IFLScience - The Big Questions
29 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★ - 15 ratingsFrom saving the planet to understanding ourselves, this podcast sees experts discuss the major topics of our times. Hosted by IFLScience’s Dr Alfredo Carpineti, Rachael Funnell, and Eleanor Higgs.
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Episodes
IFLScience - Break It Down
February 14, 2024 17:30 - 2 minutes - 3.43 MBHere is a little teaser for our brand new podcast: Break It Down! Coming soon to a podcast app near you...
Would You Eat Plant-Based Meat For Christmas Dinner?
December 22, 2023 00:01 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MBDuring the holiday season, many of us will be tucking into delicious meals which may well include a whole host of meats. But have you ever thought about going meat-free this time of year? With concerns over the impact of meat consumption on the planet, thoughts are turning to the future of the industry and how the tastes and textures that many people enjoy can be replicated in meat-free alternatives. In a bonus holiday episode of IFLScience The Big Questions, available on all platforms, hos...
Are we ready for the next massive solar flare?
October 12, 2023 23:01 - 23 minutes - 31.6 MBSolar activity goes through cycles. The main one is about 11 years long and its maximum is marked by powerful eruptions of electromagnetic radiation known as solar flares, as well as releases of plasma known as coronal mass ejections. The most powerful known flare happened in 1859 and led to telegraph stations catching fire across the US, and Northern and Southern Lights becoming visible in the tropics. Host Dr Alfredo Carpineti spoke with Dr Ryan French, astronomer at the National Solar Ob...
Are We Ready For The Next Massive Solar Flare?
October 12, 2023 23:01 - 23 minutes - 31.6 MBSolar activity goes through cycles. The main one is about 11 years long and its maximum is marked by powerful eruptions of electromagnetic radiation known as solar flares, as well as releases of plasma known as coronal mass ejections. The most powerful known flare happened in 1859 and led to telegraph stations catching fire across the US, and Northern and Southern Lights becoming visible in the tropics. Host Dr Alfredo Carpineti spoke with Dr Ryan French, astronomer at the National Solar Ob...
How Are Glaciers Changing In A Warming World?
September 28, 2023 23:01 - 13 minutes - 18.5 MBThe climate crisis is affecting glaciers across the world in myriad ways. Dramatic melting, steep declines, and overall reduction in mass are some of the changes seen in both polar glaciers and the mountainous peaks of every continent. Understanding these changes requires understanding how we monitor these enormous ice masses. The health of glaciers affects the well-being of the populations living near them, but they have far-reaching consequences, such as global sea level rise. Host Dr Al...
Are E-fuels The Future Of Aviation?
September 14, 2023 23:01 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBAs much as everyone enjoys flying abroad for their holidays, the cost of the climate impact might be making people think twice. So what can we do? Aside from paying to offset the carbon, the emergence of a new industry is hoping to change the way we fly. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) or e-fuels are looking to replace traditional fuels as a much greener alternative, but there’s still a long way to go. Host Eleanor Higgs spoke with Sophie Zienkiewicz and Alasdair Lumsden, co-founders of C...
What Is Ancient Ice Telling Us About The Future?
August 31, 2023 23:01 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBThere are many methods that allow us to look back into Earth’s past and study its climate, including the collection of ice cores. Extracting ancient ice from deep inside some of the most remote glaciers can reveal how our planet has changed over millions of years. But it’s not just about the past: what is ancient ice telling us about the future? Host Dr Alfredo Carpineti spoke with Dr Liz Thomas of the Ice Core Research Group at the British Antarctic Survey to discuss how understanding Eart...
What Is Space Weather And How Does It Affect Us?
August 17, 2023 23:01 - 15 minutes - 21.5 MBThe Sun shapes what goes on in space around our planet. Plasma from our star is continuously thrown at Earth in the form of solar winds or coronal mass ejections, changing the shape of the magnetic field, and affecting the atmosphere and anything in it, like the satellites that we depend on. These changes are part of what we call space weather. Host Dr Alfredo Carpineti spoke to Dr Nigel Meredith of the British Antarctic Survey about what space weather actually is and how it affects us. We ...
How Does A Quantum Computer Work And How Will They Change The World?
August 03, 2023 23:01 - 32 minutes - 45.1 MBThe path beyond the limits of regular computers, even the most powerful supercomputer, lies with the theory of quantum mechanics. Quantum computing promises to change the world, but how do quantum computers work, and how close are we to this fabled new approach to computation? Host Dr Alfredo Carpineti spoke with Professor Winfried Hensinger, Professor of Quantum Technology at the University of Sussex, to discuss why we need quantum computers, what they would be used for, and why it's takin...
Can We Save A Species On The Very Brink Of Extinction?
July 20, 2023 23:01 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBIn this age of climate change, habitat loss, and destruction of the natural world, we take an in-depth look at one endangered species in particular: the northern white rhino. Just two females remain in the world and neither are capable of carrying a pregnancy. With such constraints in place, we ask the experts if it's possible to save a species on the very brink of extinction. Host Eleanor Higgs spoke with Dr Susanne Holtze from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research to discuss...
Why Is Space Junk Such A Big Deal?
July 07, 2023 07:22 - 10 minutes - 14.6 MBSpace junk is a problem and it’s only set to get worse. In 2018, there were over 2,000 satellites in orbit. Now, thanks to mega-constellations like Starlink, there are 9,000 satellites, and by the end of the decade, this number is expected to reach 60,000. A crowded space environment runs the risk of Kessler Syndrome, where there is so much pollution in orbit that collisions between objects become inevitable, and produce even more space junk. Host Dr Alfredo Carpineti spoke with space envir...
How Is Climate Change Affecting Polar Bear Populations?
June 22, 2023 23:01 - 16 minutes - 22.3 MBPolar bears have long been the poster animal and early warning system for all things climate change. We asked experts what is really going on with the “white hairy canaries” of the Arctic. Host Eleanor Higgs spoke with Alysa McCall, Polar Bears International Staff Scientist and Director of Conservation Outreach, on the polar bear monster truck to find out all about the Hudson Bay polar bear population, how “bear-dar” AI is used to protect communities, and to answer the question: How Is Cli...
Is Jurassic Park Possible?
June 09, 2023 00:22 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBIn the 30 years since the Spielberg movie came out, people from all walks of life have wondered if bringing back dinosaurs is possible, and we couldn’t let the anniversary pass without asking scientists working on dinosaurs and cloning if such a feat is feasible. IFLScience’s Digital Content Producer Rachael Funnell spoke with Dr. Susie Maidment from the Natural History Museum London and Ben Lamm from Colossal Biosciences to ask a question 66 million 30 years in the making: Is Jurassic Park...
What Do Alcohol and Drugs Do To The Brain?
December 02, 2022 01:13 - 12 minutes - 17.3 MBFor as long as humans have walked this Earth, we have been using chemicals to alter our state of mind. Drugs and alcohol have been used in rituals and medication, for inspiration and escapism, as well as a way to cope with the world. Only in more recent decades have we begun to appreciate the physiological effects that substances have on our brains through science. Host Dr Alfredo Carpineti spoke to neuropsychopharmacologist Professor David Nutt about these effects and a new approach to manu...
What Are The Limits Of Computers And Supercomputers?
November 18, 2022 01:54 - 25 minutes - 34.5 MBComputers and supercomputers, whether we like them or not, run our lives. They have revolutionized every aspect of society and we rely on their technology to push beyond our limits. But what about their limits? What are they, when will we reach them, and can we avoid them? Host Dr Alfredo Carpineti is joined by Professor Mazhar Ali of the Delft University of Technology, whose team has developed a one-way superconductor with exciting applications in computing, to discuss this and more.
How Does Your Diet Impact The Body’s Ability To Fight Disease?
November 04, 2022 00:11 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MBWhat and how we eat plays a huge role in keeping us healthy. The role of diet in helping us when we are fighting off diseases is also enormous, but not discussed often enough. Dr Alfredo Carpineti sat down with Dr William Li to talk about cutting-edge research on how diet helps us stay healthy, and the role it plays in supporting medical treatments. Dr Li is a physician, scientist, president, and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, and author of Eat To Beat Disease: The New Sc...
Is Math The Greatest Subject In The World?
October 21, 2022 07:39 - 14 minutes - 13 MBIn school, math is one of those polarizing subjects that people either love or hate. For each person complaining they will never use Pythagoras theorem outside of class, there is somebody else pointing out that math is actually about learning skills like problem-solving. In this episode, host Dr Alfredo Carpineti asks a controversial Big Question: "Is math the greatest subject in the world?" To make the case is British mathematician Professor Nira Chamberlain, listed by the Science Council a...
How Does Imagination Work?
October 07, 2022 00:01 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBEvery second of every day, whether we’re actively aware of it or not, we’re using our imagination: from what we might have for dinner to life on other worlds. But how can our brains conjure up stuff that we are not looking at or even images of things that don’t exist? Our host Dr Alfredo Carpineti is joined by cognitive scientist Professor Tyler Marghetis from the University of California, Merced to discuss how imagination works, how we can have "Eureka!" moments, and if imagination works th...
Why Is The Universe Made Of Matter And Not Antimatter?
