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PODCAST · science

Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

Jonathan responds to your texts and tweets, is joined in studio for all the latest science stories for Newsround and speaks to one of our two guests featured on the show.CONVERSATION THAT COUNTS | Ireland’s national independent talk station for news, sport, analysis and entertainmentListen to Newstalk at http://newstalk.com/listenlive | Download the GoLoud app now, the new home for Newstalk

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Jun 12, 2026 · Source feed

  1. 464

    Extra: The Genetics of Wrongdoing

    Guest: Kathryn Paige Harden, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and author of ‘Original Sin: The Genetics of Wrongdoing, the Problem of Blame and the Future of Forgiveness’

  2. 463

    Did we find evidence of life on Mars in the 1970’s?

    Guests:Steven A. Benner, Chemist, Astrobiologist and author of ‘Meet the Neighbors: Life on Mars and How to Find It’Jessamyn Fairfield from the University of GalwayFergus McAuliffe, Head of Research Engagement and Impact Trinity College Dublin

  3. 462

    Extra: Growing Old in Ireland - 20 Years of the TILDA Study

    Guest: Rose Anne Kenny, Regis Professor of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin and Founding Principal Investigator of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

  4. 461

    How many insects are there?

    Guests:Alex Smith, Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph, Ontario, CanadaDr Ruth Freeman from Science Foundation IrelandMatthew Campbell from TCD

  5. 460

    Extra: The Irish scientists tackling organ transplant rejection

    Guest: Professor Róisín Dolan, Chief Investigator with the Sentinel Study Ireland at St. Vincent's University Hospital

  6. 459

    The Greenland shark discovered on Ireland’s coast

    Guests:Emilie De Loose, Project Officer of the Atlantic Whale Deal in the Irish Whale and Dolphin GroupJohn Regan from Maynooth UniversityLaura Hayes, DIAS

  7. 458

    Gold: Neil DeGrasse Tyson - A Brief Welcome to the Universe

    Science Communicator extraordinaire Neil deGrasse Tyson joined Jonathan in 2021 to discuss his book ‘A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour’, and how we communicate science to the public.

  8. 457

    Observing the Solar Eclipse

    Guests:Peter Gallagher, Director of Dunsink Observatory at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and an Adjunct Professor at Trinity College DublinJohn Regan from Maynooth UniversityLaura Hayes, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS)If you would like to listen to Jonathan’s experience of flying into the path of totality of the solar eclipse in 2015, here’s the link:https://soundcloud.com/whipsmart-media/path-of-totality-1

  9. 456

    Gold: How does the brain conjure consciousness?

    For centuries, philosophers have theorised about the mind-body question. Is the mind something separate from the body? If so what does that mean?So, how does the brain conjure consciousness?In this interview from 2021, Jonathan speaks with Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, Editor-in-Chief of Neuroscience of Consciousness and author of ‘Being You: A New Science of Consciousness’.

  10. 455

    Could AI be conscious?

    Guests:Charlotte Blease, Philosopher at Uppsala University and author of ‘Dr Bot: Why Doctors Can Fail Us – and How AI Could Save Lives’Kevin Mitchell, Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin and author of ‘Free Agents – How Evolution Gave Us Free Will’Alan Smeaton, Professor of Computing at DCUMatthew Campbell from TCDLaura Hayes, DIAS

  11. 454

    Extra: Could base editing lead to designer babies?

    Guest: Oliver Bower, Founding Scientist at ‘Preventive’

  12. 453

    The fish species with no males

    Guests:Ed Ricemeyer, Senior Bioinformatician and Chair of Animal Systems Genomics at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenJessamyn Fairfield from the University of GalwayShane Bergin, Physicist & Assistant Professor in Science Education at UCD

  13. 452

    Extra: ET Code of Conduct

    Guest: Professor Michael Garrett, Astrophysicist at the University of Manchester and Chair of the International Academy of Astronautics’ SETI Committee

  14. 451

    The problem solving powers of bumblebees

    Guests:Jussi Kantola, Data Analyst at the University of OuluMatthew Campbell, Professor of Neurovascular Genetics, Trinity College DublinDr Ruth Freeman, Director of Research for Society at Research Ireland

  15. 450

    Extra: Neuroscience and AI

    Guest: Rana Gujra, CEO of Behavioural Signals, tech entrepreneur and AI expert

  16. 449

    Is sitting down for long periods killing us?

    Guests:Dr. Frederick Ho, Senior Lecturer in Public health at the University of GlasgowLaura Hayes, Assistant Professor and Royal Society-Research Ireland University Research Fellow at the Dublin Institute for Advanced StudiesPhil Smyth, Physicist, Engineer and Science Communicator

  17. 448

    Extra: What is Cystinosis?

    Guest: Anuj Chauhan, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines

  18. 447

    Is photographic memory a real thing?

    Guests:Gabrielle Principe, Professor in the Department of Psychology at the College of CharlestonJessamyn Fairfield from the University of GalwayShane Bergin, Physicist & Assistant Professor in Science Education at UCD

  19. 446

    Extra: How VR can improve the health of the elderly

    Guest: Martin O’Neill, Lecturer in Population Health Informatics & Statistics at the Atlantic Technological University

  20. 445

    The Internet of Animals

    Guests:Martin Wikelski, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorAndrea Kwakowsky, Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Therapeutics at the University of Galway

  21. 444

    Extra: How Wi-Fi can be used for surveillance

    Guest: Felix Morsbach, Privacy and Security Researcher at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  22. 443

    What happens when you're struck by lightning?

    Guests: Jessamyn Fairfield from NUI Galway, Eoin Murphy Science Communicator, Mary Ann Cooper Managing Director in the African Centres for Lightning Education & Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois and Felix Morsbach Privacy and Security Researcher at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

  23. 442

    Extra: Can we cure nightmares?

    Guest: Michelle Carr, Director of the Dream Engineering Laboratory at Montreal's Centre for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine and author of ‘Into the Dream Lab: The New Science of Dreams and Nightmares’.

  24. 441

    Before Trees - What Were ‘Prototaxites’?

    Guests:Dr. Corentin Loron, Paleobiologist in Trinity College DublinDr. Susan Kelleher, Associate Professor of Chemistry in DCUShane Bergin, Physicist & Assistant Professor in Science Education at UCD

  25. 440

    Extra: Was there human sacrifice in ancient Rome?

    Guest: Frederic Auth, Doctoral Researcher at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt

  26. 439

    How does sperm work in outer space?

    Guests:Hannah Lyons, Reproduction Researcher in Adelaide UniversityMatthew Campbell from Trinity College DublinDr Ruth Freeman from Research Ireland

  27. 438

    Extra: How microbes tackle pollution

    Guest: Ludmilla Aristilde, Environmental Engineering Professor at Northwestern University

  28. 437

    The Chimpanzee War in Uganda

    Guests:John Mitani, Primatologist at the University of Michigan and Co-Founder of the Ngogo Chimpanzee ProjectLaura Hayes, Dublin Institute for Advanced StudiesDr Ruth Freeman of Research Ireland

  29. 436

    Extra: New Prostate Cancer Trials in Ireland

    Guest: Dr Paul Kelly, Medical Director of the UPMC Cancer Network in Ireland

  30. 435

    Learning while you sleep!

    Guests:Dr Karen Konkoly, Dream Scientist at the University of CambridgeDr Ruth Freeman of Research IrelandProfessor Annie Curtis of the RCSI

  31. 434

    Extra: Does science back up weird skincare trends?

    Guest: Dr Xinyi “Beibei” Du-Harpur, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at St John’s Institute of Dermatology and King’s College London

  32. 433

    Early flavour memories may shape picky eaters

    Guests:Professor Nadja Reissland of Science Foundation IrelandDr Ruth Freeman of Research IrelandDr Fergus McAuliffe of Trinity College Dublin

  33. 432

    Extra: Bodyoids

    Guest: Hank Greely, Professor of Law and Expert in Bioethics at Stanford University

  34. 431

    What is ‘Forensic Botany’?

