Science Interviews

Fishy vision in the deep sea

How different is the vision of fishes living on kaleidoscopic coral reefs compared to their deep-sea-dwelling cousins?Shozo Yokoyama, Emory University

Critters of the month - Lemon & nurse sharks

We ask legendary marine biologist Genie Clark aka 'The Shark Lady' to pick her favourite speciesEugenie Clark, Mote Marine Laboratory

Underwater robots listen for whales

Underwater robots listen out for whales even in the middle of a raging stormMark Baumgartner, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Planet Earth Online - The Energy Costs of Old Architecture

If you live in an old or historical building then you’re also probably aware that there can be downsides too. Sometimes all the features that make a building beautiful contribute to it being a cold and draughty dwelling. So how do you make buildings that are hundreds of years old energy efficient – without tearing them down and starting all over again?Professor Bob Lowe, UK Energy Research Centre

The Brain's First Whiff of Nicotine

A new study sheds more light on how the brain responds to its first ever whiff of nicotine. By looking at activity in the brain tissue of a rat as it’s exposed to nicotine for the very first time, Professor Daniel McGehee, at the University of Chicago, can help to understand how exposure to an addictive drug causes changes in the brain… Professor Daniel McGehee, University of Chicago

Phantom Limbs controlling Prosthetic Limbs

What happens if someone loses a body part? Can an artificial replacement be wired back up to the brain so it can be controlled? Todd Kuiken is pioneering this approach at the University of Chicago and Chris met up with him, together with his patient Glen Lehman, and surgeon Martin Baechler...Dr Martin Baechler, Dr Todd Kuiken (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), Glen Lehman

How are new batteries developed?

New research simulates battery designs on a computer to try and predict what the next breakthrough might be.Kristin Persson, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

Keeping Batteries Charging...

New materials known as 'microcapsules' are being used to extend the life-span of batteries....Scott White, University of Illinois

Not Enough Nitrogen to Feed the World

Life needs accessible nitrogen - but for over 100 years we've known that the amount of nitrogen available may not be enough. Professor Jim Galloway explains why fertilising soil may cause more problems than it solves...Professor James Galloway, University of Virginia

How to Stop a Robot from Wandering off when your Mind Wanders

If you're using electrical activity in your brain to control a prosthetic or a wheelchair, you don't want it wandering off or responding to every tiny thought about motion. So a new type of decoding can help to make sure the controller really wants to make the movent before the robot does it. Jose del Millan and Michele Tavella from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne demonstrate its abilities...Jose del Millan, Michele Tavella, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

Storing energy using nanopillars

Professor Sang Bok Lee explains how his new device, made up of nanopillars, could provide a radical new way to store energy...Sang Bok Lee, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Maryland

The ITER project, using nuclear fusion to create energy

The world is united behind a project called ITER, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. Later this decade, it will attempt to recreate on earth the physics that powers the sun.Brad Nelson, chief engineer for the US branch of ITER

Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat OCD

Doctors are reporting significant success in treating OCD by using deep brain stimulation, which is carried out by implanting electrodes into patients’ brains...Ben Greenburg, Brown Medical School

Giving a Voice to Silent Speech

By using electrodes to detect facial muscle movements when mouthing words silently, Michael Wand and colleagues have devised a system for silent speech recognition. The device could offer hope to patients who can move their mouths but not make sounds with their voices.Michael Wand, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

A Viral link for Throat and Mouth Cancer

Over 90% of Throat and Mouth cancers contain the genetic signature of the Human Papilloma Virus. Scientists think that people having oral sex is spreading the virus to the mouth...Maura Gillison, Ohio State University

How marine larvae find their way home

How do tiny fish and lobster larvae find their way home?Jelle Atema, Boston University

Multiferroics for Magnetic Data

A class of material known as 'multiferroics' respond to both magnetic and electric fields. The latest research hopes to utilize this feature to make new electronic devices that are smaller, faster and more energy efficient.Paolo Rudelli, Professor of experimental philosophy, University of Oxford

Green rust could start a green revolution

A special type of rust, called 'green rust', could be used to scrub contaminants from the environment to make for a greener future.Sam Shaw, University of Leeds

Making solar energy more accessible

A new form of solar cell that uses plastic instead of silicone may make solar panels a cheap and effective way of producing electricity.David Lidzey, University of Sheffield

Repairing our DNA

Scientists solve the structure of a protein pivotal for repairing damaged DNA. Due to various factors such as UV in sunlight, our DNA is constantly being damaged and organisms need to repair that damage on a regular basis in order to survive. There are many proteins involved in this repair, one of which is XPD, a protein that Jim Naismith at the University of St Andrews has been looking into.Jim Naismith, University of St Andrews