Genetic testing; Pugs on treadmills; Frankenstein
BBC Inside Science
BBC
4.6 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 13 July 2017
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What can genome science do for you? Chief Medical officer Dame Sally Davies recently published her annual report, issuing a plea for a revolution in the use of genetic information in the NHS. She wants DNA tests to be as routine as biopsies or blood tests. Adam chats to geneticist Ewan Birney, head of the European Bioinformatics Institute in Hinxton, about the potential uses and limitations of genetic testing.
Pugs are set to become Britain's most popular breed in the next couple of years. Together with similar dogs, like bulldogs and Frenchies, they are classed 'brachycephalic', having short snouts and compact skulls which makes them susceptible to a breathing problems. Veterinary surgeon Jane Ladlow has studied 1,000 dogs to improve their health today and in future generations. Reporter Graihagh Jackson went to visit the team at Cambridge Veterinary School.
To mark the forthcoming 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein, a new edition has been created especially for scientists and engineers. Adam talks to editor David Guston, from Arizona State University about the lessons this cautionary tale contains for science today.
Presenter: Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:04.6 | My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
| 0:08.4 | As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality featuring the most knowledgeable |
| 0:14.3 | experts and genuinely engaging voices. What you may not know is that the BBC |
| 0:20.4 | makes podcasts about all kinds of things like pop stars, |
| 0:24.6 | poltergeist, cricket, and conspiracy theories and that's just a few examples. |
| 0:29.7 | If you'd like to discover something a little bit unexpected, find your next podcast over at BBC Sounds. |
| 0:36.0 | Hello you, this is the podcast of Inside Science from BBC Radio 4, first broadcast on the 13th of July 2017. I'm Adam Rutherford. |
| 0:44.5 | Tom on Twitter commented that he listens to the pod slightly speeded up to |
| 0:48.6 | fit his commute. So here I am talking slowly and low so that it sounds normal Tom. |
| 0:55.0 | But for everyone else, this might be my favourite episode of the year so far, a discussion of genetics and health in light of recent announcements from the chief medical officer a really lovely new |
| 1:04.4 | addition of Frankenstein and we have pugs on treadmills seriously but first. |
| 1:09.8 | It's alive. |
| 1:11.8 | It's alive. It's alive. |
| 1:13.0 | It's alive. |
| 1:16.0 | It's alive. |
| 1:19.0 | Hello! |
| 1:20.0 | The 200th birthday of Frankenstein looms and a new edition is born a hybrid |
| 1:24.6 | created specifically for scientists and engineers on what it means to create life |
| 1:29.6 | then and more pressingly now. |
| 1:32.6 | And we have pugs on treadmills. |
| 1:34.5 | Really, that should be enough for you to listen in. |
... |
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