EUSci Podcast #61

The EUSci family grows again this episode, as new science star Steph joins the crew to tell us about the weird and wonderful lives led by spiders. Our other correspondents cover the surprisingly modern features of hunter-gatherer social networks and a very expensive way to make vodka stronger, while our discussion centres around two recent stories to do with our energy problems. Finally our EUWhat tells you something you've always wanted to know: is it more pleasurable to scratch your back, or your ankle? We hope you enjoy the show.

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In this show:

News

• Subliming planets
• Scientists Organize Elsevier Boycott
• Having an unpopular first name can make you less successful in love and life
• Mimicking the bumps on Humback whales' fins to improve helicopter maneuverability
• UK plans clinical trials of new gene therapy technique which would create embryos posessing DNA from both parents and a donor (3 people!)

Correspondents

• A really expensive way to make vodka stronger- with graphene
• 'Primitive' hunter-gatherer societies have social networks strikingly similar in structure to modernised ones
• Spiders: Males sacrific their genitals in reproduction and Jumping spiders use defocused light for depth perception

Discussion

• Economic pain of flattening oil supply as a catalyst for change and Green energy may not solve everything!

EUWhat

• Body location plays part in scratching pleasure

Roundup