 |
|
|
|
|
PROGRAMME INFO |
|
|
|
|
|
Leading Edge brings you the latest news from the world of science. Geoff Watts celebrates discoveries as soon as they're being talked about - on the internet, in coffee rooms and bars; often before they're published in journals. And he gets to grips with not just the science, but with the controversies and conversation that surround it.
radioscience@bbc.co.uk |
|
|
|
|
LISTEN AGAIN 30 min |
|
|
|
|
PRESENTER |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
"If what interests you are new and exciting ideas, it's science you should be turning to. And whether it's the Human Genome Project or the origins of the Universe, Leading Edge is the place to hear about them."
Geoff Watts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROGRAMME DETAILS |
|
|
|
 |
|
A day at the races
Leading Edge goes to the races this week. How do trainers know which of their horses has the potential to be a winner? 97 per cent of racehorses in training lose money for their owners. So now studs have turned to geneticists to help them. They are obtaining genetic profiles of their racehorses to increase the chances of producing winning foals. Using a combination of traditional pedigree analysis and DNA analysis it is becoming possible to find out which distance a horse is most suited to. We hear from the trainers who traditionally use their experience to pick winners and from the scientists who have the latest DNA technology to hand. How will the two cultures get on?
Human ancestors
A newly discovered, million year old skull from Ethiopia of the probable ancestor of modern humans, Homo erectus, looks more like specimens previously discovered in Asia than other African finds. Does that imply two-way migration out of and back into Africa or were our ancestors more of a mixed bunch than we thought?
Carnivores under threat
And how can we tell if a species of carnivore is under threat? The answer is: if there is less than 100 times its body mass of prey species to support each individual. According to the latest research, it's a ratio that seems to hold true from the smallest weasel to the biggest bear.
|
|
|
RELATED LINKS
|
|
|
|
|
