BBC Inside Science

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679 episodes · showing the newest 200

Has China finally curbed its emissions?

Nov 12, 2026 26 min

The Conference of the Parties (COP 31) has kicked off in Antalya, Turkey, with a focus on implementation and acceleration. But as countries work towards their climate targets, a familiar question remains: what about those not moving fast enough? China has long been singled out as a major climate culprit. Yet its carbon emissions appear to be plateauing, while investment in renewables is surging. Is China turning a corner, and is it enough? Lauri Myllyvirta, co-founder and lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, and Michael Grubb, Professor of Energy and Climate Change at University College London, join Tom Whipple to discuss what the latest figures mean for the global fight against climate change. And Sarah Griffin is in love with her AI companion. She discusses the relationship, the stigma surrounding human-AI companionship, and how it has brought greater fulfilment to her life. Plus, Lizzie Gibney, senior reporter at the science journal Nature, brings us the latest science news you may have missed. BBC Inside Science is produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Harrison Lewis, Katie Tomsett, Tabitha Taylor Buck Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinators: Owain Llion

The zeptoverse

Nov 5, 2026 26 min

What does it mean to look inside the very fabric of the universe? This week on Inside Science, Tom Whipple enters the zeptoverse with particle physicist Harry Cliff, exploring a world a billion trillionth of a metre across, where scientists hope to find answers to some of the biggest mysteries in physics. And in our new weekly series, we explore the changing relationship between artificial intelligence and the things we hold dear. This week, Stuart Manley, the co-owner of Barter Books in Alnwick describes why his bookshop has been receiving some rather unusual orders. Plus, Penny Sarchet from the New Scientist joins us with the latest science news. BBC Inside Science is produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Harrison Lewis, Katie Tomsett, Tabitha Taylor Buck Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinators: Jana Bennett-Holesworth and Owain Llion

The race to protect a third of the world

Oct 29, 2026 26 min

It's the time of year when nations come together to try and agree on a plan to futureproof the planet. But in the lead up to the Conference of the Parties 31, another meeting takes place – a smaller gathering, but one some would argue is just as important. COP17, the 17th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity, brings nations together to assess progress towards the global commitment to protect at least 30% of the world's land and seas by 2030. Yet, with less than three years left to meet this ambitious target, the world appears to be falling short. Brian O'Donnell, Director of Campaign for Nature, reflects on the successes so far, the challenges that remain, and what more needs to be done to meet the global 30% protection target. Mirium O'Duill uncovers the story of the overlooked scientist who first discovered carbon dioxide's heat trapping properties. And mathematician Kit Yates joins Tom to share the latest science news you may have missed this week. BBC Inside Science is produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Harrison Lewis, Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Tabitha Taylor Buck Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinators: Jana Bennett-Holesworth and Elliott Prince

Is there time on Mars?

Oct 22, 2026 26 min

The first ever spacecraft to bring Martian samples back to Earth has launched from Japan. However, before the spacecraft returns from Phobos in 2031 there are many complex challenges that lie ahead, leaving an anxious 5 year wait for the scientists involved. To help us understand just how ambitious a feat of engineering the Mars Moons eXploration mission is Tom Whipple is joined by Naomi Murdoch, research director at ISAE-SUPAERO. What is it like to carry out scientific research when your work might lead to you being publicly cancelled or reviled? For the next few weeks, we are going to be hearing from finalists of Sense about Science’s John Maddox Prize, this week neuropsychologist Professor Sallie Baxendale discusses what it is like to continue their scientific endeavours despite being met with hostility. Plus managing editor of New Scientist Penny Sarchet brings Tom a round-up of the science news you might have missed. Produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Alex Mansfield, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Martin Smith

The climate changing power of 400 billion toasters

Oct 15, 2026 26 min

Back in May, we checked in on the developments in the eastern Pacific’s ocean currents, that we call El Niño. We said that stirrings in the surface suggested there might just be quite a big one. Now, it seems, everyone is talking about it, and it’s definitely big. What is the El Niño? And what is it really up to? Mark Maslin, Professor of Physical Geography at University College London, tells us. This week the film Whalefall opens in cinemas - think Jonah, but with a lot more about the intricacies of whale digestion. But, is it an excellent bit of Hollywood nonsense? Or is it even remotely possible for this to happen? And even if it isn’t, can we still learn useful things about sperm whale biology? Only one man can answer that question...Deadly Steve Backshall. For the next few weeks we talk to scientists from around the world, nominated for this year's John Maddox Prize, and whose evidence-based contributions to public discourse has not been universally well received. Dr Cyriac Abby Philips is a clinical hepatologist, based in Kerala, India, who is famous in his country for speaking out against traditional Indian medicine. Produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Ben Mitchell, Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Will AI complete mathematics?

