Science @ earideas

Quirks & Quarks 2010-03-13

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Dinosaur's Oldest Ancestor, Motivation by Anticipation, Grasping the Gribble's Gobble, Cold War Invations, A Brilliant Darkness.

SciA: 12 March 10: Selling ivory

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:32:00 GMT

Selling ivory; earthquake science; dead zone microbes; octopus camouflage & wireless buses

Sex life - from soup to nuts

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:52:10 GMT

This week, Duncan Jarvies talks to Stacy Lindau and Natalia Garilova about their new sex life expectancy measure, and what it could mean for patients and public health. Zosia Kmietowicz talks tonbsp;Douglas Gwatidzo and Rutendo Bonde about the health care system in Zimbabwe, and how the situation there has changed since its nadir in 2008. David Payne takes us through this week's news. See also: Sex, health, and years of sexually active life gained due to good health A glimpse of a better future for Zimbabwe

Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres on preserving New Jersey's green spaces and historic places

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:43:59 GMT

Jose "Joey" Torres is mayor of Paterson, New Jersey. Mayor Torres believes that it's necessary to strike a balance between development and growth, and conservation and preservation. He spoke with EarthSky's Jorge Salazar about how political and civic action can help achieve this goal.

Thomas Karl connects extreme weather and climate change

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:37:48 GMT

"How climate change will be felt by you is probably going to be through extreme weather and climate events," said Thomas Karl, the director of the world's largest active archive of weather data.

Living Spaces That Stress Less

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:08:03 GMT

From switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances, to collecting rainwater and installing photovoltaic panels, how are experts making buildings that use less energy and generate less waste? Ira Flatow and guests explore the latest in green materials and design.

The Secret Life Of Caves

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:07:44 GMT

Pigmentless grotto salamanders, blind Ozark cavefish and parasitic horsehair worms are a few of the animals living in Missouri's 6,000-plus caves. Ira Flatow and three expert spelunkers look at the biology, geology and history of underground attractions in the "Cave State."

Can Biotech Crops Feed The Developing World?

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:07:19 GMT

Biotech has promised innovations like drought-resistant corn and vitamin-packed cassava to the developing world. But how has it delivered on those dreams? Ira Flatow and guests discuss the status of those projects, and how "technologies in a seed" fit in with other agricultural improvements.

2010-03-13 Archival Curiosities: Elizabeth Kubler-Ross on death and dying.

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Psychiatrist Dr Elizabeth Kubler-Ross´s book On Death and Dying in many ways transformed the way we publicly and privately talk about death and grief, and inspired the modern palliative care movement. From the depths of the ABC's rich archives comes this 1978 interview with Kubler-Ross. She died in 2004, and her ideas and legacy continue to provoke, and to court controversy,

Science Show - 2010-03-13

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Maths in crisis Fewer and fewer Australian students are studying maths. It´s a dilemma and a problem. Gavin Brown describes what is at state. Adam Spencer offers some suggestions. Nuclear power - prevalence and waste options Europe has 145 reactors in 15 of 27 countries producing one third of Europe´s electricity. A key challenge for nuclear is deployment of the latest generation 4 reactors. Many waste dumps are nearly full. Waste storage is a developing problem. Geological disposal is a new option which may become available after 2025. Changing attitude to nuclear power in the US Phillip Finck says it´s been a momentous couple of months in the US. New nuclear power plants have been announced. New panels will look at the options for spent nuclear fuel. The aim is to develop reactors that produce very little or even no waste. Laser fusion - demo plant within sight Fusion is the holy grail of power generation. It´s been a promise for decades, but has never arrived. The latest method shows promise. Lasers are used to concentrate isotopes of hydrogen. The pressures and densities achieved are close to what occurs in the sun. Mass becomes energy. A demonstration plant at the National Ignition Facility in California is expected to be running in 2 years time. If successful it would produce limitless clean electricity. SETI - still searching Seth Shostak describes the search for signals from extra terrestrial beings. The technology is getting better and better. But so far it´s quiet. But the search continues. DNA fingerprinting A piece of DNA can be considered a barcode, being a unique identifier of a species. It can also be used to identify animal parts, such as skins and shark fins and determine whether the parts are from a legal or illegal trade. The technology can also be used to determine whether whale meat or tuna is what it´s purported to be. George Amato says there is an enormous illegal trade in wildlife. DNA fingerprinting will greatly bolster the efforts of law enforcement officials. Carbon sequestration - reality or dream? What is the fate of carbon dioxide in the long term, when sequestered beneath the earth? Will it stay there? Or will it come out? It goes down as a liquid. But what happens then? Might it leak out as a gas? Barbara Sherwood Lollar is addressing this problem to determine the reality of sequestration as a solution to disposal of carbon dioxide.

Living Planet: Environment matters from around the world

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Environmentalists and indigenous people in Russia settle on a novel approach to forestry protection, a program to promote renewable energies in developing countries reveals some of the unexpected problems that can arise, Spanish communities vie for the dubious privilege of housing a nuclear waste dump, and a look at the drawbacks of fish farming.
You can download the show or subscribe to Living Planet as a podcast. Click on the links below for the individual reports. Rent-a-forest scheme promises to save Russia's taiga

Environmentalists team up with indigenous people in Russia to protect a swathe of Siberian forest.

In the Bikin River Valley, in the region close to Russia's border with China, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and the indigenous locals have found an unusual conservation solution.

Report: Mareike Aden

Berlin offers coaching in renewable energies

Encouraging developing countries to leap frog fossil-fuels on their way to industrialization isn't always as straight forward as it appears.

Germany, which is often held up as a pioneer of renewable energies, has been running a series of workshops for developing countries on how to introduce the right projects to suit local conditions. Both sides are finding that just because a system works well in one country, it doesn't mean it can be transplanted to another – at least not without a bit of adaptation.

Report: Steffen Marquardt

Spanish communities vie for nuclear dump

With an unemployment rate approaching 18 percent, jobs are a major concern – especially in the countryside, where the recession is felt far worse.

Nine Spanish communities are currently bidding to become the home of the national government's planned centralized nuclear waste repository.

Report: Mikkel Larsen

Aquaculture holds little hope for over-burdened fisheries

Until quite late last century it was still widely believed that the world's oceans had an effectively limitless supply of fish to feast upon. Times have changed.

The world currently eats around 17 kilos of seafood per person every year. That means tens of millions of tonnes of fish are being taken from the seas annually – and millions more are left to die as unintended by-catch caught in fishermen's nets. It's more than the planet's oceans can handle. One solution is fish farming, also known as aquaculture. But this also has its drawbacks.

Report: Nicole Goebel

Material: UK's Science Future, Traffic Lights, Chile Earthquake, Clever Chemicals 11 Mar 2010

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:00:00 GMT

This week a report by the the UK's Royal Society urged the government to invest in science to help build Britain’s future prosperity, Quentin Cooper finds out more about the science economy; also do fewer traffic lights mean fewer traffic jams? New research in Bristol is looking into just that; getting chemicals to self navigate in the body–is it the future of cancer drug delivery? And we return to the latest news on the earthquake in Chile.

Meditating Health

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Can meditation have long-term beneficial effects on the plasticity of our brains? Bon meditation practitioner Alejandro Chaoul and oncologist Lorenzo Cohen evaluate the healing potential of meditation in a discussion from the Rubin Museum of Art's Brainwave Festival.

Nature: 11 March 2010

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:00:00 GMT

11 March: Half-male, half-female chickens challenge ideas about sex determination, Einstein's theory of relativity tested beyond our Solar System, and behind the scenes at the UK's Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Test Post for 8min Download

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:07:08 GMT

Melissa Finucane on the perception of environmental risks among Pacific Islanders

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:03:41 GMT

Melissa Finucane studied how farmers and ranchers in Hawaii perceive and act on environmental risks.

NYT: Science Times for 03/09/2010

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

This Week: The nuclear plot thickens in Iran, lizards just keep getting smarter, and mad men in space.

Science Weekly: Are Britain's libel laws stifling science worldwide?

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:11:00 GMT

Simon Singh on how our libel laws suppress academic debate; music of the telescopes; and the importance of being vague

Daniel Sigman on learning about our climate's future from past ice ages

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:16:52 GMT

"We use computer models to predict how the world will respond to carbon dioxide additions to the atmosphere from human activities," said Sigman, "and one way of testing them is to apply them to past earth conditions."

Quirks & Quarks 2010-03-06

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Dinosaur Snake Snacks, Slime Mould Dining Decisions, How the Polar Bear Got its Coat, Run, Jumbo, Run. Typhoid Tricks Dust in the Wind

Yucca Mountain As Metaphor in About A Mountain

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:17:25 GMT

When writer John D'Agata moved his mother to the suburbs of Las Vegas, he began looking at the history of the government’s plan to store nuclear waste deep in Nevada's Yucca Mountain. The resulting boo—-- About a Mountai—-- is a reporter's notebook that reads like poetry.

Can Technology Solve Nuclear's Problems?

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:16:27 GMT

President Obama has pledged support for nuclear power, but problems including how to dispose of the waste persist. Ira Flatow and guests look at the latest nuclear technology, from microreactors to waste storage, and compare the cost of nuclear to other energy sources.

Changing Behaviors To Save Energy

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:16:07 GMT

Energy Star labels and miles-per-gallon vehicle ratings aren't enticing enough consumers toward energy-saving options, according to economist Hunt Allcott. Allcott explains how new research in behavioral economics might help lead consumers to more energy-efficient choices.

Rock Out With A Homemade Electric Guitar

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:15:55 GMT

Forget the air guitar solos, go electric for under $10. Sound artist Ranjit Bhatnagar, a member of NYC Resistor, specializes in building cheap, DIY instruments. He explains how to make an electric guitar from a plank of wood, some wire, a magnet and a guitar string.

Fossil Pushes Back The Age Of Dinosaurs

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:15:40 GMT

A fossil in Tanzania suggests dinosaurs appeared 10 million years earlier than previously thought, according to a Nature study. Christian Sidor, of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, discusses the origin of dinosaurs.

Harnessing Thoughts To Control A Computer

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:15:19 GMT

Researchers decoded electrical brain signals without implanting electrodes, according to a new study. Instead, Jose L. Contreras-Vidal and colleagues monitored brain activity with EEG sensors placed on the scalp, using those signals to reconstruct hand movement and drive a robot.

Tracking The Geologic Impacts Of Earthquakes

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:15:06 GMT

The earthquake that shook Chile last weekend was powerful enough to push up the Andes a few feet, shift Earth's axis and even speed up the planet’s spin. Ross Stein, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey, explains the fallout of the quake and the physics that triggered it.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:56:49 GMT

This weekrsquo;s hot topic is chronic fatigue syndrome. The journal Science published a paper in October 2009, which suggested a possible link between a new virus (xenotrophic murine leukaemia virus-like virus) and the syndrome. Duncan Jarvies is looking at the evidence behind this link, and finding out more about the history and treatment of the condition. Richard Hurley takes us through what caught his eye on bmj.com week. See also: Prevalence of XMRV in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome in the Netherlands Science, chronic fatigue syndrome, and me

Robert Hirsch says U.S. doing more with less water

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:19:16 GMT

A USGeological Survey report found that Americans have done more with less water since 1975. Water use, per person, is down about 30 percent.

Chris Mooney on why Americans don’t trust science

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:03:50 GMT

The author of the 2009 book, Unscientific America spoke about the reasons behind what he calls American inaction on climate change.

