2005 Series Jan-Mar

Chris Smith

Helen Scales

This week's show explores the reality of science fiction by merging man with machine. Dr. Kevin Warwick from the University of Reading discusses current research into cyborgs and upgrading humans through mechanical implants, Professor William Clocksin from Oxford Brookes University talks about computer vision and making machines more human, and Dr Andrew Gosler from Oxford University applies computer vision to finding out why birds eggs have speckles.

Chris Smith

Today's guests include Dr Campbell Bunce, from Xenova, who joins us to talk about vaccines to prevent nicotine and cocaine addiction, Cambridge University's Prof. Barry Everitt, who works on the brain mechanisms of addiction, and Prof. Lawrence Whalley, from the University of Aberdeen, who has been looking into how smoking can dimish brain power as you age. Also joining us on the show is Prof. Mark Griffiths, from Nottingham Trent University, the UK's only professor of gambling addiction, who asks whether gambling can genuinely be considered an addiction, like nicotine or heroin.