Unexpected Elements

The roots of Long Covid


Listen Later

There are now a number of biological indicators for the potential development of long covid. Immunologist Onur Boyman of Zurich University Hospital and Claire Steves, Clinical Senior Lecturer at King’s College London strives to tell us how pinpointing these factors is now helping in the development of strategies to predict the syndrome and prepare treatment.

The James Webb telescope has reached its final orbit. The years of planning, preparation and rehearsal seem to have paid off. The telescope is now ready to begin its mission of looking back into the early universe. BBC Science correspondent Jonathan Amos has followed the mission.

The widely held view that human development was propelled by our ancestors developing a taste for meat is being questioned by a new analysis of the fossil record. Paleoanthropologist Andrew Barr of George Washington University suggests part of the reason for this assumption is the sampling method, actively looking for evidence to support the hypothesis.

And Michael Boudoin of Lille University has led a team of physicists who have produced the longest-lasting soap bubble ever – they managed to prevent the bubble from popping for well over a year.

Also, How is a small budget pocket radio able to recreate all the atmosphere and sounds of a football match? CrowdScience listener Andy wants to know about the science enabling his radio listening, so presenter CrowdScience Geoff Marsh sets off - microphone in hand - to follow the journey of sound on the radio.

Starting with the microphone, Geoff learns how acoustic energy is converted into electrical signals. Then BBC World Service presenter Gareth takes Geoff to a little-known room in the BBC called the Radio Shack. Gareth demonstrates how these electrical signals are attached to radio waves before being sent over the airwaves and they take a radio kit apart to understand how these waves are received and converted back into sound waves.

Geoff talks to a speech and hearing specialist who, through the use of auditory illusions, shows Geoff that our brains are often filling in the gaps of lower quality audio.

Finally, Geoff visits an acoustic lab at Salford University where he hears a demonstration of ‘object based audio’. This technology could enable us to create our own bespoke mix of dramas and sports, such as heightening the commentary sound or choosing to hear just the crowd, just by using the everyday speakers many have lying around them, such as mobile phones.

(Image credit: Horacio Villalobos/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

327 ratings


More shows like Unexpected Elements

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,409 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,839 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

597 Listeners

Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

Nature Podcast

758 Listeners

Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

Science Magazine Podcast

808 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,686 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

412 Listeners

5 Live Science Podcast by BBC Radio 5 Live

5 Live Science Podcast

109 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,827 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,072 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

342 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

891 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

956 Listeners

Ask the Naked Scientists by Dr Chris Smith

Ask the Naked Scientists

76 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

964 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,930 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,065 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

710 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

245 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

404 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

820 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

474 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

740 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,969 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

112 Listeners