2010-03-06 Stressed out! The powerful biology of stress

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

A little tension keeps us on our toes - we're biologically primed for it. But 'toxic' stress makes us physically sick, and powerful research is now revealing its potent impact on our developing bodies and brains. Don't miss two world leaders transforming our understanding.

Science Show - 2010-03-06

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

AAAS President 2010 Peter Agre AAAS President Peter Agre comments on President Obama´s consideration of science and acceptance of scientific advice. He says Americans are reading less and becoming ignorant of key issues and debates. This comes to play when politicians and the public need to consider issues based on science, and is exacerbated by a scientific illiterate media. AAAS forum - Public trust in science Recent mistakes by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and controversy over emails has created doubt in the mind of the public about climate change research. But the overall message is unchallenged. So are scientists doing enough to clearly explain their results, and concerns. A panel of eminent scientists reflects on this and other issues at this AAAS forum. Nuclear power in Sweden 50% of electricity in Sweden comes from nuclear power. The other half comes from hydro. Claes Thegerström describes the challenges and process by which Sweden developed nuclear power. Despite a referendum in 1980, after the Three Mile Island accident, where Swedes agreed to phase out nuclear power, the decision changed, when it was seen the referendum decision was obsolete. Now Sweden has a mix of electricity sources including 10 nuclear reactors.

Living Planet: Environment matters from around the world

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:05:00 GMT

The EU approves its first genetically modified crop in over a decade, Mongolians weight the cost of cutting smog, fabrics offer hope of revolutionizing the building industry while cutting costs, and a town in Norway's icy north hopes to cash in on climate change.
You can download the show or subscribe to Living Planet as a podcast. Click on the links below for the individual reports.EU clears the way for gentically modified potato

BASF's Amflora potato is to be used for paper production

DW spoke to French GM critic – Professor Gilles Eric Seralini, lead scientist of CRIIGEN, the Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering.

Interview: Nathan Witkop

Mongolians weigh the cost of cutting smog

Nearly half of all Mongolians live in Ulan Bator and they rely on old fashioned stove fires and three Soviet era power plants to get them through the freezing winters.

Deutsche Welle Matthias von Hein checked out how the GTZ development agency is trying to help Mongolians cut through the smog.

Report: Matthias von Hein / Mark Mattox

Fabrics offer hope of revolutionizing the construction industry

Steel reinforced concrete is resource intensive, and not always as flexible as engineers might wish. Now, scientists in Germany have found a way to reinforce concrete differently.

By using fabrics, scientists think they can save energy and resources, and make concrete more flexible at the same time.

Report: Ingo Wagner / Rob Turner

Norwegian town hopes to cash in on climate change

Due to global warming, a fabled northeast passage from Europe to Asia is now feasible.

Kirkenes promises to be the first European port of call on this promising new sea passage, and the town is hoping to exploit that distinction to the utmost.

Report: Clemens Bomsdorf / Sue Cox

Where the Grizzly Bears Go

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Grizzly bears are showing up in an area of northern Manitoba where they've never been seen before. It's also an area inhabited by polar bears. S&C talks to the AMNH's Robert Rockwell about why the grizzlies are moving, and what it means for both bear species.

Nature: 4 February 2010

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:00:00 GMT

4 February: How our body's own cells could cause sepsis after trauma, the risks of enriching uranium using lasers, new fossil helps piece together dinosaur evolution, and genome sequencing on a massive scale in China.

NYT: Science Times for 03/02/2010

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

This Week: How the Internet is like an elephant, tapping the body for electricity, and trying to lose weight one cookie at a time.

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Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:09:51 GMT

Science Weekly: Brian Cox's Wonders of the Solar System

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:06:00 GMT

Rockstar physicist Brian Cox discusses his new TV series; the Flat Earth Society; AAAS; and Lord Robert Winston

Quirks & Quarks 2010-02-27

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Seeing Red, Here Comes The Spiderman, Filter Feeding Fossils, Right Whale - Wrong Conclusion, Murderer Turned Midwife, Science Fact or Science Fiction: Cats Falling.

Algae, Art and Attitudes: A Roundtable about the AAAS Conference

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:45:08 GMT

Scientific American staffers Mark Fischetti and Robin Lloyd talk with podcast host Steve Mirsky about sessions they attended--including those about algae for energy, dissecting the astronomy in art, and attitudes about climate change--at the recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Plus, we'll test your knowledge about some recent science in the news. Web sites related to this episode include www.aaas.org, www.aven.com

The Early Picture Of Darwin Evolves

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:20:07 GMT

Charles Darwin is often depicted as an old, bearded genius, but what was he like as a young man? The new movie Creation explores young Darwin's inner turmoil. Director Jon Amiel and Darwin's descendant Randal Keynes discuss the film and Darwin's personal life.

The Small Parts That Drive The Universe

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:19:47 GMT

How do you take pictures of objects that are too small to photograph? George Whitesides and Felice Frankel, co-authors of the image-heavy book No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale, discuss nanoscience and the process of photographing particles smaller than photons.

Can Underwater Parks Protect Coral?

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:19:33 GMT

With global threats like ocean warming and acidification, it's a tough time to be a coral. Marine ecologists John Bruno and Elizabeth Selig analyzed over 8,000 coral surveys from all over the world to see if local management through Marine Protected Areas had any positive effect on coral.

Study Suggests Sperm Whales Herd Prey

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:19:23 GMT

Data from GPS and depth sensing instruments suggest sperm whales may herd squid to make capturing their prey easier. Science News reporter Sid Perkins reports on this and other findings presented at the American Geophysical Union's Ocean Sciences Meeting in Portland this week.

Life Imitates Math

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:18:53 GMT

In his new book, The Calculus of Friendship, math professor and writer Steven Strogatz looks back on his 30-year correspondence with his high school math teacher. Can calculus, differential equations and chaos theory help explain the complex nature of human relationships?

