Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea
452 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsJonathan responds to your texts and tweets, is joined in studio for all the latest science stories for Newsround and speaks to one of our two guests featured on the show.
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Episodes
Futureproof Extra: Harvesting electricity from thin air
June 27, 2023 06:30 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBAs our energy consumption continues to grow, we will need to find more and more ways to actually create the electricity we need. But soon you might be able to generate clean energy from thin air and that’s just one of the potential uses of a new device created by Dr. Jun Yao, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his team at the University of Massachusetts. He joins Jonathan to discuss.
The development of a new drug to prevent blood clotting
June 25, 2023 09:55 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBAccording to new research, the drug dimethyl fumarate has been shown to block blood clotting during infection, which could make a sizable impact on people who are suffering from a number of different conditions, one of which being the life-threatening disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC). Joining Jonathan to discuss this development is one of those behind the research, Professor Luke O’Neill from the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute. Also joining Jonathan for this week's insta...
Futureproof Extra: Creating the First Synthetic Human Embryo
June 20, 2023 06:30 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBHave we just been made futile as a reproductive species? This week researchers in the University of Cambridge and in the US announced their creation of synthetic human embryos that won’t need eggs or sperm. To explore how they did this and its practical implications, Dr David Walsh, chairman of First IVF joins Jonathan to discuss.
Why Ireland Has Fewer Earthquakes Than Britain
June 18, 2023 13:02 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBGenerally speaking, Ireland is a pretty safe place. For example, when it comes to natural phenomena, insects, or animals, very few things can do you serious harm. We have no snakes, bears, wolves, or venomous species, and our spiders are 99.9% benign. And it's also the case that seismic activity is very rare here and even if it is detected, it pales in comparison to our nearest neighbour, the UK. Why? Chris Bean who leads the Geophysics Section at DIAS joins Jonathan to discuss.
Futureproof Extra: The Dangers & Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence
June 13, 2023 06:30 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MBRecently hundreds of leading technology experts, journalists, and policymakers from across the world released a statement saying that: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside pandemics and nuclear war”. But as we are just now beginning to grapple with this brave new world of generative artificial intelligence it can still be difficult to know what the future might actually hold for us, what role AI will have in our lives, and where the danger really l...
Tackling the growing problem of light pollution
June 11, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBWhen you look up into the night sky and you see the incredible array of stars and planets that are visible to us here on Earth, it is impossible not to feel something. Wonder. Amazement. Insignificance. Inspiration - maybe all of these things and more. Either way, it’s truly humbling to see just how small we really are. But soon you might have a very different experience - one where there is nothing to gaze up at at all - and that future might be nearer than we think. Prof. Peter Gallagh...
Futureproof Extra: Combating Bad Data & Misleading Numbers
June 06, 2023 06:30 - 15 minutes - 14 MBNature is, without over-egging things, an unstoppable force – one which we pale miserably in comparison to with all our brio and intellect. But we do try to understand nature and the world we live in and perhaps the most fundamental way that we do that is through numbers. And while we like to think we have a pretty good grasp of them, that’s unfortunately, not always the case. Georgina Sturge, author of ‘Bad Data: How Governments, Politicians and the Rest of Us Get Misled by Numbers’ an...
Innovating Healthcare: Galway's Clinical Revolution
June 04, 2023 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBInduced temporary hibernation for surgery and long-term space travel, creating energy from nothing, skin patch immunotherapy for peanut allergies, and the mechanism of our foot arches- Jonathan looks back at the latest breaking stories from the world of science this week with Catherine McGuinness, science communicator and Dr Shane Bergin, physicist, and an assistant professor in science education at UCD's School of Education. Jonathan explores the establishment of Ireland's first Institute f...
Futureproof Extra: Immunology Breakthrough
May 30, 2023 06:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBImmunotherapy is a type of treatment which helps the immune system fight cancer. It enhances the system ability to recognize, target, and eliminate cancer cells, wherever they are in the body, making it a potential universal answer to cancer. However, not all cancers respond to this type of treatment. Why is it only effect in 20-40% of cases? And is there anything we can do to improve the response rate? Aideen Ryan joins Jonathan to bring us up to date on new research which may hold the answ...
