Naked Scientists, In Short Special Editions Podcast

This time, macho male gorillas trade stature for sperm count, how gambling machines use sound and light to take the sting out of losing, whether babies are born hard-wired to dance, the way bird eggs are adapted to altitude, and the effect of a fever on the stickiness of malaria-infected blood cells... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Malaria has been killing humans for at least fifteen thousand years, and our DNA still carries the scars. Ninety percent of the world's malaria cases are in Africa. But this isn't just a modern health crisis. It's written into our evolutionary history. New research from the University of Cambridge reveals that early humans actively avoided malaria hotspots across Africa for tens of thousands of years. The archaeological record is striking: mosquitoes thrived where people didn't live. Until something changed. Around fifteen thousand years ago, a genetic mutation emerged in West Africa: the... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Africa remains at the centre of the global malaria crisis. The continent accounts for around 95 percent of all malaria cases, placing immense strain on health systems and costing hundreds of thousands of lives each year. In 2023, there were an estimated 249 million cases globally, with the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa. So why does malaria persist so strongly here? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

A child dies from malaria roughly every minute. A stark reminder of why urgent action is still needed. "Driven to end malaria, now we can, now we must" is the theme of World Malaria Day on the 25th of April. This year also marks 25 years of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, which has shaped modern malaria control strategies. In this episode, we hear from Ashley Birkett, Global Head of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases at PATH Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this episode, how kangaroos alter their postures to store more energy in their Achilles tendons and boost movement efficiency, the moths that make a beeline when they hear plants "talking" to them, tracking how people pick up diseases from their surroundings, the contribution fingerprints make to touch sensation, and some forgotten female scientists are recognised at the Eiffel Tower, in France. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists