Show Me the Science with Luke O'Neill

Episódios

• The Science of Cancer Cures 02.07.2026 12min

  This week on Show Me the Science, Professor Luke O'Neill talks about a recent cancer conference in Chicago, where they announced some remarkable new results...
• The Science of Wearables 25.06.2026 13min

  This week on Show Me the Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of wearables, from smart watches to smart rings.Are they useful to people overall?
• The Science of Navigation 18.06.2026 13min

  This week on Show Me the Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of how animals navigate and find their way home. In particular, pigeons, and how the immune system helps them to navigate.
• The Science of Ozempic 11.06.2026 14min

  This week on Show Me the Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of Ozempic, Mounjaro, GLP 1 and more broadly, the science of Peptides.
• The Science of Ebola 04.06.2026 15min

  This week on Show Me the Science, Luke O'Neill takes a look at the Ebola virus and the current outbreak happening in Africa.The current outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo virus. The last outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus was in 2012.What are the symptoms? Is there a vaccine? And is there a risk of the virus coming to Europe?
• The Science of Exercise 28.05.2026 14min

  The VHI Women's Mini Marathon is on this week, and on this episode of Show Me The Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of Exercise.Why is exercise good for us?What are the current guidelines?Is housework as good as a run for your heart?The impact on the brain after exercising.And how exercise can benefit your mental health.
• The Science of Gut Health 21.05.2026 16min

  This week on Show Me The Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of the gut microbiome, how the health of your gut is important for your health overall and new findings on bacteria and cancers.
• The Science of Saunas 14.05.2026 13min

  This week on Show Me The Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of saunas.How does taking a sauna benefit your health and mood, and exactly how much time should you spend in a sauna?
• The Science of Sibling Rivalry 07.05.2026 10min

  This week on Show Me The Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of sibling rivalry.Does the order you come in your family influence your wealth and health prospects for life?
• The Science of Osteoporosis 30.04.2026 14min

  This week on Show Me The Science,  Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the science of the human bone and diseases of the bone, including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
• The Science of Psoriasis 23.04.2026 15min

  This week on Show Me The Science, Professor Luke O'Neill takes a look at the skin condition psoriasis.Psoriasis causes red patches of skin which are dry and flaky. It's prevalent on areas such as your scalp, elbows or knees. But you can get it anywhere on your body, and it's estimated that 5% of the population have some form of it.Luke has worked on this topic, and also has psoriasis...
• The Science of the Artemis Moon Mission 16.04.2026 13min

  This week, the Artemis Moon Mission, the first moon mission in over 50 years, landed safely back on Earth.On July 20th, 1969, Luke O’Neill was 5 years of age. He remembers vividly watching Neil Armstrong and Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin Jr landing  on the Moon, and that inspired him to become a scientist.He filled up his copy books, after watching the landing, with rocket ships.There is a lot to talk about surrounding this mission:What was the immunology research conducted?How are astronauts affected by space radiation exposure?What are the health risks?Find out on this weeks podcast!
• The Science of Music 09.04.2026 14min

  We as humans have been listening to music for over forty thousand years, and recent research has shown that music is really beneficial for us.So, on this week's episode, Professor Luke O'Neill looks at four benefits you can get from music!
• The Science of Snacks 02.04.2026 16min

  On this episode of the podcast, and just in time for Easter, Professor Luke O'Neill is looking at the science of snacking.What are the main reasons why we snack? Why do we like a crunchy snack? And what is 'food noise'?
• The Science of Meningitis 26.03.2026 13min

  There has been an outbreak of meningitis centred in Kent, in the UK, in recent weeks.On this episode of Show Me The Science, Professor Luke O’Neill explains why this has happened, and what the two types of meningitis are...
• The Science of Transplanted Wombs 19.03.2026 18min

  This week, Professor Luke O’Neill dives into one of the most remarkable stories in modern medicine: the birth of Hugo, the first child in the UK to be born from a womb transplanted from a deceased donor. His mother, Grace Bell, born without a womb due to MRKH syndrome, calls her baby son “simply a miracle.” Luke explores the incredible medical journey behind this milestone. The 10-hour womb transplant took place at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford in June 2024, followed by IVF treatment at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London. Consultant gynaecologist Professor Richard Smith, who has researched womb transplantation for over 25 years and was present at Hugo’s birth, was even honoured in Hugo’s full name. Beyond the headline-grabbing story, Luke takes listeners through the broader science of organ transplantation. He explains how immunosuppressant drugs revolutionised transplant success, looks at cutting-edge frontiers like 3D-printed organs and the potential use of animal organs, and considers the ongoing challenge of organ shortages. He also touches on Ireland’s organ waiting list, especially for kidneys, and the recent updates to donor rules. 
• The Science of St Patrick 12.03.2026 14min

  With St Patrick’s Day just around the corner, Professor Luke O’Neill takes a closer look at the man behind the legend—and the science behind the stories. Drawing on Patrick’s own Confessio, Luke explores how the saint lived a long life, likely thanks to a mix of lifestyle and genetics. Could there have been two Patricks, Patricius and Palladius? Luke unpacks this theory and shares its surprising connection to the early days of Ireland’s Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. He also tackles the myth of Patrick banishing snakes, explaining how the last Ice Age shaped Ireland’s landscape and wildlife. And he examines the shamrock, used by Patrick to illustrate the Holy Trinity, and its medicinal properties, from easing menopausal symptoms and asthma to treating wounds and fevers. It’s history, myth, and biology all rolled into one festive podcast.
• The Science of Winter Sports 05.03.2026 14min

  Winter sports look clean and crystalline on the surface. Snow, ice, precision, courage. But scratch that frozen surface and you find molecular biology doing quiet, mischievous work. In this week’s podcast, Professor Luke O'Neill takes us from the ski jump ramp to the veg aisle, via one of the strangest alleged performance hacks of the recent Winter Olympics. First stop: hyaluronic acid. A substance your body already makes, found in skin and connective tissue, famous for its ability to hold vast amounts of water. That’s why it appears in skin creams, dermal fillers, and treatments for sore joints — it hydrates, cushions, and plumps. Reports suggested some ski jumpers injected it weeks before competition to temporarily enlarge their genitals while being fitted for tightly regulated suits. If the swelling subsided by competition time, the slightly looser fabric could improve aerodynamics. In a sport decided by metres, even tiny changes in airflow can translate into significant gains. That raises an awkward question: if it enhances performance without acting like a traditional drug, does it still count as doping? Then there’s broccoli. Many athletes were reportedly using concentrated broccoli juice supplements. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain isothiocyanates, compounds linked to anti-inflammatory effects. In high-impact, repetitive sports, reducing inflammation may aid recovery between events. There’s early research exploring whether these molecules could help in conditions like ulcerative colitis and multiple sclerosis. But while broccoli is unquestionably nutritious, robust clinical evidence for performance-boosting concentrated extracts is limited. A single shot can equal several large heads of broccoli — and tastes predictably grim. Winter sports may look like poetry in motion. Underneath, it’s chemistry in motion. And sometimes, it’s broccoli. 
• The Science of Cholesterol 26.02.2026 18min

  Cholesterol has a reputation problem. We tend to think of it as the enemy, but your body makes it for a reason. Every cell membrane relies on it, and it’s the building block for key hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, and corticosteroids. You also get cholesterol from your diet. The real issue isn’t cholesterol itself — it’s where it ends up. In the early 1900s, pathologists examining people who died from heart attacks found arteries lined with cholesterol-rich plaques, complete with visible crystals. By the 1950s and 60s, research confirmed that high cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for heart disease. When plaques build up, they trigger inflammation and clotting, potentially cutting off blood supply to the heart. Cholesterol doesn’t travel freely in the bloodstream — it’s packaged into tiny particles called lipoproteins. These act like delivery vehicles, carrying cholesterol around the body. Drugs such as statins reduce cholesterol production and improve its clearance, saving millions of lives. Exercise, diet, and blood pressure control are also critical, especially since high blood pressure and high cholesterol together significantly increase risk. But there’s more to the story. Around one in 250 people have inherited conditions that leave them with very high cholesterol levels. And as listener Tara asked in her email to the podcast, what about Lipoprotein little a — or Lp(a)? Lp(a) is a specialised lipoprotein that can increase inflammation and clot formation. Elevated levels are linked to a greater risk of heart attack — even if your standard cholesterol numbers look normal. That means measuring total cholesterol alone may not tell the full story. On this week’s podcast Professor Luke O’Neill explores why cholesterol is essential, how it becomes dangerous, and why particles like Lp(a) could be key to identifying hidden heart risk. Have a science question you’d like answered? Email laoneill@tcd.ie and it might feature in a future episode.  
• The Science of Sweat 19.02.2026 18min

  Why do we sweat? And what secrets does it hold about our bodies? On this week’s podcast, Professor Luke O'Neill dives into the fascinating science of sweat. From keeping our body temperature in check to signalling stress and even potential mate selection, sweat is far more than just water and salt. The podcast explores how sweat is made by specialized eccrine glands, originating from plasma in our blood, and why humans are among the sweatiest animals on the planet. Luke explains how the average adult can produce up to four litres a day, and why staying hydrated is crucial. But there’s more: stress, exercise, and climate all change how and why we sweat. Sweat itself is odorless, but bacteria, lactic acid, and urea can create the smells we associate with adolescence, gyms, and armpits. And surprisingly, sweat contains proteins that fight bacteria, hinting at a role in our body’s natural defence. Could sweat one day be a diagnostic tool for disease? Why do identical twins sweat the same amount? And could it even act as a pheromone signal? Professor O’Neill explains all this and more, in a conversation sparked by a listener question from Siún. If you want to ask Luke your own science question, email him at: 📧 laoneill@tcd.ie