Freedom day arrived in England this week, as the country dropped most covid restrictions. But as cases continue to rise and many people, children included, remain unvaccinated, the team discuss why hundreds of experts are calling the move an ‘unethical experiment’. High levels of methane have been detected on Mars by the Curiosity rover, which could indicate life on the Red Planet - but the team explains why they aren’t breaking out the champagne just yet. They then discuss the launch of Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft, with Jeff Bezos announcing his plans to build a ‘road to space’. There’s also news about a tomato nervous system, as biologists discover the sophisticated methods the plants use to communicate. And the team touches on the discovery of a new genetic element named after the Borg in Star Trek, which could aid in the fight against climate change. On the pod are Rowan Hooper, Chelsea Whyte, and Cat de Lange. To read about these stories and much more, subscribe at newscientist.com/podcasts. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.