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The iconic Grade I listed greenhouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew will experience a major renovation.The world-famous Palm House and Waterlily House date back to around 1848, and haven’t been touched for over forty years.To hear more about the reasons behind the £60 million renovation project, and the innovative approaches to make these iconic greenhouses net zero, we spoke to Reuben Briggs, Head of Estate Projects at Kew.‘It's a really aggressive environment. The iron is starting to corrode. Some of the glass is coming loose, and we're getting lots of heat escaping.'Virtual eye clinics in shopping centres could significantly reduce waiting times, as well as support government policies ‘for a future ready NHS’.That’s according to Siyabonga Ndwandwe from UCL’s Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, who joined us to discuss their latest study in more detail.According to the Association of Optometrists, during the pandemic, waits for NHS eye appointments rose sharply, resulting in a backlog.Also in this episode:-Cyberpunk 2077 is launching for Mac on July 17th-Yoga, tai chi, walking and jogging could be some of the best ways to tackle insomnia-Why the influencer behind Sylvanian Drama TikTok is getting sued Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A once-a-day pill health experts are calling 'life-changing' will be offered to hundreds of people living with cystic fibrosis.The drug, called Alyftrek, is a type of modular therapy which works to tackle the underlying cause of the rare condition.NHS England has announced that the treatment will be available for children and adults with rare forms of cystic fibrosis.A new £650 million Electric Car Grant announced by the government is set to reduce the cost of some new electric cars.We speak with Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson about the technology behind their new EV bundle, which includes free charging.Plus, Nvidia are getting the ball rolling again for sales of their famous chips in China.Also in this episode:-Blue Sharks have a unique structure on their skin which allows them to change colour-Elon Musk’s Grok is making AI companions, including a goth anime girl - are they romantic interests or just skins?-Hamleys names Lego, Barbie and Rubik’s Cube the top three toys of all time Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Brave New World, Evgeny Lebedev talks to bestselling author and brain coach Jim Kwik. Kwik suffered a traumatic brain injury aged 5 and is now a world authority on brain optimisation.To hear the full interview with Jim Kwik, and to learn his top tips to boost your brain power, search Brave New World or click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

University College London neuroscientist and dancer, Guido Orgs, says the magic of live performance art may be reflected in our brains.Their results suggest that sharing the moment with others may be as important as the performance itself.Tech & Science Daily spoke to the first author of the study, Dr. Laura Rai, a research fellow from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL.Alex Rawle, YouTube’s head of UK public policy, joins us to discuss why they’re calling for greater government support for the creator economy.“​They're ​the ​modern-day ​media ​powerhouses. ​15,000 ​creators ​employ ​other ​people, ​which ​supports ​an ​ecosystem ​in ​the ​UK ​of ​about ​45,000 ​jobs”.And, why Lord Professor Robert Winston, known for his pioneering work towards IVF treatment, has stepped down from the British Medical Association.Also in this episode:-Four people have been arrested by police investigating cyber attacks targeting M&S-Humans have dammed so much water that it has moved Earth's poles-The cedar tree made famous by The Beatles has been shortlisted for an award Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Heatwaves are silent killers’, according to Dr Gary Konstantinoudis, lecturer at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, at Imperial College London.Summer heatwaves caused 263 deaths in London. This data comes as a week-long heat health alert for the capital kicks in.A new generation of foldable phones has been unveiled by Samsung.The CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, has resigned.And chimpanzees have been observed copying quirky social behaviours from one another, even though they offer no apparent practical benefit.For more, we spoke to senior author Dr. Jake Brooker from the Department of Psychology at the University of Durham. Also in this episode: -Microsoft Outlook users have reported issues using the platform-AI surgery could be trialled on humans within a decade-Why cats prefer predictable outcomes instead of surprising events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

O2, with backing from The British Skin Foundation, have created a first-of-its-kind phone 'Skincase', designed to highlight the sun’s harmful UV rays on human skin.We join researcher and creative technologist Marc Teyssier, who has previously designed artificial skin for robots.The eruption of an Indonesian volcano has left locals finding ‘breathing painful’.Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted twice on Monday, sending extremely hot ash and rock debris up into the air, around 11 miles high.LOTR's Peter Jackson is resurrecting a giant extinct bird from 600 years ago.He’s teamed up with Colossal Biosciences, which worked on the genetic rebuilding of species such as the woolly mammoth and dire wolf.Also in this episode:-Barbie has launched its first doll with type 1 diabetes.-Live facial recognition technology could be used to catch London Underground fare dodgers.-And finally, Sid the sloth's Ice Age migration was actually unusual… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A malaria treatment has been approved for use on babies and young children for the first time.Has our understanding of “Space Ice" been wrong this entire time?Tech & Science Daily spoke to lead author, Dr Michael B. Davies, from UCL and the University of Cambridge, who says their discovery could also conflict with a speculative theory about how life on Earth began.Plus, the UK Government will test its emergency alert system on September 7th, in its second ever nationwide drill.Also in this episode:-Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey unveils a new Bluetooth app called Bitchat.-The first-ever guide to better support and protect patients across the world who are considering potentially pioneering, risky, surgery, has now been published.-YouTuber ‘Angryginge’ arrested for 'thousands of pounds worth of criminal damage caused to F1 car'.-“The science is clear”: McVities pull Jaffa Cakes from a biscuit museum exhibit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this excerpt from the Brave New World podcast, Evgeny Lebedev talks with Mark Hyman about the rise of longevity medicine, and what lifestyle changes we can make to enhance our health span.To hear the episode in full just search Brave New World Evening Standard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, we speak to Dr Beth Mortimer, from the University of Oxford, who is measuring seismic vibrations to track African elephants’ communication.Elephants can feel vibrations through the ground from enormous distances, which can dictate their travelling routes through the savannah.Beth and her team buried 1,200 seismic ​nodes underground to measure the ground vibrations, which are ​more ​commonly ​used ​to ​study ​things ​like ​earthquakes ​and ​volcanoes.Archaeologists working on an excavation site in the UK’s Cotswolds have discovered evidence of an Iron Age-Roman settlement.This comes after the find of two iron Roman cavalry swords.Plus, researchers in Spain say that even the softest of veg can damage our teeth, too.Also in this episode:-Jarvis Cocker marks the 100-year anniversary of the Shipping Forecast.-Why you may want to send a few more emojis to your loved ones... -The lost voices of monks to be heard again after 500 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A huge wildfire is spreading through the Greek island of Crete, fuelled by strong winds.The blaze began on Wednesday afternoon near Lerapetra, and so far, at least 1,500 people from villages, tourist resorts and coastal hotels have been evacuated.It comes as a scorching heatwave grips the European continent, with temperatures reaching over 40C degrees.The Royal Society’s free Summer Science Exhibition is back for another year.One particular entry to this year’s exhibit is London-based Drake Music, and their technology, titled PhotoSynth, which, powered by machine learning, allows users to create music from facial expressions.We hear from the CEO of Drake Music, Sally Currie.Plus, vanilla, the universally popular flavour which is used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, could be under threat due to climate change.Also in this episode:-Microsoft: layoffs across gaming division.-Japanese island experiences 900 earthquakes in two weeks.-A new interstellar object is moving through our solar system.-And finally, Sophie Ellis-Bextor says AI cannot copy human connection in music.If you have been affected by the wildfires in Crete, get in touch by emailing megan.howe@standard.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.