BBC Inside Science

Geneticist Professor Robert Green debates FDA's stance on personal genetics kits. Imperial College researches persister cells causing recurrent infections. University of Aberdeen maps global earthquake hazards. Scorpion venom evolution discussed.

Scientists following in the footsteps of Edwardian explorer, Douglas Mawson, have been trapped in pack ice in the Antarctic. The Chinese vessel that came to their rescue also became "beset" in the ice. The BBC's Andrew Luck Baker talks to Adam Rutherford about the catacylsmic event that caused multi-year ice to break away and trap the Academik Shokalskiy and Professor John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey underlines the importance of differentiating between extreme weather events and the impact of climate change.A team at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire has succeeded in genetically engineering plant seeds to contain the Omega-3 oil usually found in oily fish. Seeds from Camelina sativa (false flax) plants were modified using genes from microalgae - the primary organisms that produce these beneficial fatty acids.The oil has now been incorporated into salmon feed to assess whether it's a viable alternative to wild fish oil. Dr Johnathan Napier tells Melissa Hogenboom that he hopes the plants will provide a sustainable source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.From fossils we know an awful lot about the animals that walked on the Earth, swam in the sea and flew in the air. But fossils have never been good at revealing the colour of these animals. With increasingly sophisticated sampling techniques however, scientists are starting to get a much better, technicolour glimpse into these extinct fauna. And it turns out that colour played a much more important role than just camouflage and decoration. Johan Lindgren form Lund University in Sweden has been finding out how the pigment, melanin, allowed ancient marine reptiles to travel all over the oceanic globe.Show Us Your Instrument: Dr Andrew Polaszek, Head of Terrestrial Invertebrates at the Natural History Museum reveals his compound microscope (with Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast) which he uses to discover "hidden biodiversity", particularly in parasitoid wasps.Stephen Hawking threw a party for time travellers and issued the invitation after the event. Astrophysicists after a long poker game decided to use Twitter instead, to flush out the time travellers in our midst. Professor Robert Nemiroff from Michigan Tech University and his students mined social media for references to the Comet ISON and the naming of the new Pope Francis, before both those events had actually happened. Producer: Fiona Hill.

Chris Stringer, Director of AHOB, along with other experts, discuss the ancient human occupation of Britain. They delve into the oldest human life in Britain found in Norfolk, exotic animals unearthed in London, and the significance of the 'Vole Clock' in dating. The podcast also explores advancements in carbon dating and the insights gained from mammal fossils in understanding ancient climates.

Professor Alice Roberts discusses bacteriophages as a potential weapon against antibiotic-resistant infections. Paul Hebert leads the global DNA barcoding project. Bees are attracted to flowers by electric fields. Claire Turner demonstrates disease detection through breath analysis.

Antibacterial soaps and body washes make up an industry worth millions of pounds, but in the USA, producers have been told that they have just over a year to prove their products are safe, or, re-label or reformulate them. Many believe that using antimicrobial soaps, which often include the chemicals triclosan or triclocarban, keeps you clean and reduces the chance of getting ill or passing on germs to others. But the Food and Drug Administration in the USA says it's the job of manufacturers to demonstrate the benefits, to balance any potential risks. Professor Jodi Lindsay, expert in microbial pathogenesis from St Georges, University of London, tells Dr Adam Rutherford where this leaves British and European consumers.The world's most powerful satellite camera was launched today into space. Its mission, to map the billion stars in our galaxy. Professor Gerry Gilmore, Principal Investigator for GAIA, tells Inside Science about the planned "walk through the Milky Way" and BBC Science Correspondent, Jonathan Amos, spells out how GAIA could help detect future asteroids, like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs on earth.Just after the Second World War in a site in North Yorkshire, the discovery of a flint blade triggered the discovery of one of the world's most important Mesolithic or Stone Age sites. What makes Star Carr so special is that organic artefacts, bone harpoons, deer headdresses and even homesteads, were preserved in the peat 11000 years ago. But these precious artefacts are in trouble. Changing acidic conditions are turning the Mesolithic remains to jelly. Sue Nelson reports from the Vale of Pickering on how archaeologists are working with chemists to try to pinpoint exactly why the Stone Age remains are deteriorating so quickly.And Professor Chris Turney talks to Adam from his research ship in Commonwealth Bay in the Antarctic, where he is leading a team of scientists to recreate the journey made by Douglas Mawson, 100 years ago, on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.Producer: Fiona Hill.

Food crime and food safety, NanoSims instrument in space research, deep subsurface bacteria survival, importance of crystallography in scientific discoveries

Professor Roland Kao from the University of Glasgow discusses scientific options to tackle bovine tuberculosis, including field trials for a cattle vaccine. The podcast also explores Douglas Mawson's Antarctic expedition and the linguistic trend of 'Uptalk'. Additionally, it delves into the environmental impacts of plastic fragments and their effects on wildlife.

Dr Jerry Nolan discusses the controversy around therapeutic hypothermia for cardiac arrest patients. The European Space Agency's GAIA mission and its billion-pixel camera are explained. Methane emissions and their impact on climate change are explored. The significance of wine microbiota in winemaking is highlighted.

Dawn Balmer shares insights from the Bird Atlas project, with 40,000 volunteers documenting 502 bird species in the UK and Ireland. Flywheels designed for F1 cars now store wind farm energy in Kent. Science literacy for MPs is crucial, citing Fred Sanger's contributions to DNA sequencing.

Global experts in DNA identification assist in identifying victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. A new weather radar for volcanic ash is tested off the Bay of Biscay. Dr. Glenn Gibson showcases his Robo gut, a model of the human large intestine. Research on red squirrel populations and disease impact shows potential for immunity to squirrel pox virus.