Unexpected Elements

Ebola drug offers hope for Covid-19


Listen Later

Remdesivir a drug eventually rejected as a treatment for Ebola seems to have aided recovery in a trial with more than a thousand Covid -19 patients. Researchers are cautious but hopeful; a leading health official in the US has made comparisons with the impact of game changing drugs used to treat HIV.

In contrast an organisation researching the mechanisms by which bat coronaviruses infect humans has had its funding cut following criticism from President Trump.

A scheme to help manufacture ventilators and protective equipment worldwide has seen some success with a simple ventilator they developed, now in use in hospitals.

And we look at climate change –with this year set for extreme weather

What’s the importance of zero, and how was it discovered? How do scientists calculate Pi’s infinite digits? Why do so many people find maths difficult – and what’s the most difficult thing in maths?

CrowdScience takes on a whole bunch of questions sent in by high school students in Spain. Like many children all over the world, their school is currently closed due to the coronavirus lockdown, but lessons continue at home. So how are their studies going, and can CrowdScience help out?

We attempt to answer some of their trickiest maths questions with the help of mathematics whizz Katie Steckles, Pi aficionado Matt Parker, and mathematical biologist Kit Yates.

Image Credit: Getty Images

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

Unexpected ElementsBy BBC World Service

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

336 ratings


More shows like Unexpected Elements

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,639 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

876 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,046 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,520 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,799 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

720 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,763 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,049 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,920 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

599 Listeners

Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

Nature Podcast

766 Listeners

Health Check by BBC World Service

Health Check

90 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

965 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

407 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

410 Listeners

Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

Science Magazine Podcast

821 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

757 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

217 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

331 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

476 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,177 Listeners

The Missing Cryptoqueen by BBC Sounds

The Missing Cryptoqueen

1,003 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

720 Listeners

The World, the Universe and Us by New Scientist

The World, the Universe and Us

113 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,002 Listeners