We learn why coffee could be the surprising secret to a successful nap, and why simple tricks can be the most effective in tackling chronic stress.

Produced by Emily Bird

Two extraordinary breakthroughs have been made in transplant surgery. First, scientists have found a way of keeping human eyes alive for up to 10 hours after death, opening up the possibility of eye transplants in the future. 

And in a second controversial surgery, another team has managed to restore severed spinal cords in pigs, allowing them to walk again after being paralysed. While it鈥檚 hoped this will eventually allow people with spinal injuries to walk again, one of the scientists involved is a proponent of human head transplants – or body transplants as they should really be known. Is that the ultimate goal?

Find out how the scientists achieved these feats – and what鈥檚 required to take both surgeries to the next level.

Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Alexandra Thompson.

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Two big interstellar discoveries have hit the headlines. One is the discovery of the first atmosphere ever found on a small, rocky exoplanet that could host alien life.

The planet LHS 1140b is about 50 light years from Earth and sits in the 鈥淕oldlocks鈥� zone, meaning it鈥檚 close enough to its star to be habitable. So what do we know about its atmosphere 鈥� and could it be just like Earth?

The second story is of sugar molecules discovered in interstellar space for the first time 鈥� detected in a cosmic cloud nearly 27 light years away. Researchers believe this sugar could have formed before the solar system itself.

Find out more with Senior Editor Chelsea Whyte and Space Reporter Leah Crane.

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Image credits:

Chester Harman, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

ESO/spaceengine.org, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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The climate crisis is having a significant impact on yields of crucial food crops. Losses of maize, wheat and soybeans alone are costing $20 billion a year due to heat and drought. New estimates expect this to rise to $160 billion per year by 2100 – although that could be an underestimate.

While this means food prices will keep on rising in developed countries, the majority of the population in the world鈥檚 least developed regions work in farming, so crop losses have the potential to destabilise them, creating social unrest and increased migration.

But beyond getting emissions under control, do we need to completely rethink how we produce food globally in order to combat this? 

Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by Michael Le Page to discuss this new prediction and the action needed to stop it coming true.

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In this special listener Q&A, Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson wrap up the first series of Change Your Mind with 麻豆传媒听 by tackling your questions. Drawing on the latest neuroscience, they separate fact from fiction on some of the biggest brain health topics we’ve covered so far.

Along the way, they reflect on the habits that surprised them most this series, from cold-water swimming to spending time alone, before diving into your questions about brain development, memory, emotions, alcohol and even whether ditching your clothes could have unexpected benefits for your mental wellbeing.

Change Your Mind will be back in three weeks time for season two with brand new expert guests and brain-changing discoveries.

We want to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment or send us your ideas and questions for future episodes at changeyourmind@newscientist.com

Produced by Emily Bird

They are joined by neuroscientist听Michael Leon, who explains what happens when we lose our sense of smell, and staggeringly that simply enriching your life with听 pleasant scents could help protect you from diseases like Alzheimer鈥檚.

Produced by Emily Bird

We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to听鈦犫仩鈦犫仩鈦�changeyourmind@newscientist.com鈦犫仩鈦�

Find out more about your senses at 麻豆传媒:

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Learn more about our sponsor Alzheimer鈥檚 Society:
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Scientists have created a synthetic cell with just 36 genes that can copy DNA and replicate. In an attempt to create a 鈥渕inimal cell鈥�, a team led by professor Kate Adamala have built 鈥淪pudCell鈥� from the ground up, using non-living components.

But is it alive – and is it dangerous? Despite being able to carry out some of the tasks of a normal cell, it鈥檚 not clear that it鈥檚 capable of evolution – yet. But it is a major breakthrough in the field and could pave the way for the creation of artificial life in the future.

Researchers have made their work open source so the next breakthrough can be fasttracked – and hope it will help provide a solution to the climate crisis by replacing the need for petrochemicals.

To discuss the news – and its implications for the origin of life – Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by 麻豆传媒 reporter Michael Le Page.

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Advances in sports science, data analysis and AI are having a huge impact on the way football is played. With England rated highly in this year鈥檚 World Cup, and teams such as Paraguay causing upsets – how will science help give teams an edge?

In the past there was very little data available to help assess player performance – and diet and training were much more rudimentary. But now we can analyse information in an incredibly sophisticated way, which is changing what players can achieve on the pitch.

In this special World Cup episode recorded at the Royal Society in London, we explore the emerging role of data and AI in football, the neuroscience of penalty shootouts, the impact of extreme heat on player performance, differences between the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 game – and much more.

Rowan Hooper is joined by a panel of expert guests, including:

Dr Charlotte Cowie, Chief Medical Officer of the British Olympic Association

Dr Ian Graham, Founder of sports advisory business Ludonautics

Holly Bridge, Professor of Neuroscience at University of Oxford

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Image credit: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons听

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In this episode of Change Your Mind from 麻豆传媒, Helen and Cat explore the surprising science of solitude, including how it differs from loneliness and why time alone can sometimes even improve our connections with other people. They鈥檙e joined by听Netta Weinstein, a psychologist at the University of Reading, UK, and co-author of听Solitude: The Power and Science of Being Alone, to discuss how much time alone is actually good for your brain. And how do you make the most of your alone time to restore your mood, creativity and patience?听