Are embryos made from skin cells the future of fertility treatment?
Scientists in the US have, for the first time, made early-stage human embryos by manipulating DNA taken from people's skin cells and then fertilising them with sperm. It’s hoped the technique could overcome infertility due to old age or disease. Marnie Chesterton is joined by Dr Geraldine Jowett from the University of Cambridge and Emily Jackson from the London School of Economics to discuss the science behind the research, and the ethical and legal issues it could raise. We also look back at the life of the pioneering primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, who died this week at the age of 91. Marnie is joined by one of the scientists she helped to inspire - the biologist Joyce Poole - to reflect on the huge legacy she leaves behind. As the European Union discusses the possibility of setting up a Europe-wide ‘drone wall’ to protect against Russian airspace incursions, we discuss the rapid advancements in drone technology with journalist and author of the book ‘Swarm Troopers: How Small Drones Will Conquer The World’, David Hambling. And Marnie is joined by journalist Caroline Steel to look through a range of this week’s most intriguing scientific breakthroughs. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Clare Salisbury, Ella Hubber, Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell, Tim Dodd
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
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The science behind autism
What do we know about the causes of autism? Laura Andreae, Professor of Developmental Neuroscience at King’s College London explains the science. It’s after President Trump made unproven claims the condition is linked to taking paracetamol in pregnancy.Tim O’Brien, Professor of Astrophysics at The University of Manchester and Associate Director of Jodrell Bank Centre, explains why NASA is planning to send a crew of astronauts around the moon for the first time in 50 years.Tim Minshall, inaugural Dr John C. Taylor Professor of Innovation at the University of Cambridge dives into the mysterious world of manufacturing. His book ‘Your Life is Manufactured’ is shortlisted for the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize 2025. And we hear from Dave Sexton, conservationist on the Isle of Mull, and his search for one unusual bird.If you want to test your climate change knowledge, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University to take the quiz.
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What’s the highest a human could possibly pole vault?
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis broke the sport’s world record again this week at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. It’s the 14th consecutive time he’s broken the record.Professor of Sports Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, Steve Haake, joins Victoria Gill to discuss this monumental feat of athleticism, and to explain the role physics and engineering play in Duplantis’s unprecedented success.The actor, comedian and scientist Nick Mohammed explains why he and his fellow judges selected ‘Ends of the Earth’ by Professor Neil Shubin as one of this year’s finalists in the Royal Society Trivedi Book Prize. We also hear from the book’s author about what it’s like doing science at the farthest reaches of the planet.Neuroscientist Professor James Ainge from the University of St Andrews tells us how he has been mapping our internal mileage clock.And the author and mathematician Dr Katie Steckles brings us the brand new maths and science shaping our world this week.To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science, and follow the links to The Open University.Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell and Tim Dodd
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
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Could we have evidence of life on Mars?
News broke this week that rocks picked up by NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars may have found chemical signatures left by living organisms. With the search for life on the red planet capturing our imaginations for decades, Victoria Gill is joined by science journalist Jonathan Amos to look at what we know about the history of life on Mars, and what could be different about this discovery.As commemorations take place this week for the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we hear about the project helping to protect birds in New York from the effects of a giant annual light display in memory of the victims of the tragedy.Dr Andrew Farnsworth, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, tells us how they’re working with the organisers of the Tribute in Light memorial to help save the lives of a wide range of birds.Victoria is joined by managing editor of the New Scientist, Penny Sarchet, to look through this week’s most exciting scientific discoveries.And in our series profiling the six books shortlisted for this year’s Royal Society Trivedi Book Prize, we speak to neuroscientist and clinical neurologist Professor Masud Husain about his book Our Brains, Our Selves, and what his encounters with patients reveal about how our brains make up who we are.Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell, Tim Dodd
Editor: Martin Smith
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What does caffeine do to our bodies?
Sweet, caffeinated energy drinks are in the headlines again as the UK Government says it wants to ban under 16s from buying them. Some can contain the equivalent caffeine as 2 to 4 espressos. James Betts, Professor of Metabolic Physiology at the University of Bath, explains the science behind how caffeine affects the bodies of adults and children. Earthquake scientist Dr Judith Hubbard from Cornell University in the US explains what we are learning from the magnitude 6 earthquake which hit Afghanistan this week. Professor Dan Levitin is a neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, musician, and the third author shortlisted for the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Book Prize. In his book ‘Music as Medicine’ he explores whether music can be harnessed to heal us. And BBC science journalist Caroline Steel brings her selection of brand new research.To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open UniversityPresenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell, Lucy Davis, Tim Dodd, Clare Salisbury
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
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