Physics Interviews

Astronomical Imaging, NEOShield and the Aurora

Robert Massey returns with a roundup of news from the Royal Astronomical Society. This month; The history of astronomical imaging, Near Earth Objects and Auroras above northern Britain...Dr Robert Massey, Royal Astronomical Society

Running a Light Source

We learns the challenges of running a light source from the top down...Gerd Materlik, Diamond Light Source

Diamond News Update

The latest news and research from the synchrotron...Sarah Boundy, Diamond Light Source

Keeping Safe at the Synchrotron

Guy Thomas explains how he keeps people safe at the Synchrotron...Guy Thomas, Diamond Light Source

Technicians at the Synchrotron

Paul Amos explains how when working with small particles and high levels of radiation, the materials, machines and equipment are tightly controlled...Paul Amos, Diamond Light Source

Suicidal Comets and Dancing Beetles

Comets plummeting into the Sun's atmosphere, why exercise can keep diabetes at bay, how the public are helping seismology research and why Dung beetles like to dance...Carey Lisse, John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; Congcong He, University of Texas Southwestern medical centre; Richard Allen, UC Berkeley; Emilay Baird, University of Lund

Wiring the Brain to Robotic Limbs

Scientists are moving closer to developing ways to interface with the brain and to decode what nerve cells are saying to each other, and can use this neural chatter to connect the brain to artificial limbs...Professor Andrew Schwartz, University of Pittsburgh

Implants to improve impaired vision

How implanting a new chip which contains light sensors and an amplifier could be a treatment for impaired vision for patients with retinitis pigmentosa...Dr. Marcus Groppe, Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology

What is cybernetics?

What is cybernetics? Does it include things like pacemakers and cochlear implants? How is it being used to treat Parkinson's, Depression and Tourette's Syndrome? Kevin Warwick discusses what we can learn about ourselves by mixing man with machine...Kevin Warwick, Reading University

Potentially Pandemic H5N1

Should we publish details of how to make viruses with pandemic potential? We explore the controversy and meet one of the scientists whose work is under question...Mark Peplow, Nature; Ron Fouchier, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam

Walking on the Seabed, Miniature Steam engines and Cool Mosquitoes

We explore how African lungfish are providing insight into the evolution of walking, the design of the world's smallest steam engine, how birds tweet at a higher pitch to be heard in the city and reveal just how mosquitoes keep their cool...Heather King, University of Chicago; Clemens Bechinger, University of Stuttgart; Emily Mockford, University of Aberystwyth; Claudio Lazzari, University of Tours

The Naked Scientists Dream Gadgets

The team discuss what they would most like to get under their tree this Christmas...Dominic Ford, Helen Scales, Dave Ansell

The Death of Biostatistics?

Given that people are increasingly using crowd source data in their research, are old style stats still up to the job? Arnoldo Frigessi explores...Arnoldo Frigessi, University of Oslo in Norway

Gleaning the mood of the nation

Social scientists have been taking advantage of mobile phones and social networking sites to unobtrusively capture vast amounts of information in order to analyse our behaviour. We discuss how such tactics are deployed...Dr Jason Rentfrow, Cambridge University

Mercury Poisoning from Museum Samples

It seems some museum samples could be harbouring volatile compounds of mercury. But no need to fear, as it is only the people handling the samples themselves that need to watch out, as John Fellowes explains...John Fellowes, University of Manchester

Diamond News Update

The latest news and research from Diamond...Sarah Boundy, Diamond Light Source

Supremolecular Chemistry

Harry Anderson explains how his team are synthesizing new, specialist molecules, known as supramolecular chemistry...Harry Anderson, University of Oxford

Chemistry at the Synchrotron

Trevor Rayment, explains the importance of Chemistry research at the synchrotron...Trevor Rayment, Diamond Light Source

Underwater Welding

Welding up at metal pipe doesn't sound terribly tricky, but what about when it's 1 km underwater? Engineer Neil Woodward has pioneered a robotic underwater solution...Neil Woodward, Isotek Oil and Gas Ltd, Cranfield University

Gauging Photo Fakery

Also this week - scientists in the US have developed a computer programme that can spot the degree to which photos have been digitally doctored... Hany Farid, Dartmouth College