{"podcast":{"title":"The World, the Universe and Us","slug":"the-world-the-universe-and-us-601524","podcast_index_feed_id":601524,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/ARML6831509338","website_url":"https://www.newscientist.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/f22f7b82-8d70-11ef-9557-7b534e653208/image/090b01ebf055769a0cfc5e9ac956962b.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"New Scientist","episode_count":444,"summary":"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. For more visit newscientist.com/podcasts","last_synced_at":"2026-06-13T02:20:08.188658+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-the-universe-and-us-601524"},"episode":{"title":"Science Reveals Neanderthals Had Dentists 60,000 Years Ago","slug":"science-reveals-neanderthals-had-dentists-60-000-years-ago","published_at":"2026-05-15T12:08:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-the-universe-and-us-601524/science-reveals-neanderthals-had-dentists-60-000-years-ago","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-the-universe-and-us-601524","url":"https://tracking.swap.fm/track/YfZO4tERxneauNcW9Fgn/mgln.ai/e/211/traffic.megaphone.fm/ARML4072333727.mp3","audio_url":"https://tracking.swap.fm/track/YfZO4tERxneauNcW9Fgn/mgln.ai/e/211/traffic.megaphone.fm/ARML4072333727.mp3","summary":"Episode 369 A strange tooth found in a Siberian cave has pushed back the earliest evidence of dentistry by 45,000 years. The weird thing is, the evidence comes from a Neanderthal tooth - upending what we thought these ancient humans were capable of. Markings on the 60,000-year-old molar show Neanderthals may have used stone tools to “drill” the tooth to treat dental decay. A team of scientists has recreated the experience - and it sounds gruesome. And that’s not all for Neanderthal news - as archaeologists have discovered an ancient kneeprint made in clay around 175,000 years ago. It was found in a cave containing a mysterious stalagmite circle that may have been deliberately constructed. Could this suggest Neanderthals were engaging in some sort of religious practice? Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist’s Sam Wong and Michael le Page to discuss these two discoveries Listen to Change Your Mind, the new podcast from New Scientist: https://podfollow.com/1896636265 To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"Episode 369 A strange tooth found in a Siberian cave has pushed back the earliest evidence of dentistry by 45,000 years. The weird thing is, the evidence…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1245,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-world-the-universe-and-us-601524/episodes/science-reveals-neanderthals-had-dentists-60-000-years-ago/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-the-universe-and-us-601524/science-reveals-neanderthals-had-dentists-60-000-years-ago.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}