Smashing into the Moon

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Space ballistics has shown that the eye of the ‘Man in the Moon’ - the huge crater Mare Imbrium was most likely made by the impact of a huge proto-planet smashing into it. London’s Geological Secrets Dr Ruth Siddall from UCL and London Pavement Geology takes Roland on a whistle stop tour around London. They check out some geological sites, and there’s not a mountain, river bed or quarry in sight. We see granite that’s been impacted by comets, 400 million year old squid fossils on the steps of St Paul’s, a Jurassic beach right here at the BBC and finish with a geological pub stop. Honeyguides It’s known that the bird the Greater honeyguide works with local African villagers to show them where to find wild bee nests and their honey stores. But new research has shown that the birds respond more, and are more likely to find a hive when the human honey-hunters use a special call. Preserving the Local Taste of Cheese The taste, smell and appearance of a cheese come from the native bacteria in the initial raw milk. Due to increasing regulations for milk pasteurization, cheeses are losing their particular flavours and authenticity. In Normandy, in France, cheesemakers started working with researchers to set up a microbial bank in order to save the microorganisms responsible for the cheesy flavours. [Photo: ‘The Man in the Moon’ - open eye is Mare Imbrium crater. Credit: BBC]