Short Science Podcast 074: Magic

Welcome to the seventy-fourth episode of the Short Science Podcast!

Join Elizabeth and Paola for all the very best science in brief!

We kick off the podcast with a few prominent science news headlines from the week, including:

- global warming may have a different impact than anticipated

- contraceptive gel on the cards

- new frogs discovered

- smoking increases dementia risk

- dormant retrovirus revived

- fertility depends on blood group

- space flight threatens climate

- paternal health neglected

This week we're looking at magic. In our first capsule we consider the concept of 'magic', looking at the historical and cultural roots of magical thinking.

In Capsule Medicine, we look at illusions, using the Shepherd scale to illustrate auditory illusions.

We have our first ever 'Sounds of Science' feature this week, from writer and producer Ed Prosser. Ed reports on the use of sonification to understand some of the data coming out of the LHC at Cern.

And finally, studio guests Polly Bennett and Rosie Waldron take over our quiz this week.

To be included in the show, leave any thoughts, questions or ideas on the Short Science answerphone +44 (0)7401 856 681, or send us an email to studio@shortscience.co.uk. More details can be found on our website www.shortscience.co.uk!

Short Science Podcast 073: Left-Handedness

Welcome to the seventy-third episode of the Short Science Podcast!

Join Elizabeth and Anna for all the very best science in brief!

We kick off the podcast with a few prominent science news headlines from the week, including:

- energy secretary outlines future power plans

- nature proves balm for cancer pain

- George Mandelbrot dies

- new brain cancer drug trial

- sex, drugs and Brian Ferry

- vitamin B12 linked to Alzheimer's disease

- science spending cuts

- treating eczema may actually make it worse

This week we're looking at left-handedness, and Anna kicks us off with a capsule about being left-handed, and about the phenomenon of chirality in the chemical world.

In Capsule Medicine, Elizabeth talks about the medical condition situs inversus, where the positions of the body's organs are left-right reversed.

We hear from contributors Paola Faraca, Connor Walsh and Steve McGann about left-handedness and religion, fetal origins of handedness, Chinese culture and left handedness, and the individuality and Darwinian implications of left-handedness.

Studio guest Thomas Welch answers a question sent in by listener James F about how computer screens show different colours.

To be included in the show, leave any thoughts, questions or ideas on the Short Science answerphone +44 (0)7401 856 681, or send us an email to studio@shortscience.co.uk. More details can be found on our website www.shortscience.co.uk!

Short Science Podcast 072: Nobel Prizes

Welcome to the seventy-second episode of the Short Science Podcast!

Join Elizabeth and Pippa for all the very best science in brief!

We kick off the podcast with a few prominent science news headlines from the week, including:

- new carnivore found in Madagascar

- first official embryonic stem cell trial commences

- GM crops could help to boost non-GM harvests

- deafness allows brain to rewire

- protein cocktail could be the 'elixir' of life

- ME now contra-indicates blood donation

- Saturn's rings could have been formed by giant moon collision

- screen time impacts mental health

And we dip into the archives to see what was happening on this day in history.

We dedicate the capsules to the recently announced Nobel Prizes this week. Pippa starts off by looking at the categories of physics and chemistry, telling us about the winners and their science. Elizabeth looks at the medicine and physiology category winner.

Paola Faraca reports from Italy on the importance and relevance of the Novel Prizes in today's world.

Studio guest Ed Prosser tells us about an exciting new feature which will be coming up in future episodes of Short Science - 'The Sounds of Science'. Ed will be exploring sounds generated by scientific enterprise, and novel uses of sound in science, including the interface between science and art.

To be included in the show, leave any thoughts, questions or ideas on the Short Science answerphone +44 (0)7401 856 681, or send us an email to studio@shortscience.co.uk. More details can be found on our website www.shortscience.co.uk!

Short Science Podcast 071: Stress

Welcome to the seventy-first episode of the Short Science Podcast!

Join Elizabeth for all the very best science in brief!

We kick off the podcast with a few prominent science news headlines from the week, including:

- asteroid surrounded by cosmic trash

- Wii injuries

- human waste heating Didcot

- laptop thigh rash

- rare bumblebees return

- scratched glasses give 20-20 vision for all

- tiny tigers trump scientists

- obesity makes you fat

And we dip into the archives to see what was happening on this day in history.

We dedicate the capsules to stress this week. We look at mechanical stress in the material world, physiological stress in the body and psychological stress and how to beat it.

To be included in the show, leave any thoughts, questions or ideas on the Short Science answerphone +44 (0)7401 856 681, or send us an email to studio@shortscience.co.uk. More details can be found on our website www.shortscience.co.uk!