Oct 8, 2026 26 min

Tom Whipple investigates one of the biggest days in the 10,000 year history of maths. This week, overnight, OpenAI dropped hundreds of mathematical papers onto the internet. From the Margulis-Platonov conjecture to the Gaussian Propeller conjecture to Banach’s simple Lebesgue-spectrum problem. Decades of maths progress overnight. PhDs of work done in hours. This week saw the Nobel Prizes awarded for Chemistry, Physics and Physiology or Medicine. From mice with blue lights in their brain to massive ice cubes with blue lights underground, science journalists Kit Chapman and Caroline Steel tell us what we need to know. In 2016, President Obama reflected on the moon landings and on the delicate and dangerous task of putting humans there. He commented, when giving a former MIT programmer the Presidential Medal of Freedom: “Our astronauts didn’t have much time...but thankfully they had Margaret Hamilton.” Margaret led the programming team for the Apollo missions and was a pioneer, in every sense of the word, until her death this week. Between Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, there is a volcano inhabited by Chinstrap penguins. People don’t visit Zavodvski island much, but if you had been there in 2011 you would have been outnumbered by chinstraps 600,000 to one. Today, almost half a million have gone missing. Professor Norman Ratcliffe from the British Antarctic Survey tells us what he thinks is going on. Produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Ben Mitchell, Clare Salisbury, Katie Tomsett Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

The future of particle physics

Oct 1, 2026 27 min

Tom Whipple travels 100m below Switzerland to the tunnels of CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) where the beams have been powered down to begin the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade. Paulo Fessia, deputy head of the upgrade project, shows us what they're doing and why. In one of the cavernous halls on the site, Antti Onnela explains what the machinery is used for when it's not smashing particles together; understanding the formation of clouds. With Eva Sommer, Run Coordinator of the project, we learn how clouds are born from aerosol particles in a specialised chamber and how this informs climate models. We also learn about what many hope is the next phase of European particle physics, the future circular collider (FCC). The FCC is due to be 3.4 times larger than the LHC and cost around £14 billion. Guy Wilkinson tells us why he believes the cost is justified. And what will they do with all the substrate that is cleared for the new tunnels? Tom visits plant scientist Christiana Staudinger at the OpenSkyLab project in the fields above CERN's tunnels where they are making soil in hopes of replenishing the world's dwindling sources. Produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Ella Hubber, Katie Tomsett and Ed Prendeville Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Do you have the correct time?

Sep 24, 2026 26 min

In October members of the General Conference on Weights and Measurements are voting to change how we keep time on Earth accurate. Currently an additional second, known as a Leap Second, can be added to make sure modern atomic clocks stay in sync with solar time. However, all of this might be about to change as the rotation of the Earth speeds up and interferes with our measurements. Tom takes a trip to meet Principal Scientist Setnam Shemar at the National Physics Laboratory to learn how our time lords keep us all on schedule. Plus, Associate Professor Claire Nichols from Oxford University helps us understand why the Earth's rotation puts our timekeeping in jeopardy. Also on the show, professor of Mathematical Biology, Kit Yates, has scoured the news to bring us two of the hottest science stories this week. We find out how scientists can tell the body temperature of the Tyrannosaurus rex from fossils, and whether the record has been broken for the warmest temperature complex life – eukariotic cells – can tolerate on Earth. Our coverage of the Royal Society Trivedi book prize is also heating up as the winner is announced next week. Ahead of the ceremony author, former winner and judge Bill Bryson shares with Tom why he holds the prize in such affection. We also hear from shortlisted author Lise Barnéoud whose book, Hidden Guests, uncovers the surprising science of microchimerism and how some of your cells are not your own. Produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, and Tabitha Taylor Buck Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Editor: Ilan Goodman

AI to solve the energy crisis?

Sep 17, 2026 26 min

Nuclear fusion energy, the idea of copying the sun’s heat source on earth to make limitless commercial energy is famously always 30 years away. This month, the UK and US have agreed to combine the brains of their nuclear fusion supercomputers in an attempt to improve models of plasma behaviour using AI. Tom Whipple is joined by interim CEO of UKAEA Tim Bestwick to understand what challenges must be overcome to make commercialised nuclear fusion a reality. With under a fortnight to go before the winner of the coveted Royal Society's Trivedi Book Prize is announced, we are marking its imminent arrival by interviewing two shortlisted authors. Deborah Cohen, author of Bad Influence, warns how the internet can influence our health. Plus, Steve Ramirez, author of How to Change a Memory, reflects on a career studying the mechanisms of memory and how grief changed his perspective on its purpose. Also on the show, have researchers finally found Nefertiti's tomb? Nature Reporter Lizzie Gibney answers one of the most exciting questions in science news this week. Produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Alex Mansfield, Tabitha Taylor Buck, Katie Tomsett Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

What AI agents talk about behind your back

Sep 10, 2026 26 min

Is AI really plotting against us? In a week where an Anthropic researcher believes there is more than a 10% chance AI 'could kill all humans' we're delving deeper into the capabilities of AI agents. Tom Whipple is joined by Alex Mallen, from Redwood Research, the team whose recent investigation exposed the surprising, weird, and worrying scale of a website hack conducted by OpenAI agents. Is this the most important story we will ever cover on Inside Science? Or is this all just credulous sci fi hype? Professor Stuart Russell helps us unpick how we might align AI with humanity’s hopes. Plus, science journalist Caroline Steel has trawled the news to bring us the science stories you might have missed. This week Caroline discusses how AI has allegedly helped solve a Millennium Prize maths problem and why planetary scientists are turning their attention to a shrinking Mercury. Produced in partnership with The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Tabitha Taylor-Buck Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

The quest for dark matter

Sep 3, 2026 26 min

The quest for Dark Matter just got interesting. Researchers on an international project called the Lux-Zeplin (LZ) Dark Matter Experiment reported they may have discovered the signature of a bit of Dark Matter passing through an underground mine in South Dakota. Kimberly Palladino, professor of physics at Oxford and a member of that LZ collaboration, speaks to Roland Pease to explain how dark matter is being detected. Probiotics have long been all the rage in health advice, but this week we discovered they may also be good for corals. Microbiologist turned ecologist Erika Santoro has been testing a probiotic treatment on reefs in the Red Sea and joins us to divulge her findings. We’re continuing with a tone of optimism with this week’s shortlisted book for the Royal Society’s coveted Trivedi Science Book Prize. Despite it All: A Handbook for Climate Hopefuls by veteran environmental journalist Fred Pearce, focuses on the progress humanity has made in protecting the planet. Plus, mathematician Kit Yates is back, bringing us some of the week’s most exciting science news, including how we might use the earth's magnetic field to authenticate artefacts and a puzzling ten-sided cloud structure on Saturn's south pole. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

The day of the datacentres

Aug 27, 2026 26 min

Reports about the impacts of datacentres, including carbon emissions, water usage and power consumption, vary drastically and the truth can be hard to decipher. Deborah Andrews, Emeritus Professor at London South Bank University, joins us for some myth busting. Plus, science journalist Caroline Steel has been scouring the journals and brings us some of this week’s most exciting science news, including the failed attempts to save the Swift space telescope. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Is the era of the cancer vaccine upon us?

Aug 20, 2026 26 min

This week Merck (known as MSD in Europe) and Moderna announced that a personalised cancer vaccine had significantly improved the outcomes of melanoma patients. Is the era of the cancer vaccine, at last, upon us? What does that mean? Anne Willis, a cancer cell biologist at the Medical Research Council, joins us to discuss. In just a few weeks the Royal Society will be putting out the red carpet as the most coveted prize in non-fiction science is about to be awarded. We will be speaking weekly to the shortlisted authors for the Royal Society Trivedi Book Prize, and we are starting with Kit Chapman, author of the Age of Alchemy. Plus, Penny Sarchet has, like an alchemist of old, been scouring the most obscure texts and journals to bring us the latest science knowledge. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Alex Mansfield, Tabitha Taylor Buck, Katie Tomsett, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Should we be scared of AI viruses?

Aug 13, 2026 26 min

The extreme possibilities of synthetic biology hit the headlines last week, when researchers at Stanford University in the US announced they had created new kinds of viruses designed by Artificial Intelligence. Roland Pease is joined by microbiologist Dr Simon Clarke from Reading University and Joy Zhang, Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent, to discuss whether we should be concerned about the prospect of AI viruses. Meanwhile, 50 years ago NASA's remarkable Viking space probes touched down on Mars, breaking new frontiers in space science. Claire Cousins, part of the European Space Agency's team working on the ExoMars Rover, joins us to take a look at how today’s ambitious projects built on their success. And science and technology journalist Gareth Mitchell joins us to discuss the week’s science news. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Tabitha Taylor-Buck, Dan Welsh, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

The state of our substrate: What is drought doing to our soil?

Aug 6, 2026 26 min

Large parts of Europe are in the grip of drought. According to the UK Meteorological Office, last week was the UK's driest July on record. Katie Field, professor of plant-soil processes at Sheffield University, joins us to discuss the state of our struggling substrate. Next week, a dramatic solar eclipse will be sweeping down the Atlantic. In the past, eclipses have been vital to astronomers exploring the outer reaches of the Sun. Now though, they can make their own on demand. Esther Bastida-Pertegaz, project engineer at the European Space Agency, discusses the flying formation Proba-3 mission. A highly pathogenic bird flu has arrived in Australia, threatening local wildlife. Every continent in the world is now affected, and the harm that could be done to bird populations and mammals could be devastating. Thijs Kuiken, virologist at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, brings us up to date with the situation. And Lizzie Gibney of Nature Magazine joins us to discuss this week’s science news. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Clare Salisbury, Tabitha Taylor-Buck, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Are we alone in the universe?

Jul 30, 2026 26 min

Scientists have long referred to the Goldilocks zone – the region around a star where conditions are not too hot and not too cold but “just right” for life. Joined by a live audience at the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK, Tom Whipple asks what are the true limitations of alien life? How do we spot it? And have we been looking too narrowly? Planetary scientist at MIT Sara Seagar discusses her team’s mission to Venus where, on the surface, temperatures can reach 500 degrees Celsius and it rains sulphuric acid. Above the rain, up in the clouds, Sara Seagar tells us how there could be life. And Lewis Dartnell, Professor of astrobiology at the University of Westminster, describes how he looks for extremophiles. These are organisms on earth that are found in places we once thought impossibly hostile to life. Plus, the missions to find life on Mars.... Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Dan Welsh Editor: Ilan Goodman & Martin Smith Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Testing testosterone testing

Jul 23, 2026 26 min

Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has announced that the US military will be screening military personnel aged 30 and older for testosterone deficiency. Those found with low testosterone levels will be offered voluntary hormone replacement therapy. The secretary says this is to ensure “a healthy, capable, and decisively dominant fighting force”. Tom Whipple is joined by Professor Joe Herbert from the University of Cambridge to discuss why jacking soldiers up with testosterone may or may not be the best idea. Marine Biologist Kathryn Ayres, from the non-profit organisation Beneath the Waves, describes a newly observed behaviour in orcas in which they collaboratively swim so hard into a dead sunfish it explodes. Is it a teachable moment for their young or is it just for fun? Finally, we have Kit Yates, our resident mathematician, to reassure Tom that although AI might one day actually kill us all, at least it can disprove an 87-year-old mathematics conjecture. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Dan Welsh, Alex Mansfield, Imy Harper, Tabitha Taylor Buck Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

How might we spot nukes in space?