Grizzlies Move Into Polar Bear Turf On Hudson Bay

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:18:40 GMT

Reporting in The Canadian Field-Naturalist, researchers write of spotting grizzly bears in Canada's Wapusk National Park, on the shores of the Hudson Bay — land previously inhabited only by polar bears. Author Robert Rockwell discusses potential competition between the species.

Disinvestment

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:06:24 GMT

Estimates of HIV are just that, estimates ndash; but in order to research the progression of the virus, and the effectiveness of intervention strategies, those estimates have to be as accurate as possible. Professor Prabhat Jha joins us to explain the novel way in which he and his team have collected data in India to provide a more accurate picture about the spread of the virus. Also this week, as spending cuts are planned across public services, the financial strain on the UK health service is increasing. One way in which some money can be saved is through disinvestment; ceasing treatments which have been superseded, or shown ineffective. Peter Littlejohns, the clinical and public health director of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), joins us to explain what NICE is doing in that arena. Annabel Ferriman takes us through the news. See also: HIV mortality and infection in India New drugs for old

Science Show - 2010-02-27

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

GBR fish respond to fishing ban Scientists have seen a doubling of fish biomass over five years inside the fishing exclusion zone on the Great Barrier Reef. The reef is now cited as an example of what can be achieved in marine management. Climate anomalies and world ice cover Richard Peltier was a lead author on the IPCC 4th Assessment Report Chapter 6. This describes what past climates can reveal about the quality of models that predict future change. He has concluded that climate models are actually quite accurate. He says the climate anomalies quoted, such as the Medieval warm period, and the little ice age, were not global, but experienced locally. Richard Peltier analyses satellite data of world ice cover and sees a clear massive and increasing rate of ice loss on Greenland and west Antarctica. Engineering climate plus effects of soot on climate and our bodies Sulphate in the atmosphere is seen as a cooling agent and a method of engineering climate, but as Kim Prather discusses, sulphate combines with soot and produces the opposite effect. She says fine particles in the atmosphere are so fine that they pass the normal filters in the body and are able to enter tissues, causing multiple unknown adverse health effects. Dolphins absorb PCBs Dolphins in the Georgia estuarine environment have been found to be accumulating and harbouring critical levels of PCB contaminants. This has led to altered thyroid hormones and suppressed immune function. Despite numbers being maintained, it's thought the dolphins are living on the edge and could experience mass die-off if stressed. If humans share the same food as dolphins, these contaminants could be harming people as well. Bottle nose dolphins model insulin resistance and diabetes The bottle nose dolphin is being seen as an important natural and long-lived model for insulin resistance and diabetes. Perhaps the dolphins developed diabetes as an adaptation to eating high protein diets. It is hoped that understanding the dolphin´s success with these conditions will lead to ways to prevent and cure diabetes in humans. Electric car boosts the grid when idle AC Propulsion is a company developing a car that not only uses electric power for propulsion but can be used as a power source for feeding in to power grids. The battery is 35 kilowatt-hours and can push the car along at 90 miles per hour. When parked, the car responds to commands from the grid operator and delivers power to the grid. Each car can deliver 10 kilowatts. A hundred cars deliver a megawatt of power. This is good backup for a power grid relying on intermittent renewable sources and responds quickly. The economic model allows for handsome financial rewards for the car owner. Sea mounts and changing sea ecosystems It´s thought there are at least 50,000 giant sea mounts in the oceans, each towering more than a kilometre in height. These sea mounts are havens for rich biodiversity as currents swirl around them, bringing nutrients. There are even coral reefs to be found at depths of hundreds of metres. Jason Hall-Spencer discusses the changes expected in marine ecosystems as sea water acidity increases in line with increased atmospheric carbon dioxide.

2010-02-27 When Your Mind is Not Your Own: Community Treatment Orders

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

How do we balance human rights, social inclusion and risk when a mind goes off the rails? Is there value in enforced treatment and can it be justified?

Living Planet: Environment matters from around the world

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:30:00 GMT

US states take initiative in tackling climate change, the organic industry responds to troubles over certification, and the wind energy sector rides a boom in investment into 2010 (all music from this podcast has been removed for copyright reasons).
You can download the show or subscribe to Living Planet as a podcast. Click on the links below for the individual reports.US states take initiative in tackling climate change

The next round of preparatory talks for this year's climate negotiations have been brought forward. Negotiating teams will begin work in April, ahead of schedule, to lay the ground for the meeting in Mexico at the end of the year. The move signals a shift in urgency, but what's happening on the ground?

The US, which will be crucial to any future global deal, is no closer to passing domestic legislation than it was ahead Copenhagen last year. Indeed, with the Democrats losses in the Senate, it may even be further away.

Report: Irene Quaile

The organic industry responds to troubles over certification

The industry for organic products has been booming for some time. Last week, organic producers of everything from wine to fruit and vegetables, to fabrics met in Nuremberg in southern Germany for the city's annual World Organic Trade Fair.

This year's fair follows a widely publicised shock to the industry – it was reported earlier this year in Germany that genetically modified cotton was making its way into clothes passed off as organic for major European retailers.

Report: Andy Valvur

Wind energy sector rides an investment boom into 2010

The industry is still in its infancy – but investment is booming.

The World Wind Energy Association is due to release a report on the state global investment next week. The organisation's head, Stepfan Gsänger, gave DW a sneak peak of its findings.

Interview: Nathan Witkop

What to Eat

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

NYU's food guru Marion Nestle gives you a lesson in decoding food labels, holding big food corporations accountable, and choosing food wisely. She spoke as part of S&C's Girls Night Out series.

The Poisoner's Handbook : The Sinister Side of Chemistry

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:57:08 GMT

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Deborah Blum talks about her new work, The Poisoner's Handbook, a look at how easy it used to be to kill someone with poison and the researchers who made poisoning much harder to get away with. Plus, we'll test your knowledge about some recent science in the news. Web sites related to this episode include blog.deborahblum.com

Nature: 25 February 2010

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

25 February: Electric currents enable marine bacteria to wire together, how our brains respond to social inequality, an exoplanet losing its atmosphere, and a round-up of what's hot elsewhere in Nature.

