True Criminals is your source for deep dives into historical and current crime cases, hosted by Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero. Every week, Martin and Helen leverage decades of frontline reporting to bring you stories with details and insights you won’t hear anywhere else. Join them as they uncover fascinating, previously unreported details of true crime, with special guest appearances from authors, detectives who’ve cracked open cases, investigative j ...
…
continue reading
Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.
…
continue reading

1
Could We Speak to Dolphins? A Promising LLM Makes That a Possibility
19:07
19:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:07Dolphins have a broad vocabulary. They vocalize with whistles, clicks and “burst pulses.”This varied communication makes it challenging for scientists to decode dolphin speech. Artificial intelligence can help researchers process audio and find the slight patterns that human ears may not be able to identify. Reporter Melissa Hobson took a look at D…
…
continue reading

1
Do Mitochondria Talk to Each Other? A New Look at the Cell’s Powerhouse
27:04
27:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:04Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell—but new research suggests they might be far more complex. Columbia University’s Martin Picard joins Scientific American’s Rachel Feltman to explore how these tiny organelles could be communicating and what that might mean for everything from metabolism to mental health. Check out Martin Picard’s …
…
continue reading

1
Fugitives: The Great Train Robbery - Part 3
29:18
29:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:18In the final episode of Fugitives, Martin and Helen conclude their conversation with Nick Reynolds, son of Bruce Reynolds — the man behind the Great Train Robbery. This chapter unpacks the long aftermath of one of Britain’s most audacious crimes: the downfall of key figures like Charlie Wilson and Buster Edwards, the hidden cost to families left be…
…
continue reading

1
How to Make Gold, Flamingo Food Tornado, and Kosmos-482 Lands
8:09
8:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:09Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos-482 lands, though no one is certain where. Physicists turn lead into gold. Overdose deaths are down, in part thanks to the availability of naloxone. Flamingos make underwater food tornadoes. Chimps use leaves as a multi-tool. Recommended reading: A New, Deadly Era of Space Junk Is Dawning, and No One Is Ready https://ww…
…
continue reading

1
Could Freezing Arctic Sea Ice Combat Climate Change?
25:29
25:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:29The year-round sea ice in the Arctic is melting and has shrunk by nearly 40 percent over the past four decades. Geoengineering companies such as Real Ice are betting big on refreezing it. That may sound ridiculous, impractical or risky—but proponents say we have to try. The U.K. government seems to agree, investing millions into experimental approa…
…
continue reading

1
How a West Texas Outbreak Threatens Measles Elimination Status
10:00
10:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:00Measles was technically “eliminated” in the U.S. in 2000 thanks to high measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates. While prior outbreaks have made headlines, a slew of cases in West Texas is more than just newsworthy—it could cause the U.S. to lose elimination status. Associate health and medicine editor Lauren Young explains what eliminat…
…
continue reading

1
Fugitives: The Great Train Robbery - Part 2
49:37
49:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
49:37Step inside one of Britain’s most notorious crimes—the Great Train Robbery of 1963—in this gripping true crime podcast episode. Join journalist Helen Fospero and Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt as they uncover the real story behind the £2.6 million heist (worth over £70 million today) that stunned the nation. Featuring an exclusive interv…
…
continue reading

1
Sinking Cities, Waving Cuttlefish and Falling Spacecraft
8:17
8:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:17A 1970s Soviet spacecraft is hurtling down from space—and no one knows where it will land. All 28 of the most populous cities in the U.S. are slowly sinking. Investments and overconsumption make the wealthiest 10 percent of the global population responsible for two thirds of climate-change-related warming. Recommended reading: Cuttlefish May Commun…
…
continue reading

1
This Podcast Was Recorded Inside a Particle Collider
18:11
18:11
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:11We’re taking a field trip to the U.S.’s only particle collider, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), housed at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Staff scientist Alex Jentsch takes listeners through some basic terminology and interconnected technologies that help Brookhaven researchers probe questions about our unseen universe. The RHIC is wind…
…
continue reading

1
Rejecting Toxic Fitness Culture with Casey Johnston
17:56
17:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:56Casey Johnston is not your typical health and fitness influencer. She joins host Rachel Feltman to discuss how finding joy in strength training changed her relationship to fitness, food and body image. Johnston’s new book, A Physical Education, reflects on engaging with exercise in a balanced way. Recommended reading: You can get Johnston’s book A …
…
continue reading
In this compelling episode of True Criminals, Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero explore what it really means to live life on the run. Through firsthand stories and expert insight, they uncover the hidden realities of fugitives who slip through the cracks of justice—and those determined to catch them. Martin shar…
…
continue reading

1
Jupiter’s Cyclones, Amazon’s Satellites and T. rex Collagen
9:01
9:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:01The congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment grinds to a halt. Amazon launches its first round of Internet satellites. The European Space Agency launches a satellite to measure the biomass of Earth’s trees. New data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft offer insights into Jupiter and Io. Claims of Tyrannosaurus rex leather are, predictably, misl…
…
continue reading

1
The Fungi Facing Extinction and the Conservationists Working Hard to Protect Them
12:07
12:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:07Conservationists are ringing the alarm about the fungi facing extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List features vulnerable pandas and endangered tortoises, but it also highlights more than 400 fungi species that are under threat. Gregory Mueller, chief scientist emeritus at the Chicago Botanic Garden and coordi…
…
continue reading

1
Griefbots Offer AI Connections with Deceased Loved Ones
16:18
16:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:18Griefbots, artificial intelligence chatbots that mimic deceased loved ones, are increasingly in popularity. Researcher Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska reflects on what death, grief and immortality look like in the digital age. She shares insights from a project that she is leading as a AI2050 Early Career Fellow: Imaginaries of Immortality in the Age o…
…
continue reading

1
Kenneth Noye: The Brink's-Mat Gold Robbery and Road Rage Killer
27:50
27:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:50Uncover the explosive true story of Kenneth Noye, the criminal mastermind behind the notorious Brink’s-Mat gold robbery and the shocking M25 road rage murder. Join Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero as they expose Noye’s decades-long descent into violence, deception, and infamy. From the audacious £26 million gol…
…
continue reading

1
Scientific American in 1925: Solar Eclipses, Seances and Some Strange Inventions
9:26
9:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:26We’re taking a break from our usual weekly news roundup to do a little time travel. In 1925 Scientific American covered a total solar eclipse that featured some surprising solar shadow play and a prediction about today’s eclipses. Plus, we review some long-gone sections of the magazine that tried to verify mediums and show off zany inventions! Reco…
…
continue reading
Wild NYC author Ryan Mandelbaum takes host Rachel Feltman through New York City’s Prospect Park to find urban wildlife. They explore the city’s many birds, surprising salamanders and unexpected urban oases. Plus, they discuss what the rules of engagement with wildlife are and how you can find wildlife in your own urban or suburban environment. Reco…
…
continue reading
When writer Stephen S. Hall was a child, he would capture snakes—much to his mother’s chagrin. Now the science journalist is returning to his early fascination In his latest book, Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World. The book explores our long, complicated relationship with snakes. Plus, Hall chats about humans’ and o…
…
continue reading

1
The Hatton Garden Heist: The Diamond Wheezers - Part 2: Inside the Mind of a Diamond Geezer
25:52
25:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:52Easter 2015: While London slept, a geriatric gang of thieves, armed with drills and decades of criminal audacity, ransacked the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Centre, making off with over £14 million in jewels and gold. But their old-school methods collided spectacularly with the digital age, leading to their swift capture. In this gripping second part…
…
continue reading

1
Childhood Illnesses Surge, Magnetic Poles Wandered, and a Colossal Squid Is Found
8:15
8:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:15Measles cases are going up—and a federal scientist has warned that case counts have probably been underreported. Another vaccine-preventable illness, whooping cough, sees a troubling increase in cases. Ancient humans found sun-protection solutions when Earth’s magnetic poles wandered. A colossal squid has been captured on video in its natural habit…
…
continue reading

1
From the Internet’s Beginnings to Our Understanding of Consciousness, This Editor Has Seen It All
20:15
20:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:15Senior mind and brain editor Gary Stix has covered the breadth of science and technology over the past 35 years at Scientific American. He joins host Rachel Feltman to take us through the rise of the Internet and the acceleration of advancement in neuroscience that he’s covered throughout his time here. Stix retired earlier this month, and we’d lik…
…
continue reading

1
A Disinfectant That’s More Powerful Than Bleach—And Safe for Your Skin
14:25
14:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:25Hypochlorous acid is a promising disinfectant that is difficult to commercialize because it is not very shelf-stable. Senior features editor Jen Schwartz takes us through what the science of this nontoxic disinfectant is and explains why its popularity in the beauty aisle is only the beginning. Recommended reading: The Nontoxic Cleaner That Kills G…
…
continue reading

1
The Hatton Garden Heist – The Diamond Wheezers, Part 1
45:41
45:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:41"Analogue villains in a digital age.” In this explosive opener to a two-part special, True Criminals co-hosts Helen Fospero and Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt dig into the extraordinary story of the 2015 Hatton Garden Heist – one of the boldest burglaries Britain has ever seen. Joining them is true crime heavyweight Wensley Clarkson – jo…
…
continue reading

1
A Long Day on Uranus, a Better Method of Making Coffee and Dinos Fossils in Decline
8:51
8:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:51Caffeine-motivated researchers find that pour height may be the key to a perfect cup of coffee. A new study of plastics finds that less than 10 percent of such products are made with recycled materials. And once the plastics are used, only 28 percent of them make it to the sorting stage—and only half of that plastic is actually recycled. Data from …
…
continue reading

1
How Are Prenatal Blood Tests Detecting Cancer?
20:55
20:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:55Noninvasive prenatal blood testing, or NIPT, is a routine screening that is offered during pregnancy and looks for placental DNA to diagnose chromosomal disorders in a fetus. But in some cases, these tests can also find cancer in the pregnant person. How do the tests work, and why are they uncovering cancer? Genetic counselor and writer Laura Hersc…
…
continue reading

1
Treating Bacterial Vaginosis as an STI Could Improve Outcomes
19:29
19:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:29Bacterial vaginosis (BV), an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the vagina, affects nearly one in three people with a vagina. While you can get BV without ever having sex, a new study has found that, in some cases, it could be functioning more like a sexually transmitted infection. That’s in part because of the increased risk of BV after sex with…
…
continue reading

1
How the Science of Safety Helps Tackle Global Risks [Sponsored]
16:23
16:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:23We're surrounded by risks of all sizes, every day. Some people might be risk-takers, while others do whatever they can to avoid them. But how can we tackle the risks that impact society on a global scale, like those linked to sustainable energy, societal health and digital technology? Science journalist Izzie Clarke explores this question in the la…
…
continue reading

1
Being Bronson: Part 2 – Is Britain’s Most Notorious Inmate a Scapegoat?
39:46
39:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:46In the explosive conclusion of Being Bronson, True Criminals hosts Helen Fospero and Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt take you deep into the psyche of Charles Bronson, Britain’s most feared – and perhaps most misunderstood – prisoner. This gripping episode features an exclusive interview with Dr. Bob Johnson, the prison psychiatrist who wo…
…
continue reading

1
Yodeling Monkeys, Increasing Measles Cases and Stressed Out Americans
8:44
8:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:44The Trump administration continues to make cuts to U.S. science and health agencies. Now some states are fighting back, suing the Department of Health and Human Services for slashing $11 billion in public health funds. A study finds that Americans live shorter lives than Europeans with the same income—stress and other systemic issues could be to bl…
…
continue reading

