The Naked Scientists Podcast Cracking cancer's code, and the cow that scratches its back
Jan 30, 2026
Robert Massey, deputy director at the Royal Astronomical Society, talks Starlink launches, orbital congestion, and impacts on the night sky and astronomy. Alice Auerzberg, researcher in animal innovation, describes discovering Veronica the tool-using cow and experiments probing her scratching techniques. They explore policy, sky protection, and surprising animal cognition.
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National Cancer Gene Archive
- England's NHS has centralised over 52,000 genetic records to create a powerful national cancer gene database.
- Mark Tishkowitz says this enables large-scale risk analyses but deeper, consented data is needed for individual-level answers.
Get Consent To Add Depth
- Seek participant consent to enrich anonymised registers with lifestyle and clinical detail.
- This will allow researchers to link genomes to environmental factors and improve personalised risk predictions.
Family-Based Risks Aren't Universal
- Genetic risk estimates from family-based cohorts may not apply to people identified via routine whole-genome testing.
- Mark Tishkowitz warns population sequencing will reveal different risk profiles requiring updated guidance.