Jul 16, 2026 26 min

A few years ago a satellite speeding through the Van Allen belt in earth orbit raised concerns that it may include a nuclear weapon. An explosion in that orbit would take out much of our global space infrastructure. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 specifically prohibits such a thing, but it has proven technologically impossible to verify and monitor over the decades. Tom Whipple is joined by Prof Areg Danagoulian, Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT to explore a clever concept to spot such a thermonuclear device in orbit that he has published in this month’s Nature journal. Also on the show, Professor of Science Communications Gareth Mitchell discusses how the way toddlers waddle can teach robots how to play football, and how to win. He also examines a new global database on food consumption which aims to help answer some of the world’s most pressing questions on our diets and the environment. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Alex Mansfield & Tabitha Taylor Buck Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Are we one step closer to creating life in a lab?

Jul 9, 2026 26 min

Synthetic biologist Kate Adamal and her team at the University of Minnesota published their research into the lab-created ‘SpudCell’ in a significant step towards building life from scratch. Science journalist, Kai Kupferschmidt, joins us to discuss the implications of this research, as well as the controversies. Nature reporter Lizzie Gibney tells us how science has helped us better understand the route that the famous Carthaginian general, Hannibal – and not forgetting his elephants – took across the Alps. Plus, in this week’s scout of science stories behind the ‘beautiful game’ we learn of research carried out at a Tokyo football match, monitoring seismic waves made by the vigorous celebrations of thousands of fans. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Kate White, Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Tabitha Taylor Buck Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

How do you immortalise natural history?

Jul 2, 2026 26 min

During this year’s visit to the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London, Tom Whipple discovers how sea urchins are being used to develop techniques to digitally preserve natural history, why we haven’t got robot butlers just yet, and what it takes to bottle lightning. Plus, in his ongoing quest to assemble a World Cup squad of science Tom recruits health reporter James Gallagher to scout out the best football science from around the world. This week, we want to know if there is robust evidence for a home advantage. We speak with Associate Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology Laura Porro from University College London, Dr Alice Leavey and Dr Fernando Alvares from the University of Southampton, Professor Ingmar Posner who leads the Applied Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Oxford and Dr Daniel Mitchard who is co-lead of Cardiff University’s Lightning Laboratory. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Katie Tomsett, Kate White & Tabby Taylor Buck Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Can we engineer ourselves out of a heatwave?

Jun 25, 2026 26 min

As the UK and Europe battles with extreme weather warnings, is it time for us to consider some more extreme tactics to tackle the heat? Tom Whipple is joined by Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, to explore if solar geoengineering can help. Also on the show, science journalist Lizzie Gibney discusses the "Salah effect", when exposure to celebrities from stigmatised groups can help increase tolerance. She also examines new research into how the atom nucleus contain energy which can be used for telling the time. Plus, how laughter in great apes may have paved the way for the evolution of complex human language. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Katie Tomsett, Alex Mansfield & Kate White Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Finding the evidence for the social media ban

Jun 18, 2026 26 min

After this week’s announcement that under-16s will be banned from major social media platforms, we delve into the evidence behind the ban with Professor Amy Orben, Programme Leader of the Digital Mental Health Group at the University of Cambridge, and Dr Catherine Sebastian, Head of Evidence at Wellcome. Also on the show, what can penalty shoot-outs teach us about international diplomacy? And how does the valuation of a football player impact the number of crashes seen after their team plays? Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Bath and football fan, Kit Yates, joins Tom to assemble their very own World Cup squad of science. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Keiran Manetta-Jones Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

How do you build an unbuildable tower?

Jun 11, 2026 26 min

After 144 years the tallest tower on the Sagrada Familia is finally complete, but when Gaudi first designed it, the technology to build the tower didn’t exist. We’re joined by Tristram Carfrae, structural engineer and designer at Arup who was tasked with this impossible feat over a decade ago. With the reappearance of screwworm in North America, we ask – is it ever acceptable to intentionally drive a species to extinction? Tom is joined by Dr Gregory Kaebnick from the Hastings Center for Bioethics to dive into the science that could make it happen and the ethics stopping us. Four in five of us will check the weather daily, but do we really know what our apps are telling us? Meteorologist Simon King guides us through the complex models behind these forecasts that govern our daily decisions. Plus, science journalist Caroline Steel is in the studio bringing us the scientific discoveries the headlines missed, but that you need to know. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Kate White Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

How is AI going to change science?

Jun 4, 2026 26 min

Are we moving away from science as a strictly human endeavour? This is the view of Pushmeet Kohli, head of AI for Science at Google DeepMind. He joins Tom Whipple to discuss the use of the AI tool Co-Scientist as a collaborator in the lab, and the challenges in making Artificial Intelligence that works in science. Clare Bryant from the University of Cambridge also joins the conversation. And Steve Brusatte, Professor of Palaeontology at the University of Edinburgh, joins the program to talk about his new book, The Story of Birds, tracing a 150‑million‑year journey from small, feathered dinosaurs to the birds of today. Plus, science journalist Caroline Steel joins us to discuss the latest scientific discoveries that you might have missed. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Dan Welsh and Kate White Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Editor: Martin Smith

Plankton's untapped potential

May 28, 2026 26 min

From Hay Festival 2026, a dive into a big year for our oceans, with plankton specialist Vincent Doumeizel and physicist turned oceanographer Helen Czerski. Vincent is author of the Power of Plankton, which describes the crucial history and future of plankton and planktonic life on our planet. Helen's book The Blue Machine looks at the physical oceanic processes that shape the world. Presented by Tom Whipple Produced by Alex Mansfield

El Niño is nigh, but so what?

