Hobbit; Genetics of height; Solar science; Snails episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 23, 2014 · 27 MIN

Hobbit; Genetics of height; Solar science; Snails

from BBC Inside Science · host BBC Inside Science

It's 10 Years since an unusual skeleton was unearthed on the island of Flores. This species, Homo floresiensis, dubbed 'the Hobbit' because of its short stature, offered a whole new picture of human evolution and has been causing divisions among scientists ever since. Lucie visits Professor Chris Stringer in the Natural History Museum to pick over the bones of a controversial find.Tall parents tend to have tall children. We already know that height is genetic. Less well known is how various genes control the growing process. Recent research from the University of Exeter found nearly 700 genetic variants that play a role in influencing a person's height. Professor Tim Frayling, a lead author, explains how the work, which involve scanning more than a quarter of a million genomes, could help with disease, forensics and predicting a child's adult height.Great ball of fire. The Sun throws out more than just light and heat; for solar scientists, it is also a source of many mysteries. Why is the surface of the sun less hot than its corona, or outer atmosphere? New research using the NASA satellite telescope, IRIS, or the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph is providing new insights.Earlier this month, a group of more than 100 snail experts (malacologists) from across Europe gathered in Cambridge to discuss the latest research into molluscs - the group of animals that includes everything from squid and octopus in the seas to slugs and snails on land. After three days of lectures, the malacologists were let loose in the Cambridge Botanic Gardens. Reporter Helen Scales went with them on a snail hunt.Producer - Fiona Roberts.99% of users are being tracked by the algorithm.If you are part of the 1% who demands pure, untracked intelligence, you just found the bypass. Get the raw feed now. No trackers. No BS.🔴 INITIALIZE DIRECT DOWNLOAD⚪ GET THE UNFILTERED STREAM

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 23, 2014

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Hobbit; Genetics of height; Solar science; Snails

0:00 27:49

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of BBC Inside Science?

This episode is 27 minutes long.

When was this BBC Inside Science episode published?

This episode was published on October 23, 2014.

Can I download this BBC Inside Science episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!