And the Hello and

welcome to the naked scientists with me Katani and with Ginny Smith.

This week we're looking at disgust.

Why do we find some things just so gross?

And are men more easily disgusted than women?

Or is it the other way round?

Plus, science headlines from around the world including a universal flu vaccine

jumping robots and why the zebra got its stripes.

The Naked Scientists Podcast is powered by UKfast.co. UK.

Worldwide the flu kills up to half a million people every year.

One of the main ways of preventing the disease is vaccination,

but because the influenza virus is constantly changing or mutating, vaccine makers are always playing catch-up.

Now, scientists may have a new way to fight the flu using a treatment that can prevent infection with any strain of the virus.

Jacob Yunt from Ohio State University has discovered how to boost the activity

of a substance made naturally by ourselves called I-FIT M3, which has a powerful flu blocking effect, as he explained to Chris Smith.

What we've discovered is a way to enhance a natural antiviral defense

mechanism in cells that is active against influenza virus. And this involves a

protein called iFIT M3.

And what IFIT M3 does is it blocks the ability of influenza to enter cells.

This is really a very ancient or primitive defense mechanism.

It's present in some single-celled organisms.

And this is completely independent of vaccines

...