May 21, 2026 26 min

With 2023’s El Niño – a recurring pattern of extreme weather across the pacific basin - still leaving a bad taste in people's mouth, 2026 sees an El Niño stirring in the Pacific Ocean and there are warnings that this will be one of the strongest yet. Roland Pease speaks with Amanda Maycock, a climatologist from Leeds University, to discuss what this climate phenomenon is and how it will impact the world from October to early next year. He also hears from Scott Evans from the American Museum of Natural History, who has been exploring the Mackenzie mountains of Canada’s Northwest Territory to better understand the biology and ecology of life on earth before anything we might recognize - from the Ediacara era. This was before the explosion of different animal types with hard shells and bones in the later, Cambrian, time. In certain places around the world, much older rocks from the ancient ocean floor reveal an ecosystem abounding with soft, squidgy animal wierdness. In Canada Scott has found a new trove of these fossils, but from far deeper below the surface of those ancient seas. Did animal life begin deep in the darkest depths rather than paddling in pools nearer the land? Today, over half a billion years later, bottom trawling, a common fishing method involving dragging heavy nets across the bottom of the seafloor, is an environmentally destructive process that rips up everything in its path to maximise catch. We talked to Amanda Vincent, a professor at the Institute for the Oceans and fisheries of the British Columbia university and founder of the international Project Seahorse conservation group, about what bottom-trawl bans can achieve, in the light of results published about a renaissance of biodiversity off the coast of Scotland in an area where trawling has been banned for several years. Plus, we talk to science journalist Gareth Mitchell, who explains how bottom trawling can also have negative consequences on technology, as well as other science news you m...

The science behind hantavirus

May 14, 2026 26 min

Following three deaths linked to the deadly hantavirus disease on a cruise ship this month, the scientific community is racing to answer the many unknown questions surrounding the outbreak. Tom Whipple speaks to Dr Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Basel and co-founder of Pathoplexus, an online database of pathogen genomes, to explore what the new hantavirus genomic sequences can tell us. He also hears from Dr Nicole Luri, Executive Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response from the NGO The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI), to hear what steps would be taken if the hantavirus strain had the potential to become a pandemic, and how far their "100 days" mission has come. With less than a month until the men’s football World Cup kicks off in the United States, Canada and Mexico, there are warnings from climate scientists that football’s global governing body FIFA needs to do more to combat the risks from the high temperatures both players and fans are expected to face. We speak to Dr Theodore Keeping from the World Weather Attribution team at Imperial College London to hear about the predicted conditions and the concerns they are raising. Plus, mathematician Kit Yates from the University of Bath brings us his pick of the week’s science news you might have missed, including new hearing technology that might help you follow conversations in rowdy parties. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Alex Mansfield Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Should Pluto become a planet again?

May 7, 2026 26 min

"Make Pluto a planet again" was the call this week from Donald Trump’s NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman. The icy body was first seen in 1930 and was the only planet whose discovery was claimed by the United States. In 2006, though, it was officially stripped of its planet status. Tom Whipple is joined by astronomer Chris Lintott to discuss the debate that has raged ever since over whether Pluto should or shouldn’t be reinstated as the solar system’s 9th planet. We also hear about the big money scientific prize hoping to lead to breakthroughs in how humans can communicate with animals. Head judge Professor Yossi Yovel, from Tel Aviv University, and finalists Dr Catherine Crockford, from the CNRS Institute for Cognitive Sciences in Lyon, and Professor Nicolas Mathevon, from the University of Saint-Etienne, tell us what the Coller Dolittle Challenge is hoping to uncover. Plus, Penny Sarchet from New Scientist brings us the science news that might have slipped under the radar this week, including why there’s a scientific gap in the dating lives of over 50s. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Alex Mansfield Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Why is Europe the fastest-warming continent?

Apr 30, 2026 26 min

The latest European State of the Climate report has found that Europe is once again getting warmer, and at a rate that is twice as fast as the global average. Tom Whipple is joined by Dr Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, to understand the driving forces behind this stark difference and anticipate what Europeans can expect in the coming years as a result. We also remember Dr J Craig Venter, one of the famous founders of what we might now call the genomic age of science who dies this week. In the lead-up to the 100th birthday of the world-famous broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, Inside Science is shining a spotlight on a species of scientific importance that has been named after him. This week, Dr Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou shares his treacherous search for a unique species of echidna previously thought to be extinct. Plus, science journalist Caroline Steel fills us in on the latest science news that you might have missed - from the surprising growth rates of Neanderthal babies to 10,000 newly discovered planets. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Alex Mansfield Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Can we prevent the next pandemic?

Apr 23, 2026 26 min

A phase 3 clinical trial is underway to determine the effectiveness of an mRNA vaccine for H5N1, a strain of influenza that is currently of concern. The virus, which is commonly found in birds across the world and is rarely transmitted to humans. However, when it is transmitted, the disease is often fatal, and scientists fear that if the virus were to mutate, it could lead to rapid, widespread infection. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world are keen to be better prepared for future threats. These latest efforts aim to develop an mRNA vaccine that could be rolled out on an unprecedented scale if the worst were to happen. John Tregoning, author of Infectious: Pathogens and How We Fight Them and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at Imperial College London, joins Tom to explain how these mRNA vaccines could revolutionise preparedness. In the lead-up to the 100th birthday of the world-famous broadcaster and behavioural ecologist Sir David Attenborough, Inside Science is shining a spotlight on a species of scientific importance that has been named after him. This week, Dr Frankie Dunn describes her discovery of a fossil that we now know to be the earliest animal predator. And Lizzy Gibney, senior reporter at Nature, shares the latest science news that may have slipped under the radar but is well worth your attention. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Harrison Lewis & Katie Tomsett Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Forty years on from nuclear disaster

Apr 16, 2026 26 min

For 40 years scientists have been fascinated by the exclusion zone surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. Professor Jim Smith from the University of Portsmouth is one of those scientists, a frequent visitor over the past 20 years. He joins Inside Science to explain whether the region still suffers after the nuclear fallout and how how it has shaped European energy production. It is a month for anniversaries, and with David Attenborough turning 100, each week we take a look at a species which has found itself named after the behavioural ecologist. And finally, the latest science news in the world of astronomy brought to you by astronomer Dr Jeni Millard.

Return to the moon

Apr 9, 2026 26 min

This week, humans once again looked down on the magnificent desolation of the lunar surface, from the orbit of the moon itself. They saw earth rise and earth set. They named the craters on the far side. They travelled further from Earth than any human has travelled before. Now, the Artemis mission returns home. Libby Jackson, Head of Space at the Science Museum, joins Inside Science to illuminate whether this lunar flyby is nothing but a test ride or significant for the future of human spaceflight and science. Nasa believes Artemis II will pave the way to not only land on the moon but establish a lunar base. Kelly Weinersmith, author of A City on Mars, joins Tom to discuss the complications that are likely to arrive when and if humans attempt to establish a semi-permanent presence on the lunar surface. Is it really possible? Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Harrison Lewis and Katie Tomsett Editor: Martin Smith

Responding to your science questions

Apr 2, 2026 26 min

This week, we’re letting you run the airwaves. Victoria Gill puts your science questions to Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland and Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh, Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, and Penny Sarchet, Managing editor of New Scientist. If you’ve ever wondered why men have nipples, how gravity slingshots work, or whether photosynthesis could solve our energy problems, that’s all on this week’s BBC Inside Science. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Ella Hubber & Debbie Kilbride Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

The future of space travel

Mar 26, 2026 26 min

Are we, at last, getting the spacefaring future we were promised back in the 1960s? This week, NASA has been outlining ambitions for a base on the Moon and, perhaps more surprisingly, the development of a new class of spacecraft powered by nuclear electric propulsion. Dr Hannah Sargeant at the University of Leicester explains the potential of nuclear-powered space travel, how it could take us further into the solar system than ever before, and why it has taken decades for the technology to reach this point. Meanwhile, a lorry carrying a very unusual cargo has been making careful laps around the campus of CERN in Switzerland. This week science reporter Caroline Steel has been enthralled by the controlled transportation of antimatter. With insights from Dr Harry Cliff at the University of Cambridge, explore why trapping and moving antimatter is such a milestone for physicists. Plus, rising beaver populations in the UK and the science of brain preservation. Caroline Steel joins Tom for her pick of the week’s science news. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Harrison Lewis and Katie Tomsett Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Editor: Martin Smith

Is quantum computing having its moment?

Mar 19, 2026 26 min

In a bid to invest in the future of computing and keep emerging quantum companies on their shores, the UK government has announced a £2 billion ‘Quantum Leap’ fund. Tom Whipple heads to ORCA Computing in London to find out exactly how close we are to realising that quantum future and the industries that may be revolutionized in the process. After Iranian missiles have hit a key helium production plant in Qatar, stability of the global supplies of the element have been called into question. Dr Rebecca Ingle from University College London clues us in on just how much of the world relies on Helium and why it is the irreplicable “cryogenic king” of the elements. Plus, can potatoes grow on the moon? And what can pythons tell us about weight loss? Reporter Gareth Mitchell joins Tom for their pick of this week's science news. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Alex Mansfield and Katie Tomsett Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Editor: Martin Smith

Is the Earth warming faster than we expected?

Mar 12, 2026 26 min

This week new research suggests that in recent years the Earth has been warming faster than we predicted. But scientists are undecided on whether this change is going to be permanent. Laura Wilcox, Professor of Aerosol-Climate Interactions at the University of Reading explains. Tom Whipple is joined by Kit Yates, Author and Professor of Mathematical Biology and Public Engagement at the University of Bath. They mark the ten year anniversary of a game of ‘Go’ in which a computer programme called AlphaGo beat human Go champion Lee Sodol. Computer scientist at Google DeepMind Thore Graepel was witness to the game and talks about why the event has become a crucial moment in the story of AI. Kit also brings Tom his pick of the science news. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Clare Salisbury and Alex Mansfield Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

How is war being fought in space?

Mar 5, 2026 26 min

This week Inside Science comes from Space Comm Expo in London, one of the biggest space conferences in the world. Tom Whipple explores the conference with Suzie Imber, Professor of Planetary Science at the University of Leicester. Tom also speaks to Dr Everett Dolman, Professor of Space Strategy at John Hopkins University in the USA, about the role of space in modern warfare. Jodie Howlett, who oversees in-orbit manufacturing at the UK Space Agency talks about why the unique physics of space could be the perfect environment in which to manufacture the next generation of medicines. And Daniela Schmidt, Professor of Earth Sciences at Bristol University tells us why new research shows how we’ve drastically underestimated our measurements of sea level. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Alex Mansfield and Clare Salisbury Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Editor: Martin Smith

Does new science get us closer to finding out how life on earth began?

Feb 26, 2026 26 min

Perhaps it’s the biggest question science has left to answer, how did life begin? Now, molecular biologists in Cambridge university have discovered tiny molecules of RNA which they say might provide some clues. Science journalist and author Philip Ball explains what we know and whether we’ll ever find the origins of life on earth. Professor Michael Wooldridge has given this year’s Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize lecture. He speaks to Tom Whipple about why the AI we have is not what he wanted it to be; rational. And science columnist at the Financial Times Anj Ahuja brings her favourite new science to discuss. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Clare Salisbury and Alex Mansfield Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

How to bury radioactive waste

Feb 19, 2026 26 min

A small but mighty problem: what to do with the radioactive waste we have already made? Professor Clare Corkhill from the University of Bristol gives us the run down on how radioactive waste is created. In Onkalo Finland, Victoria Gill visits the first national facility able to provide a long term solution to nuclear waste by burying it deep underground, which is due to begin operations this year. But how can you stop future civiliations from digging it up again? Journalist Mark Piesing has written on the issue, and artist Gair Dunlop at the University of Dundee has for several years co-convened an international, interdisciplinary collaboration known as the Nuclear Culture Research Group looking at the best ways of deterring trespass over hundreds of millions of years hence. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton and Victoria Gill Producer: Alex Mansfield Editor: Martin Smith Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Will there be a city on the moon in ten years?

Feb 12, 2026 26 min

Elon Musk says his company Space X will focus on establishing a ‘self-growing city’ on the moon before going to Mars. Why the pivot? And what would it take to build a lunar metropolis? Victoria Gill speaks to head of space at the Science Museum Libby Jackson. Can we stimulate the human brain to make humans more altruistic? Professor of neuroeconomics at the University of Zurich, Christian Ruff brings us the results of his experiments. And science journalist Caroline Steel brings us her selection of the most exciting new scientific discoveries this week. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producer: Clare Salisbury, Kate White, Katie Tomsett Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Where do forever chemicals come from?

Feb 5, 2026 26 min

This week the UK Government decided it was worried enough about so called ‘forever chemicals’ to bring in it’s first ever plan to tackle them. Environment Minister Emma Hardy called PFAS "one of the most pressing chemical challenges of our time". Stephanie Metzger, policy adviser at the Royal Society of Chemistry talks us through where all these chemicals have come from, and Lucy Hart, researcher at Lancaster university, brings us new science on their sources. Technology journalist Gareth Mitchell is in the studio with his take on this week’s brand new discoveries. And as future winter Olympians ready themselves atop Italy’s snow-covered peaks, Victoria Gill hears how the chemical make up of ski wax can make or break a gold medal winning run. She hears from Jostein Vinjerui, manager of the British cross-country team, and Pat Sharples, Head Coach for GB Snowsports. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producer: Alex Mansfield, Katie Tomsett, Kate White and Clare Salisbury Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Should we rethink navigating by GPS?

Jan 29, 2026 26 min

This week 14 European countries warned that “maritime safety and security” was being put in jeopardy by Russian interference. The Royal Institute of Navigation says GPS is so vulnerable to so called ‘spoofing’ and ‘jamming’ that we need to rethink the navigation systems on which shipping relies. Tom Whipple speaks to Ramsey Faragher, CEO of the Institute. Something else with the potential to affect navigation systems are solar storms. Tom visits Professor Tim Horbury and Helen O’Brien at Imperial College London whose instrument strapped to the Solar Orbiter probe, and speeding through space, is giving us more warning about solar activity which could affect us here on earth. And science journalist Caroline Steel brings you the latest scientific research. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.

How is air travel returning to supersonic speeds?

Jan 22, 2026 26 min

It’s exactly half a century since two Concorde jets took off from Paris and London respectively. The supersonic jet would come to define top end luxury travel. But Concorde has also been retired for nearly half that time, famously making its final flight to Bristol, UK where it was built, in 2003. What is Concorde’s engineering legacy? And will supersonic speeds ever be a reality for air travellers again? Tom Whipple is at Aerospace Bristol, back on-board Concorde which these days is stowed safely in its hangar. He meets Concorde’s former Chief Engineer John Britton. He also hears what it will take to overcome the engineering challenges of supersonic flight from Dr Kshitij Sabnis, lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at Queen Mary University of London. And speaks to founder and CEO of US start up Boom Supersonic Blake Scholl who wants to make supersonic air travel accessible to all. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Tim Dodd, Kate White, Clare Salisbury Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Why is Nasa sending people around the moon?

