Original version

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

Science in Action

Science In Action

Factual: Science & Nature

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

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

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

Science In Action: 29/10/2015 20:32 GMT: Shockingly Sophisticated Electric Eels

Magazines & Reviews

Eel with fish in its mouth

29/10/2015 20:32 GMT

29/10/2015 20:32 GMT: Shockingly Sophisticated Electric Eels

Shockingly Sophisticated Electric Eels

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Shockingly Sophisticated Electric Eels

Electric eels use high voltage zaps to find, stun, track, and manipulate their prey

Sophisticated electric eels, learning about harvesting solar energy from clams, reasons we dance, tractor beam invented, oxygen found on comet, antimicrobial honey.

The electric eel - actually part of a family of small electric fish mostly found in South America - stands out for its ability to generate hundreds of volts. This made it the favourite experimental subject for pioneering studies of electricity in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Professor Ken Catania from Vanderbilt University explains how using modern equipment helped unveil sophisticated ways in which the electric eel uses its high power output to kill prey.

Clams 
Giant clams have evolved to become living greenhouses by growing symbiotic algae as a source of food. Professor Alison Sweeney of the University of Pennsylvania explains how we can learn about efficient solar energy harvesting from these clams. This research could lead to new types of solar panels or improved reactors for growing biofuel.

Why Do we Dance?
It may be hard to imagine what evolutionary advantage moving around to music might possibly have. It has been suggested that it has to do with social bonding. Dr Bronwyn Tarr from the University of Oxford has figuring out why we dance.  

A sonic tractor beam has been invented! BBC Science News journalist Jonathan Webb talks about the system that can grab, hold and move small objects without touching them, using sound waves.

A compound effective against MRSA has been found in honey. Fiona Roberts talks about the origin of this compound and how people in Cardiff are planning to get more.

Oxygen was discovered on a comet. Tracey Logan talks about how this changes our view of the origin of our solar system.

(Photo © Professor Ken Catania)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Science In Action

29/10/2015 20:32 GMT: Shockingly Sophisticated Electric Eels

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

About BBC World Service