CrowdScience

Milk: drink a lot of it and we’ll grow big and tall with strong bones. That’s what many people are told as children, but just how true is this accepted wisdom? CrowdScience listener JJ in Singapore is sceptical. He wants to live a healthy life for as long as possible, and he’s wondering whether drinking cow’s milk will help or hinder him on this mission. All mammals produce milk, and our mother’s milk is our very first drink as babies. So what actually is the white stuff? Mary Fewtrell, professor of paediatric nutrition at UCL, gives presenter Chhavi Sachdev the lowdown on just how fundamental breastmilk is to us all. But are we meant to continue drinking milk from other animals once we grow up? This behaviour of ours is rare among mammals… so Christina Warinner, professor of evolutionary biology at Harvard University, tells us when in our history cow’s milk entered our diet, and how we even came to be able to digest it. And is there any truth in the accepted wisdom that cow’s milk will give us stronger bones? Karl Michaelsson, professor of medical epidemiology at Uppsala University, has researched just this – and the answer isn’t what you’d expect. Karl helps Chhavi sift through the complex evidence to see whether milk is actually any good for us.Presenter: Chhavi Sachdev Producer: Sophie Ormiston Editor: Ben Motley(Photo:Lady milking cow, Nadiad, Gujarat, India)

Join Professor Sarah Gabbott from the University of Leicester, a leading paleontologist and co-author of 'Discarded,' as she explores the lasting legacy of human civilization. She discusses how 'technofossils'—the enduring marks we leave behind—will be detectable for millions of years. The conversation dives into the Silurian Hypothesis, pondering whether earlier advanced species left any trace at all. Plus, listeners discover the rare art of fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast and how our everyday pollution uniquely shapes Earth's future geological record.

Dive into the intriguing world of camouflage, from its origins in nature to military applications. Discover how patterns and colors evolved through historical context and reflect national identity. Learn about the latest advancements, like a cloak that renders soldiers invisible, and explore thermal camouflage technology's innovative capabilities. Personal accounts shed light on the need for adaptability in modern warfare, highlighting the ongoing arms race between concealment and detection in an ever-evolving battlefield.

Pascale Hibon, a staff astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, shares her expertise in studying distant celestial objects using the Very Large Telescope. The conversation reveals how light from these objects often journeys for billions of years, making Hibon a kind of time traveler. They discuss the nature of light, its dual wave-particle characteristics, and breakthroughs in telescope technology. The podcast also raises intriguing questions about the longevity of photons and their transformative journey across the universe.

Jean-Pierre Wolf is a professor in the Applied Physics Department at the University of Geneva, specializing in lasers for climate applications. He discusses the intriguing potential of weather engineering to control rainfall. Cloud seeding and its ethical implications are explored, revealing both the benefits for agriculture and the environmental concerns. Wolf also highlights groundbreaking laser technologies that could replace traditional methods, showcasing innovative ways to influence weather patterns while minimizing pollution. A fascinating dive into the future of rain manipulation!

CrowdScience listener Jon started wondering how our teeth are created while he was in the dentist’s chair. It took his mind off the drilling. He wants to know how our teeth are made, what goes into them and how come we only get two sets of teeth when other animals, like sharks, grow thousands of new ones throughout their lives.Anand Jagatia goes back to prehistoric times to discover how the story of teeth began millions of years ago. Palaeontologist Yara Haridy explains that teeth weren’t designed originally for eating at all, but as a kind of armour on the exoskeletons of fish that was also sensitive to the environment. It turns out that our teeth in fact are part of our evolutionary success story. Biological anthropologist Peter Ungar reveals that we flourished as a species because our teeth are designed to get the maximum energy from our food. Anand discovers how teeth can even be grown in a lab when he meets researchers Ana Angelova Volponi and Xuechen Zhang whose team has managed to replicate the environment in which teeth develop. He also talks to Katsu Takahashi who has discovered a method for developing a third set of teeth. It’s a whole new way of creating teeth that will change the way we make them. Presenter Anand Jagatia Producer Jo Glanville Editor Ben Motley Studio Manager Bob Nettles Production co-ordinator Ishmael Soriano Translation, Katsu Takahashi interview Bethan Jones

The epic space story of a sci-fi dream that changed spaceflight forever. Told by the Nasa astronauts and team who made it happen. Our multi-award-winning podcast is back, hosted by space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock. She tells the story of triumph and tragedy - of a dream that revolutionised modern space travel forever.You can listen to the trailer here. To hear episodes, search for 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle is a BBC Audio Science Unit production for the BBC World Service. Theme music by Hans Zimmer and Christian Lundberg, and produced by Russell Emanuel, for Bleeding Fingers Music. Archive: Mission audio and oral histories, Nasa History Office.

Robert Hampson, a professor at Wake Forest University, dives into the fascinating world of technology and its potential to enhance human memory. He explores cutting-edge research aimed at restoring memory impairment and discusses the ethical implications of using tech for cognitive enhancement. The conversation also covers brain-computer interfaces, deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's, and how personal anecdotes illustrate the transformative effects on patients' lives. Gain insights into the future of brain health and the intersection of neuroscience and technology!

Your whole life is governed by spin. The rotation of our planet tells you when to wake up, and Earth’s orbit around the Sun is the reason why some of us dig out a jumper for half the year and a t-shirt for the rest. But what if that all changed? That’s exactly what 8-year-old Geronimo in Ecuador wants to know. He and his dad, Fabian, have got themselves dizzy trying to figure out what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning, or better yet, started spinning in the opposite direction. Would everyone fly off into space? Would school be at night? Eager for answers, they decided to ask CrowdScience. Presenter Anand Jagatia embarks on an interstellar journey, blasting off with the celestial origins of spin itself. Astronomer Amy Bonsor from the University of Cambridge in the UK explains how Earth’s rotation began, with collapsing clouds of gas, planetary pile-ups and crushing gravitational force. At Keele Observatory, things get apocalyptic. Anand meets astronomer Jacco van Loon, who explains what would happen if Geronimo somehow waved a magic wand and brought Earth’s rotation to a halt. With months of unbroken daylight or darkness, devastating storms and even the loss of the Earth’s magnetic shield, it’s like the script of a disaster movie. Wave that magic wand again and we imagine a world where the Earth not only stops... but starts spinning the other way. Meteorologist Joao Basso from the University of Leipzig in Germany walks us through a mind-bending 2018 study that tells us the surprising things that would happen to the global climate. Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Harrison Lewis Series Producer: Ben Motley

Sara Russell, a planetary scientist at the Natural History Museum, and Richard Greenwood, a meteorite researcher at The Open University, dive into the origins of Earth's water. They discuss how water likely didn't exist when the planet formed from molten rock and explore theories suggesting asteroids, like Bennu, might have contributed to our water supply. Additionally, they examine oxygen isotopes linking Earth and the Moon, shedding light on cosmic impacts and the timeline of water's arrival on our planet.