The First Egyptian Astronaut
May 28, 2023 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBPeople with prosthetic limbs are able to feel warmth in their missing hands, a type of bacteria in babies being a predictor of future weight struggles, car racers seemingly blink in synchronicity, and new research suggesting chronic and acute pain are two different things. The latest science news is brought to you by Dr Ruth Freeman from Science Foundation Ireland, and Dr Jessamyn Fairfield from the University of Galway. Jonathan also speaks with Sara Sabry, an astronaut who was selected fr...
Futureproof Extra: AI Mindreading
May 23, 2023 06:30 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBSpeech to text, text to speech, but what about thoughts to text? A new technology has been developed which allows AI to convert your thoughts into text. The person behind the research is Alexander Huth, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin. He joins me on this week’s Futureproof Extra to discuss “semantic decoders”.
Why can’t we breathe underwater?
May 21, 2023 10:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBOn this week’s episode, Eoin Murphy and Dr Jessamyn Fairfield take us through the latest stories in our Newsround. We hear about the world’s deadliest mushrooms, gender disparity in science referencing, dream gloves and what bears are telling us about blood clot prevention. Not only that, but we get to hear from a lung and evolutionary expert on why humans can’t breathe underwater and what the likelihood is of us ever developing that ability again.
Futureproof Extra: Is Immortality by 2045 Possible?
May 16, 2023 06:30 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBIt is not a matter of how we become immortal, it's a matter of when- that’s according to this week’s guest, José Luis Cordeiro. He is the author of ‘The Death of Death’, and believes we are getting closer to discovering the secrets of nature by identifying cells that do not age.
The Science of Measurement
May 14, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBHave you ever wondered how humans came about the concept of ‘measuring’ things? How did Ancient Egyptians use giant rulers to predict the harvest in coming months? James Vincent is the author of ‘Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement from Cubits to Quantum Constants’ and he joins me this week to talk about how this concept shapes the way we see the world. I'm also joined by Dr Lara Dungan and Dr Shane Bergin for this week's Newsround discussing intrauterine surgery, blood tests ...
Futureproof Extra: The Secrets Of Our Seas
May 08, 2023 12:15 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBHelen Czerski, bubble physicist and the author of 'Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World', joins Jonathan McCrea to discuss the secrets of our seas.
Lab-Grown Blood
May 07, 2023 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBIn this episode of Futureproof, Dr Susan Kelleher and Dr Lara Dungan join Jonathan McCrea for Newsround, and he explores the future of lab-grown blood with Dr Rebecca Cardigan, National Head of Component Development from NHS Blood & Transplant.
Futureproof Extra: Curing Hearing Loss
May 02, 2023 06:30 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBDr. Zheng-Yi Chen, Associate Scientist in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at Mass Eye and Ear Hospital in Boston, speaks with Futureproof host Jonathan McCrea about his efforts to cure hearing loss.
Vaccine Patches
April 30, 2023 11:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBOn this episode of Futureproof: Dr Ruth Freeman, Science Foundation Ireland & Eoin Murphy, biochemist and science communicator, join Jonathan McCrea for Newsround. And Dr. Anne Moore, Senior Lecturer and Principal Investigator in Vaccines at University College Cork, explains her work in developing vaccine patches.
Futureproof Extra: The Future of Surrogacy & AI
April 25, 2023 06:30 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBSurrogacy can be a complicated enough process but if you bring in the potential of AI into it, how would it look? To discuss this and the future of surrogacy in general, Jonathan is joined by Dr. David Walsh, 'First IVF' chairman.
Short Term Memory Illusions
April 23, 2023 13:00 - 38 minutes - 35 MBOver time, our memory begins to fade but new research suggests human memory can go wrong just three seconds after an event takes place. The author of a new study on short-term memory illusion, Dr. Marte Otten, a Cognitive Psychologist from the University of Amsterdam joins Jonathan to discuss.
Futureproof Extra: 'JUICE' Mission & Exploring Jupiter
April 18, 2023 06:30 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBProfessor Caitriona Jackman is an Irish space scientist and head of the planetary magnetospheres group at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and was among those at the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, for the launch of ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission, or “JUICE”. She joins Jonathan to discuss the mission and what she and her colleagues hope to learn.
