Giant laser heats solid gold to 14 times its melting point
00:46 How hot can solid gold get?A new study suggests that gold can be superheated far beyond its melting point without it becoming a liquid. Using an intense burst from a laser, a team heated a gold ...
23 Jul 202535min
AI, bounties and culture change, how scientists are taking on errors
A simple methodological error meant that for years researchers considered drinking moderate amounts of alcohol to be healthy. Now plenty of evidence suggests that isn't the case, but errors like this ...
21 Jul 202549min
‘Stealth flippers’ helped this extinct mega-predator stalk its prey
In this episode:00:48 The ancient mega-predator with a ‘stealth mode’The extinct marine mega-predator Temnodontosaurus had specialised adaptations to stealthily hunt its prey, suggests an analysis of ...
16 Jul 202532min
Three weeks in a hide to spot one elusive bear: the life of a wildlife film-maker
Vianet Djenguet is an award-winning wildlife film-maker and camera operator whose work has featured in a number of major nature documentaries.In this podcast, Vianet joins us to talk about his career,...
11 Jul 202512min
Ancient DNA reveals farming led to more human diseases
00:48 The past 35,000 years of diseaseAncient DNA evidence shows that the advent of agriculture led to more infectious disease among humans, with pathogens from animals only showing up 6,500 years ago...
9 Jul 202537min
Audio long read: How to speak to a vaccine sceptic — research reveals what works
Questions and doubts about vaccines are on the rise worldwide and public-health specialists worry that these trends could worsen. But while the shift in public attitudes towards immunizations can leav...
4 Jul 202516min
3D-printed fake wasps help explain bad animal mimicry
In this episode:00:45 Why animals evolve to be imperfect mimicsMany harmless animals mimic dangerous ones to avoid being eaten, but often this fakery is inaccurate. To help explain why evolution somet...
2 Jul 202527min
Is AI watching you? The hidden links between research and surveillance
We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out by filling in this short survey.In this episode:00:45 Is AI-research being co-opted to keep track of people?A significant amount of rese...
25 Jun 202531min
