eLife: podcasts

Episode 101: December 2025

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:58:06 +0000

In this episode, we hear about the development of the visual system, nocebo effects versus placebos, cross-species insemination, telomere length, and efforts to recreate Darwin’s “warm little pond”.

Episode 100: September 2025

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:44:59 +0000

In this episode, we hear about poison frogs, gut microbiomes and disease, queen ants and gene therapy, tapeworms and epilepsy, and the double-edged nature of trained immunity.

Episode 99: June 2025

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:19:10 +0000

In this episode, we hear about giant viruses, monkeys who wash their food, sepsis in infant pigs, how cancers can cause extra tentacles to grow in hydra, and the impact of speaking multiple languages on the structure of the cortex.

Episode 98: April 2025

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:58:18 +0000

In this episode, we hear about parasites as molecular matchmakers, drug combinations and cancer treatment, chemical defences in poison frogs, the impact of education on brain structure, and what movies can reveal about the organisation of the infant visual system.

Episode 97: February 2025

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 12:13:45 +0000

In this episode we hear about opioid overdoses, a new technique for studying teamwork in animals, making the most of fMRI data, how childhood adversity blunts the fear response in later life, and the neuroscientists looking to link patterns of brain activity to specific thought processes - by performing brain scans on people as they watch movies.

Episode 96: December 2024

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 18:18:26 +0000

In this episode, we hear about predicting the evolution of influenza viruses, how deserts decompose matter, what worms are revealing about a gene linked to autism, and how mice detect the smell of cats.

Episode 95: October 2024

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:55:41 +0000

In this episode, we hear about cancer and mental health, efforts to make antibodies more reliable, exercises that can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and the possibility that products from human birth tissue could be used to treat post-surgical pain.

Episode 94: September 2024

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 08:53:22 +0000

In this episode, we hear about bacterial vampirism, how ants use moonlight to navigate, spontaneous preterm birth, and the different responses of male and female mice to food restriction.

Episode 93: June 2024

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 09:22:32 +0000

In this episode, we hear about food-related memories, termite nests, the importance of monitoring livestock abortions, monkey malaria, and how a common language is important in neurodiversity research.

Episode 92: April 2024

Wed, 01 May 2024 12:36:28 +0000

In this episode, we hear about hibernation, the evolution of flu epidemics, aphantasia, the effects of ketamine, and how the brain changes when animals form sexual bonds.

Episode 91: February 2024

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:06:17 +0000

In this episode, we hear about what orangutans can tell us about the origins of human speech, the challenges of being dyslexic in an academic environment, changing tunes in fin whales, ancient botanical drugs and alternative career paths of science graduates.

Episode 90: December 2023

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 13:49:09 +0000

In this episode, we hear about bees and pesticides, plants in the Arctic, stinging strategies in sea anemones, communication between cancer cells, and the biomechanics of albatrosses.

Episode 89: September 2023

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:23:10 +0000

In this episode, we hear about adapting to life in cold water, animals keeping their distance when pathogens are present, why women are reluctant to submit to elite journals, how learning compassion changes the structure of the brain, and biological ageing in children.

Episode 88: July 2023

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 13:07:20 +0000

In this episode, we hear about a natural climate-change experiment, the placebo effect in personalised medicine, ancestry and skin pigmentation, friendship and mental health, and the ovarian immune system.

Episode 87: May 2023

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 12:34:22 +0000

In this episode, we hear about ways to combat online misinformation, what fish reveal about fighting infections, the eating habits of bats, plumage patterns in birds, and how spiders came by their venoms.

Episode 86: April 2023

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 14:52:50 +0000

In this episode, we hear about ancient genes and disease, trustworthiness, sexual maturity and life expectancy in mice, the ancient secrets of eggshells, and “doughnut academia”.

Episode 85: February 2023

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:28:36 +0000

In this episode, we hear about a possible link between mitochondrial DNA and personality, why humans are mostly right-handed, circadian clocks and sunflowers, hairless mammals, and how some herbivores deal with plant toxins.

Episode 84: December 2022

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:41:30 +0000

In this episode, we hear about fish-eating dinosaurs, the benefits of intercropping, mobile phones and health in Africa, and stress and siblings in bonobos.

