Imperial College Podcast

In this edition: We explore the possible harms of vaping, meet dogs trained to detect disease, and travel through the physics of CERN. News: Sepsis alert and dreaming while awake – We find out about a new system to automatically alert doctors to patients displaying signs of sepsis, and discover how the psychedelic drug in  ayahuasca affects the brain . Is vaping dangerous? – We examine the evidenc...

In this edition: Investigating UK painkiller prescriptions, how the climate crisis affects mental health and the return of race science.   News: Air quality in parks and the power of krill – We discover that more than a quarter of London's open spaces exceed limits for nitrogen dioxide pollution , and that small crustaceans play an outsized role in the global climate . Does the UK have a painkille...

In this edition: We revisit summer expeditions into the caves of Slovenia, along the Silk Road and at Everest base camp.   News: Surrey quakes and Antarctic archives – We review research that concludes oil drilling was not responsible for earthquakes in Surrey , and hear how restored data from the 1970s is providing a new look at Antarctic ice melt . Adventures with the caving club – Journey deep...

In this edition: We explore Sir Ernst Chain's role in penicillin, apps tackling mental health, and an algorithm making sense of patient feedback.   News: Obesity injections and bat faces – We discuss a new treatment for obesity that provides an alternative to surgery, and meet some handsome bats with an interesting evolutionary story. The story of Sir Ernst Chain – The founder of Imperial's bioche...

In this edition: We commemorate 50 years since the Moon landing by looking ahead to the future of space travel, medicine and exploration.   News: Moon landing facts – We celebrate the Apollo 11 mission with some little-known facts about the moon landing, and look at the next mission heading to our nearest neighbour. Future of space travel with Britain's first astronaut – We chat to Helen Sharman,...

In this bonus edition of the Imperial College Podcast we invite you to take a front row seat at a special Q&A with the UK government's Chief Scientific Adviser. Sir Patrick Vallance came to Imperial this month to launch The Forum - Imperial's new policy engagement programme. In a candid Q&A with an audience of staff, students, senior policy figures and members of the media, Patrick spoke about the...

In this edition: We get ready for the Festival by taking a talk quiz, building a mini Theremin, and hearing some scientific spoken word poetry. News: Pre-Incan waterways and analysing incinerators  – We hear how 1400-year-old methods of water management could boost supplies during Peru's dry season, and how exposure to municipal waste incinerators has no link infant death or reduced foetal growth....

In this edition: Climate champion Jo Haigh retires, and we find out how often kids see alcohol marketing and how a game is helping stroke recovery.   News: Dyson School opening and eating insects – We celebrate the Dyson School of Design Engineering building officially opening and discuss why eating insects is a good idea. Climate champion retires – Professor Jo Haigh, Co-Director of the Grantham...

In this edition: We find out why students cheat, how 3D printing has evolved and tune into the sounds of the rainforest.   News: Festival preview – The Imperial Festival has joined up with 19 of its neighbours this year to bring you the largest selection of science, art, technology and entertainment South Kensington has to offer. Join us for the Great Exhibition Road Festival on 28-30 June. Why do...

In this edition: We mark Imperial Enterprise Month with women entrepreneurs and leaders, plus advice for making businesses playful.   News: Alternatives to statins and dinosaur demise – We discover a new class of drugs that could lower cholesterol in people unable to take statins, and find out that the dinosaurs were thriving before the deadly asteroid strike. Agents for Change – Can six months of...

In this edition: How researchers are tracing fake news, what happens when flights stray into the wrong airspace and listening to the interior of Mars.