New research shows that mobile phones may not be as beneficial to displaced people as previously thought. Women are being exploited by their employers. What do you know about Slaughterbots? Have you discovered The Future of Life Institute? Read on and watch the AI video Slaughterbots If Human Kill. Now Available OnDemand This programme is available…
CRISPR is the latest and most powerful technique for changing the genetic code of living things. Update: In the decade since the genome editing capabilities of CRISPR Cas9 emerged, research into novel medicines has boomed – but alongside progress comes new ethical considerations. Listen to the latest on Science in Action. This method of gene…
Professor Matthew Cobb looks at how genetic engineering became a big business – from the first biotech company that produced human insulin in modified bacteria in the late 1970s to the companies like Monsanto, which developed and then commercialised the first GM crops in the 1990s. This programme is available NOW on Demand on the BBC…
Dreams and Nightmares this week on Discovery as biologist Matthew Cobb presents the first episode in a series which looks at the 50-year history of genetic engineering, from the concerns around the first attempts at combining the DNA of one organism with the genes of another in 1971 to today’s gene-editing technique known as CRISPR….
The political message from the COP 26 meeting was a fudge over coal, but what does the science say? Surprisingly India seems to be on track to switch away from coal to renewables. This week’s show is available to hear On Demand now, and on-air Sunday 21 st November at 9:00 AM BBC Science in Action. We…
Learn about Loy Krathong If you’ll be in Thailand this November there’s one festival you shouldn’t miss. Loy Krathong – the festival of lights – is held every year in Thailand, along with parts of Laos and Myanmar. Next to the new year festival of Song Kran, it’s one of the most well-known Thai festivals….
TikTok School challenge It’s November so school children in the US are being encouraged to “Kiss your friend’s girlfriend at school”. In September the TikTok school challenge suggested they “Vandalize the restroom”. These are just two of the examples that schools in the US have been dealing with following a call on TikTok to pupils….
Geoengineering is already underway from Australia to the Arctic as scientists try to save places threatened by global heating. It’s time for a global conversation about how we research these powerful techniques, with agreements on how and where to deploy them. This week’s show is available to hear On Demand now, and on-air Sunday 15 th…
Jet and ship fuel alternatives. Scientists in Switzerland have developed a system that uses solar energy to extract gases such as hydrogen and carbon dioxide from the air and turn them into fuels for transport. So far they have only made small quantities in experimental reactors, however, they say with the right investment their alternatives…
This week Ed Sheeran new album was released and currently, it is outselling the rest of the Top 25 combined. We catch up with Ed for a chat about his new collection of songs. This is my favourite album I’ve made, I’m so proud of it. Thank you to all the wonderful people who worked…
Even with the best efforts, it will be decades before we see any change in global temperatures through our mitigation efforts. Given the pace of global heating and the time lag, scientists are exploring additional ways of reducing global temperature before our emissions reductions have any impact. Gaia Vince explores ways of actively removing carbon…
The Lockdown Sessions is the Elton John new album into the album charts at Number 1. For his new album, Elton John has returned to his roots and become a session musician again. For his latest collection of songs, he has teamed up with a whole host of singers and producers to come up with…
A question this week on Health Check, Should we mix and match Covid vaccines. New evidence from Sweden and France on the benefits of mixing and matching doses of different types of Covid vaccine. The impact misinformation around treating Covid with Ivermectin is having on the Neglected Tropical diseases where the drug is known to…
This week on Digital Planet we are looking at Online safety as a former Facebook employee and whistleblower, Frances Haugen, was speaking to the committee that’s discussing the UK’s draft online safety bill. Legislation that will tackle harmful content online. Canada is working on similar legislation. But there are questions over policing the new laws…
Every album that Coldplay have released has reached number one in the UK. Their latest, Music Of The Spheres, looks very likely to continue that unstoppable run. We catch up with the group to hear more about it. Newcomer Joy Crookes has also just released her first album. We find out more about her and…
Great news, A New Covid vaccine from Valneva produces a stronger immune response when compared to AstraZeneca. The French company reports, with no severe cases of Covid-19 seen in either group. And new positive research on lateral flow tests. Plus guest Graham Easton discusses the urgent need for teaching climate and environmental health in medical…
Over the last 2 weeks, we have featured the 15 finalists in the Earthshot prize, an initiative to highlight and award projects designed to conserve and sustain natural environments and improve our lives in ways that are sensitive to issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Here we discuss this year’s winning projects and…
Thailand is expected to enter the ‘cold’ season at the end of October and the periods of chilly weather will last longer, 5 to 7 days at a time instead of just 3 or 5 days as in previous years, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. The first week of winter in Phuket has been…
Henrietta Lacks died in 1951 from virulent cervical cancer. A sample of those cancer cells was taken at the time and the way they behave has changed medical science forever – contributing to everything from the polio vaccine to drugs for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Updated 16th February 2022: Henrietta Lacks Virginia home was demolished…
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2021, is also named The Nine Emperor Gods Festival, is an annual event held on the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar to celebrate the Chinese community’s belief in getting good health and peace of mind. The community believes that abstaining from meat and other negative stimulants is the driving…
Just how do we tackle our energy crisis and balance the growing demand for electricity worldwide with the need to reduce fossil fuel emissions to address climate change? In our second programme on the Earthshot prize Chhavi Sachdev looks at some of the solutions. From projects looking at providing green hydrogen to industry worldwide and…
Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri are set to race with special liveries on what should have been Honda’s home race weekend. At this weekend’s Formula One Turkish Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri will race with unique liveries to celebrate the teams’ race-winning alliance with power-unit supplier Honda and to give the…
Digital in India as this decade’s Indian national census will be the first to be carried out digitally. However, COVID-related delays have slowed progress and there are growing concerns about its accuracy. Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Bhaskar Chakravorti explains how data will be collected and why the census is likely to…
While international meetings to discuss climate change and policies that affect the world can seem rather distant to us as individuals, on a local level there are many exciting and creative initiatives all over the world where people are developing practical solutions to the environmental problems they see. The Earthshot prize highlights many of these…
Thailand is home to many incredible destinations, here we are looking into 5 Things to Do in Phuket on a Sunny Day. Nothing can compare with the beauty of Phuket. Tropical beaches line the island’s shores, while lush jungles cover its mountainous regions. The island is also dotted with Buddhist temples and shrines rich in…
Public Service Broadcasting are not your usual band. Since their debut, they have released a number of albums tackling subjects like Irish shipbuilding, Welsh coal mining and space transmissions. They are back with a new album, Bright Magic, focusing on Germany. This week they tell us all about it. You can see their Facebook and…
Since their discovery in the 1970s, artemisinin-based drugs have become the mainstay of treatment for malaria caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. Researchers have identified artemisinin-resistant malaria parasites in Southeast Asia since the early 2000s, but now, there is evidence of resistance in Rwanda and Uganda. Dr Betty Balikagala of Juntendo University tells us how…
Join Mark Stanley on Sunday at 8 pm when he lines up a very special Soundtraxx Private Reserve for the start of October. Welcome to a Special Reserve Soundtraxx from our good friend Mark Stanley who presents Soundtraxx every Sunday here on Phuket FM Radio 91.5 FM and 102.5 FM and is available on-demand and…
October in Phuket is trailing towards the end of the rainy season. It is still, however, considered a relatively wet month following the monsoonal rains in September. The last rains of the season, combined with low season prices make October a great time to visit Phuket. As do the fewer crowds and lower airfares. See…
Covid 19 researchers studying bats in Northern Laos have found evidence that brings us closer than ever to understanding the origin of Sars-Covid-19. Since the beginning of the coronavirus, pandemic scientists have tried to pinpoint the exact origin of SARS-CoV-2. But recent evidence from the Institut Pasteur has identified several novel coronaviruses with similarities to…
Arctic AI Have you checked the ice-cap forecast? Melting sea ice might be a well-known symptom of global warming, but how do scientists predict how quickly ice will recede? Press PLAY and listen to this week’s show Can AI predict Arctic ice loss? A new Artificial Intelligence tool does a better job than traditional prediction…
President Xi Jinping is taking a Great Science Leap for China and investing seriously in his strategic vision of turning China into a nation of scientific pace-setters. China’s past contributions to modern science have been proportionally lacklustre, but with a reinvigorated focus over the past two decades, China is fast turning from imitator to innovator….
Robert Yancy Cause of Death: How Did Natalie Cole’s Son Die? Updated 13th September 2021. Yancy’s aunt, Timolin Cole Augustus said: “It appears to be a sudden heart attack.” A drummer, he frequently toured with his mother. He also performed at his mother’s funeral in January 2016. At the time of his death, he was working…