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Unexpected Elements

Ebola drug offers hope for Covid-19

Unexpected Elements

BBC

Science

4.4570 Ratings

🗓️ 3 May 2020

⏱️ 85 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Remdesivir a drug eventually rejected as a treatment for Ebola seems to have aided recovery in a trial with more than a thousand Covid -19 patients. Researchers are cautious but hopeful; a leading health official in the US has made comparisons with the impact of game changing drugs used to treat HIV.

In contrast an organisation researching the mechanisms by which bat coronaviruses infect humans has had its funding cut following criticism from President Trump.

A scheme to help manufacture ventilators and protective equipment worldwide has seen some success with a simple ventilator they developed, now in use in hospitals.

And we look at climate change –with this year set for extreme weather

What’s the importance of zero, and how was it discovered? How do scientists calculate Pi’s infinite digits? Why do so many people find maths difficult – and what’s the most difficult thing in maths?

CrowdScience takes on a whole bunch of questions sent in by high school students in Spain. Like many children all over the world, their school is currently closed due to the coronavirus lockdown, but lessons continue at home. So how are their studies going, and can CrowdScience help out?

We attempt to answer some of their trickiest maths questions with the help of mathematics whizz Katie Steckles, Pi aficionado Matt Parker, and mathematical biologist Kit Yates.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Transcript

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0:00.0

Can I just say?

0:01.5

You're about to listen to a BBC podcast.

0:04.0

It's such a wonderful listen.

0:05.6

So nice.

0:06.5

There are loads more like it on BBC sounds.

0:08.8

Different paces, different heights.

0:10.6

The roof is buckling.

0:11.9

Where you can also listen to live sports commentary.

0:14.2

It's right foot goes for goal.

0:16.7

And then enjoy even more podcasts full of analysis and reaction to the big stories.

0:21.6

The stat that is astonishing is they ended with the lowest amount of possession.

0:25.2

And she's had to live with that.

0:26.8

So if you love sport, a passion, it's almost like a religion.

0:29.7

Listen on BBC Sounds.

0:31.7

Sort of expecting that every week now.

0:35.1

Okay, you're in COVID-19 lockdown. You're bored or you have your kids at your feet. You're

0:40.5

wondering how to keep them busy when dedicated. Well, thank goodness you've downloaded the

0:46.0

Science Hour from the BBC World Service because in half an hour or so, Marnie Chesserton

0:50.8

will be trying some approaches to engaging them or you in maths.

0:56.2

It was like doing 100 squats, but I'm not quite sure why a straight matchstick crossing a straight line would have anything to do with pie.

1:07.2

Yeah, it's a sort of surprising thing about pie.

1:09.8

That's one of my favourite games for demonstrating the power of 3.14159.

...

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