Science In Action

Before December, the United Nations aims to have a global treaty in place covering efforts to limit global plastic production and pollution. In a paper in the journal Science, a team of scientists have used machine learning to estimate what happens by 2050 if we do nothing. But they have also found that the problem is solvable, with the right political will, and as marine ecologist Neil Nathan of UCSB points out, with surprisingly little new rules, waste could be reduced by 91%.Machine learning this week has also helped in the creation of Evo, a tool that has created a sort of chat-GPT for the language of life, DNA. Patrick Hsu, of the University of California at Berkeley is very optimistic that the power of this tool both to predict function and one day even design whole organisms is a foundational new approach. Migratory birds navigate vast distances without GPS. It’s long been strongly suspected that they use the earth’s magnetic field to find their way, but Richard Holland of Bangor University and colleagues have found nuance in the way they do, and publish their findings in Proceedings of the Royal Society B this week. Using electromagnetic cages they have fooled individual warblers into acting as if they were in Russia, whilst actually still being in Austria.Meanwhile, Daniele Sorini, a cosmologist at Durham University has been thinking about dark energy and the possibility of our existence. In a thought experiment wondering what changing the density of dark energy would do to the likelihood of our being here to even think about it. Slightly contrary to what many reason is the fine-tuning of universal constants to allow us, as intelligent observers, to exist, Daniele and colleagues calculate that actually our observed density of dark energy is not the most likely to allow intelligent life. If there are other universes in the multiverse, most observers would think there was much more dark energy than we do. You can read up about it in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, if you are an intelligent observer yourself.Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield with Eliane Glaser Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth (Image: Plastic waste issues in Philippines. Credit: Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Many coronaviruses exist in nature that we don’t know much about. We don’t even know how and whether most of them might bind to human cells. Research published in Nature, by scientists at Wuhan and Washington Universities, describes a new way of designing novel receptor sites on cell cultures so that many types of coronavirus may now be cultured and studied to ascertain their risk to humans. Cambridge virologist Ravindra Gupta, who is not one of the authors, gives Science in Action his take on the risks versus the reward.Dotted around the remains of Pompeii, visitors are often struck by the plaster casts of some of the victims’ dying moments. During recent restoration of several of these casts, scientists were able to extract DNA samples from bones which had previously been enveloped by plaster since their initial discovery. As Alissa Mittnik of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology describes, some of the findings confound our previous narratives about their lives, relationships, and even their genders.Rozenn Pineau, a plant evolutionary geneticist at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has been investigating the unique evolutionary history of the world's oldest (and biggest) tree - "Pando".And finally, the oldest known tadpole is described from a 160 million year old Argentinian fossil by biologist Mariana Chuliver.Presented by Roland Pease Produced by Alex Mansfield, with Eliane Glaser Production Coordination by Jana Bennett-Holesworth (Image: Illustration of Covid-19 coronavirus binding to human cell. Credit: Kateryna Kon via Getty Images)

Ana Camarasa Belmonte, a Professor at the University of Valencia, shares insights on extreme flooding in Spain, highlighting its link to climate change. Jess Neumann emphasizes the role of imagination in grasping flood risks. Friederike Otto discusses her team's findings that climate change has amplified such disasters, citing a staggering number of deaths from extreme weather events. Meanwhile, virologist Amie Eisfeld reveals alarming research on the H5N1 bird flu strain, noting its potential for human transmission and the urgent need for ongoing surveillance.

Andrea Dupree, a Harvard astronomer, shares recent findings about Betelgeuse and its possible companion star, the 'Betelbuddy.' Omar Yaghi, a renowned chemist, discusses revolutionary materials for rapid carbon dioxide capture, aiming to combat climate change. Robert Jinkerson proposes a futuristic 'Electro-Agriculture' method to convert CO2 into plant food using solar energy. Meanwhile, Michael Frachetti reveals archaeological discoveries in Uzbekistan, shedding light on the rich history of Silk Road cities and their significance in ancient trade.

Becca Franks and Laurie Sellars explore the unintended consequences of fish farming on marine life. They discuss how aquaculture impacts consumer perceptions and biodiversity. Manu Prakash reveals the fascinating properties of the inflatable plankton, shedding light on underwater carbon sinks. Monika Bright shares discoveries of life beneath volcanic vents, showcasing nature's resilience. Finally, Chrysa Avdellidou connects cosmic events to Earth’s history, uncovering origins of a meteor linked to a mass extinction. Each guest brings a unique perspective on life’s tenacity and challenges.