1
Cutting USAID Threatens Public Health around the World
11:59
11:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:59The U.S. Department of State recently announced plans to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. While some of USAID’s functions will continue under the Department of State, there is real concern that the cuts will jeopardize public health efforts across the world, including immunization programs and other efforts that ha…
…
continue reading
The human body is capable of some truly incredible things. One of the most mysterious and debated phenomena is a release of fluid during sex that is often referred to as “squirting.” What’s actually happening, and why does it stir so much speculation? Wendy Zukerman, host of the hit podcast Science Vs, breaks down the science behind this fascinatin…
…
continue reading

1
Being Bronson: Part 1 – Britain’s Most Notorious Prisoner
39:26
39:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:26Charles Bronson. A name that sparks fear, fascination, and endless debate. In Being Bronson: Part 1, Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt takes us inside the life—and mind—of Britain’s most infamous inmate. For nearly 50 years, Bronson has lived behind bars, most of it in solitary confinement. His explosive reputation was immortalized in the 2…
…
continue reading

1
Shark Sounds, Molecules on Mars and Continued Federal Cuts
9:05
9:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:05Long-chain alkanes discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover point to the possibility that there may have been fatty acids on Mars—and that they could have come from past microbial life. Paleontologists have found a huge dinosaur claw that was probably made for foraging, not fighting. Researchers studying ocean life have recorded the sounds of sharks an…
…
continue reading

1
Go Inside M.I.T.'s 50,000 Square Foot Clean Room
20:08
20:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:08The cutting edge of research is very small—and very clean. In this episode, host Rachel Feltman joins Vladimir Bulović, director of MIT.nano, on a tour of this facility’s nanoscale capabilities. Its tightly controlled clean room hosts research across several fields, from microelectronics to medical nanotechnology. You can see Bulović’s tour of the …
…
continue reading

1
Are These Plants Out of Place? A New Look at Invasive Species
16:29
16:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:29When you hear “invasive plant,” you might picture an aggressive species taking over and harming the environment. But what if the way we think about invasive plants is part of the problem? Host Rachel Feltman chats with Mason Heberling, associate curator of botany at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, about why these plants are more complicated…
…
continue reading

1
NASA Astronauts Finally Return, Seals Hold Their Breath, and Penguin Poop Stresses Out Krill
10:14
10:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:14Two NASA astronauts are finally back on Earth after an unexpected nine-month stay in space. What kept them up there so long? Meanwhile scientists have discovered that gray seals have a built-in oxygen gauge that helps them hold their breath for more than an hour. And in the Antarctic, researchers found that penguin poop seriously stresses out krill…
…
continue reading

1
Severance’s Consulting Neurosurgeon Explains the Science behind the Show’s Brain Procedure
17:25
17:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:25What if you could completely separate your work and personal life—with the help of a brain implant? That’s the unsettling premise of Severance, the hit Apple TV+ show that just wrapped its second season. To make the science fiction feel as real as possible, the creators brought in an actual neurosurgeon, Vijay Agarwal, chief of the Skull-Base Tumor…
…
continue reading

1
What Everyone Gets Wrong about Colonoscopies
10:34
10:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:34Colonoscopy gets a bad rap, but how much of what you’ve heard is actually true? In recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we’re tackling the biggest myths that keep people from getting this potentially lifesaving screening. John Nathanson, a gastroenterologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, joins host Rachel Feltman to cle…
…
continue reading

1
The Southport Murders: Part 2 – Youth Violence and Systemic Failures
34:40
34:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:40In this powerful conclusion to The Southport Murders, we uncover the full scope of a tragedy that shook Southport to its core. On July 29, 2024, a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club at HeartSpace Dance School became the scene of unimaginable horror when 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana launched a brutal knife attack, killing three young girls and injuring…
…
continue reading

1
NASA Launches New Missions, Saturn Gains Some Moons, and Whale Urine Balances Marine Ecosystems
9:05
9:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:05The new Environmental Protection Agency administrator plans to get rid of or weaken critical environmental rules and policies, such as regulations around greenhouse gases and clean water protections. The deregulation effort follows the recent cancellation of hundreds of grants. NASA launched two missions last week. The first, SPHEREx, will make a t…
…
continue reading

