BBC Inside Science

European heatwave and climate change, Eugenia Cheng, Next generation batteries for electric cars, Joseph Hooker exhibition.


Listen Later

The current heat wave in Europe is proving deadly. High day and night temperatures, coupled with high humidity, can be a very dangerous combination. A new study has calculated the risk of deadly heat on a global basis, and shown that between 48% and 74% of the world's population will be subjected to life-threatening heat and humidity for at least 20 days a year. Ed Hawkins, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading, discusses the findings. Gareth also asks BBC weatherman, Darren Betts, whether the recent wave of climate trend animations, or gifs, doing the rounds on social media, are a helpful tool in communicating climate change risks.

Professor of Mathematics, Eugenia Cheng, is one of the shortlisted authors for the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2017. She talks Gareth through the inspiration for her book "Beyond Infinity: An expedition to the Outer Limits of the Mathematical Universe".

The UK Government announced last week that it was aspiring to remove all petrol and diesel vehicles from roads by 2040. Current battery technology relies on lithium-ion batteries. Are lithium, and the other metals required for batteries, sustainable for a totally electric transport system? And do they have the charge capacity to make them a reliable alternative to fossil fuels? Dr Billy Wu, of the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London, goes through the alternatives and the next generation of battery technology.

To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of Victorian Britain's most important scientists, Joseph Hooker (1817-1911), Kew Royal Botanic Gardens is holding an exhibition titled Joseph Dalton Hooker: Putting plants in their place. It's a fascinating selection of his photographs, journals and paintings. Gareth is taken on a tour by the curators - historian Professor Jim Endersby of the University of Sussex and Galleries and Exhibitions Leader at RBG Kew, Maria Devaney. They explain how as a tireless traveller and plant collector, Hooker was the founder of modern botanical classification and a close friend of Charles Darwin.

Produced by Fiona Roberts

Presented by Gareth Mitchell.

...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

7,707 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

532 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

879 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,040 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

285 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,550 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

728 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,014 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

614 Listeners

Health Check by BBC World Service

Health Check

94 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

957 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

417 Listeners

Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

Inside Health

88 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

824 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

248 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

354 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

353 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

475 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

374 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

232 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

325 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,158 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

854 Listeners

Dua Lipa: At Your Service by BBC Sounds

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

1,001 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

499 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

281 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

282 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

66 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

0 Listeners