Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill

Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is a heartbreaking moment for anyone, and perhaps more than anything underscores just how deeply we come to care for the animals in our lives. But what if it need not be a final goodbye? Science is making the idea of cloning your pet a reality and this week Luke explores the origins of the groundbreaking tech behind it, gives us some notable examples of animal cloni...

We may think we know it all about the dinosaurs, and their end, but new discoveries continue to emerge and this week Luke delves into all that is new in the prehistoric world – including the “ultimate dinosaur drumstick” and what this one special bone is telling us. We learn about the tiny shrew which arrived after the dinosaurs, and which we evolved from and how aerosols and dust were the ultimat...

In the course of Luke's career he has explored many areas and asked many questions, but one illness and the mysteries around it has taken up more of his life than almost any other - rheumatoid arthritis. This week he gives us a whistle stop tour through the science of a subject close to his heart, and explains why after decades of work there are today some potentially groundbreaking developments i...

Luke returns to one of his very favourite topics of discussion, music. Some exciting new info has emerged on the health benefits of a musical life, and the big part music has played in our evolution, and Luke is only too happy to explore it all. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen to N...

For some of us they are an ongoing and excruciating menace in our lives, and for scientists they remain an unsolved mystery in many ways. This week Luke explores the science of migraines - asking what causes them, and how they affect everyone differently. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also l...

It was the first ever drug ever made by a drug company, but  for decades nobody knew exactly how it worked. It is also a drug that has led to many other drugs we now know so well. This week Luke explores the science of aspirin, a drug that changed the world. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can als...

Are you tired of winters? Sick of the those long dark months when not a lot happens? Would a bout of hibernation interest you? Well, science and space travel may soon bring about that possibility, and this week Luke explores how it might work. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.    You can also listen to New...

Sleep can be a tricky one for all of us - getting enough good quality snoozing time can seem an elusive, sometimes unattainable, goal in a busy life. But science may have some answers. This week Luke looks at why our sleep is disturbed, what impacts it can have on our bodies, and how we can make it better. One thing science tells us, as Luke learns, is if you want to sleep - don't count sheep. Lis...

One of earth's most fascinating creatures, and also perhaps the species with the biggest influence on the scientific life of one Professor Luke O'Neill. This week Luke explores the vast and complex world of whales, and why whale poo (or the artificial version of it anyway) could turn out to be quite an incredible resource for the planet. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcast...

For better and worse beer has been intertwined with human history for centuries, but what is the science behind one of the world's favourite drinks? This week Luke explores the experiments and discoveries that have guided the evolution of beer, from the earliest imbibers to the tap in your local pub. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and su...

There are things in life you cannot change - the past, the weather, your family - but there could be one less sure thing in this world, because your blood group could soon become a lot less definite. This week Luke has news of a startling new development that could have huge positive implications for medicine and transplants in particular. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podca...

We know dogs are close to the top of the pecking order of animal intelligence, but the breadth of dog intelligence might just surprise you, from empathy to jealousy, and lots in between, our canine companions have plenty on their minds. This week Luke explores how, and why, humans domesticated dogs, and what intellectual traits of those first wild animals remain today, and what upgrades and improv...

It makes your belly shake, make your eyes water, and binds us to each other - the power of a good laugh can be monumental. But why do we laugh, why are we prone to giggling a lot more depending on how many people we are around, and are we humans the only species who enjoy a good chuckle? This week Luke explores the science of laughter, and why some things can be good when they're contagious. Liste...

This week Luke asks if it might all be in our heads? Or a lot of it anyway. While many of us are surely familiar with the idea of the placebo effect, what about the nocebo effect and the incredible power of suggestion on our minds? Luke picks apart the science that tries to understand why real physical conditions can be brought about not by illness, but by the power of suggestion. Listen and subsc...

The humble fungi is the focus of this week's podcast, and it really is a lot more complex and brilliant than we might have expected. Luke explores the fascination of the "wood wide web", the beauty and benefits of fungi to life on earth, and why there wouldn't even be life on land, of any kind, if it weren't for fungi. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts ,Google Podcasts ...

Why do we cry? What is it about humans that makes us shed tears due to sadness, laughter, anger or even onions? This week Luke explores the science of tears - an often under explored but fascinating corner of the biological world. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts ,Google Podcasts and Spotify.    Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.     You can also liste...

Science forges towards breaking another frontier this week, as Luke brings us news of a vaccine for ageing. Could we one day live forever? Could a simple jab protect us from what was is today considered one of the universe's few certainties? Luke explains why cheating time might be a lot closer than we think. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts ,Google Podcasts and Spotif...

A new year and for many a new commitment to shift those extra pounds. But how much of weight gain is down to bad habits, and how much is down to more unalterable factors, like your age? Luke explores the science of weight gain, and specifically how age affects your fat cells, and also looks at why gut microbiomes could be at the root of many of our cravings. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Sci...

On the eve of the greatest journey of the year, as Santa and his reindeer depart the North Pole to cross the globe, Luke explores the science of the animals who make it all possible. From their specialised fur, to their speedy feet and red noses, Luke finds the science in the magic. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts ,Google Podcasts and Spotify.    Download, listen and...

On cold, rainy winter nights Luke has found himself pondering a question - why on earth did humans end up coming to live in Europe? Why would we leave warmer climates and head north? So he set about finding the answer, and found some surprising factors - both as a result of evolutionary advances and total chance - played a big role, including the vast potentials opened up by the discovery of chees...

Plastic waste is a problem that the world needs to solve, and this week Luke explains why new discoveries are offering a potential route away from the tonnes of waste we accumulate every year, and it involves a method that took him by surprise. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts ,Google Podcasts and Spotify.    Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.     You...

We return to the question of the human genome this week, as Luke explores how recent breakthroughs are paving the way for medical interventions of a kind doctors could long only have dreamed of. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts ,Google Podcasts and Spotify.    Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.     You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com o...

We all know we should eat plenty of fruit and veg, but just why is a plant based diet so good for us? And is it able to give us all we need, without animal based foods? This week Luke explains the many complex ways in which our bodies react to a plant based diet, and why a little more veg and a little less meat might do us no harm. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science on Apple Podcasts ,Goo...

What was once just a dream has become reality for scientists in recent years, and even in recent months, as gene therapy technology has advanced at a rapid pace, allowing us to fight diseases that were once beyond all treatment. In this episode, Luke explains the science behind gene therapy and picks four major breakthroughs that could have huge impacts. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the Science...

It sounds like the plot to science fiction set far into the future, but it is in fact seemingly growing nearer - the potential for human beings to reproduce without pregnancy. This week Luke explains how some major breakthroughs in recent times could lead to huge technological advances and some even bigger ethical questions about that technology should be used. Listen and subscribe to Show Me the...