Love and Science

Koko the gorilla, an amazing short story, gene-edited pigs, and stopping slugs eating your plants.

This week we hear Esther Clifford read the short story she has written for the BBC's short story competition. Jamie Love talks about his experience with Koko the gorilla whilst he was making a documentary about her. Scienticts believed they have successfully edited the genes of pigs to make them immune to the most expensive disease they get. Scientists are blaming our "obsessively clean" lifestyles for the rise in hayfever! And finally, the Royal Horticultural Society are going to test out gardeners' tricks to keep away slugs, under controlled environments for the first time ever - results this autumn!

This is my last week on BCFM and I'm so sad to be leaving, it's been an absolute pleasure, and thanks for listening! Hopefully Malcolm and Andrew will keep you entertained enough on their own. - Hannah 

 

As promised, the info on gene-edited pigs: https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2018/jun/22/gene-edited-pigs-can-we-engineer-immunity-science-weekly-podcast

Talking to aliens, the festival of nature, cheltenham science festival and boosting your immune system to fight cancer

This week Malcolm and Hannah are joined by Jenny French and Philippa Gardom! We hear about the Cheltanham Science Festival, and the Festival of Nature, Jenny announces the WINNER of the photography competition she has run so listen out incase it's you!

Doug Vakoch, of METI, talks about the nature of language, and whether we can use some universal laws to talk to aliens! We also hear about a woman who has beaten an extremely advanced form of cancer through an experiementla treatment which boosted her own immune system to fight it back. We also hear about the fluctuating methane levels on Mars which can't be explained easily through natural phenomenon, or can it? 

 

Andrew's message out into space is still going strong, telling the universe "if you have been watching our television shows, I'd like to formally apologise for everything before and after Carl Sagan's Cosmos". What would you say to an alien if you met one?

Remembering Alan Bean, the Festival of Nature puffins in decline, and searching for the Loch Ness monster.

This week Malcolm, Andrew and Hannah are joined by Rosie McCallum and Jenny French to discuss Bristol's Festival of Nature, this weekend. Find out what they've got on by checking out their website here. We remember the fouth man on the moon Alan Bean, and the excitement before his moon walk. We also hear about scientists on the hunt for Nessie in Loch Ness, how the dino ancestors of birds survived the K-T extinction, the recent reporting on puffin numbers in the Farne Islands, and to what extent can you trust your suncreams claims!

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/23/scientists-dna-hunt-loch-ness-monster-scotland

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-44236755

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44231575

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44226534

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44268960

Arachnophobia, memory transplants, and the first stars in the universe!

This week it's Malcolm and Hannah again without Andrew. We give the space news a crack ourselves to not leave you without. We hear from Charlie Carter about arachnophobia and we discuss the shocking impact humans are having on our so called protected areas, detecting the legacy of the first stars in our universe, whether or not they have managed to transplant, and whether clothes moths are on the rise!

The Man Who Saved the Planet, the Man (allegedly) ruining it and Creative Reactions

We hear from Professor Mario Molina, who won the Nobel Prize for demonstrating that CFCs were causing the hole in the ozone layer and he tells us which politician he thinks is being simply "irrational".



We also hear about Donald Trump's administration calling an end to the funding for NASA to study greenhouse gas emissions...

Elsewhere, Lyra gets her question put to Professor Alice Roberts, "How do we grow?" and Andrew visits Creative Reactions, an art exhibition taking place at Hamilton House this week as part of the Pint of Science festival. Charlotte Mugliston and Mary Rouncefield guide Andrew and all you listeners round some of the exhibition.

Two Professors, a Nobel Prize winner and an exhibition about art and science. Don't tell us we don't bring you the good stuff! 

Show notes 

Andrew spoke to Professor Mario Molina as he was at 3M for the wonderful Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative (NPII) event which "seeks to bring the Laureates into closer contact with the worldwide scientific community, and especially with an audience of young scientists."

Toxic caterpillars, gorillas, and Martian rocks.

This week Malcolm and Hannah are sadly without Andrew, meaning a bit less space news. We discuss the infestation of toxic caterpillars in London, the top three things we need to address to help gorilla and chimp populations, and how Nasa and ESA intend to fire rocks from Mars back to Earth. 

Where everything was before the big bang, asteroid mining, and the plastic eating enzyme.

*The issue is now fixed*

This week Malcom, Andrew and Hannah discuss this week's science news. We learn about asteroid mining, the enzyme which can break down plastic, advancements in understanding motor neurone disease, and Lyra asks the big question of where everything was before the big bang.

P.S. I don't really dislike cows, and I'm sorry I said that. My appologies to cows. 

 

Hypersonic travel, dementia, and a man who almost died eating a chili pepper

Malcolm and Andrew were joined by Jamini Thakrar and Alfie Wearn and conversations ranged from hypersonic travel around earth to dementia. We talked about the salty, icy lakes on Earth that might give us clues to life in the oceans of Jupiter's moon Europa and Pint of Science, the festival that brings all the wonderful work being done by scientists in cities around the world to you, in the company of a pint.

Pint of Science, Space Lightning and the Paralympics

This week we have a full house at BCFM!

Malcolm, Hannah, and Andrew are joined by Alfie Wearn, Romain Costil, Jamini Thakrar and Catherine Gilmore who discuss their involvement in the upcoming Pint of Science events around Bristol, and Maddy Nichols tells us a bit about what it was like working at the Paralympics fixing prosthetics. 

 

A volcano sliding into the sea, driverless cars, and an update on ’Oumuamua

Malcolm and Andrew are joined again by Arran and Rosie again to discuss this week's science news.