Injectable Brain Implants
April 16, 2023 13:00 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBImplanting an electrode into your fragile brain to control abnormal activity can cause extensive damage. But researchers in Sweden have developed a type of gel that they hope will ease the process of neural implantation for humans and perhaps ultimately help the treatment of diseases like Parkinson’s. Joining Jonathan to discuss is Hanne Biesmans, Ph.D. student at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, at Linköping University in Sweden.
Futureproof Extra: Interpreting Alien Signals
April 11, 2023 06:30 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBWhat would a message from ET sound like? Researchers at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Post-Detection Hub at the University of St Andrews in Scotland have their eyes and ears peeled to interpret alien language. Among them is Dr John Elliott, Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Computer Science and the Coordinator for the SETI Post Detection Hub at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and Chair of UK SETI Research Network.
Have we smelled everything in the world?
April 09, 2023 10:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBJoining Jonathan on this episode of Futureproof is Dr Aashish Manglik, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California who is examining how odour activates our human receptors. Also featuring Dr Lara Dungan and Dr Oran Kennedy in Newsround.
Futureproof Extra: How are diamonds formed?
April 04, 2023 06:30 - 14 minutes - 13 MBDiamond formation occurs when carbon deposits deep within the earth are subject to high temperatures and pressure. But what are the specific environmental conditions needed to make this actually happen? You’d think that by now we would have a pretty good grasp of how they form considering the value we place on them, but that’s not the case. Until now that is. Dr. Emma Tomlinson is an Associate Professor of Geology at Trinity College Dublin and part of a team from TCD and Queensland Un...
Thomas Hertog on space, time, and working with Stephen Hawking
April 02, 2023 10:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBTheoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking is famous the world over, but one of his closest collaborators for twenty years was working alongside him developing a new theory of the cosmos. Thomas Hertog, a cosmologist from KU Leuven University in Belgium, explores this in his newly published book, ‘On The Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory’. He joins Jonathan to discuss.
Futureproof Extra: The Trust Race
March 28, 2023 06:30 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBIn this special episode of Futureproof Extra, we host 'The Trust Race', a six-part podcast series about scandals and controversies that have affected our trust in science. The show is hosted by regular contributor and friend of the show, Dr. Shane Bergin, and is available on all podcast platforms.
Tickertape Synesthesia & The Future of Quantum Computing
March 26, 2023 10:00 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBAlthough on the outside we may all seem very similar, we experience the world in wildly different ways. A fascinating illustration of this is 'Tickertape Synesthesia' in which people experience live subtitles of every sound around them appearing in front of their very eyes. Joining Jonathan to discuss the condition is Professor Laurent Cohen, Professor of Neurology at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. Also joining Jonathan is Professor Séamus Davis, Professor of Quantum Physics at Univers...
Futureproof Extra: Tenacious Beasts
March 21, 2023 07:30 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBDespite being in an environmental and biodiversity crisis, there are a number of animals that have come to the brink of extinction. So what can we learn from them, and are we being optimistic by thinking we can bring more species back? Joining Jonathan is Dr. Christopher Preston, Environmental Philosophy Professor at the University of Montana and author of 'Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals'.
Space prisons & other realities of living beyond Earth
March 19, 2023 11:00 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBSettling in space might seem like a fun otherworldly concept, but it could also bring a number of practical realities to consider like what would space prisons be like? How would we monitor labour laws? And how could we control population growth? All of these are themes and considerations in astrophysicist Dr. Erika Nesvold’s book "Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space", and she joins Jonathan to discuss.
Is ChatGPT the beginning of a general AI revolution?
March 12, 2023 12:20 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MBWhen ChatGPT came on the scene late last year, it was seen by many as a novel and fun piece of new technology, to others like Nick Cave, "a grotesque mockery of what it is to be human". But as new generations of AI come online in the weeks and months ahead, what exactly does that mean for us? Will we look back to this year and say this is when it all changed? Joining Jonathan to discuss where we are with AI technologies and where we are headed is Dr. Benjamin Cowan, Associate Professor at...
Futureproof Extra: Ireland's first solar-powered racing car
March 09, 2023 07:30 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBJoining Jonathan to discuss the efforts going into creating Ireland's first solar-powered racing car is Philipp Eichhorn, Head of Business for the DCU Solar Racing campaign.
Futureproof Gold: Face Blindness & Super Recognition
March 07, 2023 07:30 - 21 minutes - 20 MBThis is a special episode on 'Face Blindness' & 'Super Recognition' featuring Fiona Newell, Professor of Experimental Psychology at the Trinity Institute of Neurosciences, and Meike Ramon, Cognitive Neuroscientist and Assistant Professor at the University of Fribourg. Together they explore 'Prosopagnosia' aka "Face Blindness", a neurological disorder characterised by the inability to recognize faces. First aired on May 25th, 2021
Do facial expressions influence our emotional state?
March 05, 2023 15:25 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBWhen 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 Jonathan to discuss.
The Psychology of Revenge
February 26, 2023 13:30 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBRoughly 10% of murders in New York are motivated by revenge. But what exactly is revenge and why are some people consumed by it? Jonathan McCrea speaks with psychology PhD student Katie McGaughey from Queen's University Belfast, who is conducting research on revenge and its impact on crime victims. Joining Jonathan for Newsround is physicist Dr Shane Bergin and science communicator Catherine McGuinness.
Futureproof Extra: Will we soon be living on the moon?
February 21, 2023 07:30 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBHow far away are we from actually inhabiting the Moon? Professor Mahesh Anand, Open University Professor in Planetary Science and Exploration, has been among those testing lunar rocks to see if we can both extract and produce water up there. He joins Jonathan to discuss this as well as the primary challenges currently preventing us from making the lunar surface our home.
The Science of Antidepressants
February 19, 2023 13:30 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBIt’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 Medicin...
Creating a contraceptive pill for men
February 14, 2023 07:30 - 18 minutes - 17 MBWhen 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 & Dir...
How to conduct an autopsy
February 12, 2023 11:00 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBIt 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 Belf...
Futureproof Extra: Underwater Avalanches
February 07, 2023 07:30 - 15 minutes - 14 MBAt 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 c...
Do facial expressions influence our emotional state?
February 05, 2023 11:00 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MBWhen 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
The Science of Sleep & Dreams
February 05, 2023 11:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBFor 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.
The Science of Semiconductors
February 01, 2023 12:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBSemiconductor 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 Sc...
Understanding Endometriosis With Single-Cell Genomics
January 31, 2023 19:37 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBSevere 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.
Futureproof Extra: Hybrid Biomaterials for Spinal Cord Injuries
January 24, 2023 07:30 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBAn 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.
Origins of the Africanized Honey Bee
January 22, 2023 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBThe 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 ...
Futureproof Extra: What makes Roman concrete so duarble?
January 17, 2023 07:30 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBThink of those greatly-preserved Roman structures like the Pantheon and you might marvel that they are still standing after all these centuries. So what’s so special about this ancient construction that leaves us with these marvelous buildings? Linda Seymour, a former MIT doctoral student with a background in civil engineering – alongside researchers from MIT, Harvard, and labs in Switzerland and Italy – has been examining what made Roman concrete so durable - she joins Jonathan to discuss.
How to build the first city on Mars
January 15, 2023 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBThe notion of human beings getting to and settling on Mars has been a staple of science fiction for decades. But what are the social, scientific, and engineering constraints for establishing a colony, and what are the current blueprint and design concepts for the settlement of an entire Martian city? Justin Hollander, Urban Planning Professor at Tufts University and the author of ‘The First City on Mars: An Urban Planner’s Guide to Settling the Red Planet’ joins Jonathan to discuss. https...
Futureproof Extra: The Benefits of Sperm Swimming in Groups
January 10, 2023 07:30 - 10 minutes - 9.98 MBWe would traditionally associate sperm as solitary swimmers but new research suggests that the male reproductive cell can sometimes move into groups. Joining Jonathan to discuss why this might be the case and what significance this behaviour could have on our future fertility is Chih-Kuan Tung of the Department of Physics at North Carolina A&T State University.
Is it getting harder to maintain focus?
January 08, 2023 11:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBIt may come as no great surprise to any of our listeners that it is our goal here at Futureproof to educate and reveal the world of science to you. In order to do that, we must keep you entertained, and engaged - we absolutely have to hold your attention. That being said, try as we might, chances are that at least for some of you, your mind will wander. But in this modern age are we inclined to allow our minds to drift off more than before? Is our attention being stolen? Johann Hari, auth...