Psychologists have traditionally believed we become less curious as we age, but recent research has shown that curiosity actually becomes more targeted and specific in our later years. To find out why this happens, and how maintaining broad curiosity into older age can help keep our brains young, Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Mary Whatley, an assistant professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, and Dr Matthias Gruber, of Cardiff University’s Brain Imaging Centre. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Folge vom 04.09.2025Is curiosity the key to ageing well?
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Folge vom 02.09.2025RFK Jr and the chaos at the CDCIt’s been a dramatic week at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the space of seven days, the agency’s head was sacked and replaced by an interim head, four senior staff members resigned, and existing staff took to the streets to express support for their ousted leaders. To understand how everything unfolded and what it could mean for the health of Americans, science editor Ian Sample hears from health reporter Melody Schreiber and former CDC director Mandy Cohen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Folge vom 28.08.2025‘AI psychosis’: could chatbots fuel delusional thinking?There are increasing reports of people experiencing delusions after intensive use of AI chatbots. The phenomenon, dubbed ‘AI psychosis’, has raised concerns that features built into large language models may contribute to some users losing touch with reality. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Hamilton Morrin, a psychiatrist and researcher at King’s College London, about his recent preprint exploring who is at risk and how models could be made safer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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Folge vom 26.08.2025A decade long mystery - why were billions of starfish turned to goo?For more than a decade, scientists have been puzzling over what was causing billions of starfish to dissolve into piles of white goo. Sea star wasting disease has ravaged starfish populations, wiping out 90% of the once common sunflower sea star. Now, researchers have finally identified the culprit. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Dr Melanie Prentice, one of the team to crack the case. She explains the impact the disease has had on the marine environment, how they found the pathogen responsible, and what it means for sea stars’ recovery. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod