Episode 18, 29th March 2015

The running order and show notes for episode 18 of The Wonder of Stuff...

Ross talked about Living in Space... for A Long Time:

• http://phys.org/news/2015-03-russian-american-ready-year-space.html

Richard talked about Bees and Caffeine:

• http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/item/bees-get-a-buzz-from-caffeine

John talked about the Power of Plants:

• http://www.caltech.edu/news/one-step-closer-artificial-photosynthesis-and-solar-fuels-45875

Episode 17, 22nd March 2015

Episode 17 of The Wonder of Stuff is out and this time we're doing a special on Blood.  We all have it in our bodies and we can donate it or receive it in a transfusion, but what do we really know about Blood and can we make it artificially?  Jack Williams is a Scientist specialising in Blood and helps us fill in the blanks...

Recommended viewing - The Wonderful World of Blood with Michael Mosley 

Episode 16, 15th March 2015

The running order and show notes for episode 16 of The Wonder of Stuff...

Richard talked about Memory Hacking in Mice:

• http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27115-new-memories-implanted-in-mice-while-they-sleep.html
• http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/09/rodent-recall-false-but-happy-memories-implanted-in-sleeping-mice

John talked about Feeding the Planet:

• http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/12/us-science-chicken-idUSKBN0M81UL20150312
• http://www.hamptoncreek.com
• http://impossiblefoods.com
• http://modernmeadow.com
• http://beyondmeat.com
• http://www.quorn.co.uk

Ross talked about Communication Drones:

• http://www.google.com/loon/
• http://personal.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/D.Jefferies/balloon-hap.pdf
• http://www.capanina.org/

Episode 15, 8th March 2015

The running order and show notes for episode 15 of The Wonder of Stuff...

Ross talked about Investigating Ceres;

Richard talked about Does being born in the Summer put you at a disadvantage?;

John talked about Plagarism in Open Source

- John

How when you are born influences your success

Some of the findings referenced regarding when you were born influencing your outcomes are included below (many borrowed from Malcolm Gladwell; I would highly recommend his book Outliers for more on this subject).

Wealthy folk in the United States

8.16% of U.S. births happen in June, only 6.13% of CEOs were born in that month
8.75% of the U.S. population born July,, only  5.87% of CEOs were born in July

Historians looked from Cleopatra and the Pharaohs and combed through every year in human history ever since, looking in every corner of the world for evidence of extraordinary wealth, and almost 20 percent of the names they end up with come from a single generation in a single country: of Seventy-five richest people in history, 14 are Americans born within nine years of each other in the mid 19th century.

Footballers

In professional English youth academies (aged 16-20 years) 57% of youngsters were born in September, November or December whilst only 14% celebrated their birthday in June, July or August.

In one U17 European Championship, 75% of the footballers were born in a four month window.

- Richard

Episode 14, 1st March 2015

The running order and show notes for episode 14 of The Wonder of Stuff...

Richard talked about Dangerous Drugs;

• http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/weed-is-114-times-less-deadly-than-alcohol-study-finds-10066496.html

John talked about Bletchley Park and the National Museum of Computing;

• http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk
• http://www.tnmoc.org

Ross talked about 'That Bloody Dress'

- John