Space Rocks, Aquatic Dinosaurs and Global Temperatures; 2020 science reviewed

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 24 December 2020

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Nobody could have failed to notice the one story dominating the science news this year - but what about the discoveries that have been overshadowed in 2020? This week, Dr Adam Rutherford eschews all mentions of the pandemic as he invites dinosaur researcher Dr Susie Maidment, climate scientist Dr Tamsin Edwards and astrophysicist Dr Emma Chapman to share their science highlights of the year. We journey to the moon and beyond to discuss the many missions that have been blasting and grabbing bits of space rock to bring back to earth and tackle the ongoing debate about whether signs of life have been found on Venus. Back down on earth, this year could be one of, if not the, hottest years on record, with particularly high temperatures in the Arctic Circle. What might a warming world mean for ice-shelf collapse in Antarctica and how are governments responding? We discuss Joe Biden’s presidency, UK carbon emissions and what China’s recent announcements of net zero by 2060 might mean for the future of the planet. And despite limitations on travel this past year, exciting discoveries in the dinosaur world have nonetheless continued with what is believed to be the first aquatic dinosaur. The detection of soft shell eggs is also changing understandings of how dinosaurs reared their offspring. And if that wasn’t enough, Dr Adam Rutherford challenges our experts to predict what big science stories might lie on the horizon in 2021.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast I'd like to introduce myself. My name's
0:04.0	Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a load of sport
0:07.5	podcasts. I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with leading
0:11.1	journalists, experienced pundits and the biggest
0:13.3	sports stars. Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights
0:17.4	straight from the player's mouth. But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is
0:22.0	our unique access to the sporting world.
0:25.0	What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to
0:28.9	dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.5	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:35.7	Hello you, this is the podcast of Inside Science first broadcasts on Christmas Eve, 24th of December,
0:41.4	2020. Happy holidays, happy Christmas, or however you celebrate it.
0:44.8	I'm Adam Rutherford.
0:45.8	Well, that was quite the year for science, wasn't it?
0:48.0	We reported on a novel virus from China on the 23rd of January, which seems like about a million years ago, and then, well, you know what happened.
0:57.0	And then last week we saw the vaccine, the actual vaccine to that dreaded virus being injected into the arms of actual people.
1:03.4	The inside science team has been all over that astonishing journey,
1:06.7	though not always me on the count of the whole almost dying thing.
1:09.3	But while everyone was coping with the world turned upside down, science didn't stop.
1:14.1	Yes, thousands of our brethren did turn their efforts and not inconsiderable brains to pandemic
1:19.4	battling, but science doesn't stop for a virus it simply refuses and today as a Christmas treat
1:25.1	we are reviewing the scientific year but COVID-free. My guests will be fined
	...

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