Sweet Science

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2023

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Researchers from London’s Francis Crick Institute have found a type of artificial sweetener is able to dampen down immune system responses - at least in mice. Karen Vousden and Fabio Zani tell us about the implications. And Ronan McCarthy from Brunel University has found a range of different artificial sweeteners have antibacterial properties. We discuss the connections between these two areas of research and the prospect of developing drug treatments from artificial sweeteners. Penny Johnes from Bristol University discusses the use of phosphorus in agriculture, it’s a key component of fertilisers, but global supplies may run out in a few years, despite this overuse of phosphorus in agriculture is also creating problems. And Chat GPT has had a makeover, a new version of the chatbot was rolled out this week. Chatbots seem to be getting a lot of press at the moment, but are they really something we will all be using in the future? Technologist and composer LJ Rich who works with the UN on artificial intelligence gives us her analysis. BBC Inside Science is produced in collaboration with the Open University.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.
0:03.7	My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a Load of Sport Podcasts.
0:08.4	I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with a leading journalist, experienced
0:12.2	pundits and the biggest sport stars.
0:14.3	Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the players'
0:18.5	mouths.
0:19.5	But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sport in world.
0:25.0	What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to
0:28.8	dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.2	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:40.7	Welcome to the podcast episode of Inside Science, first broadcast on the 16th of March 2023.
0:48.2	I'm Marnie Chesterton. This week I thought I'd start the show a bit early in the communal tea room
0:54.0	just outside the BBC studio. Just to mix it up a bit.
0:57.8	Because do you take sweetener? We'll take on whole new meanings if this week's research
1:03.6	is ultimately successful. So here we go.
1:07.8	Hello AI world drops two new products this week.
1:11.7	I'll be discussing how this will change your life even if you couldn't care less about computers.
1:16.5	And Fos Vergedden has been announced.
1:19.2	Are we really going to run out of this vital elements?
1:22.0	And if so, how come there's so much of it polluting our rivers?
1:25.4	And talking of things that don't break down before they end up in rivers,
1:29.2	artificial sweeteners are on the Inside Science menu today.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.