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THE MATERIAL WORLD
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PROGRAMME INFO |
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Quentin Cooper reports on developments across the sciences. Each week scientists describe their work, conveying the excitement they feel for their research projects.
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Contact Material World |
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LISTEN AGAIN 30 min |
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PRESENTER |
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"For me science isn't a subject, it's a perspective. There are fascinating scientific aspects to everything from ancient history to the latest gadgets, outer space to interior decorating; and each week on The Material World we try to reflect the excitement, ideas, uncertainties, collisions and collaborations as science continues its never-ending voyage into the unknown".
Quentin Cooper |
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PROGRAMME DETAILS |
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| Moai statues on Easter Island |
The Collapse of Civilisations
Why do some societies flourish whilst others fail?
Quentin talks to social scientist and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Jared Diamond, about his new book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive.
Today, the treeless landscape of Easter Island is testament to the environmental disaster that befell its ancient settlers. Total deforestation led to erosion, food shortages and rampant cannibalism.
But why did the islanders cut down their trees and destroy themselves?
Jared also draws parallels between the collapse of ancient societies and modern crises, such as genocide in Rwanda.
What can we learn from our past to prevent future catastrophes?
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive is published by Penguin ISBN: 0-713-99286-7
Bird navigation
Do migrating birds use "mental maps" to navigate the world?
Quentin talks to Professor of Behavioural Science Verner Bingman at Cardiff University and Dr. Tim Guilford from Oxford University.
Do birds use the same processes for long and short distance trips? How do they use magnetism and astronomy to orientate themselves?
New technologies are making it easier to use satellites to track bird movements. They are solving avian mysteries such as how homing pigeons follow roads, rivers and smells to find their way home.
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RELATED LINKS
Jared Diamond biography
University of California - Jared Diamond
BBC News - Planet under pressure
BBC Countryfile - Eco top ten
Oxford University - Animal cognition
BBC News online - Pigeons reveal map-reading secret
Telegraph - Feathers fly as academics row over pigeons
Bowling Green State University - Dr Bingman
BBC Science & Nature - Birds
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites
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