The Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela is currently underway in India. As part of the event, millions of pilgrims will take a cleansing dip in the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
Inspired by this headline, we splash into a whole bathtub of stories about the science of cleaning.
We find out why it’s so important to prevent contamination of other planets and moons, and how space scientists keep things clean.
Next up, we discover how our brains clear out harmful toxins while we snooze.
And is there any truth in the saying, ‘tidy house, tidy mind’?
Finally, Marnie ponders whether it’s possible to be too clean, or if being a bit grubby is okay.
Presenters: Marnie Chesterton, with Affelia Wibisono and Andrada Fiscutean
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Dan Welsh, William Hornbrook and Imaan Moin
Thirty per cent of the Arctic is switching from carbon sink to carbon source. But could future fertilizer be made deep underground using less resources? Also, how and perhaps why globally 2024 had the highest number of fatal landslides in over 20 years, and an unexpected sound from space prompts a re-evaluation of how the earth’s magnetic field interacts with the environment around it.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Alex Mansfield
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
Nigeria's telecoms regulator has approved a tariff hike by operators-customers are groaning.
A year after ground-breaking malaria vaccination campaigns were launched in Africa-we assess the progress.
And why is Benin granting citizenship to descendants of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade?
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Blessing Aderogba. Yvette Twagiramariya and Blessing Hassan
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Can Mozambique’s newly sworn in President Daniel Chapo and the main opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, put their differences aside for the benefit of the country’s future?
The United Nations estimates that more than 50m children globally do not have birth certificates – and most of those children live in Africa. Why does having a birth certificate matter?
And a special memorial has been unveiled in South Africa to remember the black soldiers who took part in the first World War.
Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Alfonso Daniels, Nyasha Michelle and Victor Sylver in London. Frenny Jowi was in Nairobi
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Nigeria approves Shell's watershed exit from oil-rich Niger Delta-but activists are not pleased.
Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan receives an early nomination for being the ruling party's presidential candidate.
And why are some African countries moving towards banning wigs in court?
Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Bella Hassan and Sunita Nahar in London, Charles Gitonga in Nairobi and Blessing Aderogba in Lagos
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Technical Producer: Francesca Dunne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
We find out about the extreme weather events that are happening around the world. We speak to experts from the weather, climate, tech, and disinformation teams to ask how we can better predict and possibly prevent them.
Image: A table and chair burns as a home catches fire from the Palisades wildfire in Pacific Palisades, California, USA, 7 January 2025 (Credit: Alison Dinner/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
We assess President Trump's promises on his first day back in office and what it means for the rest of the world. Also: who will govern Gaza after ceasefire and first study into how weight loss drugs affect the body.
Why has the case against the Kenyan police officers allegedly involved in the death of six-month old Samantha Pendo been delayed yet again? Seven years on, her parents are still seeking justice after a court hearing into the case was adjourned for the third time.
What happens to stolen funds and assets when they are recovered and repatriated to the country where they were taken from?
And as President Trump begins his second term in office, will he make it a mission to end wars in Africa?
Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Stephania Okereke, Nyasha Michelle and Kaine Pieri in London. Charles Gitonga was in Nairobi
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Technical Producer: Francesca Dunne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
Carbon footprints are a measure of how much we each contribute to the greenhouse gases that warm the Earth’s atmosphere. The global average of carbon dioxide emissions is nearly 5 tonnes per person per year, although it can be triple that in certain countries.
But one CrowdScience listener in Ghana is wondering about the bigger picture. After all, humans aren’t the only species on this planet. So which other animal has the biggest carbon footprint?
CrowdScience presenters Caroline Steel and Marnie Chesterton are on the case, examining and arguing over the animal that deserves the top spot for this title.
Caroline, a vegan, points to the cow as the top contender, since the livestock sector produces 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, and cows, whether as meat or dairy animals, are responsible for the majority of that. The team look at initiatives around the world to be more efficient with each animal out there. But maybe it’s time to put another sector in the spotlight? Pets. We love our dogs and cats but do their meat-based diets win them a place on the podium?
From most loved to most detested, we look at the role that key pests play in upsetting the carbon budget. Could a small beetle with a large appetite for greenery be an unusual winner, thanks to the trees these pests destroy over their lifetimes?
Is the biggest offender a carbon footprint, hoofprint, pawprint, or clawprint?
Presenters: Caroline Steel and Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Marnie Chesterton
Editor: Cathy Edwards
Production co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano
Technical producers: Sarah Hockley and Donald MacDonald