Science Weekly: Can you have too many friends?

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:00:23 GMT

Why humans need friends and the optimum number to have; plus, science's flawed relationship with the media

NYT: Science Times for 02/23/2010

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

This Week: Are we over-medicating our children? Of Wolf Spiders and smart crickets and rethinking all those warnings on salt.

Roberto Bertollini warns of global health impacts of climate change

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:17:11 GMT

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Quirks & Quarks 2010-02-20

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The Toilet Training of a Shrew, The Smell of Virtue, Light My Fire, Pollution in Solution, Binary Quasar, Science Fact or Science Fiction: Arctic vs. Antarctic.

Scientists Study Dolphins As Model Of Human Health

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:09:28 GMT

Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson of the National Marine Mammal Foundation discusses why dolphins may have evolved a diabetes "on/off switch," and Dr. Hendrik Nollens of the University of Florida talks about what scientists can learn by studying papillomavirus infections in dolphins.

Toxin Triggers Epilepsy In Sea Lions And Humans

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:09:13 GMT

Just one exposure to the algal toxin domoic acid can trigger epilepsy in sea lions and humans. NOAA scientist John Ramsdell discusses the one known human case of epilepsy from domoic acid poisoning, and what scientists can learn from similar cases of epilepsy in sea lions.

Communicating Science In A Post-Newspaper Era

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:08:03 GMT

As newspapers and cable news cut science coverage, where can the science-curious get reliable science and technology news? Ira Flatow and guests discuss how the Internet — including blogs and social media — is filling the coverage gap. Plus, spicing up screenplays with science.

Personal care

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:19:03 GMT

In this week's podcast Sam Lister, health editor of the Times, explains the political fight that's emerging around provision of free home health care for elderly people. Duncan Jarvies talks to Iain Chalmers, from the the Janes Lind Initiative, about the importance of making information about clinical trials available to the public. Sabreena Malik takes us through this week's news. See also: No quick fix for long term care

Science Show - 2010-02-20

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

The point of zoos - part 2, New York´s Bronx Zoo The second in a two-part series exploring zoos and their potential for being true agents for conservation and public education about the natural world. In the middle of The Bronx, New York´s toughest neighbourhood, Lynne Malcolm discovers one of the most active conservation organisations in the world. She encounters leaping lemurs in a recreation of their Madagascan home, meets the orphan Snow Leopard who´ll be helping to save his species from extinction and witnesses gorillas from the Congo and New Yorkers coming face to face. Ecology of the Simpson Desert Karon Snowdon joins a group from Sydney University´s wildlife ecology Unit during a three-week field trip to the Simpson Desert. They track marsupial mice, and dig for termites. Presently the area is still recovering from fire in 2001. Termites are food for many species and their reappearance following the fire will hopefully signal the return of a greater range of species. Much of the land is now owned by Bush Heritage and part of long term studies into changing landscapes. Predators such as foxes and cats are suspected to be causing extensive damage, particularly after summer rainfall, leading to local extinctions of some species. This contradicts the thought that summer rains are beneficial to arid environments.

2010-02-20 Brains meet machines

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Just imagine. And then...a robotic arm moves, a switch is flicked, or an email opened. The power of thought has the potential to help those paralysed by spine injury to bypass their bodies. A world leader in brain-machine interfaces, neuroscientist John Donoghue, joins Natasha Mitchell to share the extraordinary highs, lows and the ethics of his cutting edge work.

Living Planet: Environment matters around the world

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:05:00 GMT

The environmental cost of a Baltic pipeline to pump gas from Russia to Europe, Mauritius tries to break bad habits when it comes to cleaning up its backyard, Brazil struggles to balance development with conservation of its natural riches and what can the rest of the world learn from Europe's experience of running an emissions trading scheme?
You can download the show or subscribe to Living Planet as a podcast. Click on the links below for the individual reports. WWF challenges Baltic pipeline project

Finnish environmental authorities have given the green light to a 1,200 kilometre underwater pipeline that will pump gas from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea, but environmental groups in Germany are already challenging the project in court.

They say conditions for marine life in the Baltic, which is already regarded as one of the most polluted seas in the world, risk being made worse, and they're calling for more clean-up funding before work begins. DW spoke to Alfred Schumm, head of the marine program at the WWF

Interview: Nathan Witkop

Mauritius tidies up its image

Mauritius is a popular tourist destination, probably more renowned for its sandy white beaches than its economic success.

Rising affluence has lead to an increase in garbage, and many older Mauritians are finding it difficult to part with bad habits.

Report: Miriam Klaussner

Brazil struggles to balance development with conservation

A controversial plan to build one of the world's largest dams in Brazil made headlines around the world earlier this month.

Critics say it will condemn over 500 square kilometres of land to inundation, causing vast amounts of environmental damage and displacing indigenous peoples. But the dam is just one of the more high profile projects that symbolises Brazil's struggle to balance tackling poverty with efforts to conserve its environment.

Report: John Kluempers

What lessons can be drawn from Europe's problematic ETS?

Europe has been a world leader in forging ahead with an emissions trading scheme, but recently it was in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Earlier this month, internet fraudsters managed to carry out a so-called phishing scam on the system, which cost several million euros. The fraudsters posed as the trading scheme's authority, encouraged several companies to disclose their user codes and then cashed in on their carbon certificates. To get a picture of how the pioneering scheme is doing, DW spoke to Markus Ehrmann, an energy lawyer, at a recent meeting of European energy executives in Essen.

Interview: Nathan Witkop

Extreme Fear

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Science journalist and adventure-seeker Jeff Wise talks about his new book Extreme Fear: The Science of Your Mind in Danger.

