CultureLab is an array of delights from the world of culture and the arts. Sometimes we interview the world’s most exciting authors about their fascinating book...
Amorina Kingdon on the grunting, growling and singing world underwater
Have you ever heard a haddock knock? What about a cusk eel’s chatter?
Sound travels four-and-a-half times faster through water than air and can be heard across huge distances. It’s how whales are able to communicate hundreds of kilometres apart. Yet, for all its wonder, much of the underwater acoustic world remains a mystery to scientists.
Although human ears can’t detect most marine sounds, the invention of hydrophones – microphones designed to capture underwater audio – is helping scientists begin to unravel this hidden world.
So how does sound move through water? And how do underwater creatures perceive and use sound? Amorina Kingdon’s new book ‘Sing Like Fish’ explores these questions, revealing how marine life depends on ingenious uses of sound to communicate, navigate, and thrive.
In this episode, Kingdon and host Christie Taylor explore the fascinating ways fish and other marine animals produce sound, the physics of underwater ears, and how humans are impacting critical underwater soundscapes. Plus, samples of some of the most captivating underwater sounds she’s encountered in her research.
To read about subjects like this and much more, visit newscientist.com.
How The Light Gets In: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/london
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50:12
Lucy Foulkes on how adolescence shapes us
Ever wondered how your teenage years shaped the person you are today? Or why certain rebellious behaviours, like underage drinking, seem almost inevitable, no matter which generation you look at? Adolescence is a crucial, yet often misunderstood, phase of life.
Adolescent psychologist Lucy Foulkes’s new book ‘Coming of Age: How Adolescence Shapes Us’ will leave you reflecting on your own formative years in a whole new light – and offers insights that may help settle your anxieties as a parent of teens.
In this episode, Foulkes explains to New Scientist editor Catherine de Lange why adolescence is often such a challenging period, explains how these struggles are essential for self-discovery and shares tips on how adults can help the young people in their lives navigate this tricky period.
To read about subjects like this and much more, visit newscientist.com.
How The Light Gets In: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/london
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41:01
The best science TV of the year – so far.
With so many new TV series and documentaries available, it can be tough to decide what's truly worth your time. That’s where our TV columnist Bethan Ackerley comes in. From the genetically-gifted superheroes of Supacell…to a sobering documentary about the ethics of assisted dying, she has a wealth of options for your next night in.
Bethan and host Christie Taylor share a rundown of the top science TV shows from 2024 so far. They also get excited for what’s still to come this year and next, with recommendations on what to keep an eye out for.
Explore all of Bethan’s TV columns at newscientist.com/author/bethan-ackerley.
In this episode Christie and Bethan discuss the following series:
Science fiction:
Dr. Who (BBC/Disney+)
Time Bandits (Apple TV+)
Supacell (Netflix)
The 3-Body Problem (Netflix)
Fallout (Amazon Prime Video)
Scavengers Reign (Netflix)
Historical fiction:
The Decameron (Netflix)
Documentary:
Our Living World (Netflix)
Better Off Dead? (BBC - UK-only at this time)
The Space Shuttle that Fell to Earth / Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight (BBC/Max/Hulu/Others)
Yet to come:
Secret Lives of Orangutans (Netflix, August)
Dune: Prophecy (Max/Sky/NOW, November)
Silo, season 2 (Apple TV+, November)
Squid Game, season 2 (Netflix, December)
Severence, season 2 (Apple TV+, January 2025)
Andor, season 2 (Disney+, early 2025)
The Last of Us, season 2 (Max/Hulu/Others, 2025)
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38:57
Carlo Rovelli on the link between quantum physics and world peace
Quantum theory describes the tiny building blocks that make up everything around us. It has made many successful predictions but could a new, more radical idea help us make better sense of the world around us? Could it even be the answer to creating world peace?
Carlo Rovelli is an Italian theoretical physicist and writer behind the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics. His idea suggests that the fundamental building blocks of the universe are not particles or objects as many of us are taught in school, but relationships and interactions between them.
In this episode, Rovelli explains why he believes we should all be applying his theory to our everyday lives and relationships. And how it could even help improve international relations.
To read about subjects like this and much more, visit newscientist.com.
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31:47
The incredible, intelligent abilities of plants with Zoë Schlanger
What if we told you plants can hear and see? And memorise information? And track time to adapt their pollination techniques? And even look out for their family members? These are just some of the remarkable behaviours plants are capable of – many of which we’re only just learning about now.
Science journalist Zoë Schlanger’s new book The Light Eaters will make you question everything you currently assume about the green life around us, and even what “intelligence” can mean.
In this episode, Schlanger walks us through some of the incredible abilities and behaviours plants employ to not only survive, but thrive – from orchids sexually deceiving wasps, to shape-shifting vines that flew under the radar of researchers for decades. And, she suggests, it might be time to rethink how we do science to accommodate the seemingly endless adaptability of plants.
To read about subjects like this and much more, visit newscientist.com.
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CultureLab is an array of delights from the world of culture and the arts. Sometimes we interview the world’s most exciting authors about their fascinating books, other times we delve into the science behind a movie or TV show. New episodes every other Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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