The Life Scientific

Jacqueline McKinley, a Principal Osteoarchaeologist with Wessex Archaeology, dives deep into the world of ancient burial sites. She shares how even burnt bone fragments reveal rich stories about lives and communities. Jackie discusses the shift in Western attitudes toward death, contrasting historical communal practices with today's privacy around death. She also reflects on her personal experience of keeping her late father's bone fragments, illustrating the emotional ties to the past. With advancements in forensic techniques, Jackie uncovers the intricate connection between archaeology and modern investigative practices.

Surgeons often have to deal with the consequences of violent attacks - becoming all too familiar with patterns of public violence, and peaks around weekends, alcohol-infused events and occasions that bring together groups with conflicting ideals.Professor Jonathan Shepherd not only recognised the link between public violence and emergency hospital admissions, he actually did something about it. As a senior lecturer in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the early 1980s, Jonathan started looking into this trend - and his research revealed that most violent assaults resulting in emergency hospital treatment are not reported to police. As a result, he devised the ‘Cardiff Model for Violence Prevention’: a programme where hospitals share data about admissions relating to violent attacks with local authorities. He also went on to study various aspects of violent assault and deliver evidence-based solutions - from alcohol restrictions in hotspots, to less breakable beer glasses in pubs. The impacts have been significant, delivering reductions in hospital admissions and in violent attacks recorded by police; not only in Cardiff, but in cities around the world where the model is used. Today, as an Emeritus Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Cardiff University - where he’s also Director of their Crime, Security and Intelligence Innovation Institute - Jonathan continues to bring together the medical sector with local authorities, finding practical ways to make cities and their residents safer. But his career, straddling the worlds of practise, science and policy, is an unusual one; here he talks to Professor Jim Al-Khalili about what drove him to make a difference.Presentedby Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor

Doyne Farmer, an innovative scientist and entrepreneur known for his work in chaos theory and complex systems, shares fascinating insights. He recounts his daring win at a Las Vegas casino using one of the first wearable computers, demonstrating the predictability within apparent randomness. Farmer discusses applying complex systems science to economics, stressing the importance of predictive models in addressing climate change and economic crises. His journey reveals how the intricacies of chaos can lead to transformative solutions in our unpredictable world.

Elephants are the largest living land mammal and today our plant is home to three species: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant.But a hundred thousand years ago, in the chilly depths of the Ice Age, multiple species of elephant roamed the earth: from dog-sized dwarf elephants to towering woolly mammoths.These gentle giants' evolutionary story and its parallels with that of humankind has long fascinated Dr Tori Herridge, a senior lecturer in evolutionary biology at the University of Sheffield, where - as a seasoned science broadcaster - she's also responsible for their Masters course in Science Communication.Tori has spent much of her life studying fossil elephants and the sites where they were excavated; trying to establish facts behind relics that are far beyond the reach of Radio Carbon Dating. To date she's discovered dwarf mammoths on Mediterranean islands, retraced the groundbreaking Greek expedition of a female palaeontologist in the early 1900s, and even held an ancient woolly mammoth’s liver. (Verdict: stinky.)But as she tells Profesor Jim Al-Khalili, this passion for fossil-hunting is not just about understanding the past: this information is what will help us protect present-day elephants and the world around them for future generations.Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor

What does it take to earn the nickname, ‘The Leonardo da Vinci of heart surgery’?That's the moniker given to today's guest - a man who pioneered high-profile and often controversial procedures, but also helped drive huge medical progress; carrying out around 2,000 heart transplants and 400 dual heart-lung transplants during his 60-year career.Sir Magdi Yacoub is Emeritus Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Imperial College London, and Director of Research at Harefield Hospital’s Magdi Yacoub Institute. Inspired by a surgeon father and impacted by the tragic early death of his aunt from a heart condition, his medical career includes various surgical firsts alongside numerous research projects, to further our understanding of and ability to treat heart disease. He headed up the teams that discovered it is possible to reverse heart failure, and that successfully grew part of a human heart valve from stem cells for the first time. But it hasn't always been plain sailing. At times, his work – such as early, unsuccessful transplant attempts, or using a baboon as a life-support system for a baby – attracted serious public criticism.Speaking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Sir Magdi reflects on the highs and lows of his cardio career, and offers his advice to the next generation of surgeons and researchers hoping to make their mark in heart medicine. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor

What's it like living underwater for two weeks? What's the trickiest part of training to be an astronaut? What are the most memorable sights you see from space? Several extreme questions, all of which can be answered by one man: Major Tim Peake.After a childhood packed with outdoor adventures, via the Cub Scouts and school Cadet Force, Tim joined the British Army Air Corps and became a military flying instructor then a test pilot; before eventually being selected as a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut.In 2015, Tim became the first British ESA astronaut to visit the International Space Station. Over the course of a six-month mission, he took part in more than 250 scientific experiments and worked with more than two million schoolchildren across Europe.In a special New Year’s episode recorded in front of an audience at London’s Royal Society, Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to Tim about his lifelong passion for adventure, the thrill of flight and why scientific experiments in space are so important.Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor

Anna Korre, an environmental engineer at Imperial College London and Co-Director of the Energy Futures Lab, dives into the complexities of carbon capture and sustainability. She shares her journey from Greece, overcoming societal expectations to become a leader in STEM. Korre discusses her innovative research in sub-surface CO2 storage and its potential for decarbonizing industries. The conversation highlights the importance of scientific evidence in environmental debates and the need for public engagement to combat climate change effectively.

Rosalie David, a trailblazer in Egyptology, discusses her groundbreaking work on mummies, highlighting the fusion of ancient history and modern medicine. She reveals her early adventures in Egypt and the pivotal shift in studying mummies as valuable sources of historical insight. David shares startling findings, including a forensic investigation into a young woman's murder 3,000 years ago and the establishment of the world's first mummy tissue bank, uncovering a complex understanding of ancient Egyptian health and society.

Peter Stott is a climate scientist at the UK's Met Office Hadley Centre and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In this conversation, he recounts how the devastating 2003 heatwave inspired his research into extreme weather and human impact on climate change. He confronts climate denialism with hard evidence and shares his journey from physics to atmospheric science. Peter also discusses significant moments in his career, particularly his battles with skeptics and the importance of effective science communication in addressing global warming.

Ijeoma Uchegbu, a Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at University College London, discusses the groundbreaking potential of nanoparticles in medicine. She explains how these tiny carriers can deliver drugs to hard-to-reach areas, aiming to revolutionize treatments for conditions like blindness and pain management. Ijeoma shares her inspiring journey from a foster child in rural Kent to an innovative scientist, highlighting her creative approaches, including stand-up comedy, to communicate complex scientific ideas and engage others.