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Science In Action: 25/08/2011

25/08/2011

BBC World Service - Science In Action, 25/08/2011

Proof that early humans interbred with Neanderthals, and how the weather causes war.

Proof that early humans interbred with Neanderthals, how the changes in the weather leads to civil war, and why cosmic rays from outer space make it rain here on earth.

In this weeks Science in Action we hear the evidence behind claims that ancient humans not only met other hominid species such as Neanderthals, but interbred with them. Researchers have traced the origins of genes used to control our immune responses not to ancient humans, but Neanderthals. 

We look into the brains of mice to see how they work, with new data from genomics.

And how civil conflict in the southern hemisphere is closely linked to changed in the southern oscillation weather patterns, El Nino and La Nina. 

We also hear from CERN the particle physics laboratory about how cosmic rays, beams of changed particles from outer space might play a role in cloud formation around the earth.

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