Unexpected Elements

Neurons that restore walking in paralysed patients


Listen Later

Researchers have identified which neurons, when electrically stimulated, can restore the ability to walk in paralysed patients. Professor Jocelyne Bloch, Associate Professor at the Université de Lausanne, tells Roland how the technology works.

Astronomers have discovered the closest black hole to Earth. Researchers led by Kareem El-Badry, astrophysicist at Harvard University, identified the celestial body when they spotted a Sun-like star orbiting a dark, dense object.

The origins of eels have been mystifying scientists for centuries. Though the Sargasso Sea has been their presumed breeding place for 100 years, there has been no direct evidence of their migration – until now. Ros Wright, Senior Fisheries Technical Specialist at the Environment Agency, shares how researchers finally pinned down these slippery creatures.

This week, a new report from the UN Environment Programme reveals that carbon dioxide emissions from building operations have reached an all-time high. Insaf Ben Othmane, architect and co-author of the report, talks through the risks and opportunities this poses for Africa and why there is still hope for the future.

After learning how long it will take the Earth's ice sheets to melt in the previous episode, we continue our journey in Greenland. As world leaders gather in Egypt for the annual UN climate conference, listener Johan isn't too optimistic about governments' ability to curb greenhouse gas emissions and get a handle on climate change. So from his coastal perch in Denmark, he's asked where we should live when the poles have melted away and coastlines creep inland.

Along with the help of BBC correspondents around the world, Marnie Chesterton scours the globe for the best option for listener Johan's new home. From high-up, cold desert regions to manmade islands, Marnie's on a mission to find a climate-proof destination. But as we hear from climate scientists, we might not be the only ones on the move, and waters aren't going to rise evenly around the world. Can Marnie find a place to go, away from the expanding seas?

(Image: Patient with complete spinal cord injury (left) and incomplete spinal cord injury (right) walking in Lausanne. Credit: Jimmy Ravier/NeuroRestore)

...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

7,878 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

853 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,075 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,580 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,800 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

752 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,752 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,037 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,958 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

602 Listeners

Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

Nature Podcast

753 Listeners

Health Check by BBC World Service

Health Check

93 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

961 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

411 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

425 Listeners

Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

Science Magazine Podcast

822 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

766 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

232 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

330 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

474 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,218 Listeners

The Missing Cryptoqueen by BBC Sounds

The Missing Cryptoqueen

1,026 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

791 Listeners

The World, the Universe and Us by New Scientist

The World, the Universe and Us

115 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,011 Listeners