Episode 83: November 2022

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 09:57:26 +0000

In this episode, we hear about neonatal communication in marmosets, a potential link between language development disorders and myelin, the evolution of the lung, and eLife’s new approach to publishing.

Episode 82: September 2022

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 12:48:26 +0000

In this episode, we hear about ancient populations, wild animals in cities, tumour cells under pressure, smell and mating in moths, and Africa’s potential for neuroscience.

Episode 81: July 2022

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 09:07:55 +0000

In this episode, we hear about e- cigarettes, the feeding behaviour of mosquitoes, gender inequalities in science, and how babies get their vitamin D.

Episode 80: May 2022

Mon, 09 May 2022 13:00:06 +0000

In this episode, we hear about insulin and the body clock, communication in baboons, the sleep patterns of animals in the wild, a new species of dinosaur, and how Covid antibodies produced in response to vaccines and infection compare.

Episode 79: March 2022

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 15:29:12 +0000

In this episode, we hear about contagious cancer in clams, pregnancy and evolution in humans, how a taste for cereals preceded farming, ultraviolet patterns in sunflowers, and the eLife Ambassador Programme

Episode78: January 2022

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 15:23:00 +0000

In this episode, we hear about the posture of an ancient hominid, limb regeneration, feline bacteria, ant colonies, and how old worms combat the ageing process.

Episode 77: December 2021

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 10:17:11 +0000

In this episode, we hear about coral bleaching, neolithic diseases, oxytocin, the evolution of disease genes, and plans for an atlas of plant cells.

Episode 76: October 2021

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 15:49:09 +0000

In this episode, we hear about the ways that junk food affects monkeys, grey hair, empathetic rats, using smart phones to fight COVID-19, and how the slave trade spread disease.

Episode 75: July 2021

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 10:45:36 +0000

In this episode, we hear about the cost of high status, vaccine trackers, pain relief in newborns, Alzheimer's disease and how losing a partner can increase the risk of cancer.

Episode 74: May 2021

Fri, 28 May 2021 15:18:37 +0000

In this episode, we hear about social support among gorillas, sound effects in hummingbirds, deforestation and malaria, and why large animals are less likely to get cancer.

Episode 73: April 2021

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 09:42:04 +0000

In this episode, we hear about microdosing, bacteria in rivers, parasites and inflammation, aging, and non-inclusive language in science.

Episode 72: February 2021

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 11:48:01 +0000

In this episode, we hear about boosting memory with magnesium, overlooked COVID-19 genes, sourdough, sharks in low-oxygen environments, and how mummified baboons could help solve the mystery of an ancient kingdom.

Episode 71: December 2020

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 12:18:52 +0000

In this episode, we hear about exercise and cancer, mental health in academia, sea slugs, anti-nausea drugs and how the brain remembers unpleasant tastes.

Episode 70: November 2020

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 13:12:51 +0000

In this episode, we hear about artificial intelligence and in vitro fertilization, scar-free wound healing, decision-making, mosquitoes and open-access publishing.

Episode 69: September 2020

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 11:33:35 +0000

In this episode, we hear about prostate cancer, cultural diversity in bonobos, blood fat imbalances in Latin America and the Caribbean, insect behaviour, and how astrocytes can form new neurons.

Episode 68: August 2020

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 14:35:25 +0000

In this episode, we hear about Huntington’s and heart disease, insights into the academic job market, the effect of noise on whales, and how tiny ear movements can help detect the direction of a sound.

Episode 67: June 2020

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 11:03:58 +0000

In this episode, we hear about a controversial claim in plant science, why we cannot get enough of chocolate, HIV in women, sex as a biological variable, and why not all zebrafish like to mingle.

Episode 66: May 2020

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 15:42:23 +0000

In this episode we hear about sparrows, cave-dwelling fish, COVID-19 in hospital staff, anti-fungal drugs and lack of insect diversity in soil.

Episode 65: March 2020

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:30:10 +0000

In this episode we hear about bats hosting deadly viruses, screening travelers for COVID-19, Tuvan singers and predicting educational success.

