Kat Arney
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Award-winning Storyteller of Science. PhD. Founder & Chief Creative Officer @firstcreateme Views mine. Over here: bsky.app/profile/katarney.bsky.social
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Articles by Kat Arney
Marijuana: Risk or Remedy?
One in three people is affect by heart disease. A new development in nanotech could help prevent the build up of blockages in the blood. PlayFull TranscriptDownload One person in every three is affected by heart disease and strokes, which are caused by our arteries becoming clogged with deposits of cholesterol. This builds up inside cells called macrophages that accumulate in the walls of damaged blood vessels.
The Secret World of Shipping
Scientists from the Univeristy of Edinburgh think that testosterone may be behind the higher instances of heart attacks in men. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Heart disease affects one in three deaths worldwide. It's caused when arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed and stiffened and men seem to be particularly vulnerable to this.
Black holes: the inside story...
Could ultrasound be causing some people to suffer? PlayFull TranscriptDownload Ultrasound is any noise with a pitch higher than 20 kiloHertz - that's 20,000 waves per second. These sounds are beyond the normal hearing range of humans, but despite being silent, exposure to it has been linked to symptoms such as nausea, headaches and fatigue in a small percentage of people. And now a review published this week is calling for measures to limit people's exposure to the sounds.
Winds, Wings, Whale Fins and Wind Power
Researchers funded by the US National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have discovered that a short training course can help to cut the rate of stillbirths by... PlayFull TranscriptDownload Sometimes lifesaving research doesn't have to involve complicated or expensive technology - it just needs a little thought, according to new research in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.
Parasites, Hookworms and Allergies
Scientists in America have found that people are more willing to eat stale food if it's served to them in a big bucket. The study discovered that if people were given large buckets of popcorn at the cinema, they ate 45 per cent more than people given stale popcorn in a normal size bucket. They also tested normal tasty popcorn, and found that people eating out of large buckets ate even more. So if you give someone food in a big serving, they'll eat it even if it tastes bad.
Stem Cells, Brain Repair and Tricks of Light
Podcasts The Naked Scientists Stem Cells, Brain Repair and Tricks of Light Presented by Chris Smith, Kat Arney. Stretching our grey matter this week is developmental biologist Dr Adrian Pini, who describes how our brain grows, how our brain works, and how it can become damaged, and Dr Huseyin Mehmet, who discusses the potential application of stem cells in repairing central nervous system damage.
Social Insects, Biting Bugs and a Potted History of Honey
In a move that could signal an end to bad backs, writing in last week's edition of Nature a team of Australian scientists led by the Queensland researcher Dr Chris Elvin have successfully copied the insect gene that enables the wings of a bee to flap at least 500 million times during its life, and has catapulted "frog hoppers" into the Guinness Book of Records as the world's greatest jumpers. Resilin is essentially Nature's elastic band.
Plant Science, Composting and Mosquito Repellents
Space missions are fraught with potential disasters. In 2004, the Genesis mission crashed back down to earth, raising fears that its cargo of precious particles captured from the solar wind had been lost. And we all remember what happened to the Beagle mission to Mars. So hundreds of space scientists were understandably nervous as their latest baby, the comet-chasing Stardust capsule, came hurtling back to earth at 29,000 miles per hour on Sunday morning.
The Science of Farming
Cancer is a disease caused by gene faults and increasingly, researchers are working out how to use these faults to our advantage to fight the disease... PlayFull TranscriptDownload Cancer is a disease caused by gene faults - both inherited from our parents and picked up during our lifetime as our DNA gets damaged. And increasingly, researchers are working out how to use these faults to our advantage to fight the disease.
What shape web does a spider spin in space?
PlayFull TranscriptDownload Chris - Ooh! That's a hard one. Dave, what do you think? Dave - I don't know. Chris - In space, there is microgravity. Dave - There's almost no gravity. There's nothing to get the spider to align itself but I don't know whether a spider is aligning to gravity or whether it's doing it visually. Chris - Kat, your perspective? Kat - I reckon, it might struggle, because they kind of fling themselves around to make their webs, so I think it might struggle with that.
Neuroimaging
If you can get auditory and visual hallucinations, can you get ones that make you believe you can smell or touch things? We put this question to Professor Paul Fletcher... Paul - You certainly can - you can get hallucinations in any sensory modality. You can get hallucinations of taste, smell, touch, as well as visual and auditory.
The Secrets of Sleep
12 years after it went missing on Mars, the Beagle 2 probe has been found unharmed... PlayFull TranscriptDownload 12 years after it vanished without trace during its descent to the surface of Mars, the Beagle 2 lander has been found! The probe was presumed to have crashed and been destroyed, but high-resolution images from a NASA orbiter have revealed that it did make it to the surface of the planet, after all.
Gone Viral: Germs under surveillance
A research team from Thailand have developed a DNA-based vaccine to treat dust mite allergies. PlayFull TranscriptDownload It's the dream of many allergy sufferers to have some kind of jab that would vaccinate them against the misery of their reactions.
Transport of Tomorrow
Favipiravir - a trial drug currently being tested against Ebola and influenza - has successfully treated norovirus infection in mice. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Known as the winter vomiting bug, many of us may be familiar with this pesky pathogen that leads to millions of people being locked to lavatory seats for longer than they'd like every year.
Does a Frozen Body Shatter?
Podcasts The Naked Scientists Does a Frozen Body Shatter? Can a frozen body be shattered with a hammer, how can speedbumps diagnose appendictis and why are reindeers' noses red? Presented by Dave Ansell, Kat Arney, Chris Smith. Can a frozen body be shattered with a hammer, how can speedbumps diagnose appendictis and why are reindeers' noses red?
Egg-cellent Easter Science
Your school textbook got it wrong, it is possible to "unboil" an egg, and the process could have big implications in medecine. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Eggs are a familiar symbol of Easter, both chocolate and boiled. Many people celebrate Easter Sunday with a boiled egg with a face on it.
Sugar Tax: Answer to Obesity?
The process of planet formation by gradual dust accumulation is well-known, but it's never been witnessed until now... PlayFull TranscriptDownload So far, scientists have logged more than 1,900 planets orbiting other stars outside our solar system. But no one has yet spotted any that are still in the process of formation. Until now that is, because researchers in the US have finally spotted just such a planet.
Outnumbered: Are your bacteria controlling you?
A new planetary system has been discovered and its enormous age makes ET's existence much more likely... PlayFull TranscriptDownload The likelihood of the existence of extraterrestrial life - aliens! - increased dramatically this week, when astronomers announced the discovery of a planetary system with 4 small rocky Earth-sized planets. Even more impressive is that they're over 11 billion years old.
Make it Digital!
What's the best way to get people into coding, and is it really that important? PlayFull TranscriptDownload Computers, mobiles phones, even calculators - none of these would be possible without coding. But what actually is coding, and is it really a problem that so few of us know how to do it? According to industry figures, over the next 5 years the UK faces a skills shortage of 1.4 million digital professionals; in other words, people trained in computer programming.
Meet the Doctors of Love!
The House of Commons voted by 382 to 128 to allow mitochondrial donation through a controversial amendment to regulations. PlayFull TranscriptDownload The UK's House of Commons voted by 382 to 128 - a majority of 254 - to allow mitochondrial donation through a controversial amendment to the 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (HFEA). The regulations will now have to be approved in the House of Lords, where they are likely to be passed. Kat Arney spoke with Fertility expert Robert Winston...
Your Smartphone: What's it Saying to Cyber-Criminals?
A self-regulating insulin molecule, that works by sensing blood sugar levels, could revolutionise type 1 diabetes treatment... PlayFull TranscriptDownload For people with type 1 diabetes, whose pancreas doesn't make enough of the glucose-regulating hormone insulin, life is dominated by pricking fingers to measure blood sugar levels, and injections of insulin.
Can toads predict earthquakes?
PlayFull TranscriptDownload Chris Smith put this to Marian Holness, geologist from the University of Cambridge... Marian - At first sight, it sounds like a really crazy question. But in fact, it's a subject of a really serious research effort particularly in China and Japan because everyone is very, very anxious to know when the next earthquake is going to go off. And so, people are exploring all avenues.
Power to your Elbow: Better Batteries
We look into why your central nervous system won't regenerate and how it might be possible to make it do so. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Simone - Well following spinal cord brain injury, nerves do not regenerate and this leads to disability which can be a really very, very severe and long lasting, potentially forever.
The Noro Show
Higher stress levels may make people more risk averse meaning that brokers take fewer risks in difficult financial situations... PlayFull TranscriptDownload This week, Cambridge scientists discovered that chronic stress makes people much less likely to take risks which could have a depressing effect on the stock market. Chris Smith was joined by John Coates from the Judge Business School to find out more... Chris - Why were you doing this? John - Well, I'm a former trader myself.
The End of Extinction?
Genes don't just control the way we look and what diseases we may develop: they also determine who we choose to make friends with... PlayFull TranscriptDownload Shared interests and hobbies might bring people together, but new research has shown that we may be picking friends with similar genes to our own.
Nanosized Science
Cells can be switched back into a stem-cell like state by giving them a brief shock with acid, Japanese scientists have shown... PlayFull TranscriptDownload Cells can be switched back into a stem-cell like state by giving them a brief shock with acid, Japanese scientists have shown. Previously, Nobel Prize-winner Shinya Yamanaka had found that adding four specific molecules to cells could reprogramme them.
Safety at 40,000 Feet
Balls of tumour tissue grown from a patient's cancer cane be used to optimise and personalise tumour treatments... PlayFull TranscriptDownload Cancer is not just one disease; there are hundreds of different types, from breast to brain and prostate to pancreatic. Making matters more complicated, it's also becoming increasingly clear that cancer is as individual as each patient and needs treating in a much more personalised way.
BOOM! The Bang behind the bomb, and how to stop it
A study on young mice suggests that antibiotic use might be making children more likely to become obese. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Millions of doses of antibiotics are administered every day, particularly to young children. While their life-saving benefits speak for themselves, could there be a downside to antibiotic exposure in early life?
The Yuck Factor: Why We Find Things So Disgusting
A new approach to combating all forms of the flu has been discovered. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Worldwide, the flu kills up to half a million people every year. One of the main ways of preventing the disease is vaccination, but because the influenza virus is constantly changing or mutating, vaccine-makers are always playing catch-up. Now scientists may have a new way to fight the flu using a treatment that can prevent infection with any strain of the virus.
Natural born cleaners
A new study has shown that women in their second trimester may be at a 40% higher risk of being involved in life-threatening car accidents PlayFull TranscriptDownload Pregnancy is one of the most exciting, but potentially also one of the most dangerous times in a woman's life. But it's not just the threat to her health that comes from the physical demands of having a baby.
Alien Hunters: The Search for ET
Some people take a week to recovery from surgery, other months. But why? And can we tell who will recover fastest? PlayFull TranscriptDownload If you or someone close to you has ever had major surgery, you will know that it's a big shock to the system and takes time to recover. But it's not the same for everyone, and while some people seem to spring back quickly, others end up exhausted and weak for a while.
Climate Change: Making Waves?
The discovery of a new species of human ancestor, called Homo naledi, has been unveiled by scientists in South Africa... PlayFull TranscriptDownload Where we came from is, arguably, one of the most important questions facing mankind; and this week the story has become even more intriguing. The well-preserved remains of 15 individuals from a new species of human ancestor, called Homo naledi, have been unveiled by scientists in South Africa.
Food Security: Insects for Dinner?
Scientists have found a way to stop autism like symptoms in newborn mice. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Children born with autism struggle with their speech and language development, and they often have social and behavioural difficulties too. Scientists don't know what causes the condition, but in some cases the problem has been traced back to infections in an affected child's mother during her pregnancy.
Caesium: The Element that Redefined Time
Scientists think this will permit the breeding of bespoke poppy varieties, including those that produce the anti- cancer compounds. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Opiates, like morphine, are some of the most powerful and effective painkilling drugs available. They're made using cultivated opium poppies, which have naturally evolved to produce these chemicals, probably as a way to fend off attacks from insects.
Mars: Are we nearly there yet?
This year's Nobelists have revolutionized the treatment of some of the world's most devastating parasitic diseases. PlayFull TranscriptDownload This year's Nobel prize for physiology or medicine have revolutionized the treatment of some of the most devastating parasitic diseases. Khalil Thirlaway is a parasitologist from Nottingham University and reports on the award-winning work...
Could you be an astronaut?
Just four microbes could be the difference between whether someone develops asthma or not. PlayFull TranscriptDownload The presence of four strains of intestinal bacteria might make the difference between a child breathing easily and developing lifelong asthma. Brett Finlay from the University of British Columbia explained his findings to Chris Smith... Brett - Really, this is the first time we can actually demonstrate certain microbes influence asthma. We did this in children.
Can you 3D-print me a new kidney?
Does fracking contaminate our water supplies? And if so, is this down to the process itself or simply poor workmanship? PlayFull TranscriptDownload Fracking is the controversial technique using high pressured water to extract natural gasses from deep below the earth's surface. Many have voiced worries that fracking can contaminate local water supplies with gasses like methane. A recent study has suggested this might not be down to fracking itself, but to poorly built wells at the sites.
Fighting Fat with Science
Cold viruses grow better in the cold, new research confirms... PlayFull TranscriptDownload It was dismissed by doctors for decades as a myth. But now, scientists have proved that the winter weather really can increase your chances of catching a cold... Yale University's Akiko Iwasaki has found that when the cells in our noses are infected with viruses, they sound a chemical alarm to help other cells to fend off infection.
Truth and Beauty: The Hidden World of Symmetry
A new cancer treatment, which uses MRI scanners to target tumours, has been unveiled... PlayFull TranscriptDownload When it comes to targeting cancer in the body, one of the biggest challenges is delivering drugs directly to tumours, killing cancer cells efficiently while avoiding damage to healthy tissue which causes side effects.
Could Earth be Knocked Out of Orbit?
PlayFull TranscriptDownload We put Paul's question to astronomer Carolin Crawford... Carolin - Well, there are a number of things you can take into account here, Paul. I mean, the first one of course is that the Earth is spinning around the sun, at about 30 km per second. And then the sun is also wheeling around the galaxy at about another 220 km per second. So, if you added all that up together over about 45 years, we reckon you've travelled at least 350 billion kilometres.
Powering up the National Grid
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus seems to be spreading from Saudi Arabia, with nearly 500 people infected so far... PlayFull TranscriptDownload The MERS-CoV coronavirus, was in the news this week after health officials issued advice to passengers when a man from Saudi Arabia was admitted to hospital in Chicago after flying through Heathrow although he's now been discbarged.
Why do Scientists say "So"?
PlayFull TranscriptDownload We put this question to Kat Arney. Kat - Technically, it's completely possible because DNA is just DNA. It doesn't matter where it's come from. In the lab, you can put jellyfish genes into mice, you can put human genes into bacteria, you can put worm genes into yeast. It's all DNA. It's all the same kind of nuts and bolts. If you put a gene in that's kind of got the right bits and bobs, it will be expressed.
Brain on fire
Eye-tracking technology can be used to influence an individual's decision-making... PlayFull TranscriptDownload Killing people is bad, right? And surely lying is wrong? We all like to think that we make good judgements based on our inner moral beliefs, and that these are strongly held and unshakeable.
Meet your Sex Hormones
The Philae lander has detected complex, organic molecules on comet 67P, four of which have never been found on comets before... PlayFull TranscriptDownload Last November scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) achieved the first ever landing of a probe on a comet when Philae touched down on the surface of 67-P Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Will Climate Change Cost the Earth?
How much of a threat is Ebola, and what can we do to stop it? We put your questions to Dr. Chris Smith. PlayFull TranscriptDownload So far at least 8000 people have been infected with Ebola, and half of those have died; it's spreading at an exponential rate and it's on the move... Ebola cases have now been confirmed in Europe and America.
Could The Internet Die?
PlayFull TranscriptDownload Kat asked Ginny Smith this weighty question... Ginny - If you think about it in terms... has anyone ever seen a dancer being lifted in the ballet or perhaps a gymnast or an acrobat? Now it might not look like the person being lifted is actually doing very much. It looks like the person doing the lifting is doing all the work but actually, that dancer or that gymnast is doing a lot.
How Old is the Average Atom?
PlayFull TranscriptDownload Kat put this question to David Rothery: Kat - This is a big one. You know, people say, "Did it really happen? What can we see?" David - Well of course, it happened. You can't see it from the Earth. There are some very nice pictures you can find on the internet if you go to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter website. But that's NASA so they're obviously part of the conspiracy. Kat - Clearly.
Conflict in Conservation
Could the forgotten vitamin K have life saving properties? PlayFull TranscriptDownload You've probably heard of vitamins A, B, C and D - but what about vitamin K? It's found in green leafy veg, vegetable oils and grains and is normally involved in blood clotting and bone health. But that's not all - researchers at the British Heart Foundation have just launched a clinical trial to find out whether this vital vitamin could have a life-saving impact on patients with chronic kidney disease.
Inside the Ebola Epidemic
European space scientists made history when they landed a probe onto the surface of a comet, but not everything went to plan. PlayFull TranscriptDownload European space scientists have made history. As part of a mission called Rosetta, they have landed a washing machine-sized probe called Philae on the surface of a comet, over 300 million miles away. This needed precision equivalent to firing a bullet from London and hitting the head of a nail in New Delhi. But not everything has gone to plan.
Can You Boost Your Memory?
If a test picks up 25% abnormal cells in a developing embryo, does that mean the baby will be abnormal? Maybe not. PlayFull TranscriptDownload Professor Magdalena Zernica-Goetz got personal with her science after a test during her pregnancy left her worried for the health of her baby. The Chorionic Villus Sampling, or CVS test is offered to pregnant women whose babies are at a high risk of having a genetic condition like Down's Syndrome.
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