Ice, Ice, Baby: The Physics of Curling

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:46:08 GMT

Mark Shegelski of the University of Northern British Columbia talks with podcast host Steve Mirsky about the physics of curling, currently taking its turn on the world stage at the Vancouver Olympics. (Shegelski is also the author of the new sci-fi collection "Remembering the Future.") Plus, we test your knowledge of some recent science in the news

Nature: 18 February 2010

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

18 February: How to redesign the ribosome to make designer proteins, feedback from the first seismologist on the scene of the Haiti quake, and the incredible diversity between South African genomes.

NYT: Science Times for 02/16/2010

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

This Week: The biggest children's health study ever, counting sheep and the frog from Hell.

Science Weekly: Why humans make music

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:15:42 GMT

Alok Jha and guests discuss what makes music so fascinating; Britain's plans for space; and the nature of time

Science Weekly Extra: Why don't we 'remember' the future?

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:05:17 GMT

Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll explains why the river of time only flows in one direction

Ian Sample

Alok Jha

Andy Duckworth

Transmuting tamoxifen

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:31:26 GMT

This week new research was published on the use of the SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) antidepressants, in combination with the drug tamoxifen. For some time there have been concerns about prescribing them together, and a new study finally quantifies that, David Juurlink explains how. Also this week, a childrsquo;s early years will affect the rest of their life, in terms of medical as well as social and educational outcomes. Clyde Hertzman talks about what governments are, and should be, doing to help build a solid foundation. See also: SSRIs and breast cancer mortality in women receiving tamoxifen Bucking the inequality gradient through early child development

Jane Goodall Works To Help Humans, Too

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:12:11 GMT

She won fame as a primatologist studying wild chimpanzees on the shores of Tanzania's Lake Tanganyika. Fifty years later, Jane Goodall is fighting climate change and helping women in developing countries pursue environmental projects.

Science Show - 2010-02-13

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

NASA dumps manned missions to Mars Budgetary constraints have forced NASA to reconsider its priorities and abandon plans for manned missions to Mars. Jonathan Nally reports. Turkish site reveals Neolithic human culture An archaeological site in Çatalhöyük Turkey has revealed evidence of animal domestication, worship of deities, murals, and crop cultivation dating back to 7500BC. The point of zoos - part 1, Adelaide Zoo Giving people the chance to stroke a purring cheetah, or to wander through a Madagascan spiny forest in the middle of New York City are both new ways zoos are using to focus the world on the growing extinction crisis. The Science Show presents a two-part series exploring zoos and their potential for being true agents for conservation and public education about the natural world. Adelaide Zoo has just flown in 2 pandas from China - but it´s also doing exciting work to save the many endangered animals closer to home. Lynne Malcolm meets the surrogate mothers who are saving Australia´s most threatened marsupials, is confronted by a screeching Tasmania Devil called Dexter and witnesses life and death in the frenzy of a Pelican breeding colony. David Attenborough - Dragons David Attenborough traces the treatment and description of dragons in the developing story of our natural history.

Circadian Science

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Our circadian rhythms control everything from when we sleep and wake, to when we get hungry. Learn about what (literally) makes us tick, and hear about Carla Green's research into a circadian gene that could offer a cure for obesity.

Nature: 11 February 2010

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

11 February: First genome of ancient human sequenced from hair, how to weigh a really heavy atom, the future of climate change research and the IPCC, and a round-up of what's hot elsewhere in Nature.

Whaddya Do with a Dead Whale?

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:10:08 GMT

Scientific American magazine Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina talks with podcast host Steve Mirsky about some of the articles in the February issue, including one on the ecosystems that arise around the carcasses of whales that die and fall to the ocean floor; the warfare between our cells, our allied microbes and disease-causing organisms; and ways to improve the internal combustion engine

Science Weekly: Obama pulls the plug on Nasa's moon ambitions

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:05:53 GMT

Nasa aborts its mission to the moon; reaction speeds in gunfights; plus, is the MMR controversy at an end?

Guardian Daily: Climate science under siege

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:09:28 GMT

Following a special investigation by the Guardian this week, we discuss the hacked climate change emails at the University of East Anglia, and the issue of trust in the global warming debate

Urinary tract infections

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:29:15 GMT

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common infections seen in primary care, yet there are gaps in the evidence about their treatment. Trish Groves talks to Paul Little about a group of papers that compare possible treatment for the condition, look at their cost effectiveness, and patients' reactions to them. Duncan Jarvies takes us through the news. See also: Effectiveness of five different approaches in management of urinary tract infection Womenrsquo;s views about management and cause of urinary tract infection Cost effectiveness of management strategies for urinary tract infections Presentation, pattern, and natural course of severe symptoms, and role of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance among patients presenting with suspected uncomplicated urinary tract infection in primary care

Advances in Autism

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

We talk to two scientists at Hunter College who research different aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD). Jason Dictenberg studies synapses in our brain, and Michael Siller looks at play-based therapies for autistic children. Both are on the cutting edge of new research in the field of autism.

Living Planet: Environment matters from around the world

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:05:00 GMT

Mexico gives Davos a taste of what to expect of its stewardship of climate talks later this year; Morocco's plans to modernise its port facilities pay scant regard to its coastline; Romania considers reopening a controversial gold processing plant 10 years on from a devastating cyanide spill; and the UN asks us to consider what we wear when it comes to saving species.
You can download the show or subscribe to Living Planet as a podcast. Click on the links below for the individual reports. Davos gets a taste of what to expect from Mexico on climate talks

Many in Davos were keen to hear how Mexico intends to pick up where Denmark left off.

The World Economic Forum wrapped up in Davos, Switzerland, at the weekend. The annual get together for the world's rich and powerful provided the first opportunity for movers and shakers to reflect on what went wrong two months ago, when 120 world leaders failed to hammer out a deal on climate change at Copenhagen.

