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clock-iconPUBLISHEDMay 1, 2026

Artemis II Records, Neanderthal Not-Hybrids, And Introducing “Moon Joy”

Sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down in episode 81…

Dr. Alfredo Carpineti headshot

Dr. Alfredo Carpineti

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.

Space & Physics Editor

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.View full profile

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.

View full profile

Written by Dr. Alfredo Carpineti & Eleanor Higgs

IFLScience Break It Down presenters on either side, in the middle there are images of the Moon, a rocket launch, and a Neanderthal.

Join hosts Eleanor and Alfredo as they dive into the biggest science stories of the month.

Image credit: IFLScience, Gorodenkoff/JLStock/Shutterstock.com, NASA/Michael DeMocker; modified by IFLScience

This month, on Break It Down: Artemis II heads to the Moon and back, taking astronauts farther from Earth than any human before, some seriously impressive muon research wins the Breakthrough Prize, and a skull thought to belong to a human-neanderthal hybrid turns out to be something else. Intrigued? There's so much more…

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  • Bruce the kea is the undisputed jousting champion despite missing half a beak. 
  • Fancy imaging software allows all the nerves in the clitoris to be mapped for the first time.
  • Prepare to fall in love with the Pablo gorilla group in David Attenborough’s latest documentary.
  • Is it possible to learn to roll your Rs if it doesn’t come naturally?
  • We go behind the scenes of Project Hail Mary to meet Rocky the Eridian and those who made him come alive. 

Plus, everything you can find in this month’s issue of CURIOUS, including whether other animals can have pets.

So, sit back, relax, and let’s Break It Down

Also available on all your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Amazon Music, and more.

Links: 

Everything Artemis II 

Mapping the nerves in the clitoris

Human hybrid skull

Bruce the kea

Muon experiment

Moving the experiment

A Gorilla Story

Can you learn to roll your Rs?

CURIOUS Magazine

Meeting Rocky at Creature Shop


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