Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

It’s estimated that 1 in 8 to 1 in 5 people have depression, but it’s mostly those at the moderate to the severe end who turn to antidepressants. This week, we wanted to delve into how exactly antidepressants work and the scientific impact they have on the alchemy of the brain. Joining Jonathan to discuss this is Dr. Christelle Langley, Cognitive Neuroscientist at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Oran Kennedy from the Dept of Anatomy & Regenerative Medicine and the Tissue Engineering Research Group at RCSI & Dr. Susan Kelleher from DCU also joins Jonathan for Newsround.

When it comes to contraception it seems women have the lion's share of options. This is perhaps down to the fact that society has decided that they, not men, must bear most of the burden of preventing pregnancy. But men’s birth control options — and, therefore, responsibilities — could soon be expanding. So how far away are we from seeing the likes of a non-hormonal male contraceptive pill in our pharmacies and why is it taking so long to develop? Dr. Gunda Georg, is Regents Professor & Director of the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota - she joins Jonathan to discuss.

It takes a special kind of person to be keen to conduct an autopsy and this week's guest is taking that interest to a whole new level this month as she performs a live demonstration for an audience at the Northern Ireland Science Festival - albeit on an actor playing a dead body. Joining Jonathan to discuss the scientific process of what exactly is involved in a postmortem is Dr. Louisa Miller, specialist registrar in histopathology. Note: Louisa’s event at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast on 16th February is sold out but some tickets remain for the event at The Playhouse, Derry / Londonderry on Friday 17th February.

At this stage, we are all pretty familiar with the circular way in which nature works. If we think of the hydrologic cycle for instance we know there are four main parts Evaporation, Convection, Precipitation and Collection, etc. But there are still, even to this day, aspects of the earth's cycles that we are only beginning to understand and, in some cases, finding out they exist at all. My next guest is one researcher who is looking at the phenomena known as Turbidity currents and the complex relationship they have with our deep oceans. Peter Talling is a Professor in Submarine Geohazards in the Department of Earth Sciences and Department of Geography at the University of Durham - he joins to discuss.

For years we have wondered what the purpose of sleep really is, and while huge strides have been made regarding our understanding of the function of sleep, much more remains to be uncovered. Joining Jonathan to chat through some of the theories we have on why we sleep and have dreams is Robert Stickgold, Professor of Psychiatry at the Center for Sleep and Cognition, Harvard Medical School.

When we’re happy, our bodies become flooded with dopamine and serotonin, two types of neurotransmitters in the brain; our hearts might even beat faster and maybe, we even muster a smile. But does it work the other way? Can contorting our faces into a smile give us that chemical hit that actually makes us feel good? Nicholas A. Coles from the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University joins

Semiconductor devices are everywhere, with almost 80% of the Irish population having a smartphone - not to mention any number of other computer devices. And not only is their presence in modern life ubiquitous, but the way in which these devices are produced is also astonishing - being created through a painstaking process requiring single atoms to be removed one by one. Joining Jonathan to discuss the challenges and solutions involved in making semiconductors is Michael Nolan, Principal Scientist at Tyndall National Institute, where he leads the Materials Modelling for Devices activity in the MNS Centre.

Severe period pain, infertility and even depression - living with endometriosis can have serious effects on quality of life. Will new technologies finally yield therapy for those with the condition? Joining Jonathan to discuss this is Dr Kate Lawrenson, associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in LA.

An injury to the spinal cord can be hugely traumatic and life-changing. While currently, there are no proven treatments that protect against the consequences of SCI work goes on to change that. Aleksandra Serafin, a Ph.D. researcher at the School of Engineering at the University of Limerick, is involved in one line of research that looks to be a part of that change - she joins Jonathan to discuss.

The Africanized honey bee has earned itself the nickname of ‘the killer bee’, but how much truth is there to the suggestion that the species was created by an experiment gone wrong? Joining Jonathan to discuss this is Mark L. Winston, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University, in British Columbia, Canada. Catherine McGuinness, Zoologist and Educator & Dr Jessamyn Fairfield, University of Galway physicist join us to go through the top science stories from the week in Newsround.