Best Red Moon Productions Podcasts (2025)

1
‘Huge advances in cancer and rare diseases’: 25 years of the human genome 18:33

Play Pause

6h ago18:33

18:33

It has been 25 years since Bill Clinton announced one of humanity’s most important scientific achievements: the first draft of the human genome. At the time, there was a great deal of excitement about the benefits that this new knowledge would bring, with predictions about curing genetic diseases and even cancer. To find out which of them came to p…

1
Can a revolutionary new telescope solve the mystery of planet nine? 15:10

2d ago15:10

15:10

Ever since Pluto was demoted from planet to dwarf planet in 2006, astronomers have been wondering whether Neptune really is the most distant planet from the sun. Now, a new telescope could uncover what lies in the farthest reaches of the solar system. The Vera C Rubin Observatory released its first images this week, and soon the world’s most powerf…

1
Do medicinal mushroom products actually work? 18:41

7d ago18:41

18:41

More of us are turning to products containing mushroom extracts, with the medicinal fungi market now worth billions of pounds. Promises of benefits to mental and physical health have seen its popularity spill over from wellness influencers to the shelves of Marks & Spencer – but is there any scientific evidence behind these claims? Ian Sample chats…

1
Does the UK need nuclear to reach net zero? 15:14

9d ago15:14

15:14

The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has promised £14bn of investment to build the Sizewell C nuclear power plant, kicking off what the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, says will be a ‘golden age for clean energy abundance’. But for critics, the technology’s high costs and lengthy construction times have always eclipsed the benefits of abundant low-carbon …

1
How to Save the Amazon part 3: ask the people that know – podcast 25:00

14d ago25:00

25:00

As a companion to the Guardian’s Missing in the Amazon podcast, global environment editor Jon Watts goes in search of answers to the question Dom Phillips was investigating when he was murdered: how can we save the Amazon? In the final episode of a three-part series, Jon encounters a radical new view of the Amazon’s history being uncovered by archa…

1
How to save the Amazon part two: the magic and mystery 24:28

15d ago24:28

24:28

As a companion to the Guardian’s Missing in the Amazon, Jon Watts, global environment editor, goes in search of answers to the question Dom Phillips was investigating when he was murdered: how can we save the Amazon? In episode two, Jon meets the people trying to make sure the rainforest is worth more standing than cut down – from a government mini…

1
How to save the Amazon part one: the stakes 28:03

16d ago28:03

28:03

As a companion to the Guardian’s Missing in the Amazon, the global environment editor Jon Watts goes in search of answers to the question Dom Phillips was investigating when he was murdered: how can we save the Amazon? In episode one of a three-part series, Watts explores what’s at stake if we fail to act in time. He hears about the crucial role of…

1
Missing in the Amazon: the disappearance – episode 1 26:50

20d ago26:50

26:50

The British journalist Dom Phillips and the Brazilian indigenous defender Bruno Pereira vanished three years ago while on a reporting trip near Brazil’s remote Javari valley. The Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips, investigates what happened to them in a six-part podcast series. Find episode 2 and all future episodes by searching …

1
Into the photic zone: does a darkening ocean threaten marine life? 14:32

21d ago14:32

14:32

Vast areas of the ocean are getting darker, according to research based on satellite imaging. Marine ecosystems are governed by faint light changes – from mass nightly migrations to coral spawning cycles – so what happens when that light begins to fade? Ian Sample talks to Prof Tim Smyth from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory about why this darkening …

1
The incredible world of animal medicine 16:24

23d ago16:24

16:24

Ian Sample meets Jaap de Roode, professor of biology at Emory University in Atlanta, and author of the book Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes and Other Animals Heal Themselves. De Roode explains how a chance discovery got him interested in animal medicine, the amazing ways that creatures use toxins to fight parasites and pathogens, and what humans …

1
Your microbiome questions answered: part two 18:08

28d ago18:08

18:08

Ian Sample is joined by Dr James Kinross, colorectal surgeon and author of the book Dark Matter: The New Science of the Microbiome, to answer all your questions about gut health. In episode two, Kinross explains what else, beyond antibiotics, can damage our microbiome, how we can start to repair it, and gives his top tips for keeping our gut microb…

1
Your microbiome questions answered: part one 17:38

1M ago17:38

17:38

Ian Sample is joined by James Kinross, colorectal surgeon and author of the book Dark Matter: The New Science of the Microbiome, to answer all your questions about gut health. In episode one, James explains how the gut microbiome gets set up, how it impacts our early development, and the effect antibiotics can have on our microbes. Help support our…

