Science In Action

Freddie Otto, a climate scientist at World Weather Attribution, discusses the Paris Agreement's impact on extreme heat and its links to mortality. He emphasizes the urgent need for stronger commitments to combat rising temperatures. Mendy Smith, an ecologist from the International Drought Experiment, reveals the long-term impacts of droughts on grasslands and the difficulty of recovery. Natalie Stroeymeyt, a behavioral ecologist, shares fascinating insights into how ants redesign their nests to prevent disease spread, showcasing nature's innovative solutions.

This week, predictions for the 2025 Nobel prizes are up for discussion, with insights on metal-organic frameworks and their impact on technology. A groundbreaking Human Disease Blood Atlas is in the works, showcasing how machine learning can detect cancer through protein signatures. Plus, tantalizing updates on Enceladus reveal potential for life as scientists analyze icy plumes containing complex organics. Join the exploration of tracking wildlife globally and the implications of these technological advancements for understanding health and migration!

Todd Humphreys, a space radio communications expert, reveals the intriguing possibility of a mysterious satellite disrupting GPS signals in Europe, suggesting an accidental source, not necessarily malevolent. Liana Zanette, a behavioral ecologist, shares eye-opening findings about wolves' fear of humans, showcasing how their behavior shifts in response to human sounds. Meanwhile, Tessa Alexanian discusses AI-designed DNA's potential dangers, emphasizing biosecurity challenges in detecting harmful protein sequences, highlighting an urgent need for better screening methods.

Jonathan Mill, an epigeneticist from the University of Exeter, discusses how epigenetic changes influence brain development and their complex ties to autism. Samia Iqbal, an evolutionary biologist, reveals insights from historic bacterial samples that show how antibiotic resistance evolved and spread. Gabriela Bishop from Wageningen University shares vital research on balancing agricultural land with natural habitats to protect pollinators, emphasizing specific habitat needs for different species.

Join gravitational-wave researcher Alberto Vecchio from Birmingham University as he discusses a groundbreaking LIGO detection, confirming Hawking's area theorem with the merging of two black holes. Vecchio highlights how this elegant math has withstood rigorous testing. The podcast also explores an ambitious ESA plan to catch a pristine comet on its first visit to the inner solar system, supported by insights from Colin Snodgrass and Meg Schwamb about upcoming space missions. Discover the future of cosmic exploration and its exciting possibilities!

Discover the thrilling plans for the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas and an exciting rendezvous with asteroid Apophis in 2029. Explore the unique characteristics of the small asteroid Donald Johansson from NASA's Lucy mission, and delve into the captivating dynamics of a merging asteroid. Join discussions on diverse spacecraft strategies for capturing cometary data and the implications of these celestial wonders. This podcast reveals the collaborative efforts and scientific significance behind exploring our cosmic neighborhood.

Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist from Texas A&M University, discusses Afghanistan's vulnerability to earthquakes and the urgent need for better infrastructure and public education. Alongside Anne Churchland from UCLA, they delve into how brain activity informs decision-making, using groundbreaking research on neural connections in mice. Dessler also challenges misconceptions about carbon dioxide's effects on plant growth, linking climate change to food security. Additionally, listeners learn about the latest interstellar comet discoveries and their implications for astronomical research.

Join asteroid specialist Sarah Russell, who studies interstellar dust, paleo geneticist Ludovic Orlando, who researches horse domestication, and epidemiologist Katerina Laporta, who examines historical rumor spread. They discuss the fascinating parallels between the spread of fear during the French Revolution and modern-day events, revealing how citizen militias shaped revolutionary ideas. Furthermore, uncover the genetic evolution of horses and the cosmic origins of asteroids like Bennu, highlighting the connection between our ancient past and current scientific endeavors.

A desktop nuclear fusion reactor that uses electrochemistry to up the ante. Also, a global survey of human wildfire exposures finds Africa burning ahead, plus tiny swarming robots and record-breaking 2024 ice melts from glaciers on Svalbard. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production co-ordinator: Jana Holesworth (Photo: The Thunderbird Reactor at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Credit: Berlinguette Group/UBC)

US Health Secretary RFK Jr’s call to retract a study on childhood vaccines is resisted by the journal. Also antibiotics get designed by AI, and a new way for stars to die. A study focussing on Danish childhood vaccination data has attracted the US Secretary for Health’s anger, as RFK jr calls for the journal in which it was published, the Annals of Internal Medicine, to retract it. The Editor, Christine Laine, talk to Science in Action about the strengths and challenges of observational studies. The cuts to prestigious US federal science funded research continue, as last week it was announced that $500 million funding for future mRNA vaccines would be withdrawn. Barney Graham, one of the pioneers in the field and prominent during the Covid vaccines, argues that the research will still happen, though maybe not in the US, as mRNA has become a fundamental area of global research. Meanwhile, strides are being made in the field of synthetic biology as Jim Collins and colleagues at MIT and Harvard have used AI to design potentially viable antibiotics for two important drug-resistant superbugs. Previously, AI has been used to comb through libraries of known antibiotics. This study has gone a step further, and used generative AI to design new ones, that can then be synthesised using real chemicals. Though a long way from being prescribable drugs, the team think this could herald a new golden age of antibiotic development – something which has been lacking in recent decades. Finally, it seems astronomers may have discovered a new way for a star to die, sort of. Supernova 2023zkd was seen to explode back in 2023, found by a team looking for odd events. It didn’t seem quite like normal supernovae, in that it took a bit longer to die down. Then the team looked back, and noticed that it had also been getting slowly brighter for almost a year. At 730 million light years away, in a galaxy far, far away, it also seemed to have been stripped of all its hydrogen and even stranger yet, appeared to have exploded twice. As Ashley Villar of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics explains, the almost unique observation fits with a model of the huge star getting closer to a black hole, the gravity of which may have disrupted the star enough to cause it to explode. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber with Alex Mansfield Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth (Image: Child getting a vaccine. Credit: Luis Alvarez via Getty Images)