New Scientist Podcasts

Podcasts from New Scientist

Change Your Mind

Change Your Mind with New Scientist brings you all the brain health advice you really need to know. Every week, New Scientist Editor Cat de Lange and neuroscience columnist Helen Thomson cut through wellness hype to find out what actually keeps your mind sharp, your mood steady and your memory strong. As friends, they've been sharing stories for decades and live their lives according to the latest evidence. Now they want to share those tips and tricks with you. From cold plunges to coffee, supplements to sleep, Ozempic and AI, they speak to leading experts and ask: does this really work? Expect smart insights, clear answers and practical takeaways you can use straight away. Because when you understand your brain, you really can change your mind - for the better.

Change Your Mind with New Scientist is on , or your favourite podcast player

The World the Universe and Us

From the evolution of intelligent life, to the mysteries of consciousness; from the threat of the climate crisis to the search for dark matter, The world, the Universe and Us is your essential weekly dose of science and wonder in an uncertain world. Hosted by journalists Dr Rowan Hooper and Dr Penny Sarchet and joined each week by expert scientists in the field, the show draws on New Scientist's unparalleled depth of reporting to put the stories that matter into context. Feed your curiosity with the podcast that will restore your sense of optimism and nourish your brain.

The World the Universe and Us is on , , or your favourite podcast player

About this episode

6 August 2026

Can your daily coffee actually be good for your brain, or should we be listening to the influencers who claim we need to cut it out?

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

They鈥檙e joined by聽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鈥檝e 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聽

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