Illuminate Your Mind: A Deep Dive into New Scientist’s Most Fascinating Discoveries of 2024

Episode 282

Reflecting on some of the finest stories published by New Scientist in 2024, this episode is a rich source of information that will benefit you throughout the festive season. Rowan Hooper leads a group of New Scientist reporters as they take turns to showcase their preferred highlights from the year.

Josh Howgego, Head of Features, initiates the discussion by examining the race to unearth a remarkable and peculiar type of hydrogen, referred to as ‘gold hydrogen’ – a revolutionary development for sustainability that could be more plentiful than we initially thought. He also delves into the enigma of kimberlites, supersonic volcanoes that release diamonds, which became extinct millions of years ago.

Alison George tackles the tale of Thorin the Neanderthal, whose remains are illuminating how the ancient species perished – and unexpectedly, it may not have been our doing. She also investigates the emerging science of tinnitus and its potential to aid in curing hearing loss in the future.

Thomas Lewton explores some intriguing physics narratives from the year, including a disquieting notion that a quantum fluctuation involving the Higgs boson could lead to the universe disappearing at any instant. They also revisit an old hypothesis suggesting that quantum effects could account for consciousness, a theory revitalized by recent studies on anesthetics and brain organoids.

Meanwhile, Linda Rodriguez-McRobbie provides a nuanced perspective on screen time, often criticized for the current mental health crisis among the youth – and discusses why it might not be entirely negative. She also describes how this year researchers managed to revive a pig’s brain four hours after its separation from the body, challenging our understanding of death.

For further details on these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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