The World, the Universe and Us

Explore the history and cultivation of cannabis, from its domestication in China to its current popularity worldwide. Learn about the shift towards cannabis legalization and the changing perception and support for it in the US. Discover the wide range of cannabis products available at dispensaries and the obstacles to scientific research on cannabis.

Salt glaciers on Mercury could host extremophile bacteria, with the BepiColombo mission set to investigate further. Brain cells in mice may regulate hunger cues, offering insights into human hunger. Scientists are excited by a powerful cosmic ray from the cosmic void that hit Earth. Prenatal exposure to language enhances babies' language skills. Plants in Europe are more productive on weekends due to reduced air pollution.

Exploring the challenges and implications of living on a cube-shaped Earth, including different climates on each face of the cube. Discussing the unique ecosystem of Cube Earth, comparing it to Australia in terms of biodiversity. Speculating about the evolution of deep-sea creatures and the presence of giant sea monsters. Exploring the extreme weather and seasons that could occur on Cube Earth, as well as the challenges of extreme seasons and proposing the idea of sea labs as housing. Touching on the fear factor of deep space and the deep sea.

This is it, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. We’ve killed the sun, smushed the asteroid belt, burrowed into other planets… but now it’s time for the big one… Earth.In this two-part season finale, Leah Crane and Chelsea Whyte do irreparable damage to our planet by turning it into a cube. Joining the pair in this mammoth task is geophysicist and disaster consultant Mika McKinnon. In this first episode Mika tackles the many life-changing knock-on effects of cubifying Earth, such as how only portions of the planet would be habitable, why we would need giant fish bowls on wheels to cross from one face to the other and why earthquakes would become the new normal.Dead Planets Society is a podcast that takes outlandish ideas about how to tinker with the cosmos – from punching a hole in a planet to unifying the asteroid belt to destroying the sun – and subjects them to the laws of physics to see how they fare.Your hosts are Leah Crane and Chelsea Whyte.If you have a cosmic object you’d like to figure out how to destroy, email the team at deadplanets@newscientist.com. It may just feature in a later episode… And if you just want to chat about this episode or wrecking the cosmos more generally, tweet @chelswhyte and @downhereonearth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research suggests protecting existing forests could store huge amounts of carbon dioxide. US men have a declining life expectancy, with factors such as Covid-19 and opioid use contributing. Bonobos display peaceful conflict resolution through sex. Physicists have created soap bubble lasers for affordable sensors. Plus, an AI developed by Google DeepMind excels at poker and chess.

Samantha Harvey, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, discusses her novel Orbital, which captures the beauty of Earth from space. The book evokes joy and awe while acknowledging the grief of environmental challenges. They explore the impact of grief, space tourism, and the symbolism of the International Space Station as a collaboration between Russia and the West.

Spinal cord stimulation improves mobility for Parkinson's patients. Half-synthetic yeast may lead to breakthroughs in synthetic biology. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion could provide clean energy. Crabs evolved to leave the ocean. Exploring underwater communication using radio waves.

Scientists explore the challenges and potential impact of merging asteroids to form a new planet, including methods for collecting the scattered rocks. They discuss coating asteroids with gelatin or Aerogel to prevent debris formation and propose the idea of creating an asteroid planet as a moon for Venus to reduce near-earth asteroid collisions.

New research challenges the idea of needing 8 hours of sleep; NASA's mission to explore Jupiter's asteroids and the origins of the moon; The UK's AI summit sparks frustrations over transparency; Starfish are just heads crawling on their lips.

Medical historian Suzie Edge discusses fascinating tales from her book 'Vital Organs', including King Louis XIV's fistula surgeries and Alexis St. Martin's medical curiosity. She also explores our obsession with stigmatizing physical appearance and discusses the persistence of disabilities as evil in fiction. The podcast delves into advancements in transplantation and complexities of amputation, our changing attitudes towards death, and the history of famous body parts.