Could wildfires be depleting the ozone all over again? Staff Writer Paul Voosen talks with host Sarah Crespi about the evidence from the Polarstern research ship for wildfire smoke lofting itself high into the stratosphere, and how it can affect the ozone layer once it gets there.
Next, we talk ticks—the ones that bite, take blood, and can leave you with a nasty infection. Andaleeb Sajid, a staff scientist at the National Cancer Institute, joins Sarah to talk about her Science Translational Medicine paper describing an mRNA vaccine intended to reduce the length of tick bites to before the pests can transmit diseases to a host.
A.M. Edition for Nov. 19. The U.S. House is set to approve Democrats’ $2 trillion social spending and climate bill.
WSJ’s John McCormick explains how President Biden’s spending plans stack up in comparison to the two Democratic presidents who had the biggest social agendas of the past century and whether they will be just as transformational. Peter Granitz hosts.
Can UK prime minister Boris Johnson survive accusations of corruption and sleaze? Also in the programme: India’s fight against deadly pollution in Delhi and the week’s film-industry news.
Spineless sea squirts shed light on vertebrate evolution, and an iodine-fuelled engine powering a satellite in space.
In this episode:
00:45 A story of sea squirts, ancient vertebrates and missing genes
When a PhD student set out to study the developmental pathways of a strange sea creature, he hoped to shed light on the origins of vertebrate animals. Instead, researchers found themselves investigating a strange case of missing genes. We hear why gene loss could be a more significant factor in evolutionary processes than was previously thought.
In space, many satellites use xenon-fuelled ‘electric propulsion systems’ to maneuver. However, xenon is rare and requires high-pressure storage systems, so researchers have been working to develop alternative fuels. This week, a team publish details of the first in-space test of an iodine-powered electric propulsion system, which they say has many advantages over xenon systems.
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, issues aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, and what the discovery of a theorised mineral reveals about processes deep within the Earth.
Europe once had an enviable international rail network—one it must revive if the bloc is to meet its climate targets. And the costly and sometimes dangerous lengths South Koreans are going to for flattering photographs.
Poland calls on Nato for help with the migrant crisis on its border with Belarus, and Austria locks down for the unvaccinated. Plus: the latest fashion and retail news, and the American Song Contest.
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the consequences of Russia’s new era of repression, why too many are still denied the right to die assisted dying (09:19) and why Turkey is deporting refugees for eating bananas (17:09).
Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, and panellists Juliet Linley and Christoph Lenz discuss the weekend’s biggest news. Plus: we check in with our friends and correspondents in London and Ljubljana.
Georgina Godwin sets the tone for the weekend. Stephen Dalziel goes through the day’s papers, Monocle’s editor in chief Andrew Tuck is back with his weekend column, and Andrew Mueller recaps what we learned this week.
The James Webb Space Telescope was first conceived in the late 1980s. Now, more than 30 years later, it’s finally set to launch in December.
After such a long a road, anticipation over what the telescope will contribute to astronomy is intense. Daniel Clery, a staff writer for Science, joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about what took so long and what we can expect after launch.
You might have heard that Greenland sharks may live up to 400 years. But did you know that some Pacific rockfish can live to be more than 100? That’s true, even though other rockfish species only live about 10 years. Why such a range in life span? Greg Owens, assistant professor of biology at the University of Victoria, discusses his work looking for genes linked with longer life spans.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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