BBC Inside Science

Coronavirus update, Typhoid Mary and 200th anniversary of the first sighting of Antarctica


Listen Later

With the recent coronavirus outbreak spreading around the world, and concerns about people being infectious before they exhibit any symptoms. Professor of Virology at Nottingham University Jonathan Ball explains infection rates, quarantines and why he's worried about it spreading to the developing world.

'Alice in Typhoidland' is a new exhibition in Oxford recording how that city dealt with typhoid. It’s called that after one of its 19th century residents, Alice Liddell (the girl after whom Alice in Wonderland was named). Her father Henry Liddell was the Dean of Christchurch College and together with his friend Henry Ackland was instrumental in closing off Oxford's open sewers and thereby combating some of the causes of the disease. The exhibition also explores the fate of Typhoid Mary – one of the most famous asymptomatic disease carriers in history.

Exactly 200 years ago, 30th January 1820, at 3:30 local time, the continent of Antarctica was spotted for the first time by a British expedition captained by Edward Bransfield, on the Merchant Ship The Williams. But they weren’t the very first: 3 days earlier - on 27 January - a Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev spotted what is now known as the Fimbul Ice Shelf. The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust is spearheading celebrations. Camilla Nichol is its CEO and she describes the history of the icy continent and how it's become the protected scientific reserve it is now.

Producer - Fiona Roberts

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

BBC Inside ScienceBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

283 ratings


More shows like BBC Inside Science

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,722 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

530 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

884 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,044 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

290 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,462 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

727 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,930 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

617 Listeners

Health Check by BBC World Service

Health Check

93 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

960 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

418 Listeners

Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

Inside Health

84 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

832 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

247 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

351 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

351 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

478 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

371 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

227 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

324 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,189 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

111 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

64 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

822 Listeners

Dua Lipa: At Your Service by BBC Sounds

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

999 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

492 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

612 Listeners

Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

115 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

288 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

273 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

64 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

81 Listeners

Havana Helmet Club by BBC Sounds

Havana Helmet Club

3 Listeners