They’re joined by psychologist Dr Mathew White, whose large-scale studies are revealing why time near water might give our brains an extra boost over green spaces alone, and how much you really need each week to feel the effects. 

Produced by Emily Bird

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In this episode of Change Your Mind with �鶹��ý Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson talk to psychotherapist and climate-aware therapy expert Caroline Hickman about why eco anxiety is a rational response to a warming world, how it is reshaping young people’s lives and decisions, and what her global research reveals about sadness, fear and a sense of betrayal. They explore practical ways to live with climate distress without being overwhelmed from reframing anxiety as care, to building resilience, to using imagination to create hopeful visions of the future. 

Produced by Emily Bird

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

Find out more about Climate Anxiety at �鶹��ý:

What is eco-anxiety and how can we overcome it?

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They talk to Professor Yaakov Stern, a leading researcher in the field, to uncover what cognitive reserve actually is, how it’s measured and why some people stay mentally sharp despite significant brain changes. Along the way, they delve into surprising evidence on music, bilingualism, social life, exercise, and even hobbies like quilting and photography to ask how much effort we really need to put in to future‑proof our brains.

Produced by Emily Bird

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

To find out, they’re joined by Professor Paul Kenny, a leading expert on the brain’s reward and motivation systems. Together, they unpack how these drugs might quiet “food noise”, reshape our cravings, and potentially influence conditions like depression, alcohol use and Alzheimer’s disease, while also confronting their cultural side effects, from shifting body ideals to questions about who really benefits. 

Produced by Emily Bird

They’re joined by Claudia Hammond, broadcaster, author, and visiting professor at the University of Sussex, to unpack the surprising ways your brain lights up when you switch off.  

If you’ve ever wondered whether scrolling on your sofa really counts as rest, how much rest you actually need, or what kinds of activities are most restorative, this episode might just change how you think about doing nothing.

Produced by Emily Bird 

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

In this episode of Change Your Mind, health journalists Helen Thomson and Cat de Lange dive into the science of caffeine to find out whether we can enjoy our coffee fix guilt free. 

They’re joined by Dr Astrid Nehlig, a leading researcher on caffeine and the brain, to explore everything from the long-term effects of caffeine on our ageing brains, to the surprising ways coffee may be acting on our gut microbiome.

If you’ve ever wondered whether to cut down, quit or top up your cup, this episode might just change how you think about caffeine.

Produced by Emily Bird 

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

The surprising science of coffee and its effect on both body and mind

The latest research on caffeine reveals why coffee and decaf can be so good for your health, but energy drinks can be lethal

We learn how texting could be good for your brain health and how a morning walk in the sun could lead to a better night’s sleep.

Produced by Emily Bird

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’s 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’s 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 “Goldlocks” zone, meaning it’s close enough to its star to be habitable. So what do we know about its atmosphere – and could it be just like Earth?

The second story is of sugar molecules discovered in interstellar space for the first time – 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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