26 September 2019: Mysteries of the ancient mantle, and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Nature Podcast
podcast@nature.com
4.5 • 893 Ratings
🗓️ 25 September 2019
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, diamond-containing rocks may help uncover secrets of the Earth’s mantle, and a reflection on science since the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was published.
In this episode:
00:46 Earth’s Evolution
Explosive eruptions have allowed researchers to study Earth’s mysterious mantle.
Research Article: Woodhead et al.; News and Views: Enigmatic origin of diamond-bearing rocks revealed
06:08 Research Highlights
Supersonic cork popping, and the timing of vaccines.
Research Highlight: An uncorked champagne bottle imitates a fighter jet; Research Highlight: Why midday might be a golden hour for vaccinations
07:53 Don’t Panic
40 years since the publication of the ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ we reflect on how far science has come.
15:22 News Chat
A huge telescope with exquisite sensitivity is opening in China, and gene-editing to save bananas. News: Gigantic Chinese telescope opens to astronomers worldwide; News: CRISPR might be the banana’s only hope against a deadly fungus
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Nature |
| 0:02.0 | In an experiment, I don't know yet. |
| 0:06.0 | Why is blight so far? |
| 0:08.0 | Like, it sounds so simple. |
| 0:09.0 | They had no idea. |
| 0:11.0 | But now the data's... |
| 0:12.0 | I find this not only refreshing, but at some level astounding. |
| 0:20.0 | Nature. Welcome back to the nature only nature. |
| 0:25.7 | Welcome back to the nature podcast. |
| 0:29.2 | This week, explosive eruptions from the deep earth. |
| 0:33.0 | And revisiting a science fiction classic 40 years on. |
| 0:34.5 | I'm Benjamin Thompson. |
| 0:35.5 | And I'm Noah Baker. |
| 0:49.9 | First up on this week's show, we'll be learning about the ground underneath our feet. |
| 0:52.2 | A long way underneath our feet. |
| 0:56.2 | The Earth's mantle is sandwiched between the planet's outer core and the thin crust we walk about on. |
| 0:59.0 | Although the mantle makes up a huge 84% of the Earth's volume, |
| 1:03.6 | this enigmatic zone is difficult to study. |
| 1:07.0 | But thanks to an unusual type of explosive eruption, |
| 1:10.4 | bringing deep rock samples to the surface, |
| 1:12.9 | we can gain important clues as to its composition. |
| 1:16.9 | John Woodhead from the University of Melbourne in Australia has been studying new and old samples |
... |
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