Radio Wammo

Janine Young from New Scientist looks at research into attraction and the announcement that the US military is developing rapid fire rubber bullets.

Janine Young from New Scientist reports that Thomas Borody, a gastroenterologist at the Centre for Digestive Diseases in New South Wales and neurologist David Rosen of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney are embarking on a pilot study to test a possible link between the gut and Parkinson’s disease. Initial observations suggest Parkinson’s, diabetes and even obesity could be cured simply by replacing the bacteria in your gut.

Janine Young from New Scientist on what made science news in 2010 and what might make news next year.

Poo, excrement, faeces. It’s a taboo subject, but could it be the way to combat the deadly superbug Clostridium difficile? Janine Young from New Scientist explains. Plus we take a look at 3D TVs and Cybersickness.

Janine Young from New Scientist takes a look at how birds may have evolved from their prehistoric ancestors.

Janine Young from New Scientist reports that fossil records have shown that ancestors of the giant pandas swapped meat for bamboo between 7 and 2 million years ago. What happened so long ago to make the giant panda lose its taste for flesh?

Janine Young from New Scientist reports that Joe Henrich, Steven Heine and Ara Norenzayan from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada have concluded that psychologists’ over-dependence on WEIRD (western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic) experimental subjects has dramatically skewed our understanding of human cognition. Also we talk about the properties of Clay -- What’s stronger than steel but as light as plastic? Would you believe it if we said clay? Clay’s properties can be transformed into a material stronger than steel, maybe even Kevlar. While scientists are still a long way from being able to use this material to build cars and planes, the basics of this material have now been worked out.

Janine Young from New Scientist with the progress being made on electric flight plus livers made in the lab.

Janine Young from New Scientist reports that a team at MIT, led by engineer James Waldie, now based in Melbourne, Australia, have designed a stretchy suit that can mimic the effects of gravity on astronaut’s bones.

We’ve all heard the dangers of climate change causing oceans to rise, hurricanes and tornadoes. But what about heat stress -- when it becomes too hot and humid for humans to survive? Janine Young from New Scientist reports that Steven Sherwood at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia looked at climate change from this perspective and found some alarming results. Also the material currently used to make touchscreens is running out and the race is on to find more of it or to develop new touchscreen technology to help meet the growing demand.