Discovery

Professor Kathy Willis, Science director of Kew Gardens, explores how breeding better-adapted crops from wild relatives can enhance food security amidst climate challenges. Discussions on developing resilient rice varieties, the importance of genetic diversity in agriculture, and preserving crop relatives in seed banks for future agricultural needs.

Exploring the revolutionary CRISPR gene editing technology for creating disease-resistant farm animals and crops. Delving into the ethical implications of altering genetic makeup in animals. Discussing the use of gene drive technology for controlling disease-carrying mosquito populations and the necessity of inclusive research in diverse communities.

Over the last four years, scientists have discovered a simple and powerful method for altering genes. This will have massive implications for all of us as it raises the possibility of easily changing the genetic code in animals, plants and ourselves. The potential for good is enormous. The ethical challenges are profound. Professor Matthew Cobb explores the brave new world of CRISPR gene editing.Producer: Andrew Luck-BakerImage: Model of human DNA strand, BBC Copyright

In the late 1920s Einstein was working on a grand unified theory of the universe, having given us E=mc2, space-time and the fourth dimension. He was also working on a fridge. Perhaps motivated by a story in the Berlin newspapers about a family who died when toxic fumes leaked from their state-of the-art refrigerator, Einstein teamed up with another physicist Leo Szilard and designed a new, safer refrigerating technology. And so it was that in 1930, the man who had once famously worked in the patent office in Bern was granted a patent of his own. Number: 1, 781, 541. Title: refrigeration.Phillip Ball explores this little known period of Einstein's life to try and find out why he turned his extraordinary mind to making fridges safer. Despite considerable commercial interest in the patent, Einstein's fridge didn't get built in his lifetime. The Great Depression forced AEG and others to close down their refrigeration research. But in 2008 a team of British scientists decided to give it a go. Their verdict : Einstein's fridge doesn't work. (Photo: Refridgerators stand in rows. Credit: Keystone/Getty Images)

Explore the intriguing history of electricity, from ancient fascination with electric fish to the invention of the first battery by Volta. Discover the shocking properties of eels and their influence on modern neuroscience. Uncover the evolution of electrical treatments in medicine and psychiatry, revealing the fine line between therapy and macabre practices.

Philip Ball dives into the magical world of Cornelis Drebbel , inventor of the world's first submarine in 1621. How did the crew of this remarkable vessel manage to breathe underwater, completely cut off from the surface, 150 years before oxygen was officially discovered? King James I of England and thousands of his subjects lined the banks of the River Thames in London to watch the first demonstration. The strangest boat they had ever seen sank beneath the waves and stayed there for three hours. Did Drebbel know how to make oxygen? Historian Andrew Szydlow reveals that Drebbel did have secret knowledge of how to keep the air fresh.In his day, Drebbel was a pioneer of exploring uninhabitable places. Today's equivalent is to make oxygen on the Moon and as scientists grapple with this ultimate challenge, Monica Grady explains their work is being used under the waves where Drebbel began.Image: Early Submarine, A design for a wooden submarine from around 1650. It would surface and submerge with the inflation and deflation of rows of goatskin airbags attached to the floor of the vessel. (Photo by Henry Guttmann/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Experts discuss the repercussions of the powerful El Nino weather phenomenon on global climate, including drought in Ethiopia and fires in Indonesia. The podcast delves into the rarity and complexity of El Nino events, their impact on trade winds, failed predictions, and global weather patterns. It also explores the dangers of fires, challenges in data collection, and the global influence of El Nino on rainfall patterns, storm systems, and food security crises.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince explore the legacy of Einstein's great theory, and how a mathematical equation written 100 years ago seems to have predicted so accurately exactly how our universe works. From black holes to the expanding universe, every observation of the universe, so far, has been held up by the maths in Einstein's extraordinary work. So how was he able to predict the events and behaviour of our universe, long before the technology existed to prove he was right, and will there ever be another theory that will supersede it? Brian and Robin head up the iconic Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank to explore Einstein's theory in action, and talk to scientists who are still probing the mysteries hidden within General Relativity.

Brian Cox, an astronomer and physicist, takes Robin Ince on a tour of General Relativity. They discuss the elegance and complexity of the theory, featuring falling elevators, trampolines, and bowling balls. Exploring Einstein's motivation to unify physics and the profound implications of General Relativity on understanding gravity, black holes, and the Big Bang.

Explore the world of bottlenose dolphins in north-east Scotland, with a focus on their unique signature whistles and communication techniques underwater. Learn about photo-ID methods, mimicry behaviors, and the impact of noise pollution on dolphin communication. Delve into the conservation efforts and challenges of balancing renewable energy goals with dolphin protection in their coastal habitat.