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BBC Inside Science

Latest episodes

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Sep 28, 2023 • 28min

How will climate change affect where we can live?

Diwigdi Valiente, a member of the Guna Yala people, shares how climate change is forcing communities to evacuate in Panama. The podcast discusses the impact of rising sea levels on British coastal communities, the significance of forests for the Gunna people, and the challenges faced by insurance companies in providing coverage for high-risk areas. The importance of proactive planning and multinational cooperation in tackling climate change is highlighted.
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Sep 21, 2023 • 36min

What makes a healthy river?

Discover the complexities of river health and the impacts of pollution in UK rivers. Topics include the importance of mud, challenges facing rivers, consequences of improper plumbing, addressing water pollution, and the lack of designated bathing waters in Welsh rivers.
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4 snips
Sep 14, 2023 • 28min

Why do we want to go back to the Moon?

Discover the mini space race to the Moon's South Pole, the search for water with implications for space exploration, the release of water voles in the Lake District, the challenges of distinguishing real and deepfake voices, and the fascinating ways animals bend time.
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Sep 7, 2023 • 28min

Time is still ticking for the Amazon

Brazilian scientist Joice Ferreira discusses the importance of the Amazon rainforest. British Sign Language is incorporating scientific concepts. Inhalers emit greenhouse gases. Paleaoanthropologist Lee Berger's book explores the ancient human-like creature Homo naledi.
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Aug 31, 2023 • 28min

Reality check: carbon capture and storage

Explore the government's decision on drilling in the North Sea and its impact on carbon emissions. Hear about the fascinating behavior of whales and dolphins interacting with boats. Discover efforts to protect endangered animals and prevent dangerous interactions. Discuss the mysterious deaths of Gillamots and the spread of avian flu. Learn how to propagate plants through cuttings using basil as an example.
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Aug 24, 2023 • 34min

Battles with flames

This podcast discusses the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, the potential collapse of the Gulf Stream, the impact of tyre pollution on health and wildlife, and a cyclist's experiment with glucose monitors while cycling across the country.
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Aug 17, 2023 • 33min

The wide-ranging effects of climate change

Topics discussed in this podcast include the impact of soaring temperatures on the range of foods in supermarkets, how the jet stream affects extreme weather patterns, the wide-ranging effects of record temperatures in China, the potential for new habitats for wildlife due to changing heat patterns, the use of weather balloons in storm forecasting, and the consequences of climate change on food security and gardens.
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16 snips
Aug 10, 2023 • 33min

How social media can affect the health of teenagers

The Threads social media app launched on 5th July. Instagram users were able to sign up with just a few clicks. It joins a plethora of other social media apps like Snapchat, Twitter and TikTok, all of which are readily accessible on our phones. With all these apps at our fingertips, it’s never been easier for us to discover new people to follow, keep in touch with our friends and stay up to date with the latest news about our favourite celebrities. But Professor Devi Sridhar, the chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, is concerned about the harmful effect that all these apps could potentially be having on the health of young people. She talks to Marnie Chesterton about why they should be better regulated in order to protect our children. Marnie is then joined by Professor Andrew Przybylski from the University of Oxford who says that more studies need to be carried out. Next up we find out more about phages – ‘good’ viruses that infect and destroy bacteria and could hold the key to fighting disease. Tom Ireland, author of a new book, The Good Virus, tells Marnie about the history of phages and their potentially exciting future. This week the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of middle-distance runner and Olympic champion Caster Semenya in a case related to testosterone levels in female athletes. Marnie speaks to developmental biologist Dr Emma Hilton about what causes differences in sexual development and the impact they can have. We also hear from Dr Stuart Farrimond who explains how the microclimates in your garden can affect the plants you can grow. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Harrison Lewis Content producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Assistant producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Editor: Richard Collings
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Aug 2, 2023 • 35min

Mapping the universe

A rocket launch, super-massive black holes and ghost particles! This past week’s scientific findings are testament to how hard-at-work cosmologists and physicists have been seeking out the fundamental building blocks of our universe and the rules that govern it. Professor of Cosmology at UCL, Andrew Pontzen, joins Marnie Chesterton to discuss the lot of them. Euclid took to the stars on Saturday, carrying a wide-angle space telescope that promises the opportunity to create a far larger and accurate 3D map of the universe to anything ever seen before. Gravitational waves detected by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOgrav) provide insight into the role black holes play in galaxy formation. And neutrinos recorded in the remote ices of Antarctica have been detected from the centre of our Milky Way. Dr Stuart Farrimond also joins us for the next few weeks with his pitch on the science of gardening. He’ll be digging up facts and tips that will help make the most out of summer blooms. This week Stu unearths how the pH of your soil could be hindering the flowerbeds.And visit a Welsh quarry with reporter Ella Hubber to hear how a mere 462 million years ago new species were exploding onto the scene. Palaeontologists Dr Joe Botting and Dr Lucy Muir stumbled across the most abundant and rare deposit of soft bodied fossils on record, scoring an archaeological jackpot! Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Harrison Lewis Content producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Assistant producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Editor: Richard Collings
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6 snips
Jul 27, 2023 • 30min

Heat and health

Last summer saw intense heatwaves across the world. And already this year, global air, surface and sea temperatures have hit the highest levels on record. China, India and the US are currently experiencing heatwaves. In June, the UK’s Met Office released a health warning because of the high temperatures. In this episode Gaia Vince investigates what causes heatwaves and how hotter weather impacts our health. She finds out how we can prepare ourselves as the temperatures rise. Gaia is joined by Peter Stott at the Met Office Centre for Climate Prediction, who reveals more about the forecast and what causes heatwaves. She also speaks to Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate and the Environment, who gives us the lowdown on the UK’s heat health warning system and says what the future could look like if we continue to miss climate targets. In addition, Dann Mitchell, professor of climate science at the University of Bristol, discusses the health impacts of extreme heat. Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London, explains what sparks wildfires and how they spread. Elsewhere, Germany has launched a high-tech heat health warning system to warn people when the temperatures are rocketing. Gaia speaks to Andreas Matzarakis, from Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg, who developed the system.Presenter: Gaia Vince Producer: Harrison Lewis Content Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Assistant Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Editor: Richard Collings

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