28 min listen
mRNA vaccinations; bacterial space miners; Artemis accords
mRNA vaccinations; bacterial space miners; Artemis accords
ratings:
Length:
36 minutes
Released:
Nov 12, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Scientists this week announced hopeful results in two of the big COVID-19 vaccination trials. Trudie Lang, Professor of Global Health at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, describes some of the methodology used, what the efficacy statistic means, and how the novel approach of inserting mRNA rather than deactivated virus parts, is so exciting.
Prof Charles Cockell has been investigating how bacteria might be grown in space on lumps of asteroid to extract precious minerals, and as Kim McAllister reports, his lab is itself in orbit.
And it is just a few weeks since the UK, and several other countries, signed up to a set of bilateral agreements with the US called the Artemis Accords. These are an attempt to update previous outer space treaties on how countries - and indeed companies - might mine and use resources in space, given that no-one can currently legally claim sovereignty. As Dr Thomas Cheney of the Open University and Prof Jill Stuart of the LSE describe, the Accords have been greeted in certain quarters with some discord.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton
Produced by Alex Mansfield
Made in collaboration with The Open University.
Prof Charles Cockell has been investigating how bacteria might be grown in space on lumps of asteroid to extract precious minerals, and as Kim McAllister reports, his lab is itself in orbit.
And it is just a few weeks since the UK, and several other countries, signed up to a set of bilateral agreements with the US called the Artemis Accords. These are an attempt to update previous outer space treaties on how countries - and indeed companies - might mine and use resources in space, given that no-one can currently legally claim sovereignty. As Dr Thomas Cheney of the Open University and Prof Jill Stuart of the LSE describe, the Accords have been greeted in certain quarters with some discord.
Presented by Marnie Chesterton
Produced by Alex Mansfield
Made in collaboration with The Open University.
Released:
Nov 12, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Lab-grown leather; Goal line technology; Bacteria outrage; Marine buoy: New goal line technology kicks in this month - Adam Rutherford looks at how Hawk-Eye works by BBC Inside Science