New Scientist Weekly

Auteur(s): New Scientist
  • Résumé

  • A news podcast for the instatiably curious by the world's most popular weekly science magazine. Everything from the latest science and technology news to the big-picture questions about life, the universe and what it means to be human. For more visit newscientist.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    © 2024 New Scientist Escape Pod
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Épisodes
  • Is DeepSeek really the ChatGPT killer?; alarming scale of ocean warming; dolphin peeing contests
    Jan 31 2025
    Episode 287 Chinese AI company DeepSeek unexpectedly stormed onto the scene just a few days ago - a move that has shaken the big US AI companies. The new large language model is similar to ChatGPT, but was developed for a fraction of the cost. How have they achieved this? We dig into the key technological innovations behind DeepSeek. We also discuss the potential climate gains of a more efficient AI model, whether this is the beginning of an AI-fuelled arms race between China and the US and perhaps most importantly - is it safe for you to use? All of this and a chat about the future of AGI - artificial general intelligence. Global ocean temperatures hit record highs for 450 days straight in 2023 and early 2024. This appears to be because the world’s oceans are absorbing heat from the sun at an accelerated rate. As warming hits the highest rates predicted by climate models, what is causing this sudden jump? Amazon river dolphins have been caught shooting pee into their friends’ snouts. A series of amazing images capture these dolphins, or botos, rolling upside-down and shooting a stream of pee into the air in a never-before-seen display. The team discuss why they’re doing it. Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Madeleine Cuff, with guests Alex Wilkins, Jeremy Hsu, Chris Merchant, Gavin Schmidt and Patty Brennan. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 min
  • The Trump impact on climate and global health; the placebo effect’s evil twin; the mystery of dark oxygen
    Jan 24 2025
    Episode 286 President Trump has signed executive orders pulling the US out of the Paris climate agreement, and out of the World Health Organization. Although he claims that withdrawing from Paris will save the US $1trillion a year, the reality is much less clear. As the world’s second largest emitter and amid bans on renewable energy permits, just how catastrophic is this for global climate action? Leaving the WHO raises concerns too over the future of global health action. You probably know of the placebo effect, but have you heard of the ‘nocebo’ effect? Known as the evil twin of the placebo, this is where being told something won’t work or is inferior can make it less effective or problematic. Find out how researchers have been testing it out. Last year we heard the shock discovery that oxygen is being produced in the deep ocean. Believed to be coming from metallic nodules on the sea floor, the finding could upend accepted wisdom. And now the researchers who discovered this have set out on a 3 year mission for more data. Hear about the planned research and why lead researcher Andrew Sweetman has been subjected to “online bullying”. A new exhibition at Somerset House in London is celebrating the wonder of soil, titled ‘SOIL: The World at Our Feet’. Hear from co-curators of the show, Henrietta Courtauld and Bridget Elworthy. Hosts Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet discuss with guests James Dinneen, Michael Le Page, Alexandra Thompson and Madeleine Cuff. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Visit: https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/press/soil-the-world-at-our-feet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 min
  • The truth about Iron Age women; Climate whiplash and the LA wildfires; Rebooting the world’s first chatbot
    Jan 17 2025
    Episode 285 New archaeological evidence from Iron Age Britain has shaken up long-held beliefs about the role of women in ancient civilisations. By studying the genes of the Durotriges tribe, who lived in Dorset 2000 years ago, researchers have discovered women were the centrepiece of Celtic society - supporting evidence that they had high status across Europe. Rachel Pope, Reader in European Prehistory at the University of Liverpool, explores the “jaw-dropping” findings. We also hear from author and archaeologist Rebecca Wragg-Sykes, who explains why we shouldn’t be surprised that women in prehistory had such power and autonomy. Sudden swings in weather extremes caused by climate change could be to blame for the wildfires spreading across Los Angeles. The effect, known as “climate whiplash”, is becoming increasingly common and has wide-reaching implications, threatening crops, water supplies and more. And with the news that we breached 1.5C of global warming in 2024, we discuss what this all means for our climate goals. The world’s first chatbot, ELIZA, has been resurrected. Created by MIT computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum in the 1960s, it contains just 420 lines of code and is a very basic precursor to the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini. The team demonstrates its (limited) capabilities live on the show. They also discuss news of a woman who has an AI boyfriend on ChatGPT…that she has sex with. Hosts Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet discuss with guests Rachel Pope, Rebecca Wragg-Sykes, James Dinneen and Madeleine Cuff. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Book your place on the Svalbard expedition here: https://www.newscientist.com/tours/new-scientist-arctic-cruise/ Read Maddie’s article on the climate impacts of broken jet streams here: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535264-100-is-a-broken-jet-stream-causing-extreme-weather-that-lasts-longer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 min

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