Original version

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

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 Australasia

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

Science In Action: Devastating Floods in Kerala

Magazines & Reviews

Marooned Buildings in the Kerala Flood

30/08/2018 GMT

Devastating Floods in Kerala

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Devastating Floods in Kerala

The monsoon dropped a month’s rain in just two days, causing extreme flooding in SW India

Monsoon floods in Kerala. Understanding landslides, a probe that detects and delivers anti-seizure drugs directly to epileptic brains and giving crystal meth to brains in a dish.

Why is the monsoon experienced in Kerala in South West India so wet? The monsoon is a combined meteorological event, where several factors - altered low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal, altered winds and a warmer ocean - interacted to deliver devastating rainfall. Is this extreme weather event a symptom of our changing climate? 

Human Triggers for Landslides
Analysis of a global dataset on landslides has shown that the occurrence of landslides triggered by human activity is increasing. The dataset will continue to be built by scientists and members of the public over the next decades, allowing us to ask whether there is link between the occurrence of landslides and our changing climate. 

Epilepsy and drug delivery in the brain 
A new brain probe combines electrodes and a micro ion pump, giving it the capacity to detect neuronal activity and release a drug in response. This drug can alter charge balances in the neurones to prevent them from firing, stopping an epileptic seizure. This highly specific drug delivery system also has potential in the treatment of other neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s and inoperable brain tumours. The device is in its first stages of application in mice, but results indicate it could revolutionise healthcare for those with otherwise intractable disorders. 

When brain cells are given narcotics 
What happens when brain cells in a petri dish are given methamphetamine? 

Picture: Marooned Buildings in the Kerala Flood. Credit Manjunath Kiran / AFP / Getty Images.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Science In Action

Devastating Floods in Kerala

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

About BBC World Service