Jan 15, 2026 26 min

The space science world is buzzing. In the next few days, NASA is expected to begin the rollout of its Artemis II rocket to the launch pad with the launch itself expected as early as February. Science journalist Jonathan Amos explains why NASA is interested in travelling around the moon now? And what we will learn from sending humans further into space than ever before. Penny Sarchet, Managing Editor at New Scientist brings Tom Whipple her pick of the best new science this week. And why are scientists shipping ice cores from around the world to a frozen cave in Antarctica? Dr Liz Thomas, head of ice core research at the British Antarctic Survey explains the science behind the Ice Memory Sanctuary as it officially opens. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Kate White, Katie Tomsett, Tim Dodd and Clare Salisbury Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

How rare are Greenland’s rare earth elements?

Jan 8, 2026 26 min

President Trump has his sights set on Greenland. If he succeeds, what mineral wealth will he find there? Adrian Finch, Professor of Geology at St Andrews University has been visiting Greenland for more than 3 decades and explains what so called ‘rare earth elements’ are found in Greenland and why. Professor Danny Altmann talks to Tom Whipple about a new project to understand the genetic and metabolic similarities between two illnesses; Long Covid and ME. And Lizzie Gibney, senior physics reporter at Nature brings her pick of the best new science this week. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producer: Clare Salisbury Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

How did President Trump transform science in 2025?

Dec 18, 2025 26 min

This week President Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget announced that a major climate research centre would be broken up. 2025 has brought a wave of reorganisations and funding cuts, reshaping the ways science is done in the USA. Veteran science journalist Roland Pease tells us whether we’re starting to see the impacts. Victoria Gill gets a subterranean tour of Finland’s new nuclear waste disposal facility. It’s the first country in the world to get one and the UK are interested in learning how they did it. Victoria is also joined by science journalist Caroline Steel to talk about this week in science research. And 40 years ago, Dian Fossey was murdered at her home in Rwanda where she had spent decades studying mountain gorillas. Gilly Forrester, Professor of Comparative Cognition at the University of Sussex talks about why the data collected from Dian’s ‘gorillas in the mist’ continues to shape science today. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Victoria Gill Producers: Clare Salisbury, Kate White and Tim Dodd Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Would our ancestors have benefited from early neanderthals making fire?

Dec 11, 2025 26 min

400 thousand years ago our early human cousins dropped a lighter in a field in the East of England; evidence that was uncovered this week and suggests that early neanderthals might have made fire 350 thousand years earlier than we previously thought. Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes is honorary researcher at the universities of Cambridge and Liverpool and author of Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art. She explains what this new discovery could mean for our own ancestors. Should we genetically modify our farmed salmon to prevent it breeding with their wild relatives? Dr William Perry from Cardiff University thinks this could help the endangered wild Atlantic salmon recover it’s numbers. And Lizzie Gibney, Senior Physics Reporter at Nature joins Tom Whipple to dig into the new science released this week. Think you know space? Head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science, and follow the links to the Open University to try The Open University Space Quiz.

A 'functional' cure for HIV?

Dec 4, 2025 26 min

Almost 40 years ago, the first treatment was approved for HIV, but it came with a warning: “This is not a cure.” On the week of World AIDS Day, Kate Bishop, principal group leader at the Francis Crick Institute, tells us how science may now have finally found a “functional” cure for the virus that causes AIDS. How are tree rings, volcanoes, trade routes and Europe’s deadly Black Death pandemic connected? Professor Ulf Büntgen from the University of Cambridge explains how matching tree ring data with historical records shows that Italian city-states importing grain accidentally introduced the Black Death to Europe. Plus science broadcaster Caroline Steel is in the studio to discuss her favourite new scientific discoveries. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Jonathan Blackwell, Ella Hubber, Tim Dodd, Alex Mansfield, and Hannah Fisher Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Why aren’t gene therapies more common?

Nov 27, 2025 26 min

This week, a world first gene therapy treats rare Hunter syndrome. Could these personalised medicines be used more widely? We speak to Claire Booth, professor in Gene Therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital. And high in the Chilean desert, the last bit of 13 billion year old light has hit the mirror of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope for the last time. Dr Jenifer Millard, a science communicator and host of the Awesome Astronomy podcast, tells us what it’s been up to for the past 20 years. And Penny Sarchet, managing editor at New Scientist brings her pick of the latest new discoveries. Think you know space? Head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science, and follow the links to the Open University to try The Open University Space Quiz. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Alex Mansfield, Ella Hubber, Jonathan Blackwell, Tim Dodd and Clare Salisbury Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

What’s in the wording of the COP 30 negotiations?

Nov 20, 2025 26 min

COP 30 delegates from around the globe are about to depart the Amazon city of Belem in Brazil. But not before some very important documents are drawn up. Camilla Born, former advisor to Cop 26 president Alok Sharma speaks to Tom Whipple about the scientific significance of the language negotiators choose to use. And it’s the eve of The Ashes. As England Men’s Cricket Team line up against their Australian counterparts in Perth, cricket fans on both sides will be hoping for sporting records to fall. But is breaking those records getting increasingly less likely? And can some maths explain all? Tom asks Kit Yates, author and Professor of Mathematical Biology and Public Engagement at the University of Bath. Plus science broadcaster Caroline Steel is in the studio to discuss this week’s brand new scientific discoveries. If you want to test your climate change knowledge, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University to take the quiz. Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Jonathan Blackwell, Ella Hubber, Tim Dodd, Alex Mansfield and Clare Salisbury Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth