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Factual: Science & Nature

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

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Science In Action: 21/08/2009

21/08/2009

BBC World Service - Science In Action, 21/08/2009

Artificial life;Buenos Aires waiters' super-memory;subconscious vision;Walking in circles

Are we closer to creating synthetic bacteria? How waiters in Buenos Aires remember complex orders in their heads?Discovery of a cell that allows animals to see subconsciously. Why we walk in circles

Artificial life – scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute in the US are a step closer to creating synthetic bacteria. They have overcome one of the problems of the bacteria attacking foreign DNA when it’s introduced to the cell. They hope that artificial bacteria will one day, be able to produce biofuels and clear up toxic pollution. 


The waiters of Buenos Aires in Argentina are world famous at remembering complex orders without having to write anything down. Jon Stewart talks to the scientist who has looked into how they do this. Could the technique be used to help people with memory problems?


A new cell has been discovered in fish that allow them to see subconsciously. It helps them to calibrate between day and night. Mammals have similar cells and maybe so do humans. 


Scientists think they know why we tend to walk in circles when lost or walking in the dark. Without a visual cue, such as the Sun or a distant landmark to help us recalibrate, the part of the brain that deals with our sense of direction gets too noisy and confused.

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