September 23, 2022 00:00 - 24 minutes - 33 MBEverything we see, from galaxies to capybaras, is made of matter. But matter has a mirrored version of itself known as antimatter. If the two come into contact they annihilate one another, turning into pure energy. Why does the universe prefer one over the other? This is a fundamental mystery of the universe, and at the forefront of the search for an answer is the Alpha Experiment at CERN. In this episode, host Dr Alfredo Carpineti is joined by experimental physicist and Alpha spokesperson P...
How Do We Know When A Species Is Extinct?
September 09, 2022 00:00 - 17 minutes - 24.5 MBIt’s no secret that species extinction and biodiversity loss are making our environment increasingly less stable. As it feels like we inch closer to waving goodbye to threatened animals like the Javan rhino, a question springs to mind: How do we know when a species is extinct? How, for instance, do we know there aren’t some animals left just hiding in a bush somewhere? In this episode, host Rachael Funnell puts the question to Dr Barney Long of Re:wild, whose mission is the conservation of e...
Can Humans Live Forever?
August 26, 2022 00:01 - 23 minutes - 32.4 MBWe live in a society that idolizes youth for sure, but also with age comes wisdom. However, aging is not all it’s cracked up to be. Could we keep getting older without the drawbacks of being old? Other animals do it, so maybe one day it could apply to humans too. In this episode, host Dr Alfredo Carpineti is joined by Dr Andrew Steele, author of Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old, to talk about the medical fight against old age at a cellular level and whether human...
Is The Future Of Farming Underwater?
August 12, 2022 00:04 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MBAs the human population increases so too does our demand for food, but in the face of the climate crisis scientists are seeking alternative and sustainable solutions to traditional agricultural practices. In this episode of IFLScience, The Big Questions, we teamed up with BBC Earth to speak with Luca Gamberini of Nemo’s Garden to ask: Is the future of farming underwater? Nemo’s Garden is working to create an alternative system of agriculture that uses the oceans and other bodies of water to...
How Will The Universe End?
July 29, 2022 00:00 - 14 minutes - 20.4 MBStudying the Universe told us the cosmos began with the Big Bang. But how will everything end? In a cold and desolate nothingness? Or will everything collapse back into itself in a Big Crunch? In this episode, host Dr Alfredo Carpineti is joined by theoretical astrophysicist Dr Katie Mack, the Hawking Chair in Cosmology and Science Communication at the Perimeter Institute, who has written extensively about the subject. Together they discuss what the curtain call of the Universe might look li...
What Is The Universe Made Of?
October 28, 2021 00:00 - 40 minutes - 56 MBEverything we see and interact with, regular matter, is only a small fraction of what the universe contains. In fact, the vast majority of the universe is invisible to us. We've named these mysterious components dark matter and dark energy, but our understanding of them – and if they even exist – remains lacking. To unravel more of this mystery, Dr Alfredo Carpineti sat down with Dr Mandeep Gill from the Dark Energy Survey collaboration to ask: Will the new generation of upcoming observatori...
Can We Achieve Unlimited Energy?
October 14, 2021 00:00 - 30 minutes - 42 MBHumanity's ever-growing need for energy has led to a world that is dramatically changing, ravaged by extreme weather events. The way we get power has to change. Our question in this episode is about a potential new approach. Can we master nuclear fusion and achieve unlimited energy? Our host Dr Alfredo Carpineti talks to Dr Elise Delchambre of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France – the world's largest fusion experiment – about nuclear fusion, the many challen...
What Is Consciousness?
September 30, 2021 00:00 - 40 minutes - 55.7 MBOf all the mysteries of the universe, none is closer to us as human beings than this one: what is consciousness? How does our brain turn electrical signals into thoughts and feelings? In this episode, host Dr Alfredo Carpineti and Professor Liad Mudrik from the School of Psychological Sciences And Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University discuss these questions and more as they try and get to the bottom of what is consciousness?
Can We Stop Or Reverse Climate Change?
September 16, 2021 00:00 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBThe climate crisis is unfolding around us with extreme weather events becoming more common and living organisms having to survive or perish in a changing world. In this episode, host Dr Alfredo Carpineti sat down with Dr Alexandre Kōberle, a research fellow at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, to discuss how we got here, how we can avoid the worse case scenarios, what political will is needed, and if there are ways to actually fix the mess we are in?
Are We Alone In The Universe?
September 02, 2021 00:00 - 22 minutes - 31.1 MBFrom extraterrestrial intelligence to simple life forms, the Universe might be teeming with life. Can we find and communicate with these life forms? IFLScience spoke to Dr Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute to tackle the fundamental question: are we alone in the Universe?
The Big Questions Trailer
August 25, 2021 08:30 - 1 minute - 1.12 MBA little teaser for our upcoming podcast