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Factual: Life Stories

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.

Outlook: 02/12/2010

02/12/2010

BBC World Service - Outlook, 02/12/2010

The Soviet geneticist who tried to end famine but starved to death in prison

The Soviet Union's greatest plant hunter:
Twelve Soviet scientists famously starved to death during the wartime siege of Leningrad, rather than eat the precious plant and seed collection in their care. Now part of that genetic archive is under threat by property developers. The collection was the lifetime work of Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov, who perished in Stalin's purges. His son Yuri Vavilov talks to  Lucy Ash about the Soviet Union's greatest plant hunter.

Elephant Man:
Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton has spent decades fighting for Africa's elephants. He pioneered the first in-depth scientific study of elephant social behaviour in Tanzania and founded Save the Elephants, an organisation which strives to protect the animals from the threats of poachers and climate change. Now in his 60s his love for elephants is stronger than ever - despite a narrow escape from one of them. Visit the website: www.savetheelephants.org

Dissecting my father's body: 
Dr Mahantesh Ramannavar fulfilled his father's dying wish by dissecting his corpse. There is a shortage of bodies for medical research in India so the dying man wanted to donate his; and insisted his son carry out the operation. Outlook reporter Suhail Haleem catches up with the doctor after the dissection.

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