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LEADING EDGE
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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.
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LISTEN AGAIN Ìý30 min |
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"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 |
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Night Flights Worse for Global Warming
Aviation is the fastest growing contributor to global warming.
It is not just carbon dioxide from the jet engines which is the problem. The water vapour that also comes out often forms persistent condensation trails, or contrails, which trap the Earth's heat.
New research from the University of Reading suggests that night-time contrails have much more of a warming effect than daytime ones. Does this mean we should stop flying at night?Ìý
Race of the Clones
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Idaho Gem and Idaho Star are twin brothers and rivals. They are also the world's first cloned mules.
They have recently raced against each other and other regular competition mules in Winnemucca, Nevada.
Being genetically identical duplicates, would it beÌýa dead heat between the two? And would being clones put them at a physical disadvantage against ordinary mules? Molly Bentley reports from the finishing post.
Embryonic Stem Cells for Medicine - Without Cloning
The goal of human therapeutic cloning is to produce embryonic stem cells which can then be turned into any kind of transplant tissue a patient might require.
The problem is that cloning is extremely challenging technically and, in some quarters, ethically unacceptable.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have now discovered a molecule, a protein, which plays a key role in converting adult body cells, such as those from the brain and skin, into stem cells - without the need to clone a potential patient's cells.
The research is still at early stages but suggests it might be possible in future to produce patient-matched transplant tissue on demand.
Did Modern Birds Evolve from Cretaceous Water Birds
Chinese and US scientists have discovered stunningly well preserved skeletons, webbed feet and feathers of a grebe-like water bird that dived in lakes when dinosaurs thundered across the land.
Gansus yumenensis looks very modern in its anatomy considering its great age. Its discovery supports a theory that the great diversity of modern birds today originated from ancestors specialised for an aquatic way of life. |
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