1
The extraordinary promise of gene editing 16:55

1M ago16:55

16:55

Doctors in the US have become the first to treat a baby with a customised gene-editing therapy after diagnosing the child with a severe genetic disorder that kills about half of those affected in early infancy. Ian Sample explains to Madeleine Finlay how this new therapy works and how it paves the way for even more complex gene editing techniques. …

1
The latest twist in a Canadian medical mystery 19:27

1M ago19:27

19:27

In March 2021, the Toronto-based reporter Leyland Cecco heard about a memo sent by New Brunswick health officials that warned about a possible unknown neurological syndrome thought to be affecting about 40 people. Since then the story has taken many twists and turns, most recently with a peer-reviewed study that concludes there is no mystery illnes…

1
Is it time to try geoengineering? 14:20

1M ago14:20

14:20

Geoengineering, the controversial set of techniques that aim to deliberately alter the Earth’s climate system, may be inching a step closer to reality with the announcement that UK scientists will be conducting real-world experiments in the coming years. To understand what’s happening, Ian Sample is joined by the Guardian environment editor Damian …

1
Have we got the appendix all wrong? 13:26

1M ago13:26

13:26

For a long time the appendix was considered disposable. After all, millions of people have theirs removed each year and go on to live healthy lives. But as Heather F Smith, a professor of anatomy at Midwestern University tells Ian Sample, researchers are increasingly understanding what this small worm-shaped organ may be bringing to the table in te…

1
Surviving 200 snake bites, decoding ancient scrolls and the countries ‘flourishing’ 21:22

2M ago21:22

21:22

Science correspondent Hannah Devlin joins Ian Sample to discuss three intriguing science stories from the week, from a global study that puts the UK third from bottom when it comes to flourishing, to a man who intentionally suffered more than 200 snake bites in the quest to find a universal antivenom and a breakthrough in the quest to understand th…

1
How old are we really? What a test can tell us about our biological age 16:24

2M ago16:24

16:24

Direct to consumer tests that claim to tell us our biological – as opposed to chronological – age are getting a lot of attention, but what can they really tell us about our health? Science editor Ian Sample talks to Dr Brian H Chen, an epidemiologist at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, who has conducted research into a vari…

1
Why did Spain and Portugal go dark? 16:29

2M ago16:29

16:29

Authorities are still trying to understand what triggered the massive power outage that left the majority of the Iberian Peninsula without electricity on Monday. To understand what might have been at play, and whether there’s any truth to claims that renewable energy sources were to blame, Ian Sample hears from Guardian energy correspondent Jillian…

1
Why did Just Stop Oil just stop? 18:27

2M ago18:27

18:27

Just Stop Oil, the climate activism group behind motorway blockades, petrol station disruption and tomato soup attacks on major artworks, has disbanded after staging a final action in London this weekend. To find out why the group has decided to hang up the famous orange high-vis, Madeleine Finlay hears from our environment correspondent Damien Gay…

1
Evidence of alien life, a clue about the rise of bowel cancer, and a new colour? 20:43

2M ago20:43

20:43

Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss three intriguing science stories from the week. From a hint at alien life on a distant planet to a clue in the search for answers over why colon cancer rates are rising in the under 50s, and news from scientists who claim to have found a colour no one has seen before. Help support our independent journalism a…

1
Is ‘de-extinction’ really possible? 16:26

2M ago16:26

16:26

The American biotech company Colossal Biosciences recently made headlines around the world with claims it had resurrected the dire wolf, an animal that went extinct at the end of the last ice age. But does what the company has done amount to ‘de-extinction’ or should we instead think of these pups as genetically modified versions of the grey wolves…

1
RFK Jr’s mixed messages on vaccines 17:53

2M ago17:53

17:53

As a measles outbreak expands across the US, comments by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr have come under scrutiny. Kennedy has said that the best way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated – but he has also caused alarm among paediatricians, vaccine experts and lawmakers by promoting vitamin A and nutrition as treatments for measles and quest…

1
What 40 years as Observer science editor has taught Robin McKie 19:43

2M ago19:43

19:43

Robin McKie reflects on his 40 years as science editor for the Observer and tells Madeleine Finlay about the game-changing discoveries and scientific controversies that he’s reported on during that time. He describes how the discovery of the structure of DNA revolutionised science, what he learned about misinformation from the HIV/AIDS pandemic and…

1
Streams of medicines: how Switzerland cleaned up its act 15:54

3M ago15:54

15:54

Switzerland is leading the world in purifying its water of micropollutants, a concoction of chemicals often found in bodies of water that look crystal clear. They include common medicines like antidepressants and antihistamines, but have unknown and potentially damaging consequences for human and ecosystem health. In the second of a two-part series…

1
Streams of medicines: what’s hiding in the UK’s waterways? 15:55

3M ago15:55

15:55

The UK is known for its national parks: areas of outstanding natural beauty with rolling hills and crystal-clear streams and lakes. But research has shown that England’s most protected rivers are full of pharmaceuticals. In episode one of a two-part series, biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston tells Madeleine Finlay about the problem of chemical pol…

1
‘Parasites should get more fame’: the nominees for world’s finest invertebrate 18:16

3M ago18:16

18:16

Invertebrates don’t get the attention lavished on cute pets or apex predators, but these unsung heroes are some of the most impressive and resilient creatures on the planet. So when the Guardian opened its poll to find the world’s finest invertebrate, readers got in touch in their droves. A dazzling array of nominations have flown in for insects, a…

1
Keto: what’s the science behind the diet? 17:16

3M ago17:16

17:16

While other diet fads come and go, the ultra low carbohydrate Keto diet seems to endure. But as scientists begin to understand how the diet works, more is also being discovered about its risks. To find out more, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Javier Gonzalez, professor in the department of health at the University of Bath, with a special interest in pe…

1
The rise and fall of DNA testing company 23andMe 21:49

3M ago21:49

21:49

The genetic testing firm 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy, another twist in the story of a company that promised a pioneering approach to precision health. Now users are scrambling to delete their personal data, with the future ownership of the firm uncertain. To understand the highs and lows of 23andMe’s journey, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Gu…

1
Where do our early childhood memories go? 18:37

3M ago18:37

18:37

It’s a mystery that has long puzzled researchers. Why can’t we remember our early childhood experiences? Freud called the phenomenon infantile amnesia, and for many years scientists have wondered whether it’s a result of failure to create memories or just a failure to retrieve them. Now new research appears to point to an answer. To find out more, …

1
What a dark energy discovery means for the fate of the universe 16:08

3M ago16:08

16:08

Dark energy, the mysterious force powering the expansion of the universe, appears to be weakening over time, according to a major cosmological survey that has thrown the laws of modern physics into doubt. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay how this new finding could shed light on the ultimate fate of the cosmos, and Saul Perlmutter, who won a Nobel …

1
A mysterious millionaire and the quest to live under the sea 16:02

3M ago16:02

16:02

Before billionaires dreamed of setting up communities on Mars, the ocean was seen as the next frontier in human habitation. Reviving this dream is Deep, a project backed by an anonymous millionaire to the tune of more than £100m that aims to establish a ‘permanent human presence’ under the sea from 2027. Guardian Seascape editor Lisa Bachelor visit…

1
Use it or lose it: how to sharpen your brain as you age 14:03

4M ago14:03

14:03

Many of us believe that cognitive decline is an inevitable part of ageing, but a new study looking at how our skills change with age challenges that idea. Ian Sample talks to Ludger Wößmann, a professor of economics at the University of Munich and one of the study’s authors, to find out how the team delved into the data to come to their conclusions…

1
Mars-a-lago? Did the red planet once have sandy beaches? 13:52

4M ago13:52

13:52

The Mars we know now is arid and dusty, with punishing radiation levels. But, as science correspondent Nicola Davis tells Madeleine Finlay, two new studies add weight to the idea that billions of years ago the red planet was a much wetter place. Nicola explains why researchers now think it was once home to sandy beaches, what a study looking into t…

1
Moon missions, Musk v scientists, sperm and longevity 22:46

4M ago22:46

22:46

Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss three intriguing science stories from the week. From two private moon landings to the controversy over Elon Musk’s continued membership of the Royal Society, and a new study making a link between men’s health and their sperm quality. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod…

1
Why it’s boom time for beavers in England 14:38

4M ago14:38

14:38

Beavers were once abundant in the UK, but hunting them for their fur, meat and scent oil drove them to extinction. Now they’re back, with the news that the release of beavers into English waterways is to be allowed for the first time in centuries. To understand why this is seen as a huge win for the environment, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guar…

1
Drinks cans and chicken bones: will ‘technofossils’ be humanity’s lasting legacy? 15:47

4M ago15:47

15:47

When the palaeontologists of the future search for clues to understand how we lived, what might they find? Two scientists exploring this question have suggested that ‘technofossils’ will be our lasting imprint on the Earth. To find out exactly what these are and what they could reveal about our lives, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s envi…

1
How Trump unleashed chaos in science 21:07

4M ago21:07

21:07

In his first month in office the US president has thrown science in the US into chaos, delaying projects and casting the future of research funding and jobs into doubt. To understand everything that has happened in the month since he took office and what its impact could be, Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and Prof Harold Varm…

1
Singing mice, constipated kids and nurture beats nature: science stories of the week 19:01

4M ago19:01

19:01

Science editor Ian Sample joins co-host Madeleine Finlay to discuss some of the most intriguing science stories of the week. From a concerning rise in hospital diagnoses of constipation in children, to research suggesting that the environment is far more important for ageing and longevity than our genes, and how squeaks from genetically engineered …

1
Should we ban cats? 16:22

4M ago16:22

16:22

The Scottish first minister, John Swinney, was recently forced to deny plans to ban cats after a report from independent experts said the species was a threat to Scotland’s wildlife. In the UK, it is estimated that cats kill or bring home 57 million mammals and 27 million birds every year. Ian Sample hears from cat-owner Madeleine Finlay and the ec…

1
What is ‘mirror life’ and why are scientists sounding the alarm? 17:26

5M ago17:26

17:26

Recently, a group of world-leading scientists called for a halt on research to create ‘mirror life’ microbes amid concerns that the synthetic organisms would present an ‘unprecedented risk’ to life on Earth. Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay about why this work initially seemed exciting for scientists and what the risks of it continuing could be. A…

1
Don’t look up: is an asteroid heading for Earth? 15:43

5M ago15:43

15:43

In a case of life imitating art, a 100-metre-wide asteroid has triggered global planetary defence procedures for the first time, after telescope observations revealed it had a chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. To find out what happens now and how worried we should be, Ian Sample hears from Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at …

1
DeepSeek, weapons and climate? What’s on the table at the Paris AI summit? 16:03

5M ago16:03

16:03

From the shockwaves caused by DeepSeek’s launch, to fears of a new AI arms race, and the continued questions over the technology’s energy use, AI continues to throw up new challenges. As world leaders gather for the Paris AI summit, the Guardian’s global technology editor, Dan Milmo, joins Madeleine Finlay to discuss what will be top of the agenda.…

1
Can Trump and RFK Jr make America healthy again? 17:52

5M ago17:52

17:52

Senators are scheduled to vote today on whether to advance Robert F Kennedy Jr’s nomination as Secretary of State for Health and Human Services. RFK Jr is known for his vaccine skepticism and Make America Healthy Again slogan, which has won him support from everyone from wellness fans and ‘crunchy moms’ to traditional Republicans. US health reporte…

1
Protein, weights and the best way to keep fit: your exercise questions answered 22:33

5M ago22:33

22:33

In the second episode of our listener questions special, Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what he has uncovered about who the exercise guidelines were created for and whether they apply to all of us, which exercises are best for keeping us strong, whether we should be eating particular foods when we exercise, and how much protein we need to consum…

1
Sugar, seed oils, and avoiding sickness: your health questions answered 23:31

5M ago23:31

23:31

We asked for your questions on getting healthy in 2025 and you delivered. In the first episode of our listener questions special, Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample what she has uncovered about the scientifically proven ways to cut down on sugar, the truth behind the panic over seed oils, and why it is that some of us seem to have bullet proof immun…

1
The science of racism, and how to fight it 18:49

5M ago18:49

18:49

Ian Sample speaks to Keon West, a professor of social psychology at the University of London, whose new book, The Science of Racism, explores what science can reveal about racism, the inventive methods scientists have used to study it and the scientifically proven ways of tackling racism and discrimination. Help support our independent journalism a…

1
Telepathy…what’s the evidence? 17:23

5M ago17:23

17:23

A podcast promoting claims that non-verbal autistic children can read minds briefly knocked Joe Rogan off the top of the charts this month, which made the Science Weekly team wonder, how has science attempted to prove or disprove the existence of mind reading? To find out, Ian Sample speaks to Chris French, emeritus professor of psychology at Golds…

1
Our science predictions for 2025 18:37

5M ago18:37

18:37

Last year was full of unexpected science news, from a new strain of Mpox emerging in the DRC, to artificial intelligence dominating the Nobel prizes and two astronauts getting ‘stuck’ in space. So what will this year bring? Ian Sample and science correspondent Hannah Devlin discuss the big stories likely to hit the headlines and share their predict…

1
How weather ‘whiplash’ set the stage for the LA fires 14:27

5M ago14:27

14:27

As wildfires continue to cause devastation in Los Angeles, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Albert van Dijk, professor of water science and management at the Australian National University, about how rising temperatures are causing rapid swings in extreme weather. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod…