95bFM: Dear Science

On this week's segment of Dear Science Frances was joined by AUT Professor Allan Blackman. They spoke about the exciting discovery of ammonia synthesis in a ball mill, one thousand year old vikings in North America and what happened in the world of synthetic fibres on October 27th in 1938…

This week on Dear Science, Frances was joined by AUT Professor Marcus Jones where they spoke about the pandemic puzzle of COVID ‘super-immunity’, the first mission to asteroids near Jupiter that might reveal solar system origins, and the question of whether we learn better reading from a screen or from paper.

As promised, here is the link to the asteroid animation for any of you curious listeners out there... science rocks! 

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02807-w

This week on Dear Science Frances Wright spoke with AUT Professor Marcus Jones about the Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine for how skin perceives heat, cold, and pressure, and in physics for work on complex systems. They also talk about the the highly topical COVID vaccine and its Delta variant effectiveness.

This week on Dear Science Frances Wright spoke with AUT Professor Allan Blackman about infectious music, a cautionary tale from the Soviet Era’s deadliest scientist and the incredible story of American astronomer Carolyn Shoemaker. 

This week on Dear Science, Frances Wright was joined by AUT Professor Marcus Jones, talking about zero-COVID countries, amateur astronauts in space and protein synthesis anti-aging research.

On this week's Dear Science, Frances Wright was joined by AUT Professor Allan Blackman. They began by talking about the serious but hilarious Ig Nobel Prizes and then moved onto research on toilet training cows from the University of Auckland. They finished up by talking about the food scientists who have found the key to perfectly smooth chocolate. 

This week on Dear Science, Frances Wright talked to AUT Professor Marcus Jones about US President Biden's COVID origins report, how arctic warming links to cold winters and about the Mars rover ‘Perseverance’ collecting its first rock sample to bring back to earth.

On Dear Science this week Frances Wright talked with AUT Professor Allan Blackman, celebrating the life of Ernest Rutherford the week after what would have been his 150th birthday, discussing why Pluto is no longer considered a planet and the unlikely discovery of the world’s northernmost island.

This week on Dear Science, Frances was joined by AUT professor Marcus Jones where they talked about the effectiveness of COVID vaccines against Delta, massive volcanoes cooling the earth, and the genetic pattern which offers clues to the evolution of homosexuality.

This week on Dear Science, Frances speaks with AUT professor Allan Blackman about a new analysis of a scurvy study that is leading to updates on vitamin C needs, critics who say a childhood asthma study unethically withheld care from its participants, and a new laser-powered nuclear fusion effort which neared ignition.