Main content

Artificial reefs; Scanning beehives; Ape feet; NMR

Prof Alice Roberts explores the research that is transforming our world, including the science of artificial reefs and why our feet are more ape-like than we thought.

Prof Alice Roberts goes Inside Science this week to discuss the science behind artificial reefs. The 70 concrete blocks around Gibraltar are currently causing a diplomatic controversy as the Spanish government claim they restrict commercial fishing. We look at how artificial reefs are made and what effect they have on the marine environment.

Bees have faced multiple dangers in recent years, from pesticides to parasites. Reporter Roland Pease visits a team at the University of Bath who are putting beehives into a CAT scanner to discover whether they can help breed bees that are more resistant to disease.

Humans are special; our uniquely evolved feet testify to that, allowing us to walk upright. At least, that's what anatomy students have been taught for the past 70 years. Research published his week by a team at the University of Liverpool shows that our feet are much more ape-like than we thought. And some of us may have more 'apey' feet than others.

Finally, this week Prof Andrea Sella from University College London shows us his instrument - an NMR spectrometer. This magnetic beast determines not only the chemical composition of molecules, but also their 3D structure.

Available now

30 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Thu 22 Aug 2013 16:30
  • Thu 22 Aug 2013 21:00

Explore further with The Open University

麻豆社 Inside Science is produced in partnership with The Open University.

Podcast