The science behind autism

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 October 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What do we know about the causes of autism? Laura Andreae, Professor of Developmental Neuroscience at King’s College London explains the science. It’s after President Trump made unproven claims the condition is linked to taking paracetamol in pregnancy.

Tim O’Brien, Professor of Astrophysics at The University of Manchester and Associate Director of Jodrell Bank Centre, explains why NASA is planning to send a crew of astronauts around the moon for the first time in 50 years.

Tim Minshall, inaugural Dr John C. Taylor Professor of Innovation at the University of Cambridge dives into the mysterious world of manufacturing. His book ‘Your Life is Manufactured’ is shortlisted for the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize 2025. And we hear from Dave Sexton, conservationist on the Isle of Mull, and his search for one unusual bird.

If you want to test your climate change knowledge, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University to take the quiz.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:07.3	Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron.
0:10.5	Evil genius.
0:11.6	He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it.
0:15.5	That's like hiding at your own funeral.
0:17.1	Yeah, a bit great gig.
0:18.6	I'm Russell Kane.
0:19.6	Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius.
0:24.1	Becoming that rich, I'd say that is some level of genius.
0:26.4	It also helps that it's a long time ago, right?
0:29.4	It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream van plays music when it's out of ice cream.
0:34.9	Listen to evil genius on BBC Sounds.
0:40.3	Hello, delightful, curious-minded listeners,
0:45.4	and welcome to the podcast of Inside Science with me, Victoria Gill. The program was first broadcast on Thursday the 25th of September 2025. This week, we're asking why America is sending astronauts
0:52.3	to circle the moon when NASA landed people on the lunar
0:55.5	surface nearly 60 years ago. And we'll be taking a moment on the side of a Scottish loch as we
1:01.0	search for a very special bird of prey. First, you will have heard by now about President Donald
1:06.6	Trump's comments about paracetamol. With the backing of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy,
1:11.6	Jr., the US president made a statement saying that pregnant women should avoid taking
1:15.7	acetaminopin. That's the same drug as paracetamol, and it's known more commonly as Tylenol
1:20.4	in the US. His claim, that it increases the risk of autism in children. But today, with so much
1:26.0	misinformation being shared, we want to take the time
	...

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