logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
49m 29s

Breaking, climbing, and surfing

Bbc World Service
About this episode

This week the panel take a look at their favourites of the newer Olympic sports as Paris 2024 gets underway. Surfing will happen in Tahiti this year, but could it ever be held on Titan, in orbit around Saturn? Obviously very unlikely, but not for the reasons you might expect. No vertebrate on earth can rock-climb like a gecko. Can nanomaterials come to our aid? And Amy Pope, Principal Lecturer of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University helps us understand the physics challenges the B-boys and girls are maybe subconsciously putting themselves through as Break Dancing makes its Olympic debut.

Also, climate change unearths some of our oldest fossils in Brazil, being scared of long words, and designing cities to be cooler.

Presented by Marnie Chesterton, with Philistiah Mwatee and Camilla Mota.

Produced by Alex Mansfield with Harrison Lewis, Dan Welsh and Noa Dowling.

Up next
Jul 4
Cargo ships, chemical spills and caribou
The X-Press Pearl shipping disaster takes us on a voyage through shipping-related science. First, we learn about how pollution from the X-Press Pearl explosion impacted the foundation of the marine food web – plankton. We also hear about an innovative system that can help slash t ... Show More
49m 29s
Jun 27
A roarsome episode
This week, Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae has been unveiled at London's Natural History Museum. This newly described herbivorous dinosaur has inspired us to take a stomp through the science of ancient animals, mass extinctions and fossils.First up, we hear about a shepherd who rec ... Show More
49m 29s
Jun 20
Some really cool science
This week, the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers at ice hockey’s Stanley Cup championship, which sent us skating into ice-related science.First up, we hear about an ancient ice skate that’s been unearthed in Prerov, Czech Republic, which sends us pondering about the physi ... Show More
49m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
Could humans run on water?
With the 2024 Paris Olympics just days away, sports fans are braced to see who will run, jump, row, fight and dance themselves into the history books. One of the most exciting moments will be the 100m sprint finals, when athletes compete to become the fastest man or woman on Eart ... Show More
27m 41s
Jan 2024
The Science of the South Pole
We’re on board the RSS Sir David Attenborough for the vessel’s first big science season in the Antarctic, since it launched in 2020. It’s crewed by scientists involved in Project Biopole, a 5-year mission attempting to better understand carbon cycle at the poles. Nadine Johnston, ... Show More
28m 12s
Aug 2024
Mpox crisis deepens, and liquid water on Mars
In the news, we speak to the WHO about the rise in cases of the new variant of Mpox. Also, the final piece of Stonehenge is traced back to its origin, and Nasa's InSight lander finds evidence of liquid water on Mars. Plus, how horses almost deceived scientists into believing they ... Show More
32m 23s
Jun 2024
Physics and sport: flying balls, perfecting technique, and wellbeing in academia
For sports fans, the next few weeks will bring excitement and drama. The Euro 2024 football (soccer) tournament is underway in Germany and the Copa América is about to kick off in the US. Then at the end of July, the Olympics starts in Paris as athletes from across the world comp ... Show More
52m 8s
Apr 16
The Ocean Energy Testing Barrier, Building a Fire-Resilient Home From Ashes, and a Surprise High School Science Bowl Victory
In this episode, hosts Taylor Mankle and Kerrin Jeromin explore stories of innovation and determination at NREL, including: How researchers are testing marine energy technologies in land-locked Colorado. With tools like a sophisticated wave tank and the Large Amplitude Motion Pla ... Show More
10m 29s
Aug 2024
How much of a risk is space junk?
Space junk. It might sound like an out-of-this-world problem that we don’t need to worry about here on Earth – but is it? As we send more and more metal in the form of satellites up into space, scientists are warning it is becoming more of a risk both here – and up there. We dig ... Show More
28m 14s
Feb 2024
A New Volcanic Era?
As lava consumes homes on the Reykjavik Peninsula in Iceland, evacuated communities have been witnessing eruptions shifting and intensifying. We take a look at the latest science that’s helping teams on the ground accurately predict where the danger is coming from, helping people ... Show More
27m 53s
Jun 2011
So You Want To Be An Astronaut?
Robin Ince and Brian Cox are joined by comedian Helen Keen ("It is Rocket Science") and space medicine expert Dr Kevin Fong, to discuss the future of human space travel. As NASA's space shuttle program comes to a close, what does the future hold in terms of humans bid to leave th ... Show More
28 m
Jun 2012
Oceans: The Last Great Unexplored Frontier?
Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series of the award-winning science/comedy show, as they take a witty, irreverent and unashamedly rational look at the world according to science. In today's programme they'll be looking down rather than up as they consider the great myst ... Show More
28m 6s
Oct 2024
The Life Scientific: Conny Aerts
Many of us have heard of seismology, the study of earthquakes; but what about asteroseismology, focusing on vibrations in stars?Conny Aerts is a professor of Astrophysics at the University of Leuven in Belgium - and a champion of this information-rich field of celestial research. ... Show More
26m 28s