Episode 64: February 2020

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 13:15:39 +0000

In this episode we hear about genetic privacy, plants with three parents, using cannabis to treat endometriosis, a new type of hearing test and how we can enjoy a cuddle.

Episode 63: January 2020

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 11:11:40 +0000

In this episode we hear about a fall in average body temperature over time, how our brain encodes seasons, why members of underrepresented communities leave academia and more.

Episode 62: December 2019

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 16:40:33 +0000

In this episode we hear about bomb-proof tardigrades, how tuberculosis gets transmitted between cows and badgers, why ants do not get stuck in traffic jams, the state of mental health in academia and more.

Episode 61: October 2019

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 16:06:59 +0000

In this episode we hear about parents passing on new mutations, a genetic mystery 100 years in the making, the experiences of early-career group leaders, and more.

Episode 60: September 2019

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 11:49:36 +0000

In this episode we hear about how sex makes female bees go blind, the cost of unnecessary medical procedures, how birds can fly over the Himalayas, an eLife author's trip to space and more.

Episode 59: June 2019

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 15:40:11 +0000

In this episode, we hear about the emerging field of palaeoshellomics, wasp eggs that keep their food fresh, a monkey with a missing visual cortex, new biological methods inspired by astronomy and how to mix a family with a research career.

Episode 58: Meet Mike Eisen

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 12:36:30 +0000

eLife has a new Editor-in-Chief: who is he, and what are his plans for the journal?

Episode 57: May 2019

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 18:29:20 +0000

In this episode, we hear about a 99 million-year-old beetle, the consequences of early-life inflammation, malaria's DNA passport, redesigning images in biology and Mike Eisen's vision for science.

Episode 56: April 2019

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 16:04:48 +0000

In this episode, we hear about multipartite viruses, brain maps of people without hands, measles vaccinations, reproducible science, and how to spot premature babies.

Episode 55: March 2019

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 14:47:35 +0000

In this episode, we hear about fast-acting insulin in cone snails, the roots of addiction, new gene editing techniques and gender biases in joint first authors.

Episode 54: February 2019

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 14:26:31 +0000

In this episode, we hear about colour vision in bats, frog vocal systems, ageing, problematic cell lines and how larger neurons could lead to a higher IQ.

Episode 53: January 2019

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 13:19:09 +0000

In this episode, we hear about memory consolidation, breast cancer, leafcutter ants, deep-sea biodiversity and the beneficial effects of oxytocin on our health.

Episode 52: December 2018

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 15:39:41 +0000

In this episode, we hear about how flies taste salt, animal personalities, fossil flowers and flying squirrels, and the impact of climate change on seal pups.

Episode 51: November 2018

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 09:59:36 +0000

In this episode, we hear about mammals moving to the suburbs, LSD and the brain, publication bias, contagious cancers, and the effect of climate change on mosquito-borne diseases.

Episode 50: October 2018

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 07:33:47 +0000

In this special episode, we discuss how microbes in the gut – the microbiome – can have a huge impact on the lives of animals.

Episode 49: August 2018

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 12:47:34 +0000

In this episode, we hear about the RNA world, bovine TB, fibrosis of the lung, and why rock pigeons have different wing patterns.

Episode 48: June 2018

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 10:42:33 +0000

In this episode, we hear about why we always have space for dessert, how collecting seeds from large areas could help restoration projects, gut bacteria, the placebo effect and toxoplasmosis.

Episode 47: May 2018

Thu, 31 May 2018 10:23:51 +0000

In this episode, we hear about echolocation in bats, open science, a new use for aspirin, brain topography, and combining science and parenthood.

Episode 46: March 2018

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 09:02:30 +0000

In this episode, we hear about autism, insulin resistance, Sci-Hub, coping with low levels of oxygen, and how the brain responds to blindness.

Episode 45: February 2018

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:28:16 +0000

In this episode, we hear about disease control in insects, placental development, post-traumatic stress disorder, the mission to create a human cell atlas and how crickets amplify their song.

Episode 44: January 2018

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 14:08:42 +0000

In this episode, we hear about self-esteem, a new genus of extinct horse, the future of biological engineering, mosquito trackers, and sperm competition in salmon.

