Gold, storms and dinosaurs - Planet Earth Podcast - 10.09.03

Gold, storms and dinosaurs - Planet Earth Podcast - 10.09.03

Author: Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) September 3, 2010 Duration: 47:00
In this week's podcast, Richard Hollingham strikes gold - literally - while Sue Nelson finds out why weather forecasters still struggle to predict sudden, violent summer storms. We'll also be hearing why scientists may be a step closer to getting rid of the American mink from the Outer Hebrides and how to run away from a Tyrannosaurus rex. Banks may have collapsed, shares plummeted and currencies faltered over the last couple of years, but if you put your money in gold, you could have made a tidy profit - the metal recently reached its highest value ever. Great news if there's a gold mine nearby, which funnily enough isn't as unlikely as you might think. As well as going gold-panning, Richard visits Northern Ireland's only gold mine and finds out why there's such a market for Northern Irish gold. Also, Sue Nelson meets cloud expert Dr Andrew Russell from the University of Manchester. Andy talks about the work he's doing to make forecasting storms easier. Finally, find out what scientists are doing to understand why some Antarctic penguin colonies are growing, while others are declining.

Produced by the Natural Environment Research Council, Planet Earth brings the latest environmental science out of the lab and into your ears. This isn't a series of dry lectures, but a collection of conversations that dig into the pressing questions about our world. You'll hear directly from the researchers on the front lines, those who are tracking climate patterns, studying fragile ecosystems, and developing new medical insights inspired by the natural world. Each episode feels like a field trip, offering a clear and engaging look at how science interprets the complex systems of our home planet. The discussions often reveal surprising connections between disciplines, showing how earth science and human health are deeply intertwined. Tune in for thoughtful explorations that make sense of everything from vast geological processes to the microscopic life in a single drop of water. For anyone curious about the forces shaping our environment and our future, this podcast provides essential and grounded perspective.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 81

Planet Earth
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Tidal energy, turtle mating habits - Planet Earth Podcast - 13.03.12 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:53
This week in the Planet Earth Podcast: a look at the potential to generate up to 20 per cent of the UK's electricity from tidal energy; and why understanding the nuts and bolts of turtles' sex lives could help protect th…