The world, the universe and us

Samantha Harvey, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, discusses her novel Orbital, which captures the beauty of Earth from space. The book evokes joy and awe while acknowledging the grief of environmental challenges. They explore the impact of grief, space tourism, and the symbolism of the International Space Station as a collaboration between Russia and the West.

Spinal cord stimulation improves mobility for Parkinson's patients. Half-synthetic yeast may lead to breakthroughs in synthetic biology. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion could provide clean energy. Crabs evolved to leave the ocean. Exploring underwater communication using radio waves.

Scientists explore the challenges and potential impact of merging asteroids to form a new planet, including methods for collecting the scattered rocks. They discuss coating asteroids with gelatin or Aerogel to prevent debris formation and propose the idea of creating an asteroid planet as a moon for Venus to reduce near-earth asteroid collisions.

New research challenges the idea of needing 8 hours of sleep; NASA's mission to explore Jupiter's asteroids and the origins of the moon; The UK's AI summit sparks frustrations over transparency; Starfish are just heads crawling on their lips.

Medical historian Suzie Edge discusses fascinating tales from her book 'Vital Organs', including King Louis XIV's fistula surgeries and Alexis St. Martin's medical curiosity. She also explores our obsession with stigmatizing physical appearance and discusses the persistence of disabilities as evil in fiction. The podcast delves into advancements in transplantation and complexities of amputation, our changing attitudes towards death, and the history of famous body parts.

The podcast discusses the security risks of OpenAI’s ChatGPT tool, including its potential to assist bad actors and bypass security measures. It also explores the concept of menopause in mammals and the possibility of other species experiencing it. The breakthrough in quantum computing, with a record-breaking 1000-qubit machine, is another intriguing topic. Additionally, the podcast delves into a study on self-awareness in chickens using a new mirror test. The episode concludes with promotion of other podcasts and platforms.

Whether it’s searing heat, sapphire winds striking the sky like rain, or an atmosphere that makes your eyes pop out of your head, some planets are just horrible for life. But even though some pretty horrific planets already exist, the team is not satisfied – they want to bring all of these calamitous qualities together to design the worst of all worlds.In a special bonus edition of Dead Planets Society, recorded on stage in front of an audience at New Scientist Live, Chelsea Whyte and Leah Crane rope two guests in on their mission of destruction. Joining our hosts in their quest to make the most inhospitable planet are astrobiologist and author Lewis Dartnell at the University of Westminster and Vincent Van Eylen, professor and exoplanet researcher at University College London.Dead Planets Society is a podcast that takes outlandish ideas about how to tinker with the cosmos – from punching a hole in a planet to unifying the asteroid belt. The hosts are Leah Crane and Chelsea Whyte.If you have a cosmic object you’d like us to figure out how to destroy, email the team at deadplanets@newscientist.com. Or if you just want to chat about this episode or wrecking the cosmos more generally, tweet @chelswhyte and @downhereonearth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scientists have found a way to communicate with people while they sleep, revealing insights into the sleeping brain. A massive marsquake on Mars reveals more about the planet's seismic events. The origins of the current bird flu outbreak are surprising, originating in Europe and Africa. A miniature particle accelerator the size of a pen has been created, challenging the need for large-scale accelerators.

Neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky discusses the absence of free will, societal implications, historical beliefs, criminal justice system, determinism vs personal experiences, and the social justice aspect of nonexistence of free will.

A detailed map of the human brain has been unveiled, revealing its specialized and organized structure. Two distant icy planets colliding has been pinpointed for the first time, reshaping our understanding of star systems. The National Security Agency may be weakening future encryption standards, raising concerns about online security. Earth's inner core is surprisingly soft, resembling clay or rubber. Laser technology is being explored to construct roads on the Moon, and the winner of the Fat Bear Week competition is announced.