Discovery

Jane Francis


Listen Later

Just twenty years ago, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) would not allow women to camp in Antarctica. In 2013, it appointed Jane Francis as its Director. Jane tells Jim Al-Khalili how an intimate understanding of petrified wood and fossilised leaves took her from Dorset’s Jurassic coast to this icy land mass. Camping on Antarctic ice is not for everyone but Jane is addicted, even if she does crave celery and occasionally wish that she could wash her hair. Fossils buried under the ice contain vital clues about ancient climates and can be used to check current computer models of climate change. The earth can withstand a great range of temperatures: Antarctica was once covered in lush forest. But the question is: can humans adapt? As the ice caps melt, sea levels will continue to rise. And, says Jane, the time to start planning for that is now.

Image: Courtesy of Jane Francis

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

DiscoveryBy BBC World Service

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

940 ratings


More shows like Discovery

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,877 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

854 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,074 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,576 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,801 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,766 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,041 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,005 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

603 Listeners

Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

Nature Podcast

753 Listeners

Health Check by BBC World Service

Health Check

93 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

407 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

426 Listeners

Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

Science Magazine Podcast

821 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

766 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

746 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

231 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

363 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

474 Listeners

People Fixing the World by BBC World Service

People Fixing the World

241 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,215 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

790 Listeners

The World, the Universe and Us by New Scientist

The World, the Universe and Us

116 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,014 Listeners