Exploring the Lack of Utopian Science Fiction and Dystopian Narratives

Researchers try to identify effective loneliness interventions, making the Sandmeyer safer, and books that look to the future and don’t see doom and gloom

First up on the show, Deputy News Editor Kelly Servick explores the science of loneliness. Is loneliness on the rise or just our awareness of it? How do we deal with the stigma of being lonely?

Also appearing in this segment:

●     Laura Coll-Planas

●     Julianne Holt-Lunstad

●     Samia Akhter-Khan

Next, producer Ariana Remmel talks with Tim Schulte, a graduate student at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research and RWTH Aachen University, about making one of organic chemistry’s oldest reactions—the Sandmeyer reaction—both safer and more versatile.

Finally, we kick off this year’s book series with books editor Valerie Thompson and books host Angela Saini. They discuss this year’s theme: a future to look forward to.

Book segments come out the last episode of the month. Books in the series:

●     Eve: The Disobedient Future of Birth by Claire Horn (May)

●     Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform by Rachel O’Dwyer (June)

●     The Heart and the Chip: Our Bright Future with Robots by Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone (July)

●     Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age by Akshat Rathi (August)

●     Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life by Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield (September)

●     Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin (October)

This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.

About the Science Podcast

Authors: Sarah Crespi; Kelly Servick; Ariana Remmel; Valerie Thompson; Angela Saini

LINKS FOR MP3 META

Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zqubta7

About the Science Podcast: https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast

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