing that the brain has five ‘eras’, with adult mode not starting until our early 30s. Also on the agenda is new research showing the shingles vaccine not only protects against dementia but could actually slow its progress, and a paper exploring how ants sacrifice themselves when they become infected with pathogens to protect their healthy relatives. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]

Is AI making us stupid?

Artificial intelligence can execute tasks in seconds that once took humans hours, if not days to complete. While this may be great for productivity, some researchers are concerned that our increasing use of AI could be impacting our ability to tackle difficult problems and think critically. To find out where the science stands, and how worried we should be about the potential of AI to change how we think, Ian Sample hears from Madeleine Finlay and Sam Gilbert, professor of neuroscience at University College London. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]

Is it the beginning of the end for animal testing?

Patrick Vallance, the minister for science, research and innovation, recently unveiled a plan to cut animal testing through greater use of AI and other technologies, with the eventual aim of phasing it out altogether. To understand how this will affect research and what could be used in place of animal models, Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample, Prof Hazel Screen of Queen Mary University London and Prof Kevin Harrington from the Institute of Cancer Research. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]

Bitter rows and overnight talks: how a fragile Cop30 deal was agreed

After bitter arguments, threatened walkouts and heated all-night negotiations, delegates eventually reached a deal this weekend at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil. To unpick what was achieved and what was left out, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s environment editor, Fiona Harvey, who has been following every twist and turn. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]

‘Chunks of earth just disappear’: life on a collapsing island

As the Cop30 climate talks continue in Brazil, Madeleine Finlay hears about a landscape at the opposite end of the planet facing the direct impacts of the climate crisis. The Guardian reporter Leyland Cecco recounts a recent trip to Qikiqtaruk (also known as Herschel Island) off the coast of Canada’s Yukon territory, where he saw first hand how indigenous groups and scientists are reckoning with an ecosystem collapsing into the sea. He tells Madeleine about efforts to preserve the history of the island and how scientists are racing to understand what it means for the fate of other arctic communities.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod [https://www.theguardian.com/sciencepod]