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27th Mar 2005

Avian Flu, Viruses, Bed Bugs and Murder


Chris Smith

Kat Arney

This week we look at the scary, squeamish and sinister side to science. Dr Tim Wreghitt, from Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, discusses the threat of avian flu, viruses and why we keep catching the common cold, Dr Ian Burgess, director of Insect Research and Development Ltd, is itching to discuss bed bugs, head lice and fleas, and John Emsley from Bedfordshire talks about the chemistry of poisoning and his new book 'Elements of Murder'. Anna Lacey asks the chief executive of the RSPB, Graham Wynn, why conservation is so important, and Philippa Law provides an alarming conclusion to our series on Einstein's influence in our everyday lives by finding out how smoke detectors work.

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News

 

Move Over Alistair Mcgowan

Known more for their ability to uproot trees and spray water out of their trunks, scientists have discovered that elephants may have another hidden talent - doing impressions. Researchers studied sounds made by two African elephants, one living among orphaned elephan...

 

Foiling Criminals With New X-ray Fluorescence Fingerprinting

Scientists from the US are giving a helping hand to forensics with a new technology that detects otherwise invisible fingerprints. Traditional fingerprinting methods involve adding dust or liquid that sticks to greasy prints. The pattern revealed can then be used to ...


Questions

 

When I was at school, they taught us that your ears, your nose and your throat were all connected. Why is it that when you jump in the swimming pool or put your head under the water in the bath, the water will go down your throat and up your nose but not down your ears?


 

When you yawn, why do your eyes water? Is it normal?


 

Are bugs that bite the way in which most diseases including HIV are spread?


 

I found head lice on an elderly lady I was looking after and used a special shampoo that the doctor told me to use. But it didn't kill them. I know this because I could still see black moving dots. How long does it take for eggs to hatch out, and how long does it take to lay them again?


 

Why do you close your eyes when you sneeze?


 

When she was younger, she went to chicken pox and mumps parties to spread the illness and build up her immune system. Why don't parents do this now?


 

Can animal fleas live on humans?




Fact or Fiction

The longest recorded flight for a chicken is 13 minutes
TrueTrue
A four year old, on average, asks 43 questions each day
TrueTrue
A lightning bolt is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun
TrueTrue
The traffic in London moves the same speed now as it did 100 years ago
TrueTrue



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