Episode 43: November 2017

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 08:59:49 +0000

In this episode, we hear about tool use in monkeys, sleep regulation, marsupial placentas, health campaigns and why science papers are so hard to read.

Episode 42: eLife at five

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 13:55:41 +0000

In this special episode, we hear about photosynthesis, forensics, peer review, and the past, present and future of eLife.

Episode 41: September 2017

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 07:58:53 +0000

In this episode we hear about biomarkers for epilepsy, how fish can recognise faces, insect anti-anti aphrodisiacs, and why striving for novelty may hinder progress in science.

Episode 40: July 2017

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 13:43:37 +0000

Hear about the sea urchin immune system, symbiotic bacteria in squid, anxiety and a training course to promote collaboration between scientists.

Episode 39: Spotlight on tropical diseases

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 08:41:30 +0000

In this special episode we discuss diseases that are common in tropical countries including tuberculosis, Zika, malaria and schistosomiasis.

Episode 38: May 2017

Tue, 02 May 2017 15:54:57 +0000

In this episode we hear about biofilms in bacteria, drug production, gender bias in peer review, nematode worms and how synchronising brain waves can boost memory.

Episode 37: March 2017

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 04:10:37 +0000

In this episode we hear about helping people with paralysis to communicate, how exposing mice to nicotine can affect their sons, scaffold-building parasites, the origins of handedness and plain-language summaries of research.

Episode 36: February 2017

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 14:08:51 +0000

In this episode we hear about epilepsy, the sushi-belt model of transport in neurons, a mother in ancient Troy, the Amazon rainforest and bias in scientific reporting.

Episode 35: Footprints of the past

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 09:38:55 +0000

In this special episode we hear the full story of the discovery of the fossil footprints in Laetoli, Tanzania, as featured in episode 34.

Episode 34: December 2016

Fri, 16 Dec 2016 09:51:35 +0000

In this episode we hear about fossil footprints, taking medical research to the clinic, sleepy flies, team-working ants and diversity in science.

Episode 33: November 2016

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 09:06:06 +0000

In this episode we hear about the first heartbeat, African sleeping sickness, elephant genetics, the rubber hand illusion and women in science.

Episode 32: September 2016

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 11:14:24 +0000

In this episode we hear about ancient proteins, aging mice, mosquito nets, resourceful plants and cocktail party conversations.

Episode 31: August 2016

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:15:04 +0000

In this episode we hear about human height, fish joints, colour vision, chimpanzees using tools and open science.

Episode 30: June 2016

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 08:30:15 +0000

In this episode we hear about drug production, early career researchers, honeybees, human migrations and pain.

Episode 29: May 2016

Fri, 27 May 2016 13:19:42 +0000

In this episode we hear about parasitic worms, dog tumours, epilepsy, DNA sequencing classes and social behaviour in mice.

Episode 28: March 2016

Thu, 24 Mar 2016 00:00:27 +0000

In this episode we hear about aging, artificial fingertips, ancient DNA, antibiotic resistance and dengue fever.

Episode 27: February 2016

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 16:07:23 +0000

In this episode we hear about midnight snacking, X-ray imaging of fossils, hummingbirds, monkeys gambling and axolotls regenerating.

Episode 26: December 2015

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 13:01:46 +0000

In this episode we hear about heat-seeking behaviour in mosquitos, mass spawning in coral reefs, social organization in ants, fear in rats and tissue regeneration in newts.

Episode 25: November 2015

Fri, 06 Nov 2015 17:08:26 +0000

In this episode we hear about deep-sea bacteria, cigarette smoke and lung disease, antibiotic resistance, unconscious perception, and the benefits of sleep.

Episode 24: October 2015

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 11:51:07 +0000

In this episode we hear about Parkinson's Disease, depression, chickenpox, bats, beetles, and how small prey can escape larger predators.

Episode 23: Meet Homo naledi

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 14:25:49 +0000

In this special episode we hear about a new human species, Homo naledi, that has been unearthed from the Rising Star cave system in South Africa.

Episode 22: August 2015

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 08:47:01 +0000

In this episode we hear about cancer, dengue fever, sperm DNA and neurons that are sensitive to magnetic fields.

