Series 2: Prog 9: 04/06/08

This week, Adam Walton finds out about the latest Mars landing; discovers Welsh peatlands' role in the fight against global warming; and hears about the ten most beautiful experiments.

Wednesday 4th June at 9.30pm

Mars Phoenix Lander

It took ten months, and a journey of over four hundred million miles from Earth, but NASA's Phoenix lander is on Mars, after making the first successful landing on the planet's north polar region. Phoenix now has three months to investigate Mars's geological history- and search for signs which could support life. Adam discusses this historical mission with NASA's Jim Green and Jim Adams, as well as Cardiff University Astronomer, Dr Edward Gomez.

Peatlands and Carbon

A multi million pound project aiming to restore blanket bog and peat land around Lake Vyrnwy in Powys is believed to be helping in the fight against global warming. Healthy peat absorbs and stores carbon, but as it degrades, the carbon is released, ending up in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The LIFE project is an EU funded scheme aiming to protect valuable habitat, birds and other animals, but it's now hoped that there will be added benefits of tackling climate change too. Science Cafe reporter, Nan Pickering, went to the peatlands to meet LIFE project manager, Jared Wilson, who told her more about the scheme.

The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments

Here on the Science Café, we celebrate exciting new scientific findings, many of which involve large teams of people and rather large sums of cash. But it's not that long ago that such discoveries were still coming from individuals. Science writer George Johnson found himself longing for the days of the great scientific thinkers and ended up writing a book, 'The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments', in celebration of their work. He tells Adam exactly what makes an experiment a thing of beauty- in his eyes at least.

Espresso Science

We may not have NASA's budget to play with, but in this week's Espresso Science, Diane Gray of the Techniquest @ NEWI Science Discovery Centre in Wrexham shows how to make your own Mars lander with balloons, straws and sellotape.
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