Science in Action

It has been called the worst natural disaster on record by the UN. However Cyclone Idai was predicted. What were the factors which contributed to the intensity of this extreme weather event? Fossils from China – a river bed has revealed a number of ancient animals previously unknown to science. And space rocks, news from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu have thrown into question theories on how our own planet formed. We also travel to Antarctica to look at the Thwaites glacier, the state of this mass of ice is seen as a good indicator of our planets’ future climate. (Photo: The aftermath of the Cyclone Idai is pictured in Beira, Mozambique, March 17, 2019. Credit: Josh Estey/Care International via Reuters) Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Julian Siddle

Since last May the Comoros islands in the Indian Ocean have been experiencing earthquake tremors and the island of Mayotte has sunk by more than 10cm. French geologists have set up monitoring equipment on land and the seabed to try to assess the extent of the continuing seismic activity. Our diet influences our language according to a new study on the evolution of the way we bite. Softer foods, eaten more commonly as we developed cooking and agriculture meant our teeth wore in different ways and over time this has led to our ability to pronounce f and v sounds which rely on how we bring our jaws together. Climate change is having a major impact on the ability of forests to recover after forest fires. If temperatures remain high and rainfall low trees have difficulty re-establishing. Over long time periods this could change landscapes, reducing forest cover. Water on the moon, we look at why it is there and what it does. Image: A white sand island in a lagoon, Mayotte Island Credit: Getty Images

The world’s largest study of chimpanzee behaviour has come to the rather negative conclusion that interactions with humans decrease the range of chimpanzee behaviours and may interfere with the way in which chimp parents pass skills to their offspring. Chimps learn skills from swimming to digging for insects with sticks and exhibit a wide range of vocal communications. In environments where they may be living near humans such skills or behaviours are displayed less and may be replaced altogether with more human related activities such as raiding crops or rubbish dumps. And in Mozambique the civil war of the 1990s had huge implication for animals in the Gorongoza national park, eliminating many of the large predators there. A study of a small deer species in the park has shown how prey animals can change their behaviour following a decrease in predators. In this case becoming less fearful. Approaching the anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear explosion we look at the tiny particles of radioactive debris now providing clues as to what really happened. And how about making plastic from unwanted atmospheric carbon dioxide? Sounds like an amazing solution, the catch is the huge amount of energy required to make such a process work. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Julian Siddle (Photo: Chimpanzees in the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire vocalise with another party nearby. © Liran Samuni/Taï Chimpanzee Project)

By the year 2000, methane levels in the atmosphere were thought to have stabilised. But just a few years later, in 2007, these levels suddenly started to rise. Research suggests that the spread of intense farming in Africa may be involved, in particular in tropical regions, where conditions are becoming warmer and wetter because of climate change. The awe-inspiring Japanese Hayabusa 2 space mission achieved another milestone on the other side of the Sun. This remarkable craft touched down on the asteroid Ryugu, firing a bullet into the surface, and collecting samples of rock for eventual delivery to Earth. The world famous Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC has been touring an evolution roadshow around the United States. They are trying to engage the religious communities to show that the human origins narrative is not a threat to religion. What can singing mice from the depths of the Costa Rican cloud forests tell us about vocal interaction? Through these tiny mammals, with their operatic song, we are being taught about how we humans coordinate speech and how the brain accomplishes this. The goal is to design new therapeutic methods for those suffering from conditions which limit vocal interaction. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Jack Meegan (Picture: Thai swamp buffalo in peat swamp around lagoon with sunset background. Credit: Getty Images)

This week’s programme comes from the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual conference, in Washington DC. With over 9,000 attendees it’s the largest gathering of scientists in the world. We look at the issue of race and racism in science. The mapping of the human genome showed there was no significant genetic difference between people around the world. However cultural ideas with a racial dimension continue to influence the way science is taught and hence, many argue, the outcomes of scientific research. We also look at how satellite data is helping botanists map deforestation and afforestation. Using a laser device mounted on the international space station they plan to to identity the species and size of individual trees from space. We ask how near are we to getting commercially available quantum computers? And we see how virtual reality is being used in disaster management. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Julian Siddle (Photo: Biology books. Credit: Getty Images)