Episode 21: June 2015

Mon, 22 Jun 2015 21:54:34 +0000

In this episode we hear about tinnitus and hyperacusis, salamanders, chemical harpoons, and the role of ultrasound and song in the mating rituals of mice and flies.

Episode 20: May 2015

Mon, 18 May 2015 20:05:46 +0000

In this episode we hear about echolocation, bacteriophages, babies and pain, a neural code for food abundance, and how zebrafish can make their own sunscreen.

Episode 19: March 2015

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 21:35:06 +0000

In this episode we hear about herpes, breweries, model organisms, social interactions in rats and traumatic brain injuries in flies.

Episode 18: February 2015

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 21:32:01 +0000

In this episode we hear about TB, HIV, social behaviour in ants, genetics in baboons and a surprising twist to the handshake.

Episode 16: December 2014

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:35:14 +0000

In this episode we hear about reproducibility, drug resistance, cells without walls, gene transfer, interspecies signalling, and stem cells.

Episode 17: January 2015

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:03:09 +0000

In this episode we hear about controlling sperm by optogenetics, hibernation, body clocks, enzyme structure, and a way to overcome stress-induced infertility.

Episode 15: October 2014

Wed, 05 Nov 2014 16:25:27 +0000

In this episode we hear about influenza pandemics, eating too much, cannabis and the brain, HIV cure research, and the evolution of sea squirts.

Episode 14: September 2014

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 17:09:43 +0000

In this episode we hear about the spread of the ebola virus, the financial costs of research misconduct, aging in yeast, grooming in flies, and symbiosis between bacteria and fungal cells.

Episode 13: July 2014

Sat, 02 Aug 2014 16:00:23 +0000

In this episode we hear about using photographs to diagnose rare genetic disorders, an unexpected benefit of exercise, hybridizing fish species, Rett syndrome, and using gene drives to eradicate disease.

Episode 12: May 2014

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:08:58 +0000

In this episode we hear about the neuroscience of chewing, skin cancer, African sleeping sickness, an ancient protein complex, and our editor-in-chief shares his thoughts on scientific publishing.

Episode 11: April 2014

Thu, 08 May 2014 22:56:54 +0000

In this episode we hear about neuropathic pain, gene therapy, insulin production, aging in worms, and how flatworms grow new body parts.

Episode 10: March 2014

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 09:51:57 +0000

In this episode we hear about the mating habits of flies, radiation resistance in bacteria, how insects learned to smell, and the Hawaiian bobtail squid.

Episode 9: February 2014

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 09:53:37 +0000

In this episode we learn more about sleep, super Spy chaperones, swimming bacteria, orphan genes and the neuroscience of birdsong.

Episode 8: January 2014

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 17:02:56 +0000

In this episode we discuss rats, ants, sharks and rays, and the pathogen that causes corn smut in maize.

Episode 7: December 2013

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 13:45:10 +0000

In this episode we hear about drug resistance, severe brain damage, sugar versus sweetener, public goods dilemmas, and the evolution of the machinary that makes proteins in cells.

Episode 6: November 2013

Sat, 30 Nov 2013 12:06:30 +0000

In this episode we hear about using electrons for protein crystallography, a receptor for carbon dioxide, arthritis, how the brain responds to a missing hand, and the best shape for whiskers.

Episode 4: September 2013

Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:54:08 +0000

In this episode we hear about how flatworms regenerate, the evolution of photosynthesis, social interactions between mice, the properties of undead cells, and how steroids and genes interact.

Episode 3: August 2013

Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:48:50 +0000

In this episode we hear about the cocktail party effect, the role of psuedogene RNA in the immune response, the genetic origins of a common form of blindness, the flu vaccine, and the origins of schistosomiasis.

Episode 5: October 2013

Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:47:49 +0000

In this episode we hear about how chimpanzees use conceptual metaphors, hyperactive sperm, the use of bacteria to estimate the time of death, stem cells and smoking, and a new type of bacteria.

Episode 2: July 2013

Wed, 17 Jul 2013 08:33:32 +0000

In this episode we hear about plants doing maths, the evolution of cancer, why blood vessels don't grow in the retina, the immune system and more.