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Naked Scientists AfricaThe Naked Scientists: Science Radio & Science Podcasts |
In this Festive edition; the best combinations of food and drink to avoid indigestion over the Christmas period, safer ways to grill meat and we reveal if lightweight, carbon fibre bikes really are the fastest option. We also look back over 2010 to to remember some of the years key scientific discoveries, including the domestication of fruit trees across of Africa and the increase of western diseases due to urbanisation. Plus, we find out what makes someone photogenic, in Question of the Week!
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This week we hear the problems farmers face when storing cowpeas, one of Africas most nutritious and traded grains. We hear the challenges brought by pests and how scientists are developing new ways to store and keep the grain for longer. Plus, how bees see the world, how pilots could learn from falcons and we investigate if our blood is magnetic, in Question of the week!
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Rural electrification is a big problem in Africa, with much of the continent "off grid". This week, we meet the bright sparks developing energy kiosks, who charge and maintain batteries for use in rural areas. In the news, why young people are more likely to fall victim to the flu, how a dose of worms controlled a man's inflammatory bowel disease and why the discovery of arsenic-loving bacteria is forcing us to rethink the chemistry of life. Plus, in Question of the Week, Diana gets to the bottom of whether it's possible to drink through your rectum...
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In recognition of world AIDS day, which took place on the 1st December, we find out about recent developments in understanding and treating HIV, the agent which causes AIDS. We discover new insight into how the virus damages our immune system as well as discussing the difficulties of developing an HIV vaccine. In the news we explore the link between jet lag and forgetfulness and a new way to identify someone's age from their blood. In Question of the Week, Diana finds out what happens as the universe expands!
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This week, we look into the problem of sewage and sanitation in Tanzania and reveal a new design of bicycle that could improve the cleanliness and efficiency of pit toilets in the slums of Dar es Salaam. We also hear how lasers can cut complications in cataract surgery, why some people are allergic to wine,hear the highlights from the world's biggest neuroscience meeting including the discovery of how the eye talks to the brain, and we hear how scientists have solved a long-standing mystery relating the structure of the placenta. Plus, we find out just how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, in Question of the week!
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This week, we continue our insight into Malaria to discover a new drug that could replace current drug quinine, to become the standard treatment to treat the disease. We also hear how happiness can be found here and now, why children tire so quickly when walking and how Earth became oxygenated 400,000 years earlier than we thought. Plus, we discover how many bees it takes to boil a human, in Question of the week!
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This week we map the link between Sickle Cell disease and Malaria to reveal why this disorder is so prevalent in the African population. We also investigate the science behind cancer to find a new way of making tumours vulnerable to attack and in the news we hear how a burst of electricity to the brain boosts mathematical ability, a new trick to block the brain damage done during a stroke and how bacteria protect themselves from viral attack. Plus, we're boiling with bees, in question of the week!
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This week, we investigate the role agriculture can play in improving the African economy with the launch of a new report looking into how Europe and Africa can partner in securing global food security, how African networks and leaders are developing initiatives to boost agricultural productivity and just how big an impact this boost can have. We also find out about a new super-waterproof fabric, discover how our brain decides what we should pay attenention to, get a new insight into how pancreatic cancer develops and investigate whether aeroplane emissions or volcanic eruptions are worse for our environment, in Question of the week!
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This week, we investigate the workings of the HIV virus to find out just how the virus hijacks our immune system as well as discover a new form of tea bag that filters and sterilises water, to make it potable. Also, how the taste of bitterness could treat asthma, a revelation of vegetables in the diet of our stone-age ancestors, and gene therapy for depression!
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This week, we investigate the aftermath of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to find out how the sciences and the arts have been affected by this global tournament. We hear about the Wozela initiative to find new uses and functions for the infamous vuvuzela and find out how the film industry has also jumped onto the football bandwagon to give the world a further insight into health and life in Africa. Also, in the news, a new vaccine that could protect us from resistant forms of the tuberculosis bacterium, a way to reduce our need for gold in electronics and the comet that never existed. Plus, we find out why some of us feel sick when we move backwards on a train or in cars, in Question of the week! Click here to see the Wozela entries!