Report: Manfred Götzke / Mark Hallam

Tangier's rapid port expansion could cost Morocco more than money

The Spanish port of Algeciras may lose some business but will Morocco lose far more?

The north of Morocco gradually slid into economic depression from the time it lost its special status as an International Zone. With high unemployment, and almost total neglect by the former King Hassan II, the area has only recently begun to re-emerge on the international radar. With a new port under construction, Tanger Med, and a nearby economic tax free zone, the government is setting Tangier up in opposition to its Spanish counter part, Algeciras, directly across the Strait of Gibraltar - but at what cost to the environment?

Report: Sylvia Smith

Romania considers reopening controversial gold processing plant

Romanian authorities want to re-open a gold processing plant that was the site of a devastating cyanide spill 10 years ago.

It was called the worst environmental disaster since Chernobyl. In January 2000, a retaining wall collapsed in an artificial lake at a gold processing plant near the northern Romanian mining city Baia Mare. It released some 100,000 tons of cyanide and heavy metals that quickly moved from one river to the next through Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria. Though gold processing ended in Baia Mare in 2006, new proprietors are looking to resume production with the same old technologies, but they're meeting resistance from locals.

Report: Keno Verseck / Rick Demerest

The UN hopes EcoChic won't become last year's trend

The United Nations would like people to consider what they are wearing next time they worry about the rapid loss of the world's species.

One novel way of drawing attention to record extinction rates is with a fashion show. Conventional cultivation of fabrics like cotton takes a heavy toll on the environment – mainly due to increasing applications of fertilizers in the never-ending struggle with pests. So at the EcoChic fashion event in Geneva last month, the message was all about looking good in a sustainable kind of way. But is this anything more than a gimmick?

Report: Lisa Schlein

Nature: 4 February 2010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

4 February: Quantum mechanical processes involved in plant photosynthesis, decay could be biasing fossil records, how to fix the internet, and a round-up of what's hot elsewhere in Nature.

Science Weekly: Our evolutionary agony aunt, and hiding from aliens

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:37:09 GMT

Our evolutionary agony aunt dishes out some relationship advice, why Earth is hiding from aliens, and ginger dinosaurs

Clubfoot

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:59:40 GMT

Several articles on bmj.com deal with clubfoot disorder. Kirsten Patrick gives us a quick history of the condition, and talks to Andrew Hogg - a GP trainee - about a film he made in South Africa to help Zulu parents understand it. Also this week, Trish Groves tells Duncan Jarvies about the importance of sharing data - and the possible problems that may arise. Deborah Cohen takes us through the news. See also: Andrew Hogg on clubfoot in Africa: the video Preparing raw clinical data for publication

Science Weekly Extra: Kennedy v coal baron

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:41:04 GMT

A debate on mountaintop mining between Bobby Kennedy Jr and Don Blankenship of Massey Energy

Andy Duckworth

Suzanne Goldenberg

Cleopatra's Alexandria Treasures

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:20:08 GMT

Renowned archaeologist Franck Goddio talks about his efforts to recover artifacts from the ancient cities of Alexandria, Heracleion and Canopus, with special attention to discoveries related to Cleopatra and her reign. The exhibit Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt opens at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on June 5th. Websites related to this episode include www.underwaterdiscovery.org

ADHD and the Brain

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Neuropsychologist Jeffrey Halperin is using behavioral therapy on preschoolers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He hopes to train their brains to develop in new ways and if effective, his therapies could offer permanent, drug-free treatment for the disorder.

Living Planet: Environment matters around the world

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:30:00 GMT

This week on Living Planet we delve into a scandal over the labelling of organic cotton wear in Europe, we chat with the Pakistani-born climate expert Adil Najam, and we hear about how Australia's environment ministry is considering banning people from climbing one of the country's most famous tourist attractions.
You can download the show or subscribe to Living Planet as a podcast. Click on the links below for the individual reports.Organic garment makers respond to cotton scam

Demand for ethically manufactured clothing is booming, so it came as a blow to the organic textiles industry in Europe last Friday, when it emerged that major European retail chains were caught up in a labelling scam.

Organic products often fetch significantly higher prices than their conventional counterparts, because their customers are willing to pay more for something that's been produced in a more sustainable way. Last Friday, the Financial Times Deutschland broke a story claiming that major European retail chains were caught up in a scam. Cotton clothing labelled organic at H&M, Tchibo and C&A were found to include large traces of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. DW spoke to Rolf Heimann, an executive at a leading European organic garment-maker, and a board member of the International Association of Natural Textiles, the IVN. He rejected the paper's claim that up to 30% of organic cotton is tainted. Interview: Nathan Witkop/ Rolf Heimann

Leading US climate scientist discusses the prospects for action in 2010

Adil Najam dropped by Deutsche Welle's studios during a speaking tour of Europe.

Adil Najam is one of the leading authors of the fourth assessment report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC, which won the Nobel Peace prize in 2007 together with Al Gore. He is a Pakistani-born academic, and the director of the Frederick Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University. DW spoke to him about where action to tackle climate change is heading following the Copenhagen summit. Interview: Nathan Witkop / Adil Najam

Australian environment ministry endorses plan to keep tourists off Uluru

Australia considers banning visitors from climbing one of its most famous tourist attractions - so what do backpackers think?

One of Australia's top tourist destinations is a huge red monolith in the middle of the country called Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock. The world heritage site stands 348 metres tall - higher than the Eiffel Tower. It's visited by over 350,000 tourists a year and a about a third of them climb the rock, ignoring the signs put up by the traditional indigenous owners, requesting them not to, because the site is sacred to the indigenous community. But this month, the Australian environment ministry announced a long term plan to stop visitors from climbing the rock. Report: Cinnamon Nippard

Nature: 28 January 2010

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:00:00 GMT

28 January: Engineered bacteria produce better biofuels, functional brain cells created from skin cells, fossils from Northern China reveal colour of dinosaur feathers, and a round-up of what's hot elsewhere in Nature.