    Guests:Christopher Hardy, Forensic Botanist and Biology Professor at Millersville UniversityLaura Hayes, Dublin Institute for Advanced StudiesTara Shine, Environmental Scientist

  35. 430

    Extra: The Power of Plankton

    Guest: Vincent Doumeizel, Senior Adviser on the oceans to the United Nations Global Compact and author of ‘The Power of Plankton: How Plankton Made Life On Earth Possible and Why It’s Key To Our Future’.

  36. 429

    The Smell of the Past

    Guests:Dr. Barbara Huber, Archaeochemist at the at the University of Tubingen in GermanyJessamyn Fairfield from NUI GalwayJohn Regan from Maynooth University

  37. 428

    Extra: AI Improving Medicine

    Guest: Charlotte Blease, Associate Professor in the Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Sweden and Author of ‘Dr Bot: Why Doctors Can Fail Us – and How AI Could Save Lives’.

  38. 427

    Building a Warp Drive

    Guests:Dr. Katy Clough, Astrophysicist at Queen Mary University of LondonAnnie Curtis Body Research Lecturer in RCSIShane Bergin, Physicist & Assistant Prof in Science Education at UCD

  39. 426

    Extra: How apples are engineered

    Guest: Kate Evans, Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Washington State University

  40. 425

    Will AI replace scientists?

    Guests:Jeff Clune, CIFAR AI chair at the Victor Institute and Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, CanadaJessamyn Fairfield from NUI GalwayMatthew Campbell from TCD

  41. 424

    Extra: Why can’t we figure out static electricity?

    Guest: Scott Waitukaitis, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria in Klosterneuburg

  42. 423

    The Dawn of Writing

    Guests:Genevieve Von Petzinger, Paleoanthropologist and Rock Art Researcher and Project Director of the LIAACAR Project (The Living, Intelligent Archive of Ancient Culture, Art and Relational Archeology)Dr. Ruth Freeman from Science Foundation IrelandShane Bergin, Physicist & Assistant Professor in Science Education at UCD

  43. 422

    Extra: Why Are We Going Back To The Moon?

    Guest: Dallas Campbell, BBC Space Presenter and author of ‘Space Journal: The Art and Science of Cosmic Exploration’

  44. 421

    Building a Robotic Oesophagus

    Guests:Dr Eoin O'Cearbhaill, Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering at University College DublinDr Shane Bergin, Physicist at UCDDr Lara Dungan, Immunologist and Medic

  45. 420

    Why should we avoid creating contrails?

    Guests:Dr Jessie Smith, Research Associate in Sustainable Aviation at the Department of Engineering at the University of CambridgeDr Fergus McAuliffe, Head of Research Engagement and Impact at Trinity College DublinDr Shelley Brady, Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics at DCU

  46. 419

    Extra: Movies reconstructed from mouse brain activity

    Guest: Dr Joel Bauer, Research Fellow at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour at UCL

  47. 418

    What happens during a hallucination?

    Guests:Dr Anna Georgiades, Lecturer in Early Intervention in Psychosis at King's College LondonDr Ruth FreemanDr John Regan

  48. 417

    Extra: The Origins of Our Musical Ability

    Guest: Dr Ani Patel, Tufts University, Massachusetts

  49. 416

    How The Brain Can Recover Forgotten Memories

    Guests:Dr Benjamin J. Griffiths, University of NottinghamDr Ruth Freeman, Research IrelandDr Tara Shine, Environmental Scientist

  50. 415

    Extra: Why animals see the world at different speeds

    Guest: Dr Kevin Healy, Lecturer in Zoology at the University of Galway

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Jonathan responds to your texts and tweets, is joined in studio for all the latest science stories for Newsround and speaks to one of our two guests featured on the show.CONVERSATION THAT COUNTS | Ireland’s national independent talk station for news, sport, analysis and entertainmentListen to Newstalk at http://newstalk.com/listenlive | Download the GoLoud app now, the new home for Newstalk

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea have?

Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea about?

Jonathan responds to your texts and tweets, is joined in studio for all the latest science stories for Newsround and speaks to one of our two guests featured on the show.CONVERSATION THAT COUNTS | Ireland’s national independent talk station for news, sport, analysis and entertainmentListen to...

How often does Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea release new episodes?

Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

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You can listen to Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea?

Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea is created and hosted by Newstalk.
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