You are a star. Literally.
You are a carbon-based life form and those atoms of carbon in the molecules that make up your cells were formed by a nuclear fusion reaction at the heart of long dead stars. That goes for the oxygen in your lungs too. And the red blood cells that carry that oxygen to your tissues? They contain haemoglobin, and nestled at the hear ... Show More
Jul 4
Can we harness solar energy from other stars?
Listener Dickson Mukisa from Uganda has been gazing up at the stars. But he’s not making wishes. He wants to know whether we can harness their energy, in the same way we do with our OWN star – the sun. After all, they may seem small and twinkly to us, but each one is a gigantic f ... Show More
26m 28s
Mar 2022
Comment calculer l'âge d'une étoile ?
La durée de vie d'une étoile peut nous renseigner sur sa composition et sur l'existence éventuelle de la vie dans le cosmos. mais, en dehors du Soleil, il est assez difficile de déterminer l'âge d'une étoile.
L'importance de la masse
En évaluant, grâce à la radioactivité, l'âge d ... Show More
1m 58s
Dec 2021
The Big Bang: started from inflation, now we’re here
For tens of thousands of years, humans have pondered eternal questions like “How does our world even exist?” and “Where did we come from?” Now, more than ever, scientists are finding answers within the Big Bang theory. About 13.8 billion years ago, in a fraction of a fraction of ... Show More
33m 1s
Oct 2019
S1E2 - Episode #2 - Oxygen
This week Fergus, Carys and Joe discuss oxygen, the third most abundant element in the universe by mass. Listen to find out about oxygen bars, fire and the ozone layer! Plus a look at science "In The News", the return of "Science Fact or Science Fiction?" and a new game called "S ... Show More
28m 20s
Nov 2021
Fusion: Can we recreate the renewable power of stars down on Earth?
The process that powers our sun was still a mystery about 100 years ago. Bit by bit, scientists have worked out that the fusion of hydrogen at a star’s core can generate enough power to keep it shining for billions of years. Now, armed with this knowledge, researchers around the ... Show More
27m 2s