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This week we hear how scientists at the CSIR in South Africa are helping model and develop more accurate aeroplanes to make air travel more efficient, and how radio telescopes within the country have been modified for more precision. We also hear how not all fat cells are created as equals, a new form of implantable glucose sensor, how lillies use odour to trick pollinating fruit flies, and an insight into why women glow, yet men perspire! Plus, we stare up at the moon, in Question of the week!
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This week we discover a plant indigenous to South Africa that is being used to create stress-relieving drugs worldwide and how more of these native plants could be made use of in the future. We also find out about superior solar cells, how our brains choose which hand we should use and discover a new way to catch drug traffickers in the act! Plus, we investigate if it's possible for a ball to roll uphill, in Question of the Week!
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This week, we hear about a clinical trial in Kenya that could offer hope for a vaccination against Tuberculosis. We also discover how the Malaria parasite spread into humans, how nerve repair has provided insight into the spread of cancer and get a new insight into how we perceive pain. Plus, we find out if it's safe to eat the core of a fruit, in question of the week!
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This week, we investigate the falling population numbers of the Giant Sable in Angola and find out how conservationists are trying to fight their extinction. We also hear how light pollution is affecting bird breeding habits, find a vital clue in the workings of anti-depressants and reveal a new insight into the moon's craters. Plus, we find out if olive oil really is healthier, in Question of the week!
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This week, we investigate why non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, are on the rise in South Africa and what can be done to ease the problem. We also find out about self-cleaning solar cells, a new method of treating cancer and how if we act now, we may be able to prevent some of the concerns about climate change. Plus, we sniff out the smell of rain, in quesion of the Week!
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This week we explore the impact of climate change in Africa and what residents as well as scientists and governments can do to ease the problem. We also find out about a new anti-malarial drug that could prove useful in the fight against resistance. Plus, we investigate how the square kilometre array could help us see further into the universe than ever before!
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This week we explore the potential of genome-wide association studies in Africa to see how they can provide information on susceptibility to diseases such as Tuberculosis and also provide insight into the human population as a whole. We also dig deep into the field of archaeology to find out what the ancient Romans had on their daily menus as well as discover what ancient faeces can tell about a population. Plus, we reveal how mosquitoes sniff out their human targets!
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We find out how an extract from crab shells could make low cost, antibacterial bandages in this week's programme, as well as explore our oceans. We'll investigate the impact of oil spills on shorelines and wetlands, and find out how climate change is altering Antarctica. Plus, in Question of the Week, Diana O'Carroll finds out why we struggle to remember our dreams...
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This week, we discover the rift in Ethiopia that's expanding and spliiting Africa apart. We'll find out what the future holds and the opportunities for Ethiopians to use it to their advantage. Plus, we meet our oldest walking ancestor, explore some of the latest satellite technology and, in Question of the Week, we find out why copper compounds are so colourful!
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This week we explore the invasion of the parthenium weed which has overtaken millions of hectares of land in Ethiopia and is spreading rapidly across the continent. We also go down to the nanoscale to investigate how nanostructures could enable safe hydrogen storage as well as provide better batteries in the future. Plus we burn calories, literally, in question of the week!
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This week, we get an insight into Southern African genomes as scientists have sequenced the DNA of members of the Khoisan to see what genes they have preserved. We also find out how researchers in South Africa have developed a new microbicide gel that could significantly reduce HIV numbers and in the news, we discover how moss spores travel on mushroom clouds and reveal a new, more efficient way to convert carbon dioxide back to carbon. Plus, we calculate how much gas a human would need to let out to lift themselves off the ground, in Question of the week!
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This week, we bring you the top stories from the AIDS 2010 conference which took place in Vienna this week as well as investigate how promoting the practice of safe sex for set periods of time could greatly reduce HIV infections in Africa. We also find out how researchers are creating Malaria-free mosquitoes and how hostile bacteria are being turned into vaccines. Plus, we discover why humans kiss, in Question of the week!
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This week, we explore the latest in laser technology, including how a team in South Africa have developed a way to remotely seal cracks in industrial pipes and how lasers are being used to treat cancers in medicine. We also hear about a newly identified chemical that promotes the growth of brain cells and how a shrinking proton is changing the laws of physics! Plus, we investigate the development of the New World, in Question of the week!
