CrowdScience listener Alix has a burning question - what’s actually happening inside the flames of a campfire to make it glow? And why do some materials burn easily, while others refuse to light at all?
To find out, Alex Lathbridge travels to the Fire Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh to (safely) set various things ablaze. He learns about the f ... Show More
Aug 15
How long does light last?
When listener Rob from Devon, UK, heard of a newly detected planet light years away, he was struck by the sheer scale the light must travel to reach us here on Earth. It got him wondering: How long does light last? What’s the oldest light we’ve ever observed? And does light ever ... Show More
26m 29s
Aug 8
Can we stop the rain?
CrowdScience listener Rit, from Pune in India, is staring out of his window at the falling rain. It’s been pouring for four days now, and shows no sign of stopping. The laundry is piling up, all his shoes are wet, and he’s worried about the effect it’s having on the environment, ... Show More
32m 21s
Aug 2020
What IS fire? (and what happened in Beirut?)
#056Seriously. What is fire? This week Melissa and Jam hop out of the frying pan. What are those warm orange wisps? We all sort of know what fire is but also, do we? It's hot, it can be good, it can be bad. But why does it look like that? And what really IS it? Let's try to find ... Show More
25m 33s
Feb 2022
Reforming the 'China Initiative'
A scheme in the US designed to prevent industrial espionage and the theft of intellectual property, is to be refocused after it was accused of unfairly targeting Chinese American scientists. We speak to Gang Chen, a professor from MIT who was falsely accused of financial crimes, ... Show More
58m 21s