Science Weekly

Madeleine Finlay sits down with co-host and Guardian science editor Ian Sample to talk through three eye-catching stories from the week, including the news that the number of years people in the UK are spending in good health has declined compared with a decade ago. Also on the agenda is the science, tech and nutrition behind two runners at this weekend’s London marathon breaking the two-hour threshold, and an answer to why some old houses feel particularly spooky. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Social media is awash with content about food intolerances and the symptoms to look out for. But figuring out whether you actually have one, and what’s triggering it, is surprisingly difficult. One avenue people are gravitating towards is at-home testing. Madeleine Finlay sits down with health and lifestyle journalist Rebecca Seal to unpick the science behind these tests. Rebecca explains how they purport to work, how accurate they actually are, and how we can all investigate what we might be intolerant to, without breaking the bank. Rebecca’s book Irritated: The Allergy Epidemic and What We Can Do About It, is out now.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Madeleine Finlay sits down with science editor Ian Sample to hear about some of the winners of the Breakthrough Prize, which held its ceremony in LA last weekend. Each prize is worth $3m and they’re awarded in physics, maths and life sciences. Madeleine and Ian hear from molecular biologist Jean Bennett, who shared a life sciences prize for her work developing the world’s first FDA-approved gene augmented therapy for sight loss. She explains how a chance encounter while dissecting a brain in medical school led her on a 25-year journey to develop the treatment.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Earlier this month the AI company Anthropic said it had created a model so powerful that, out of a sense of responsibility, it was not going to release it to the public. Anthropic says the model, Mythos Preview, excels at spotting and exploiting vulnerabilities in software, and could pose a severe risk to economies, public safety and national security. But is this the whole story? Some experts have expressed scepticism about the extent of the model’s capabilities. Ian Sample hears from Aisha Down, a reporter covering artificial intelligence for the Guardian, to find what the decision to limit access to Mythos reveals about Anthropic’s strategy, and whether the model might finally spur more regulation of the industry.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Madeleine Finlay sits down with co-host and science editor Ian Sample to discuss three eye-catching stories from the week, including a review into the effectiveness of a new class of Alzheimer’s drug that was once hailed as a game-changer in slowing the progress of the disease. Also on the agenda is the news that the world could be heading for a ‘super El Niño’ this summer and a study exploring whether conversations about dull topics really are as boring as we expect them to be. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod