Animal research; Astronaut selection; Show us your instrument
BBC Inside Science
BBC
4.6 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 18 July 2013
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week saw the publication of the annual government statistics on scientific research on animals. Overall, it again shows an increase, but does that tell the whole story? Wendy Jarrett of the organisation Understanding Animal Research shares her thoughts.
We hear from amateur and professional would-be astronauts about their training regime and selection process from Major Tim Peake, the UK’s next astronaut, to science broadcaster, Sue Nelson.
Plus, the first in our new series ‘Show Us Your Instrument’. Material scientist Mark Miodownik introduces the wonders of the Transmission Electron Microscope, with music composed by the New Radiophonic Workshop.
Transcript
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| 1:04.3 | UK slash Radio 4. |
| 1:06.6 | We've got a crew of wannabe astronauts on the show today, some more plausible than others, |
| 1:11.4 | and a new regular feature starting later, including a soundtrack from |
| 1:14.8 | Foley Artists, The New Radiophonic Workshop. |
| 1:17.7 | As mentioned in the live show, there's a longer version of that track at the end of this |
| 1:21.3 | podcast, so that you can email us the 10 scientific instruments |
| 1:25.2 | used to construct the tune. |
| 1:27.7 | But first, this week the government released its annual report on the use of animals in science |
| 1:32.4 | in the UK. When it use of animals in science in the UK. |
| 1:34.0 | When it comes to animals in research, the coalition made a commitment in 2010 |
| 1:38.0 | to what are referred to as the three-r's, |
| 1:41.0 | reduction of the numbers used, refinement of the experiments to minimize suffering, |
| 1:46.4 | and replacement, that is, using alternatives if available. |
| 1:50.4 | The trouble is that every year the figures continue to go up. The number of animal experiments carried out in the UK has risen at its |
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