The African Union urges action on instability and condemns coups on the continent
Focus on Africa - How relevant is the African Union?
The African Union urges action on instability and condemns coups on the continent
CrowdScience - What time was the first clock set to?
When the first person set the very first clock, how did they know what time to set it to? This question, from listener Chris in the UK, sends CrowdScience off on a quest into the history of timekeeping.
From sundials to water clocks, from uneven hours to precision seconds determined by the vibration of an atom, we examine how we came to measure time. We visit possibly the oldest working mechanical clock in the world to discover how its time was originally set; and hear how the time we go by today is not quite the same as it was in the past.
Will all this be enough to solve Chris' question, or has he stumped the team?
Featuring:
Ian Westworth, Clock Mechanic Dr. Chad Orzel, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Union College Anna Rolls, Curator of Clocks, Clockmakers’ Museum Peter, Guide, Salisbury Cathedral Dr. Jun Ye, Physicist at NIST (National Institutes of Standards and Technology) and The University of Colorado, Boulder.
Presenter: Caroline Steel Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Editor: Cathy Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris Studio Manager: Jackie Margerum
(Photo:Stopwatch on red background. Credit: Martin Poole / Getty Images).
Focus on Africa - Why does Nigeria’s electricity supply keep collapsing?
Despite being an energy-rich country, Nigeria has been experiencing widespread blackouts and power cuts. We hear from the former boss of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on what needs to be done to fix the national grid.
Also, we meet the lawyer who defies threats of violence, to defend people sentenced to death for blasphemy under Sharia law.
And what is the best way to handle cyberbullies? We hear a personal account of being abused online, and get a few tips from an anti-bullying campaigner.
Focus on Africa - Why does Nigeria’s electricity supply keep collapsing?
Despite being an energy-rich country, Nigeria has been experiencing widespread blackouts and power cuts. We hear from the former boss of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on what needs to be done to fix the national grid.
Also, we meet the lawyer who defies threats of violence, to defend people sentenced to death for blasphemy under Sharia law.
And what is the best way to handle cyberbullies? We hear a personal account of being abused online, and get a few tips from an anti-bullying campaigner.
Science In Action - Climate scientist wins defamation case
High-profile climate scientist Michael Mann has been embroiled in a 12-year battle against conservative commentators who claimed his data was fraudulent. Last week, he was awarded $1m in a defamation lawsuit. Michael joins Science in Action to discuss the case and the impact it may have.
Also, this week, Karyn Rode from the US Geological Survey has been using cameras on collars to track polar bear movement and diet. She tells Roland how the data reveals the devastating effect of sea ice loss on the bears.
Widescale blackouts in Africa, known as loadshedding, are getting worse. Chemist and winner of The Royal Society Rising Star Africa Prize 2023, Wade Peterson, has an innovative chemical solution to the problem.
And using a forest to detect the most violent astrophysical sources in our universe? Physicist Steven Prohira thinks it’s possible.
Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Ella Hubber Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
(Image: Dr. Michael E. Mann is seen outside of the H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse on February 5, 2024 in Washington, DC. Credit: Pete Kiehart for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Focus on Africa - Racheal Kundananji: What does the Zambia footballer’s transfer record fee mean?
Racheal Kundananji becomes the most expensive women's footballer after a record transfer fee of $860,000 is paid. Will this pave the way for better pay for women football players?
With successful hosting of the recently ended AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast, we explore how sport can be an effective tool in peace building.
And why is there an initiative to stop the illicit trade in tobacco around the world?
Unexpected Elements - Not so random acts of kindness
Ahead of international Random Acts of Kindness Day, Marnie Chesterton and an invited panel look at some of the science behind nature’s better nature.
Are mother spiders in Africa behind the ultimate act of kindness? How are lightning and lava lamps involved in the quest for a truly random number? And the engineer trying to bring more compassion to the machines we use every day.
We also hear about the technology helping archaeologists discover lost worlds in South America, the maths that might benefit your love life, and Marnie receives her very own random act of kindness - a surprise trip to a lab to meet some of the most extraordinary creatures on the planet.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Camilla Mota Producer: Dan Welsh, with Tom Bonnett, Katie Tomsett and Alex Mansfield
Focus on Africa - What will it take to stop Senegal’s election protests?
Senegal’s President Macky Sall is coming under increasing pressure from West African leaders and the international community to reverse a decision to postpone the presidential election. He is accused of putting the country’s democratic path on to “a dead end”.
We find out why some asthma inhalers are environmentally unfriendly.
And what was reggae icon Bob Marley really like? We hear from the veteran Zimbabwean broadcaster John Matinde, who hung out with him during the country's independence celebrations in 1980.
Focus on Africa - What is behind the latest resurgence of fighting in Eastern DR Congo?
There has been a resurgence of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo involving rebels from the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 movement. Thousands of civilians have fled the violence. What is behind this latest escalation and what do the rebels want?
Nurses and midwives in Nigeria protest new rules for verifying their qualifications to foreign nursing boards.
Why are cases of prostate cancer increasing in South Africa ?