Answers to Your Science Questions

We’ve been rummaging through the Inside Science mailbox to pick out a selection of the intriguing science questions you’ve been sending in, and assembled an expert panel to try to answer them. Marnie Chesterton is joined by Penny Sarchet, managing editor of New Scientist, Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, and Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland and Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh, to get to the bottom of your scientific mysteries.Why is the moon sterile when the earth is so full of life? Are new organisms going to evolve to eat microplastics? And did Nikola Tesla really find a way of creating free electricity?Listen in as we try to uncover the answers.Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Dan Welsh & Debbie Kilbride Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

The World Health Organisation has agreed a treaty looking at tackling the issue of future pandemics. It’s hoped it will help to avoid some of the disorganisation and competition for resources like vaccines and personal protective equipment that were seen during the Covid-19 outbreak. Victoria Gill speaks to global health journalist Andrew Green from the World Health Assembly in Geneva to ask if this will help to make the world a safer, fairer place.Marnie Chesterton visits Kew Gardens in London to speak to some of the artists and scientists behind a new installation that’s digitally recreated one of the site’s most famous trees.As it’s announced the iconic American children’s TV programme Sesame Street is moving to Netflix, Victoria speaks to the programme’s scientific advisor and Associate Professor of Elementary and Environmental Education at the University of Rhode Island, Sara Sweetman, about exactly how the likes of Elmo, Big Bird and the Cookie Monster go about informing young people about science.And Caroline Steel joins Victoria in the studio to look through the most fascinating highlights from the world’s scientific discoveries this week. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Clare Salisbury, Jonathan Blackwell, Dan Welsh Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

40 years ago scientists in Antarctica discovered a hole in the Ozone layer. The world acted quickly, phasing out harmful CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons. Evidence suggests the hole has been getting smaller. But in 2025, there are new pollutants threatening to slow progress. Eloise Marais is Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality at University College London and tells Victoria Gill about her work monitoring the impact of space travel on the Ozone layer.It's the first day of the traditional ‘bathing season’ when wild swim spots are regularly tested throughout the UK summer. Victoria asks Professor of Environmental Microbiology and Health at Lancaster University, Roger Pickup to break down the science behind our water quality classifications. And May also means wildflowers. Dr Sarah Scott is pollinator ecologist and toxicologist at Cambridge university. She has a warning that planted in the wrong place, wildflowers could be harming bumble bees.Gareth Mitchell, broadcaster and lecturer in science communication at Imperial College London is in the Inside Science studio to bring Victoria new scientific findings which will shape our future.Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

It’s often said we know more about the surface of the Moon than we do about the Earth’s deep sea, and a new study is backing that up. Research from the Ocean Discovery League says just 0.001% of the world’s deep seafloor has ever been seen by humans.We speak to lead author and deep sea explorer Dr Katy Croff Bell and marine biologist Dr Anna Gebruk from the University of Edinburgh, to ask whether we should be making more effort to investigate our oceans.As events take place to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, presenter Victoria Gill also speaks to Professor David Edgerton from King’s College London to discuss what impact the Second World War had on scientific research and innovation.We’re also joined by Penny Sarchet, managing editor at New Scientist, to look through some of the top science stories you might have missed this week. And as David Attenborough celebrates his 99th birthday with the release of his latest film Ocean, we take a trip through the archives to hear some of his finest moments from more than 70 years of broadcasting.Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Severe power cuts hit Spain, Portugal and parts of France this week, cutting the lights and stopping flights, trains, and ATM machines in their tracks. The Spanish grid operator has said it’s ruled out a cyber-attack, but the reason behind what happened is still unclear. We speak to Keith Bell, Professor of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, and David Brayshaw, Professor of Climate Science and Energy Meteorology at the University of Reading, to ask whether the UK’s power supply could be just as vulnerable to a major blackout.Presenter Victoria Gill hears about how cyborg cockroaches are being developed to try to help at disaster scenes. We’re also joined by science journalist Caroline Steel to discuss the week’s standout science news. And we find out how a critically endangered salamander, the axolotl, could hold the biological key to repairing damaged spinal cords.Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh and Gerry Holt Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Progress has been made in our search for alien life. So announced a team of scientists from Cambridge university last week who, using a powerful space telescope, have detected molecules which on Earth are only produced by simple organisms. All in all, it’s been a busy week for space science. And all against a backdrop of a US government request to cut NASA’s funding. The proposals would need to be approved by the Senate before any cuts are made. But scientists and journalists are asking what it could mean for the future of space science around the world. Science journalist Jonathan Amos and space researcher Dr Simeon Barber discuss.Professor of Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Richard Binzel updates the programme on plans to learn from an asteroid called Apophis, due to fly past us in four years time. Back on Earth, or rather in it, Victoria Gill gets up close to Roman remains which show that gladiators once fought lions. And Tim O’Brien, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Manchester joins Victoria Gill in the studio to discuss the week’s other science news. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Clare Salisbury, Jonathan Blackwell, Debbie Kilbride Editor: Colin Paterson Production Co-ordinator: Josie Hardy

We’ve thrown open the airwaves to you. Marnie Chesterton puts your science questions to Penny Sarchet, Managing editor of New Scientist, Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London and Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland and Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh. So, if you’ve ever wondered why planets are round… or what geese are saying to each other as they fly in groups through the sky, listen in for the latest science and some educated hypothesising. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Dan Welsh & Debbie Kilbride Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

In the past few days, UK firefighters have been tackling wildfires across the UK. As global temperatures rise, fires are likely to increase in strength and number. We hear from Rory Hadden, Professor of Fire Science at the University of Edinburgh, and Aidan McGivern, meteorologist and weather presenter from the Met Office.Presenter Marnie Chesterton has been behind the scenes at Cambridge’s Natural History Museum with Assistant Director of the University Museum of Zoology Jack Ashby.Also, the woman who came third in the Brighton marathon in the middle of her hen weekend. We hear from Dr. Ann-Kathrin Stock, neuroscientist at Dresden University Clinics and member of the international Alcohol Hangover Research Group about the science behind hangovers and why it might not be such a good idea to run a marathon whilst hungover.And science journalist Caroline Steel has been scouring the science journals.Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Why does the UK, an island shaped by its strong tides, still not have any major tidal energy schemes? Plans for tidal barrages in the UK seem to be regularly discussed but never come to fruition, but now a new report has suggested that a tidal lagoon should be created in the Severn Estuary to generate electricity. Guest presenter Tom Whipple speaks to Chair of the Severn Estuary Commission, Dr Andrew Garrad, about whether this will finally be the moment for tidal power that we’ve been waiting for. Also, earth scientists around the world are trying to understand why the 7.7 magnitude earthquake which struck Myanmar last weekend was just so devastating. Dr Ian Watkinson, structural geologist at Royal Holloway university, tells us about a theory that a seismic event called a ‘supershear earthquake’ took place. And a new bat is causing controversy in the baseball world! The ‘Torpedo Bat’, engineered by an MIT physicist, has helped the New York Yankees crush records in Major League Baseball. Steve Haake, Professor of Sports Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University explains why this bat has helped hitters hit so many home runs. Science journalist Caroline Steel drops in with her picks of the week’s news, including a new blood test for Alzheimer's disease, a potential new super collider and a new way to identify which bees are most hygienic. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Clare Salisbury, Dan Welsh, Jonathan Blackwell Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

For the last week or so, the world of physics has had just one conversation.Have we found a new way of understanding the universe? And if so, what does this mean for our understanding of how we all came to exist – and even our fate? These big questions were prompted by new data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument team at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. To explain what was found, whether it’s right and just how excited we should be, we’re joined by astrophysics professor Catherine Heymans and cosmologist Andrew Pontzen. Also this week, what became of the Winchcombe meteorite? We attempt to explain some seriously advanced maths in less than two minutes, and Penny Sarchet from the New Scientist brings us her picks of the week’s science news. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Gerry Holt, Ella Hubber & Sophie Ormiston Reporter: Gareth Mitchell Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth