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Podcast TranscriptThe Naked Scientists: Science Radio & Science Podcasts |
| 13th Apr 2002 | < Previous Show | Next Show > | |||||||||
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Viagra for Plants
Scientists at the University of the West of England (UWE) have discovered a previously unknown link between wilting plants and human impotence ! They hope that the research could spur the production of a viagra-like compound to stop plants wilting in dry weather. Plants flop over when the weather is too hot because they lose water through small pores called stomata which are on the undersides of their leaves. Funnily enough, the research team at UWE have found that nitric oxide, a substance involved in maintaining an erection in people, also closes the stomata in plants to keep them standing when the weather is dry. The serious aspect to their work is that they are hoping to develop a viagra-like chemical for plants which would enable them to tolerate much drier growing conditions - something that might occur sooner rather than later if the predictions of global-warming experts turn out to be correct.
13th Apr 2002
Ballooning Into Space
Later this summer 2 British men will attempt a world-record breaking ballooning feat that will take them literally to the edge of space - in an open craft. Pilots Andy Elson and Colin Prescot expect to rise to 132,000 feet, that's a staggering 25 miles above the Earth, using a huge helium balloon with an open basket below it. The journey will take 11 hours and the temperature will drop to a chilly -74F. They will be wearing special Russian-made space suits which will be pressurised to the equivalent of 25,000 feet, and they will be breathing pure oxygen - without it, a normal person becomes unconscious in about 7 minutes, and beyond 50,000 feet a prson normally becomes unconscious in seconds. The team are hoping to go to 132,000 ! We wish them luck !
13th Apr 2002
New Gadget to Help Wheelchair Users !
Inventors have come up with a useful navigation system for wheel chair users which can help them plot the best route around towns avoiding obstacles like cobbled streets and steps. It's called Wheelyroute and at the moment is undergoing testing in Northampton.
13th Apr 2002
Water Bed for Cows
A Farmer in Oregon, US, has ordered 80 water beds for his cows after an experiment showed that a comfortable rest boosted milk production. Cows spend over 8 hours a day lying down digesting their food so it makes sense ! "The cows liked it right away. They lied down and were comfortable" said the farmer.
13th Apr 2002
Cigarettes Are Too Cheap, Apparently !
The budget is nearly here and doubtless the chancellor with want to squeeze more money out of us. He might be interested in a recent article in Tobacco Control (2002;11:35-43) which argues that cigarettes are, relatively speaking, cheaper than they have been for a long time. Their argument revolves around 'The Big Mac Index', a measure contrived by Economist magazine a while back, which compares the prices of things in the shops with the cost of a Big Mac. According to the Big Mac Index, cigarettes are now much more affordable than they were in the 1960's and so the price should be put up to discourage people from smoking, say the authors...
13th Apr 2002
Japanese Invent Lip-reading Mobiles
Do you get sick of being surrounded by people yelling into their mobiles? It doesn't matter whether you're on the train, in the shops, in a posh restaurant - you are guaranteed to overhear some complete stranger discussing his latest break up in public. But there is hope! A Japanese engineer is developing a lip reading mobile phone, according to New Scientist this week. You simply mouth your words into the phone and a sensor picks up the tiny electrical signals from your facial muscles. The phone then works out what you're saying and converts it into a text message or email! No more yelling "I'M ON THE TRAIN!"
A new mobile phone that uses bone-conduction to let you hear your callers through your skull !
Mobile phone design that can iron-out background noise
13th Apr 2002
Hairdressers Watch Out !
A study carried out by doctors in Sweden has found that hairdressers are over 30% more likely to develop asthma than the rest of the population, after taking into account things known to aggravate the situation including smoking, hayfever and where you live. The risk was even higher for hairdressers using hair spray and bleaching agents, suggesting that heavy exposure to these substances could cause chest problems. We should stress that this is only a preliminary result. (Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2002; 59:119-123)
13th Apr 2002
A Never Emptying Glass…
Researcher Paul Dietz at Mitsubishi in Cambridge, US, have developed a drinking glass that automatically signals to barstaff when it needs a refill ! The iGlassware system uses en elctronic tag containing a microchip connected to a radio transmitter. The tags, which are supposedly dishwasher proof, work by measuring the capacitance of the glass - in other words how much electrical charge it stores. The more drink there is in the glass, the more charge it stores. When the glass is empty the chip detects the drop in stored charge and signals to the waiters, who carry palm-top devices, to supply a top up ! Apparently there is a genuine need for a system like this since 'glasses not being kept topped up is a major source of diners' complaints', said Richard Cole of Delaware University, US.
13th Apr 2002
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