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Podcast TranscriptThe Naked Scientists: Science Radio & Science Podcasts |
| 27th Jan 2002 | < Previous Show | Next Show > | ||||||||||
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Dvt (deep Vein Thrombosis) Risk Can Be Reduced By Antioxidants (flavanoids) in Chocolate and Tea
Aside from tasting great, anti-oxidant substances in tea and chocolate called falvanoids can reduce the 'stickiness' of blood, reducing the chances of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the legs, particularly during long-haul aeroplane flights.
27th Jan 2002
Nicotine Intake Is Genetic
The number of cigarettes that a person smokes per day depends upon how fast your body breaks down nicotine, and this depends upon your race, say scientists in america. The researchers have been looking at the behaviour of smokers and have found that some ethnic populations break down nicotine, the substance that makes cigarettes addictive, much more slowly than others. Recent research in America has found that Chinese Americans break down nicotine 25% more slowly than white and Latino Americans, and as a result the Chinese Americans smoke fewer cigarettes per day, and have fewer cases of lung cancer, compared with whites and latinos. The researchers have tracked the difference down to a substance called CYP2A6 which breaks down nicotine. Critically CYP2A6 is much less active in Chinese people than in whites. The researchers warn that Chinese-american smokers hoping to kick the habit using nicotine gum or patches may need to take less than the advised dose.
"The Anti-Smoking Vaccine" - interview with Xenova Pharmaceuticals director Dr. John Roberts
One cigarette may lead to permanent changes in the brain
27th Jan 2002
Reflexology Does Not Make the Grade
Do you use or practise reflexology, if so then this story will interest you. For those not in the know, in reflexology, there is said to be a map of the body on the feet and hands, and applying pressure to the correct spot on the foot can help ease pain or discomfort in the affected part of the body. So British doctors have teamed up with reflexology practitioners to get their help in treating people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, which causes painful abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. Unfortunately in this study, whether a patient got reflexology or not made no difference to their IBS symptoms ! So the moral of this story is - if you have IBS, reflexology is probably not the way to go !
27th Jan 2002
Contraceptive Patches Hit the Shelves
Lots of women find taking the oral contraceptive pill a nuisance because it is easy to forget. If you are one of these women then the new 'contraceptive patch' might interest you. We have mentioned this new invention on the show previously, whist it was being developed, but doctors are now investigating how good it is. The patch, which is stuck onto the skin and looks like a nicotine patch, is changed every 7 days and slowly releases low levels of female hormones into the blood stream to prevent ovulation and pregnancy. 37 women recently tried the patch and in all cases it worked satisfactorily and didn't drop off ! So are there any negative effects ? Well, 6 of the women subsequently dropped out of the study, 1 because she found that the patch caused migraines, and the other 5 for reasons of 'personal choice'.
New spray-on contraceptives which you apply like deodorant (December 2003)
27th Jan 2002
Meningitis Strain C Vaccine
Following the success of the recent meningitis vaccination programme amongst children, adolescents and students, the government announced this week that the vaccine will now also be made available to people aged 20-24.
27th Jan 2002
Worrying News for the Amazon
American and Brazilian scientists announced this week that the Amazon forest is being destroyed faster than ever. They studied detailed satellite images of the Amazon taken since 1978 and found that the rate at which the forest is being cut down has risen sharply. According to William Laurence, one of the researchers, almost 2 million hectares of forest are now being cut down every year, that's equivalent to an area the size of 7 football fields every MINUTE. These results are worrying because the Brazilian government plans to invest about $40 billion building roads, railways, hydroelectric projects, power and gas lines through the forest, many of which will penetrate the still pristine heart of the Amazon. Environmentalists are concerned that providing easy access to the forest will speed up deforestation with catastrophic results.
27th Jan 2002
Turning Mud Into Electricity
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts have discovered how to make electricity using mud ! They have found that microorganisms living in sediments underwater can break down waste matter and produce useful electrical energy. To demonstrate their findings, the researchers added some common mud to jars of water and placed a carbon electrode in the mud and a second carbon electrode in the water. The resulting electrical current was strong enough to power a lightbulb or even a simple computer. The bugs behind this amazing finding are called geobacters, and the scientists have found that they are also capable of breaking down toxic chemicals, including oils, and turning them into electricity. The researchers are now studying the geobacters genes in order to understand how they can be used in industrial clean-up operations…
Scientists discover napthalene-eating extreme bacteria in old gas works.
27th Jan 2002
Elderly Watch Out
A study of the elderly has shown that people who lose more than 5% of their body weight over a 3 year period or less have an increased risk of death compared with people who are not losing weight !
27th Jan 2002
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