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Episode details

Radio 4,28 Feb 2013,30 mins

Junk DNA, mine fires, Homer

Material World

Available for over a year

Is junk DNA really rubbish? Scientists dispute recent findings about our genetic code. Dr. Ewan Birney from the European Bioinformatics Institute defends his work, while Professor Chris Ponting from Oxford University discusses the latest research on the functionality of our DNA. Professor Mark Pagel from Reading University has analysed Homer's writing by using the language within his poems to date the work. And why did a fire start at the the last remaining pit in Warwickshire? Dr. Dr Guillermo Rein, from Imperial College, London and Tony Milodowski from the British Geological Survey explain how spontaneous heating events, like this fire, occur.

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