Climate Change: Making Waves?

The Naked Scientists Podcast

Dr Chris Smith

Science Radio, Engineering, Naked Scientists, Natural Sciences, Technology, Life Sciences, Health & Fitness, Medicine, Science

4.6 • 957 Ratings

🗓️ 14 September 2015

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Climate change - and concerns about rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - are often in the headlines. However, looking back in the history of the earth, it's clear that this isn't the first time carbon dioxide levels have risen. So why should we worry now? We delve into the past to explore the effects climate change can have on the oceans and how that, in turn, can impact the climate. Plus, in the news, a new species of early human ancestor, the scientist who's jumping the Hubble queue with a helium balloon, and why humans are hard-wired for laziness... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Transcript

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0:00.0	And the Hello and welcome to the naked scientists with me Chris Smith and with Kat Arnie.
0:20.0	This week we're taking a trip back in time to find out what the climate was like millions of years ago.
0:26.0	How has the status quo shifted since the Industrial Revolution?
0:30.0	And what role have the oceans played?
0:32.0	Plus, in the news this week, a new species of early human ancestor,
0:36.0	the scientist who's jumping the Hubble Q with a helium balloon
0:40.0	and why humans are hardwired for laziness it seems.
0:44.0	The Naked Scientists Podcast is powered by UKfast.co. UK. First up, where we came from is arguably one of the most important questions facing mankind,
1:01.4	and this week the story has become even more intriguing.
1:04.7	The well-preserved remains of 15 individuals from a new species of human ancestor, called
1:09.1	Homo Naledi, have been unveiled by scientists in South Africa.
1:13.0	The name means star in local language and it's a nod to the rising star cave system where the remains were uncovered.
1:19.0	These primitive people show features very similar to our own. Their hands and feet are almost
1:24.6	identical to a modern human, but their heads and brains were much smaller. Their
1:29.6	shoulders were tilted ape-like to favor climbing and their pelvis was proportionally wider than
1:35.3	our own.
1:36.3	So therefore they share a number of key features with us but are also clearly distinct and
1:41.5	less evolved than us, suggesting that they might sit very early in our evolutionary
1:45.8	timeline.
1:47.0	The fines also harbour another secret.
1:50.1	It's possible that these individuals might have been put where the scientists found them
1:54.5	after they died.
	...

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