31 min

Drilling into the past Science In Action

    • Science

Molecular biologist Prof Jason Chin tells us about his research into accelerated evolution and how it could help create new substances to be used in medicine, chemistry and more.
In South America, palaeogeneticist Dr Verena Schuenemann has been extracting genetic material from human remains to find out more about treponemal diseases, which include syphilis, yaws and bejel.
And moving across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, volcanologist Professor Timothy Druitt has discovered new evidence of a massive volcano that erupted beneath the sea near Santorini around 500,000 years ago.
Staying in the Mediterranean, we speak to Professor Rachel Flecker, co-chief scientist on Expedition 401 of the International Ocean Discovery Program. She and her team are drilling down into the seabed to establish how the Gibraltar Strait has altered over time. As well as influencing the Mediterranean's salinity, this changing movement of water has impacted the entire planet's oceans and climate.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image Credit: Thomas Ronge)

Molecular biologist Prof Jason Chin tells us about his research into accelerated evolution and how it could help create new substances to be used in medicine, chemistry and more.
In South America, palaeogeneticist Dr Verena Schuenemann has been extracting genetic material from human remains to find out more about treponemal diseases, which include syphilis, yaws and bejel.
And moving across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, volcanologist Professor Timothy Druitt has discovered new evidence of a massive volcano that erupted beneath the sea near Santorini around 500,000 years ago.
Staying in the Mediterranean, we speak to Professor Rachel Flecker, co-chief scientist on Expedition 401 of the International Ocean Discovery Program. She and her team are drilling down into the seabed to establish how the Gibraltar Strait has altered over time. As well as influencing the Mediterranean's salinity, this changing movement of water has impacted the entire planet's oceans and climate.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image Credit: Thomas Ronge)

31 min

Top Podcasts In Science

Hidden Brain
Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
Something You Should Know
Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media | Cumulus Podcast Network
Radiolab
WNYC Studios
Making Sense with Sam Harris
Sam Harris
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward
StarTalk Radio
Neil deGrasse Tyson

More by BBC

Global News Podcast
BBC World Service
6 Minute English
BBC Radio
In Our Time
BBC Radio 4
You're Dead to Me
BBC Radio 4
Newshour
BBC World Service
Learning English Conversations
BBC Radio