Science Interviews

Creative inspirations from the census

The Census isn't all about science. Artists and Musicians also joined in to share their love of the underwater realm.Jesse Ausabel, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Rockerfeller University

Highlights from world's first ocean census

Four Census scientists at the London conference share their thoughts on their personal highlights from a decade of discovery.Paul Snelgrove, Boris Worm, Ian Pioner, Enric Sala

Planet Earth - Orang-utan posture

Orang-utans are one of the world’s most fascinating creatures living primarily among the trees. They're the only mammal apart from us that habitually walks on two legs. Sue Nelson from the Planet Earth podcast visited Birmingham University’s posture and balance lab to meet a team who are researching the way that humans, and by extension our shared ancestors with orang-utans, moved around. She spoke Project Director, Dr. Susannah Thorpe.Susannah Thorpe, Birmingham University

How Supermarkets make us Spend!

Neuromarketing is the use of behavioural and neurological studies to market and advertise products. But how exactly do supermarkets use it to affect how we shop? Smitha Mundasad took Philip Graves, an author on the psychology of shopping and consumer behaviour, along on her weekly shop to find out more...Philip Graves

Not all fat cells are created equal

This week, researchers have made another interesting finding in regard to what actually happens when a person puts on a bit too much weight. Now not all fat storing cells which are known as adipocytes are equal it seems and from the Mayo Clinic, to tell us more, Michael Jensen.Michael Jensen, the Mayo Clinic

What is Neuromarketing?

On today’s show, we’re talking about neuromarketing, but what actually is it? Sarah Castor-Perry caught up with Gemma Calvert, who until recently was Professor of Applied Neuroscience at Warwick University and is now Managing Director of Neurosense Limited to find out...Gemma Calvert, Neurosense Ltd

The Census of Marine Life

This week saw the first report of the Census of Marine Life. This has been a worldwide project spanning in the last 10 years, aiming to catalogue the diversity, distribution and abundance of life in the oceans. Sarah Castor-Perry went along to launch of the census report in London to find out more...Enric Sala, Ann Bucklin, Kristina Gjerde

Why does celebrity sell?

Well, one thing that is fairly ubiquitous to most adverts is the presence of a celebrity. Clutching a bottle of perfume or extolling the virtues of a certain brand of makeup, advertisers know that a quick glimpse of celebrity will mean a rocket in sales, and behavioural studies have shown this too. But is there really a neurological basis for why this works? Mirre Stallen is from Erasmus University in the Netherlands and she joins us now to talk about this.Mirre Stallen, Erasmus University

How adverts could attract your attention

We’re talking about advertising and one of the main aims of an advert or a billboard, or a poster is of course to attract your attention. So, how does the brain actually decide what it’s going to look at? To help us decide and work out what makes things eye-catching is Dr. Andy Parton who’s a lecturer in psychology at Brunel University.Dr Andy Parton, Brunel University

Critter of the Month - Sea Urchin

Carl Gustaf Lundin head of IUCN's Global Marine Programme chooses our critter of the monthCarl Gustaf Lundin, IUCN Global Marine Programme

Winding back the ocean clock

Looking back into oceans past, Poul Holm tells us about novel ways of understanding how the marine realm has changed.Poul Holm, Trinity College Dublin

Sylvia Earle's message

Legendary oceans explorer, Sylvia Earle, shares her thoughts on the Census of Marine Life.Sylvia Earle

The importance of tracking

As well as identifying what lives beneath the waves, the Census also investigated how animals move around and use the ocean.Pat Halpin, Duke University

Barcode of Marine Life

The task of cataloguing ocean diversity has been thrust into the 21st century by cutting edge genetic tools.Ann Bucklin, University of Conneticut

How the Census of Marine Life began

Census co-founder, Jesse Ausabel, tells us about how it all beganJesse Ausabel, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Rockerfeller University

Planet Earth Online - Surveying Lake Windermere

Over the past few weeks, scientists have been carrying out the first geological survey since the 1930s of England’s largest lake - Lake Windermere in Cumbria. Richard Hollingham has been along to find out what’s been found...Carol Cotterill & Nick Smart, British Geological Survey

A new Earth-like exoplanet

This week, astronomers at the University of California, Santa Cruz and also from the Carnegie Institution of Washington have announced the discovery of an Earth-like planet that’s outside our own solar system. It’s thought that liquid water, as well as an atmosphere, could exist on that planet’s surface, which would make it potentially the first habitable exoplanet...Professor Steve Vogt, University of California at Santa Cruz

Planet Earth Online - Physical Attractions in the Oceans

A satellite designed to measure the Earth’s gravitational field with unprecedented accuracy may sound like something out of a James Bond film, but it is in fact a reality. The European GOCE spacecraft or "Gravity field and steady state Ocean Circulation Explorer" has been doing just that and has recently sent back its first results. Richard Hollingham finds out more...Helen Snaith, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

Malaria: The Gorilla's Gift

Historically, scientists thought that the most severe form of malaria, known as falciparum malaria, first spread into humans from chimps. But now, scientists have found that, in fact, it was gorillas that gave us malaria rather than chimps.Professor Paul Sharp, Edinburgh University

Hallucinations and delusions - what's going on in the brain?

As well as helping us to understand what’s going on in the brain when it’s at work, brain scanning techniques can also be used to look at what might be happening to cause some unusual experiences. Professor Paul Fletcher from the University of Cambridge uses fMRI to investigate hallucinations and delusions and he explained to Kat Arney how this is done and what it can tell us...Professor Paul Fletcher, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University