Short Science Podcast 078: Intelligence

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

Join Elizabeth Hauke and Kirsty Seager for all the very best science in brief!

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

- anti-matter trapped for the first time

- HIV infections declining

- ancient seaweed found growing in the deep sea

- diabetes provides hope for Alzheimer's

- baby black hole found

Along with studio guests Nathan Wren and Catherine Zentile, we consider just what IQ is, and how it can be measured. We also look at evidence of animal intelligence, and consider the Flynn effect.

Plus we air the second episode in our Sounds of Science feature, written and produced by Ed Prosser.

And our horticultural correspondent Austen Zingel answers another listener question.

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 077: Fish

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

This is a very special 'Take-Over' edition of Short Science. Hosted by Elizabeth Hauke, this episode is written and presented by Charlie Harvey, Tom Lewton and Jack Croxall.

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

- fish oil fails

- new fish discovered in deep ocean trench

- evolution by supernatural selection

- invisibility gene discovered

- the salmon of doubt

- unlucky pelican

- fisherman catches monster goldfish

This week, Charlie, Tom and Jack are looking at all things fishy - from the most unusual fish to monster fish. They'll also be reviewing the current situation with overfishing, and answering the question 'cod or haddock?'.

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 076: Space Travel

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

Join Elizabeth, Katie, Jan and Lizzie for all the very best science in brief!

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

- large hadron collider creates mini big bang

- raise statin doses to save lives

- sawfly moves to Scotland

- smokers cling to cigarettes in recession

- remote tribes at risk from expedition

- hospitals to trial padded floor

- UK space sector bucking recession

- electricity to the brain improves mental arithmetic

This week we're looking at space travel from space exploration for scientific purposes to space tourism and the potential effect on the environment.

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 075: Sensors, Sensing and Synaesthesia

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

Join Elizabeth, Thea and Carinne for all the very best science in brief!

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

- earth-sized planets more common than previously believed

- scientists crack common cold

- 2012 Olympic Games could miss environmental targets

- set limits for salt

- fruit flies find mates with help of love bug

- jellyfish used to diagnose cancer

- study of spiral galaxies

This week we're looking at sensing, sensors and synaesthesia. Thea kicks of the capsules this week with a look at sensors - from the human body to inside a car engine.

And in Capsule Medicine, Carinne tells us all about synaesthesia.

Plus we answer listener James' question on what happens to an email when you press 'send'.

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 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!