The Science Show

Science Show - 2010-02-20

The point of zoos - part 2, New York´s Bronx Zoo The second in a two-part series exploring zoos and their potential for being true agents for conservation and public education about the natural world. In the middle of The Bronx, New York´s toughest neighbourhood, Lynne Malcolm discovers one of the most active conservation organisations in the world. She encounters leaping lemurs in a recreation of their Madagascan home, meets the orphan Snow Leopard who´ll be helping to save his species from extinction and witnesses gorillas from the Congo and New Yorkers coming face to face. Ecology of the Simpson Desert Karon Snowdon joins a group from Sydney University´s wildlife ecology Unit during a three-week field trip to the Simpson Desert. They track marsupial mice, and dig for termites. Presently the area is still recovering from fire in 2001. Termites are food for many species and their reappearance following the fire will hopefully signal the return of a greater range of species. Much of the land is now owned by Bush Heritage and part of long term studies into changing landscapes. Predators such as foxes and cats are suspected to be causing extensive damage, particularly after summer rainfall, leading to local extinctions of some species. This contradicts the thought that summer rains are beneficial to arid environments.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2010/02/ssw_20100220.mp3

Science Show - 2010-02-13

NASA dumps manned missions to Mars Budgetary constraints have forced NASA to reconsider its priorities and abandon plans for manned missions to Mars. Jonathan Nally reports. Turkish site reveals Neolithic human culture An archaeological site in Çatalhöyük Turkey has revealed evidence of animal domestication, worship of deities, murals, and crop cultivation dating back to 7500BC. The point of zoos - part 1, Adelaide Zoo Giving people the chance to stroke a purring cheetah, or to wander through a Madagascan spiny forest in the middle of New York City are both new ways zoos are using to focus the world on the growing extinction crisis. The Science Show presents a two-part series exploring zoos and their potential for being true agents for conservation and public education about the natural world. Adelaide Zoo has just flown in 2 pandas from China - but it´s also doing exciting work to save the many endangered animals closer to home. Lynne Malcolm meets the surrogate mothers who are saving Australia´s most threatened marsupials, is confronted by a screeching Tasmania Devil called Dexter and witnesses life and death in the frenzy of a Pelican breeding colony. David Attenborough - Dragons David Attenborough traces the treatment and description of dragons in the developing story of our natural history.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2010/02/ssw_20100213.mp3

Science Show - 2010-02-06

Genes show human history 350,000 people have joined The Genographic Project where human DNA is analysed to determine its origin. The project demonstrates lineages and shows how human populations split, contracted and expanded over time. Beagle voyage retraced It was the Beagle which transported Charles Darwin around the world on his 5-year voyage allowing him to see the enormous variation of life forms which led to his theory of evolution by natural selection. Now having just celebrated 200 years since Charles Darwin´s birth and 150 years since the publication of his famous book describing his theory, the voyage of the Beagle is being retraced. Pauline Newman joins the crew for the leg between Lima and the Galapagos. Desert soils Ferran Garcia-Pichel walks through the Sonoran desert looking down. He studies the crust and the microbes which hold it all together. Desert soils differ from other soils in that the microbes need to come up with ways of getting food without relying on plants. It could resemble the surface of Mars, although here on Earth it gets much hotter. Micro organisms have a range of tricks for their survival. Some produce sunscreens! Others respond to water scarcity by moving deeper into the soil. Microbes and bacteria also play an important role in soil preservation. They bind the particles and hold the soil in the most extreme wind conditions. But they don´t respond well to physical compression from people, tyres and hooves, taking many years to recover. Teaching science in Namibia Scott Daniel is an Australian science teacher teaching in Namibia. He describes some of the challenges and joys to Sarah Caster-Perry. ISIS Facility reveals atomic structures The ISIS Facility in Oxfordshire allows materials to be studied at the atomic level. A wide range of materials is studied including silk, the world´s oldest commercial fibre. Silk is stored as a jelly, but is pulled out by the spider as a thread-like fibre. These experiments reveal silk´s protein components and hopefully why silk is as strong as it is. David Attenborough - Bowerbirds David Attenborough describes the bowerbird, the bird which collects items and objects, often of a particular colour, building them into a structure, a bower, in its attempt to impress a female.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2010/02/ssw_20100206.mp3

Science Show - 2010-01-30

The search for planets beyond our solar system Jonathan Nally describes the astronomical projects searching for planets. So far, over 400 have been found. Are they just lumps of rock or clouds of gas, or do some support life? Superstition Why do we have superstitious beliefs? Some people would not accept organs which could save their life if they knew they came from a murderer. Why not? Our brains can play tricks on us and let us accept ideas which have no basis in fact. Bruce Hood explores the reasons why so many people blindly accept mystical or supernatural stories. Sherpas report glaciers going, going, gong Errors have been found in IPCC reports predicting when Himalayan glaciers may be no more, as a result of rising world temperatures. These predictions are averages for large areas, and any one location may be affected much earlier, or later, than the predicted time. Meanwhile the effects are being felt today, as Alexandra de Blas reports. Secrets of the Southern Ocean In 2007, as part of the census of Antarctic marine life, 54 scientists took a seven-week voyage on the Australian research ship Aurora Australis to collect marine samples and data from the Southern Ocean. Now, over two years later, Sarah Castor-Perry speaks to two scientists from the ship who describe some of the findings. David Attenborough - Why humans sing Evolutionary theory says that physical characters develop because they´re needed. Birds sing to advertise sex. But what is the need for humans to be able to sing as we do? David Attenborough describes some of the animals which have complex song and seeks to explain why humans sing and are attracted to song singers and music.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2010/01/ssw_20100130.mp3

Science Show - 2010-01-23

China on track for world's largest high speed rail network In China high-speed rail is being taken up with such enthusiasm that in some areas it's making air travel obsolete. And the roll-out is so rapid China is soon expected to have the world's largest high speed rail network. But, as it prepares to export its trains some countries are accusing China of stealing their secrets. (report from AM 8th Jan 2010) The future of air travel - Alan Joyce part 2 Qantas CEO Alan Joyce describes some of the technologies and processes which designed to speed up air travel in the future and which will make flying long distances more comfortable. Uncovering the secrets of ageing Matthew Piper´s lab looks into the process of aging. Flies are used, being fed a food of yeast and sugar. Experiments are trying to determine why diet and reduced calorie intake extends life span. The main genetic component of life span that affects aging is control of insulin. If reduced in a specific way, life span is extended. Some animals´ lives have been extended by up to 40%. The aim is to understand the underlying process which controls ageing. Microlensing and the search for extra-solar planets Gravitational microlensing relies on 2 stars lining up. Two observatories, one in Chile and the other in New Zealand monitor 100 million stars each night. The gravity of the closer star acts as a lens and focuses the light of the distant star. This is the first step in discovering planets. A planet around the closer star will produce a defect in the image from the further star. This is the hint that a planet may be present. Astronomers get very excited as distant planets could also be the home to life. Matthew Crawford visits Auckland´s Stardome, which is part of the world-wide search for microlensing events. Oral disease studied using artificial mouth The artificial mouth comes complete with saliva. It´s a tissue culture technique with distinct breath smells. It also comes with defined plaques, as occur in each of us. Allowing plaque to grow on teeth can lead to many health problems in addition to tooth decay. Sara Filoche is investigating the range of bacteria found in people´s plaque and how they respond to treatment. David Attenborough - Ancient and gigantic eggs David Attenborough describes the giant birds which are thought to have laid the biggest eggs ever known.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2010/01/ssw_20100123.mp3