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Science in Action

Science In Action

Factual: Science & Nature

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

The BBC brings you all the week's science news.

Science In Action: 15/09/2011

15/09/2011

BBC World Service - Science In Action, 15/09/2011

Could dinosaurs have been fluffy, colourful creatures?

Could dinosaurs have been fluffy, colourful creatures?; What Europeans think about climate change; New exoplanets that may harbour life; How panda poo explains their reproduction

Dinosaur feathers
We tend to think that we know what the world of the dinosaurs looked like, thanks in part to films like Jurassic Park.  The plants were dark green and luscious, and the creatures themselves were green and grey and scaly.  But perhaps they were not?  New research published in the journal Science shows that feathers, even quite complicated ones, were around at the time of the dinosaurs.  Dr Mark Norrell from the American Museum of Natural History in New York reviewed the work, and told Science in Action that these new finds are vastly advancing our understanding of life on earth during an incredibly exciting time.


Climate attitudes
The dangers that climate change poses are known; risks of sea level rise, coastal erosion, property damage, illnesses and diseases, but are Europeans prepared for them?  Dr. Katja Phillipart a marine biologist at the Royal Netherlands institute for Sea Research is part of project CLAMER, a project looking at climate change research.  She has been finding out what people in Europe really think about climate change.


Exoplanets
A haul of new exoplanets has been discovered.  We are able to discover planets around other suns with ground and space based telescopes and astronomers have just announced fifty new ones.  BBC Science Editor Paul Rincon comes on the programme to tell us more.


Panda Poo
Dr Ron Swaisgood, Director of Applied Animal Ecology at San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, and his colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Science, have made a discovery that could affect the way pandas mate, and could help in efforts to conserve them.

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