BBC Inside Science

A hundred thousand Britons are being asked to donate their sequenced DNA, their personal genome, to a vast database on the internet, so scientists can use the information for medical and genetic research. The Personal Genome Project-UK was launched today and participants are being warned, as part of the screening process, that their anonymity won't be guaranteed. Stephan Beck, Professor of Medical Genomics at University College London's Cancer Institute and the Director of PGP-UK, tells Dr Lucie Green that anonymised genetic databases aren't impregnable, and that it is already possible for an individual's identity to be established using jigsaw identification. This new "open access" approach, he says, will rely on altruistic early-adopters who are comfortable with having their genetic data, their medical history and their personal details freely available as a tool for research. Jane Kaye, Director of the Centre for Law, Health and Emerging Technologies at the University of Oxford, describes the rigorous selection procedure for would-be volunteers.Scientists at Queen Mary University London and Imperial have created Good Vibrations by playing pop songs to solar panels. Exposing zinc oxide PV cells to noise alongside light generated up to 50% more current than just light alone. Pop and rock music had the most effect, while classical was the least effective genre.Thanks to the Russians' enthusiasm for dash-cams in their cars, the twenty metre asteroid that came crashing into the atmosphere above the town of Chelyabinsk, East of the Urals in February this year, was the most filmed and photographed event of its kind. Mobile phones and cameras captured the meteor, moving at 19 kilometres a second (that's 60 times the speed of sound) and the enormous damage caused by the airblast. The plethora of footage allowed researchers to shed light on our understanding of asteroid impacts and in a new study, published in Nature, Professor Peter Brown from the University of Western Ontario in Canada questions whether using nuclear explosions is an appropriate way to model these airbursts and whether telescopes could underestimate the frequency of these events.Seventh November this year is the hundredth anniversary of the death of Alfred Russel Wallace. As the Natural History Museum in London unveils the first statue of him, we ask why, as co-discoverer of the theory of evolution by natural selection, Wallace doesn't share Charles Darwin's spotlight. Dr George Beccaloni, from the NHM, explains to Lucie why Wallace deserves both glory and commemoration.Producer: Fiona Hill.

Professor Sara Russell discusses the toxic nature of moon dust and how it impacted early astronauts. Sarah Noble from NASA talks about studying lunar dust for future missions. Electroceuticals in medicine and their potential for treating diseases with electrical signals. Impact of climate change on soil fertility in drylands. Dogs' tail wag direction and its influence on behavior.

Professor Sue Ion discusses the impact of a new nuclear power station on radioactive waste. Dr. Stuart Clark talks about the discovery of over one thousand exoplanets, including Earth twins. The podcast also explores the history of timekeeping at the Greenwich Observatory and the innovative use of bacteria to produce plastic in the iGEM competition.

The link between genetics and a child's academic performance hit the headlines this week when Education Secretary, Michael Gove's outgoing special advisor, Dominic Cummings, called for education policy to incorporate the science behind genes and cognitive development. Mr Cummings cited the Professor of Behavioural Genetics, Robert Plomin, as a major source, and Professor Plomin tells Dr Adam Rutherford what he thinks about the way his research has been interpreted. Steve Jones, Emeritus Professor of Genetics from University College London says why he believes genetics and education is such a controversial subject.Fifty years ago, researchers tried, and failed, to teach chimpanzees English. They concluded that chimp noises were merely basic expressions of fear or pleasure. Dr Katie Slocombe from York University has shown that chimp language is far more tactical, machiavellian even, than that.The inventor of Golden Rice, the genetically modified crop, tells Adam Rutherford that he agrees with Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, that those who attack GM crops are "wicked". Professor Ingo Potrykus from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich developed Golden Rice enriched with Vitamin A in 1999 and believes that opposition to GM foods has prevented the crop being grown and widely planted. But, nearly 80 years old, Professor Potrykus tells Inside Science that he still believes Golden Rice will be grown and eaten throughout the world during his lifetime. Rhys Phillips makes lightning at a Cardiff laboratory for this week's Show Us Your Instrument. It's used to test aeroplane parts. Less metal in an aircraft makes it lighter but too little and the lightning may damage the plane. The safest way to test is to make your own lightning, at ground level.Producer: Fiona Hill.

Experts discuss the US government shutdown's impact on science projects and the significance of Nobel Prizes. Butterfly collections reveal climate change insights, while studies debunk misleading headlines on health risks near airports.

Dr Adam Rutherford and guests discuss inducing pregnancy in post-menopausal women, evolutionary explanations for menopause, communicating uncertainty in climate change science, shale gas vs. coal emissions impact, self-sufficiency in energy systems, and the resurrection of Trenbolone as a 'Zombie Steroid' threat.

A discussion on the controversial fracking technique in the UK, addressing environmental concerns and the extraction process. Also, insights into new forensic technologies like lipstick analysis and iPhone fingerprint security. Plus, a showcase of the vital role of a snake hook in herpetology for handling snakes safely.

As Syria agrees to destroying its chemical weapon stocks, Adam Rutherford looks at how you solve a problem like Sarin. Dr Joanna Kidd from King's College London gives us a potted history of chemical weaponry. Environmental toxicologist, Prof Alastair Hay, from Leeds University has worked on chemical warfare issues for four decades. In the 1990s, he identified mustard gas and sarin residues from soil samples in Iraq, confirming their use by Saddam Hussein. He talks to Adam about the challenges of destroying chemical weapons in Syria. Reporter Roland Pease looks at a new phone app, OpenSignal, which uses your smartphone's sensors to help improve weather models. Today, London Underground workers are starting to boycott a new clock-in system, which uses their fingerprint for identification. Meanwhile, Apple fans are camping outside stores waiting to buy the new iPhone, which features a fingerprint scanner. Adam talks to Dr Farzin Deravi from the University of Kent about how fingerprint identification works and whether it can be fooled with a gummy bear. Plus he asks technology journalist Kate Bevan if we should worry about the security issues surrounding biometric passwords. Finally this week, Dr Pedro Viegas shows us his instrument - a dino drill. It's being used to uncover the Bristol dinosaur, a 210 million year old Thecodontosaurus.

Professor Fiona Watt talks about stem cell research history and future applications. Discussion on science practicals generates mixed reactions. Phantom head in dentists' training explained. Newcastle explores sewage as renewable energy source.

BBC Inside Science features BBC Tokyo correspondent Rupert discussing the Fukushima ice wall project and menu fatigue for Mars missions. Prof Neil Hyatt shares challenges of nuclear decontamination. School science practicals effectiveness is debated, and Dr. Etchells showcases an eye tracker for psychology experiments.