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Science Weekly

Science Weekly

By: The Guardian
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 Twice a week, the Guardian brings you the latest science and environment news© 2026 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Science
Episodes
  • Helium: the invisible gas that powers AI, and why it’s in short supply

    Helium: the invisible gas that powers AI, and why it’s in short supply
    Apr 14 2026
    Alongside the oil and gas stranded in the strait of Hormuz is another commodity vital to today’s economy: helium. It is a critical element in all kinds of areas from MRI machines to the Large Hadron Collider, and even deep-sea diving. It is also integral to the AI boom. And this isn’t the first time its fragile global supply chain has been threatened. So why is helium so useful, and what will happen if the shortage continues? Ian Sample hears from co-host Madeleine Finlay, and from Sophia Hayes, professor of chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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    16 mins
  • Can we eradicate a second human disease?

    Can we eradicate a second human disease?
    Apr 7 2026
    The number of human cases of guinea worm, a painful and debilitating tropical illness, fell to a record low of just 10 last year, according to the Carter Centre, the foundation set up by the late former US president Jimmy Carter. But despite years-long declines, it remains almost impossible to completely eradicate the parasite. Only one human illness has been entirely eradicated: smallpox. Why is it so difficult, and could guinea worm one day be the second? Ian Sample hears from co-host Madeleine Finlay, and David Molyneux, emeritus professor of tropical disease microbiology at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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    16 mins
  • Everything you need to know about Artemis II so far

    Everything you need to know about Artemis II so far
    Apr 9 2026
    This week Artemis II’s four-astronaut crew broke Apollo 13’s distance record, becoming the humans to travel the farthest from Earth. Now on their way home, the team has experienced tech malfunctions, views like no other and moments of intense emotion, all in under 10 days. To find out about all the highs and lows of the mission, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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    19 mins
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