Technically Speaking | a science and engineering discussion

Why have scientists sent moss into space?

Researchers were surprised to find that moss spores germinated after nine months hanging out on the outside of the International Space Station. Ellie and Laura dive into their research and go beyond it to look at why some things survive in space, the benefits of doing this sort of research and what it might mean for a more resilient ecosystem here on Earth.

Fact check:

• News about the space moss
• More news
• The original research article on the space moss
• The basics about radiation in space
• Tardigrades can survive some types of UV radiation
• How tardigrades have a genetic response to repair radiation damage
• The BBC Future article Laura mentions about various experiments on tardigrades

What if all chemicals had been tested for safety from the start?

Different nations have different approaches to testing and using chemicals to see how they can cause diseases. Antonia, Laura and Jasmin look at how chemicals are tested for toxicity, how harmful substances are controlled, and whether dose limits are important. They look at asbestos, radioactive substances, and more.

Fact check:

• Manufactured chemicals have led to an increase in childhood disease and shouldn’t automatically be presumed safe
• Safety data sheets for waterproofing spray and household bleach
• A history of bioaccumulation of mercury in fish
• News about banning and restricting sales of fish in some nations in relation to wastewater discharge from the Fukushima-Daichii site
• Statistics on global deaths per year due to asbestos exposure
• Statistics on deaths in the UK from asbestos exposure

What is agrovoltaics?

And is it a good idea? Laura, Jasmin and Antonia look at various scientific studies on growing crops and raising livestock in fields of solar panels to see what the effects are. They also look at some solar farms that are used in arid regions and the benefits they can have for crops and the environment.

Fact check:

• The random broccoli study
• A study of crop growing in arid regions
• One of the review articles/papers
• The other review article, this one on small ruminants
• The study that reported an improvement in the quality of sheep’s wool

What is aging?

And can we learn to live longer? Ellie, Jasmin and Emma discuss telomeres that form the ends of DNA strands, the long-lived members of the animal world, supplements and products to fight the signs of aging, and even the idea of living forever.

How is the safety of drugs determined?

It takes a long time for medicines to be developed. Looking at drugs used in women's health and more, Laura and Ellie look at what goes into their development, how the risks are weighed against the benefits, and how the known benefits of a drug can change as we learn more about them.

Fact check:

• A review of paracetamol/Tylenol development
• Statistics on drug development
• How much paracetamol is consumed in the UK in a year
• Thalidomide is still in use, but not for treating morning sickness
• Quinine for leg cramps should maybe be a last resort
• Statistics on use of the contraceptive pill
• Side effects of the contraceptive pill

How does cloning improve diversity?

Saving endangered species is vital for a healthy planet and cloning individual animals can help. Ellie and Laura look at the black-footed ferret, discuss some other endangered species that cloning is helping to save, and look at the history and challenges of cloning.

Fact check:

• Cloning the black-footed ferret
• Prairie dogs
• A history of cloning
• Controversy around claims of human cloning
• Dolly the sheep
• Endangered wild sheep in the Mediterranean

What would we do with infinite research funding?

When you care about sustainability, you can bet that becomes your focus. Laura and Antonia look at how to solve climate change through social engineering and behavioural science that involves brain chemistry as well as solving the problem of having finite resources that create inequality.

Fact check:

• MRI scans can lead to better understanding of the brain
• One gene variation can affect serotonin signalling in the brain

Can we get smarter when it comes to constructing buildings?

We’re using more energy and in the UK a lot of this goes into heating or cooling our homes but can we use natural processes to make this happen? Laura, Rwayda and Antonia discuss how using traditional clay in the Caribbean keeps houses cool while a smart architect in India has used fundamental physics to achieve the same feat. In the UK, passive houses with thick insulation are a thing but could we use these smart ideas to work with natural processes, rather than against them?

Fact check:

• Building houses out of clay in the Caribbean
• The science behind why clay is cooler than concrete
• Using thermodynamics and natural wind direction to keep a house in India cool
• What makes a passive house

Are the seasons changing?

In the UK it feels like winters are getting warmer but the entire year is usually rainy. We remember things being a bit different when we were younger. Laura, Antonia and Ellie discuss evidence for changing of the seasons and look at the effect this has globally on extreme events such as wildfires, animal migration and plant growth. They also look at some research that identified new seasons and suggests humans should change their relationship with them.

Fact check:

• Seasons on a social level
• Summers getting hotter in the northern hemisphere
• Wildfire season in California is almost all year round
• New record high temperature in continental Europe
• There is less difference between UK summers and winters now compared to the 1700s
• Mouse-ear cress could be better adapted to warmer winters than we thought
• Some crops need a cold spell
• Some species of wales are altering their migration patterns
• Trees lose their leaves because falling temperatures halt chlorophyll production

Why is a novel type of fertility treatment in the news?

A special type of in-vitro fertilisation, that uses material from three people, has made some interesting headlines recently. Laura and Ellie discuss the technique and consider some of the major advancements that went into in-vitro fertilisation, also known as creating test-tube babies, and uncover some surprising facts. Did you know that research began in the 19th century? 

Fact check:

• Recent news coverage with what we think is a sensible headline
• News on the first baby born using the three-parent technique
• What mitochondria do
• The role of mitochondria during fertilisation
• Some scientific background on eggs and the role of the cytoplasm
• More information on the cytoplasm
• The history of IVF
• A journal publication summarising some of the advancements in IVF
• Some more history of IVF
• A blog about safety and ethics
• Even more history of IVF
• News on the latest research using IVF to save an extinct species