1
Movie Magic Meets Practical Robotics for Netflix’s The Electric State
17:49
17:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:49Dennis Hong, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, discovered a love of robots at an early age while watching the “droid” characters in Star Wars. As director of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at U.C.L.A., Hong has worked on functional humanoid robots for tasks such as firefighting an…
…
continue reading

1
A Tuberculosis Outbreak Exposes U.S. Postpandemic Vulnerabilities
14:59
14:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:59It’s been five years since COVID was declared a global pandemic. Local, national and global public health agencies mobilized to contain the spread of COVID, but experts worry that backlash against measures like lockdowns have made today’s systems less capable of handling a disease of similar scale. Now the U.S. faces a tuberculosis outbreak in Kans…
…
continue reading

1
The Southport Murders: Part 1 - Taylor Swift Party Turns to Tragedy
47:59
47:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:59On a warm July morning, a Taylor Swift-themed children’s holiday club in Southport should have been filled with dancing, joy, and summer fun. Instead, it became the site of a horrifying mass attack. In Part 1 of The Southport Murders, Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt revisits the chilling events of July 29, when 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana…
…
continue reading

1
Measles Misinformation, Ozone Recovery and Woolly Mice
10:04
10:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
10:04With measles cases on the rise, experts are pushing back against misleading claims about vitamin A as a substitute for vaccination. A Supreme Court ruling has reshaped the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority over water pollution, raising concerns about future environmental protections. And in the world of biotechnology, scientists have gene…
…
continue reading

1
Author John Green on How Tuberculosis Shaped Our Modern World
11:10
11:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:10John Green is an author, advocate and one half of the Vlogbrothers. His latest book, Everything Is Tuberculosis, comes out on March 18. Green joins host Rachel Feltman to share how tuberculosis shaped history, geography and culture. He discusses how he came to understand the inequities of tuberculosis and the dire risk public health interruptions p…
…
continue reading
Not much passes into our brain from the rest of our body, to the chagrin of drug makers everywhere. So it should be cause for concern when a study found that microplastics were somehow ending up in our brain, says chief opinion editor Megha Satyanarayana. She takes a step back and brings us into the wider world of plastics and the way petroleum che…
…
continue reading

1
The Sarah Payne Case: Part 2 – Forensics, Justice, and a Law That Changed the UK
54:09
54:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:09In the powerful conclusion of The Sarah Payne Case, Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt and Journalist Helen Fospero rejoin Detective Inspector Martyn Underhill to reveal how the investigation into Sarah Payne’s tragic murder reached its gripping finale. This episode explores the critical evidence that brought Roy Whiting to justice—highlight…
…
continue reading

1
How Did a Volcano Turn a Brain to Glass? Plus, Measles, Mystery Illness and Microbes
9:41
9:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:41Officials have confirmed the first measles death in an outbreak in West Texas. A meeting to discuss which strains to focus on for next year’s flu vaccines was canceled by the Food and Drug Administration. Public health officials are investigating two outbreaks of an unknown disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Plus, new research discove…
…
continue reading
Have you ever had a song continue to loop in your brain no matter how hard you tried to shake it? These “earworms” are more than just an annoyance—they’re a phenomenon scientists have studied for years. This episode dives into what makes certain melodies stick, why some tunes are more persistent than others and what our listeners shared as their mo…
…
continue reading

1
Saying Farewell to the Spacecraft That Mapped the Milky Way
17:20
17:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:20The Gaia spacecraft stopped collecting data this January after about 11 years and more than three trillion observations. Senior space and physics editor Lee Billings joins host Rachel Feltman to review Gaia’s Milky Way–mapping mission and the tidal streams, black holes and asteroids the spacecraft identified. Recommended reading: New Maps of Milky …
…
continue reading