Shingles vaccine linked to dementia risk reduction and Cambridge brain-aging epochs; ants show colony altruism | Science Weekly

Science Weekly examines two key science stories this week. First, researchers report that the shingles vaccine may be associated with a lower risk of dementia and a slower disease progression, based on Welsh health records. Second, a Cambridge-led study identifies five turning points in the aging brain, suggesting that our neural networks reorganize in distinct epochs across life. The episode also explores altruism in ant colonies as a model of selfless behavior and features insights from Madeleine Finlay and Hannah Devlin.

Finally, the show discusses how viruses and inflammation intersect with aging and cognition, and previews Guardian science reporting. The discussion is hosted by Ian Sample with guests Madeleine Finlay and Hannah Devlin.

Overview

Science Weekly, produced by The Guardian, dedicates this episode to three science stories at the intersection of health, neuroscience, and animal behavior. The first segment summarizes a shingles vaccine study that links vaccination with a reduced risk of dementia and a slower progression of the disease. The second segment presents a Cambridge University study that maps the aging brain into five distinct epochs, suggesting turning points in brain reorganization across a life course. The final piece examines selfless behavior in ant colonies, drawing on work from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria to reveal a purposeful alarm signal emitted by infected pupae and the colony’s altruistic responses.