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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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’s 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 New Scientist  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

What can Homer’s Odyssey teach us about psychology and human nature? Locked up in this 2,500-year-old text are a host of profound lessons and ancient wisdom. 

In her new book The Odyssey Mindset, Oxford classicist and clinical psychologist Sam Akbar draws on seven essential lessons from this classic piece of Greek literature. She showcases what it teaches us about issues like grief, ego and dealing with trauma – translating The Odyssey into a toolkit for modern life.

The book is out just as Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey hits the big screen. So if you want to have a deeper appreciation of Homer’s work before you visit the cinema, this one’s for you.

Rowan Hooper speaks to Sam Akbar about the incredible influence this work has had on Western culture, and Homer’s lessons for clinical psychology.

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And this isn’t just about the animals that came before them, but also explores the intricacies of how locomotion, intelligence, feeding, and reproduction emerged.

The series is hosted by broadcaster, natural history legend, and New Scientist superfan Chris Packham, who hopes Evolution will remind viewers that we are all connected on a deep and fundamental level.

Penny Sarchet sits down with Chris to discuss why they’ve chosen to tell the story in this way and explore some of his series highlights.

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