18/08/2011

Available for over a year

In this week's programme, scientists in the US say they have developed a new treatment that attacks the genetic code of viruses. In experiments they say they have successfully treated 15 different types of virus with the same method and this could in time produce a new drug with the ability to tackle nearly all viruses. In Science in Action we ask whether these claims stack up, does this work herald a new era of treatments for viruses from the common cold to HIV? Twenty years ago the Soviet Union began to fall apart. The superpower had invested heavily in scientific research, especially the high end physics associated with military development and space exploration. Funding for such research was quickly cut, and scientists faced difficult choices. Many left science or left the country. Recently there have been moves to encourage a revival of scientific research in Russia. We look back on the plight of Russian scientists over the past twenty years and discuss their hopes for the future. Swarming insects provide the model for a new type of helicopter. Tiny, remote control 'quadcopters' have been built in Germany which can swarm together like bees or locusts. The quadcopters are designed to provide a multitasking tool for use in places where human access is problematic, such as war zones or the inside of a nuclear reactor. Together they can lift heavy payloads, and individually they can be equipped with a range of scientific monitoring equipment.