Exploring challenges to scientific independence and the impact of political interference on the scientific community's integrity and confidence. Includes discussions on ministerial controversies, surveillance concerns, and the implications for academic freedom.
Ian Sample and science correspondent Hannah Devlin discuss some of the science stories that have made headlines this week, from a new theory challenging the existence of dark matter to an alarming study about the possible impact of microplastics on our health and a glimpse of a ‘waterworld with a boiling ocean’ deep in space. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod