New evidence of nuclear reactor explosion
Unexpected Elements
BBC
4.4 • 570 Ratings
🗓️ 7 September 2019
⏱️ 64 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
An isotopic fingerprint is reported of a nuclear explosion in Russia last month. Researchers ask people living in the area or nearby to send them samples of dust or soil before the radioactive clues therein decay beyond recognition. Also, a near miss between an ESA satellite and a SpaceX Starlink module in crowded near space strengthens the case for some sort of international Space Traffic Management treaty, whilst in the arctic circle, melting permafrost is disinterring the graves of long-dead whalers.
Sociable, lively, outgoing people are highly valued in certain cultures - think of the stereotype of the hyper-confident American. And there’s even evidence that extroverts all over the world tend to be happier. But are the positive qualities that quieter types can bring to society being ignored or under-appreciated? And couldn’t introverts be just as happy as extroverts, if only they lived in a more accepting culture? We probe the links between happiness, personality and culture, and find out what makes introverts happy.
(Photo:Tell-tale radioactive isotopes could still be in dust on cars near the site of the blast. Credit: Humonia/iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Oh, hello. You have chosen a BBC podcast, but before you listen to it, we thought you might |
| 0:04.7 | like our podcast too. You might. You might. It is called Sightracked with me, Nick Grimshaw. |
| 0:09.2 | And me, Annie Mack. And we talk about the week in music. All the news, all the cultural |
| 0:14.0 | happenings in the UK and beyond. And great guests. And it's on BBC Sounds. Yes, where you can |
| 0:19.7 | also enjoy lots of playlists, music mixes and |
| 0:22.6 | live radio. Everything from my six music breakfast show to Radio 3 Unwind. But obviously start |
| 0:29.2 | with our podcast, sidetrack. Obviously. Obviously. So if you like music, listen on BBC |
| 0:33.7 | Sounds. You've alighted on the Science Hour from the BBC World Service. With me, Roland Piz. |
| 0:39.1 | Later in the hour, the crowd science team will be returning to the subject of shyness, |
| 0:43.8 | introversion, and also extroversion. How much our persona is affected by genetics, by upbringing, |
| 0:50.8 | by culture. I think in Spain, we're very very outgoing because we are loud, we are noisy. |
| 0:56.3 | If you're too shy, you're never going to be heard. |
| 1:00.1 | That last exploration of the topic elicited, yet more questions from you listeners, |
| 1:05.9 | which is just how science should work. |
| 1:08.2 | Before that, on science in action, we've nuclear sleuths asking for help to |
| 1:12.4 | unravel the mysterious explosion that rocked northern Russia last month. |
| 1:17.0 | What we really need, something as simple as taking a piece of cellar tape and sticking it on |
| 1:22.1 | a car windscreen and removing the particles, so somewhere near to the explosion, and sending |
| 1:27.3 | this information |
| 1:28.0 | to scientists to unpick what happened in this accident. Soil and shoelaces are good too, apparently. |
| 1:34.6 | Coming up, how samples from the area could help explain the events. Also, earlier this week, |
| 1:40.0 | there was a near miss in outer space involving one of ESA's newest satellites. |
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