Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

Prof. Noah Whiteman has been exploring the secrets of nature’s toxins, how they evolved, and how we use them. Noah is Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development and Director of the Essig Museum of Entomology at UC-Berkeley and author of ‘Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins - From Spices to Vices’ - he joins Jonathan to discuss.Also joining Jonathan for Newsround is Dr. Lara Dungan and Dr. Oran Kennedy from RCSI.

Why is your cat ginger or black? Often it comes down to a very small type of pigment that scientists in Cork have been examining to learn more about the colourisation of ancient animals. Joining Jonathan to discuss is Dr Tiffany Slater, Palaeobiologist at UCC who is interested in the preservation of ancient biomolecules.Also on the programme, did you know you can use light to detect specific cells in the body? Professor Stefan Andersson-Engles is the Head of Biophotonics and Deputy Director of IPIC based at the Tyndall National Institute and is also a Professor of Physics at University College Cork who has just been awarded a €5.3 million grant by Science Foundation Ireland to further investigate the application of light-based technologies. He joins Jonathan to discuss.

When it comes to free will, we think of our ability to independently make decisions based on our own desires or interests. That being said, there are those who say that we are the mere conscious witnesses of decisions that, deep in our brains, have already been made. Our guest argues that we are not mere vessels responding to physical forces, but agents acting with purpose. Kevin J. Mitchell is Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin and author of ‘Free Agents – How Evolution Gave Us Free Will’.

Now when it comes to elite sports, there are many attributes that set the best apart from the rest. Not only do you probably have to have won the genetic lottery in the physical stakes, but also the mentality to persevere and work tirelessly to get to the top of the pile.So, with all that setting them apart from those of us sitting on the couch, do some athletes perceive the world differently as well? David McGovern, Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at Dublin City University has been conducting research looking to answer that very question, and joins Jonathan on this week's episode.Dr Ruth Freeman of Science Foundation Ireland and Phil Smyth, Physicist join Jonathan for the latest science stories in the news this week.

Male pattern hair loss is something that over 80% of men will experience in their lifetime. Yet despite it being so widespread, the fundamentals of what actually causes it to occur, in the manner in which it occurs, still elude researchers to this day. According to a new paper, the secret may lie deep in our genetic past, with our embryonic origins. Dr. Claire Higgins, Reader in Tissue Regeneration from the Faculty of Engineering in the Department of Bioengineering of Imperial College London joins Jonathan to discuss.

Scientists at the European Space Agency have used the James Webb Space Telescope to reveal the presence of pairs of planet-like objects in the Orion Nebula that have never been detected before.Referred to as "JuMBOs" - free-floating objects the size of Jupiter - the discovery has the potential to upend our understanding of how stars and planets are formed.Joining Jonathan to discuss this is Mark McCaughrean, ESA Senior Advisor for Science & Exploration.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have conducted the largest-ever study of the genetics of our brain structure. But how can the shape and size of our brain impact our understanding of neurological and psychiatric conditions? Joining Jonathan to discuss is the co-lead of this study Professor Richard Bethlehem who specialises in brain imaging, genomics, and computational neuroscience. 

What are the consequences of living in a world so driven by efficiency, pace, and cost? Applied mathematician Coco Krumme, uses mathematical modelling to get to the bottom of this in her new book 'Optimal Illusions: The False Promise of Optimisation' - she joins Jonathan to discuss.Also joining Jonathan to go through the top news stories from the world of science is Dr. Fergus McAuliffe from iCRAG & Laura Healy, Sustainable Food Production Scientist with Teagasc.

What if we told you that a tiny parasite might be influencing the very core of wolf behaviour, making these fierce predators act in ways contrary to their survival instincts? Enter Toxoplasma Gondii, the unseen puppeteer. Kira Cassidy, a leading research biologist from the Yellowstone Wolf Project - who has delved deep into the mysteries of this parasite and its staggering effects not just on wolves, but possibly on us humans as well - joins Jonathan to discuss.

Listeners to the show might remember that last year we spoke to Dr. Vera Gorbunova from Rochester Aging Research Center at the University of Rochester about her work on SIRT6 - often referred to as the “longevity gene” because of its important role in organising proteins and recruiting enzymes that repair broken DNA. Since then, she and her team have made significant progress in the study of longevity by successfully transferring a different gene from naked mole rats into mice, resulting in improved health and an extension of the mouse’s lifespan. Jonathan is joined by Dr. Vera Gorbunova to discuss.