Covid – missing link found?

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Data collated from swab samples taken in Wuhan’s market in the early days of the Covid pandemic suggest animals sold in the market were carrying the virus at the time. It’s the strongest evidence yet for an intermediate species – one which passed the virus on to humans after becoming infected by bats carrying the virus. Dr Florence Debarre from the Institute of ecology and environmental sciences, in Paris and Professor Eddie Holmes from Sydney University discuss the findings. Beethoven’s genome has been reconstructed from samples of his hair. It reveals some of his medical history, but also unexpected findings on his paternity. We discuss the ethics of such genetic analysis with Tom Booth who studies ancient DNA at the Francis Crick institute. And microbes may help us survive and thrive in space according to Astrobiologist Rosa Santomartino, not only that but their recycling capabilities could also help us on earth

Transcript

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0:00.0	He's a rule breaker, a trend-setter. He reshaped art and redefined graffiti.
0:07.4	How does he smell?
0:08.4	Like paint.
0:09.4	Has he got any distinction features?
0:10.9	His anonymity.
0:11.9	But who is he?
0:13.2	What's his name?
0:14.2	Banksy.
0:15.0	Apparently, I've met him twice.
0:16.6	The Banksy story.
0:18.1	Banksy's work is always about the human spirit versus establishment.
0:24.3	Listen on BBC Science.
0:27.4	This is the podcast of Inside Science, first broadcast on the 23rd of March 2023.
0:35.0	Welcome to your weekly dose of the best science worth chatting about.
0:38.9	Coming up, as Beethoven's DNA reveals some family secrets,
0:43.3	we ask for both the juicy details and whether the concept of genetic privacy dies when you do.
0:49.4	Also, microbes in space!
0:53.2	Why some of the tiny bugs that surround us on Earth
0:56.2	will be an essential on the future space traveller's packing checklist?
1:01.5	But first, I want to go back to an outbreak of the deadly virus
1:06.0	which started in bats and spread rapidly through humans in China.
1:10.4	Late in 2002, a mystery illness began to afflict people
	...

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