In the week the Nobel prizes for science are announced, Roland Pease takes a look at the stories behind the breakthroughs being recognized, and the themes that connect them. From the discovery of the tiny fragments of RNA that regulate our cells’ behaviour, via computer structures that resemble our brains, and harnessing those sorts of computers to design drugs and medicines, it has been one of the most interdisciplinary years for the prize panellists. We hear from old students, recent colleagues, laureates and lab (and life) partners, including Rosalind “Candy” Lee and her husband Victor Ambros, of UMass Chan Medical School, US, Erika DeBenedictus of the Crick Institute, UK, and Dmitri Krotov of IBM Research. Presented: Roland Pease Produced: Alex Mansfield Production co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis(Photo: 3d rendering of RNA strands and lipid-based nanoparticles or liposome. Credit: Love Employee via Getty Images)

As we were putting the finishing touches to last week’s Science in Action, the US National Weather Service was warning of Hurricane Helene’s fast approach to the Florida coast – alerting people to ‘unsurvivable’ storm surges of up to 6 metres. But the category 4 storm powered, as forecast, far past the coast and into the rugged interior of Tennessee and the Carolinas. 150 billion tonnes of rainfall are estimated to have been dumped there, with devastating consequences for the towns and villages snuggled into the deep-cut valleys of the region. Bloomberg says the event could cost $160 billion. Extreme warmth in the Gulf of Mexico helped fuel the hurricane, and within a few days Berkeley climatologist Michael Wehner had computed the fingerprint of climate change on the event. The journal Nature published this week a study estimating the true number of casualties of hurricanes like Helene – not just those registered in the immediate aftermath, deaths caused by the instant trauma, but those in the months, even years, that follow, because of the disruption to lives and infrastructure. Rachel Young of Stanford University was herself surprised by the scale of harm her calculations revealed. At least the dams held in North Carolina during Helene, although the sight of torrents of water gushing down the protective spillways at the peak was fearsome to see. A year ago, the two dams upstream of the Libyan port Derna both failed during Storm Daniel – ripping out the heart of the city and claiming at least 6000 lives. We reported what we could at the time here on Science in Action. But a World Bank study on the disaster reported back to an international dam conference in India this week a more detailed investigation – though the fractious politics of Libya put constraints on their work. Climate change was a massive part – normal monthly September rain in the area is 1.5 mm – but over 200 mm, maybe 400, fell on the hills behind Derna the night of the 10th. But it was the report of independent engineer Ahmed Chraibi that interested Science in Action – on the condition of the two dams, one just on the edge of the city, the other larger one 15 km upstream. He confirmed these had been built, in the 70s, for flood protection not to store water, but were in a shocking state long before last year’s cataclysm. You’ve not been paying attention here in the past 5 years if you haven’t learned how clever our immune system is in recognising viruses that invade our bodies. Different arms of the system like antibodies and white blood cells can take on the viruses directly, or kill infected cells to stop the infection spreading further. But it’s slow to respond to new infections, which is why our pharmacies also stock antivirals, small molecules which also lock onto components of viruses to stop them replicating. Too often though, they’re not as effective as we’d like. Flu antivirals for example work only if you catch the infection very early. So I was intrigued to read in the Proceedings of the National Academy this week of a new kind of drug that is like an antiviral, but gets the immune system to do the hard work. Imrul Shahria reckoned there are all kinds of antibodies and immune cells floating through our tissues not doing much, but that could be tricked into tackling flu infections – with a little molecular deception. He's effectively hacked the flu antiviral zanamivir which locks onto the neuraminidase protein – the N – of flu viruses, and given it immune superpowers. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis(Photo: Hurricane Helene causes massive flooding across swaths of western North Carolina. Credit: Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

Valerie Trouet, a tree-ring expert from the University of Arizona, reveals how centuries of jet stream patterns have shaped extreme weather in Europe, driving agricultural outcomes and public health crises. Andy Tomkins from Monash University discusses a fascinating theory about a dust ring encircling Earth 460 million years ago, potentially cooling the planet after an asteroid encounter. The podcast also touches on neuroendocrine cells and airway protection, illustrating the intersection of ancient climate events and contemporary science.

Moshe Armon from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discusses unusual flash floods sweeping through the Sahara due to an extratropical cyclone. Brian Huber from the Smithsonian sheds light on a 485 million-year temperature record revealing Earth’s climate variability. Mary Lewis from Reading University explores puberty in ancient adolescents, showing striking similarities between their development and that of today’s teens. The conversation spans climate change implications and intriguing insights into our ancestors' lives.

Join Paula Koelemeijer, an expert on megatsunamis, alongside Wieter Boone and Søren Rysgaard as they dive into the recent megatsunami in Greenland's Dickson Fjord. They discuss the stunning 200-meter wave caused by a massive rockslide and its global seismic impact. The conversation reveals how climate change is influencing landslide frequency, raising concerns about coastal stability. They also shed light on the challenges researchers face in monitoring these phenomena and the implications for future environmental safety.