Saro suchi and laura miller from the university of arizona in the us talk about their research. Laura thinks saro's findings will contribute to our understanding of how organisms filter out particles from water, as trees do with pollen. Both think that the design of the venus flower basket could inspire engineers,. perhaps to improve ventilation in buildings, or reduce drag in ships. Or maybe skyscrapers design microscopic structures on the lesson learned from the living si.
Funding for gun violence research in the US returns after a 20-year federal hiatus, and the glass sponges that can manipulate ocean currents.
In this episode:
00:45 Gun violence research is rebooted
For 20 years there has been no federally-funded research on gun violence in the US. In 2019, $25 million a year was allocated for this work. We speak to some of the researchers that are using these funds, and the questions they are trying to answer about gun violence.
Venus’ flower baskets are marine sponges that live at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. These sponges have an unusual glass skeleton that helps them gather food, and even appears to control ocean currents.
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, investment in non-human primate facilities, and the European Union's latest climate plan.