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This week, we discover the genes behind a longer life and the earliest remains of complex life here on Earth. We also investigate how drilling into a volcano could tell us more about its activity and we hear how pheromone traps are being used in villages across Africa to forecast and control outbreaks of the African army worm. Plus, we investigate why an electric toothbrush can make things a bit distorted, in Question of the week!
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This week, we look at ways to balance the demand for biofuels against the other needs of African farmers. We find out why size matters when it comes to bird beaks, how plant roots cope with competition and what astronomers can learn about neutrinos. We hear from researchers who are building new lungs in the lab, and in question of the week we ask why the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body!
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This week, we discover the Human Heredity and Health in Africa Project, H3Africa, which hopes to utilise new genetic techniques to better understand disease in African populations. Also, how researchers have caught swine flu in the act of mutating, how migrating humans carried parasites out of Africa, a new gene therapy for HIV and why females are more likely to suffer the effects of stress. Plus, bomb proof curtains that expand when they're stretched!
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This week, we discover how disease control and intervention, not climate change, could determine the future prevalence of Malaria across the world and how the oil leak in the gulf of Mexico is affecting wetland ecocsystems in the US. We also investigate if its more important to eat or to sleep, how a honey trap could detect the pathogens in mosquitoes and how DNA could hold the key to leukeamia. Plus, we find out what happens to light, at light speed, in question of the week!
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This week, we find out how science and technology are improving security as well as television coverage at the 2010 FIFA World Cup as well as reveal South Africa's winning bid to host the Office for Astronomy Development, or OAD, to bring astronomy to the developing world. We also discover how brushing your teeth could prevent a heart attack, find out when our ancestors first began eating meat and investigate if our genes code for our memories, in Question of the week!
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This week we find out about a new initiative bringing together scientists, policy makers and development agencies across Africa to address the effects of climate change on agriculture in order to provide a sustainable future. Plus, in the news, we investigate the threats faced by the bluefin tuna, a newly discovered way that blood vessels in the brain clear a blockage and how channels on Mars reveal secrets about the Martian climate. All that plus in Question of the Week, we reveal if the food you eat can affect the smell and colour of your urine!
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This week, we find out how scientists in the US have created a synthetic, man-made organism which could benefit the field of vaccine production and how the government in Zimbabwe are hoping to pass a new information and communications bill in order to improve the countries economic situation through technological development.
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This week we bring you the latest news including how brains recognise faces and how GM crops are increasing certain plant pest populations. We also hear how new radars in South Africa are helping predict more accurate weather forecasts to benefit the economy. Plus we investigate why humans have different blood groups in Question of the week!
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This week we find out how our ancestors may have interbred with Neanderthals and get a new insight into the way our stars may form. We also hear how scientific research in Africa isnt being fully appreciated or utilised and how governments across the continent are hoping to improve the situation. Plus, in question of the week, we investigate the evolution of crocodiles!
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This week, we explore the science behind satellite navigation to find out how our global positioning system, GPS, works to identify our location and how it may be possible to hack into these signals and dupe our receivers into thinking we're elsewhere! We also reveal a new finding into why HIV infected adults are more prone to infection with salmonella and in question of the week we investigate if the doppler effect can be heard through a radio!
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This week we dig deep into the field of archaeology to see how genetics can help us investigate our human origins as well as reveal more findings from the cradle of humankind into the new human species Australopithecus Sediba. Plus, in Question of the week, we find out if it's possible to find out someones age using carbon dating!
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This week we reveal how some plants are able to make the most out of forest fires and activate the growth of their seelings in response as well as find out how the hyenas laugh could be revealing more than just their intentions. We also bring you the highlights from the UK's National Astronomy Meeting, including how we could soon forecast the weather in space, and how biochemists are helping the search for life on other planets!
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In this week's news we find outabout a new species of early human, active volcanoes on Venus and a new form of nanowire. We also hear about a new vaccine which could help fight pneumonia in HIV-infected adults and we investigate if worms drown in the rain, in Question of the week!
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This week we explore the science behind our weather to find out if droughts could be predicted to help relief efforts prepare, if hurricane could be streered out of harms way and how plane contrails are contributing to cloud formation. We also investigate the global threat of invasive species on our ecosystems.
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This week we solve the mystery of how our arteries form and find out about a new powder from pigs in South Africa that could help mend our broken bones. We also bring you the latest news including a new way to de-salinise sea water and we reveal how dams are changing weather patterns worldwide. Plus, we investigate the consequences of a human bite in Question of the week!
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In this weeks news we find out how mosquitoes could become flying vaccines and how bacterial fingerprints could soon catch criminals!
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This week we bring you the highlights from the world of science including why some of us feel pain more than others and how octopuses may have mood swings! We also reveal how anti-biotics may not be the best prevention of pre-term labour in Malawi and how climate change is affecting Ghanas fishing industry. Plus we reveal is subliminal CD's really can help you learn, in Question of the Week!
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This week we find out flexible solar cells could provide a new, portable source of power and how the seeds of the moringa tree can be harnessed to purify water sources in Africa. We also find out why some people are more susceptible to Tuberculosis and we find out if money really can grow on trees, in Question of the Week!
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This week we investigate the future of our water sources. We'll explore how climate change may affect the availability of water and how countries like South Africa are addressing the problem by building desalination plants to convert sea water into potable water. Plus, in Question of the week we find out why water makes white clothes transparent!
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This week we bring you the latest news from the world of science including how scientists have used their understanding of the resurrection plant to create potential vaccines that can survive in hot climates without refrigeration. We also hear about the NEPAD water initiative and how it plans to provide greater access to safe water and sanitation in Southern Africa. Plus, we investigate if snowy rooftops could limit climate change, in Question of the week!
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This week we bring you the latest news and developments in the world of science as well as an insight into how monitoring the ground after earthquakes such as the recent one in Haiti, can help up prepare for future occurrences. We also travel down to Antarctica to see how scientists at the SANAP base are observing nunatak ecosystems to understand more about the species found in these isolated environments and how understanding this can help keep an eye on climate change. Plus, we get sucked into a black hole in Question of the Week!
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This week we discover what turns sperm 'on', investigate the true colour of dinosaurs and reveal how mosquitoes use their sense of smell. We also find out why bottled mineral water may not be as safe to drink as we assume, and how a study in Uganda and Zimbabwe showed that ARV drug monitoring regimes could be altered to enable more HIV patients to have access to these drugs. Plus, we time our seasons, in Question of the week!
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This week we find out why it may be beneficial to run barefoot, how new high-tech sanners could home in on cancers and how scientists have identified the proteins that keep our nerve cells alive. We also investigate how scientists in Uganda are fighting the Coffee Wilt fungus by creating resistant coffee plants and cloning them for mass distribution. Plus, we find out the best way to dry your laundry, in Question of the Week!
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This week we look into the science of explosives to find out what happens when something blows up and how an understanding of this can help protect people from an explosion. We also reveal how our antibodies fight the salmonella bacterium and how this new insight could lead to a vaccine against this deadly infection in Africa. Plus, we bring you the latest science news and reveal how pigeons find their way, in Question of the week!
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This week we brave the cold of Antarctica to find out how scientists at the South African National Antarctic Programme are studying the weather in space by monitoring the earths magnetic field. We also find out what it's like to live in Antarctica and how the scientists have become in tune with their environment. Plus, we bring you the latest news and developments form the world of science, including the Haitian earthquake from a geological perspective.
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This week we look into the science of hearing to reveal the genetics behind human deafness as well how the same areas of our brain are activated when we hear sounds as when we process sign language. We also investigate how scientists in South Africa are using algae to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and we monitor carbon emissions in Question of the Week!
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In this new series of the Naked Scientists in Africa, we bring you the latest science news from south Africa including the latest developments from the MeerKAT radio telescope project and how tobacco plants are being used to create rabies vaccines. We also bring you an insight into how blood used for transfusions is kept clean in and free of viruses and infection, as well as reveal a new finding about how the Malaria parasite attacks our bodies!
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