Science Weekly: Evolution's greatest hits, and ancient Muslim science

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:26:08 GMT

Sex, death and consciousness are among author Nick Lane's top 10 evolutionary breakthroughs. Plus: Islamic science; the elixir of life; and dangerous sofas

The Science Talk Quiz: "Totally Bogus"

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:54:08 GMT

Here are four science stories, but only three are true. See if you know which story is TOTALLY BOGUS.

Creating Darwin's Biopic; and Consumer Electronics

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:27:08 GMT

Science Talk correspondent John Pavlus talks with Jon Amiel, director of the new Darwin biography movie Creation, and with Randal Keynes, Darwin's great-great-grandson and one of the film's scriptwriters. Then we'll hear from a few of the exhibitors who spoke to scientificamerican.com's Larry Greenmeier at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

12 steps to public health

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:45:31 GMT

This week the Faculty of Public Health has released its manifesto tor a healthier Britain. Duncan Jarvies speaks to the faculty's president, Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, about the manifesto's recommendations. Also new online this week, we have a clinical review on depression in adolescents. We talk to the author, Professor Anita Thapar, about one aspect of it- prevention - and the promising research that is under way. See also: Managing and preventing depression in adolescents 12 Steps to Better Public health (pdf).

The Silk Road

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Take an anthropological tour of the Silk Road exhibit at the AMNH with its curator, Mark Norell. The 4,600-mile trail was the most important trade route in the Eastern world for more than 3,000 years.

Living Planet: Environmental Mattters Around the World

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:30:00 GMT

This week on Living Planet we take a look at the scandal over Germany's disintegrating nuclear repository at Asse, snow sports' troubling future in the European Alps, a royal rumble over a solar energy park and pioneering efforts to insulate old apartment blocks so they lose next to no heat.
You can download the show or subscribe to Living Planet as a podcast. Click on the links below for the individual reports. Decision reached on disintegrating German nuclear repository

German authorities have announced that nuclear waste will have to be dug up and relocated from a mine that was once considered safe, but looks doomed to collapse.

The Asse nuclear repository – a former salt mine in northern Germany – contains over 125,000 barrels of radioactive waste.

It is also taking on on water at a rate of around 12,000 litres a day. Authorities fear it could collapse and one day poison the local water table. Detlev Möller is a historian who recently had his doctoral thesis published on the history of Asse. He came into the studio and I asked him how the site came to be chosen as a nuclear waste dump in the sixties in the first place.

Interview: Nathan Witkop

German ski resorts consider going green to stay white

The winter weather that blanketed much of Europe in white in recent weeks has been a welcome site for snow sport enthusiasts. But a new study suggests skiing and snowboarding in many parts of Europe's Alps could soon become a thing of the past.

The OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, found that warming in the Alps amounts to roughly three times the global average. The report identifies Germany's mountains as most at risk. So what steps are the country’s ski resorts taking to help preserve them for generations to come? And just how green can ski resorts really be?

Report: Laura Schweiger

Bavarian prince's solar ambitions cause a royal stir

Germany is a world leader in solar energy, but not everyone is happy to see a solar park open next door.

Germany's solar boom has been helped along by a law that offers incentives to solar manufacturers and to people putting up solar panels on their roofs. Now one of Germany's wealthiest families wants to get in on the renewable energy game. Prince Albert of the House of Thurn and Taxis wants to build a giant solar park on family land in Bavaria, but residents in a town next to the site are saying "not in my backyard."

Report: Kyle James

Freiburg pioneers super energy efficient flats

For some time, Germany has been making homes that are so well insulated, they barely require gas or electricity for heating – even in the middle of a German winter. Now the techniques are being used to retrofit old apartment buildings, with surprising success.

Using energy efficiently is one of the biggest ways in which countries can cut greenhouse gas emissions, and often save money at the same time. Our homes are a major location for much of our daily energy use and architects in Germany have been leading the way for some time now by designing so called passive houses. Deutsche Welle's Christian Quiring went to Germany's green capital, the city of Freiburg, to check out a world-first effort to renovate a 16 storey apartment bloc according to passive house principles.

Report: Christian Quiring /Vanessa Johnston (voiced)

Nature: 21 January 2010

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:00:00 GMT

21 January: How mammals got to Madagascar, synthetic biologists synchronize bacterial clocks, Asian emissions polluting atmosphere above western North America, the holes in climate research, and a round-up of what's hot elsewhere in Nature.

Science Weekly: A taste of things to come, and Darwin's dogs

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:11:04 GMT

We discuss what 2010 will hold for Nasa, the LHC and disappointed climate change activists. Plus, Emma Townshend explains how dogs helped inspire Darwin

The Science Talk Quiz: "Totally Bogus"

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:06:08 GMT

Here are four science stories, but only three are true. See if you know which story is TOTALLY BOGUS.

Disaster and dementia

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:34:08 GMT

Haiti this week suffered its worst earthquake in 200 years. Marc Dubois, general director of aid charity MSF UK, talks about how his organisation is responding to the disaster and how doctors can help. Also, BMJ clinical editor Elizabeth Loder interviews Benjamin Wolozin about the link between cardiovascular disease and dementia. Krishna Moorthy talks to Helen Morant about what medicine can learn from aviation. See also: Practical challenges of introducing WHO surgical checklist: UK pilot experience Use of ARBs and risk of dementia in a predominantly male population BMJ Appeal for MSF

Mining for Online Game Gold and Other Amazing Stories

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:49:08 GMT

Scientific American magazine Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina talks about the January issue, including articles on the chances of conditions conducive to life elsewhere in the multiverse and the growing practice of virtual gold farming, in which legions of online game players in developing countries acquire currency in the game that they sell to other players for real money. Web sites related to this episode include www.snipurl.com/nobelfrank; www.redcross.org; www.pih.org