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Coronavirus-free science, the impact of lockdown on climate change and the odds of both life and intelligent life existing.

Marnie Chesterton brings us the coronavirus-free science stories that we might’ve missed while the pandemic has dominated the headlines.

In response to listeners who have expressed coronavirus fatigue in recent weeks, Marnie Chesterton brings us up to date on some of the best and brightest breaking science we might have missed, with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s Non-Covid-19 Science Correspondent Jonathan Amos.

Inching back to pandemic news, Marnie investigates the fallout of the lockdown from a climate perspective. In many countries, citizens have been asked to stay at home and not to travel unless it’s strictly necessary. As a result, the hubbub of normal life has slowed to a trickle. What impact has this had on levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? Corinne Le Quéré, the Royal Society Professor of Climate Change Science at the University of East Anglia, explains just how dramatically these emissions have been affected around the world.

And the chances that intelligent life exists on other planets. David Kipping, Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University in the US, has calculated the odds of both life and intelligent life existing if he were to re-run earth’s history.

Presenter - Marnie Chesterton
Producer - Beth Eastwood

Available now

28 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Thu 21 May 2020 16:30
  • Thu 21 May 2020 21:00

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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Inside Science is produced in partnership with The Open University.

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