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Science In Action: Bananas in Peril

A woman shops for bananas

28/11/2013

Bananas in Peril

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Bananas in Peril

Could the deadly Panama disease affecting banana crops worldwide create a shortage?

The deadly Panama disease affecting banana crops worldwide. Plus, Comet Ison, China's scientific innovators and why gut feelings can indicate relationship success.

The deadly Panama disease has spread throughout major banana producers in South East Asia and has now reached a relatively isolated banana plantation in Jordan. The disease is affecting the Cavendish banana, Musa cavendishii, which is the main cultivar of banana eaten throughout the world. The aggressive disease previously wiped out most banana breeds in the 1950s.

Ison: the Comet of the Century
For the month of December it is possible that people in the northern hemisphere will be able to see Comet Ison, and its tail several millions of kilometres long. But first it would have to survive a trip around the sun. Will the comet be an awesome sight on earth, or will it be destroyed by the sun before it has a chance to light up the skies?

Is China a Scientific Innovator?
A report by Nesta, the UK’s innovations charity, looks at the growth of scientific innovation in China. The country’s research base is expanding at an unprecedented rate, and China is forming its own characteristic variety of innovation. But in an independent investigation published this week, a flourishing black-market in China’s scientific community has been revealed. Scientists have been found to pay in excess of $15,000 (USD) to have their names added to authorship of scientific papers in prestigious journals.           

Gut Feelings Indicate Relationship Success
Is our gut feeling a reliable indicator of our personal relationships? In a study of 100 couples, researchers found that gut-level intuition was a better predictor of long term relationship outcomes than asking people how happy and satisfied they are. The study’s authors say that automatic thoughts, which we may not even be aware of, should perhaps influence our decision making.

(Photo credit: A woman shops at a food store for bananas © AFP/Getty Images)

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