What are the Puppy Blues? You’ve no doubt already heard of the baby blues, a nice-sounding euphemism for the rather unpleasant postpartum depression. Well, some new pet owners have started talking of puppy blues in the same way, to describe the sadness they sometimes feel after a ...Show more
What is the global bike shortage?
What is the global bike shortage? Thanks for asking! Cycling has enjoyed a huge boom since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Local authorities have increased efforts to prioritise cyclists over drivers, creating new bike lanes and making other investments in this form of transp ...Show more
Andrea Sella, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at University College London, celebrates the art and science of the chemical elements. Today he looks at helium. Helium is a finite resource here on Earth and many branches of science need it. Doctors need it to run MRI machines to d ...Show more
Helium is full of contradictions. It’s the second most abundant element in the universe, but is relatively rare on Earth. It’s non-reactive, totally inert—yet the most valuable helium isotope is sourced from thermonuclear warheads. And even though we treat it as a disposable gas, ...Show more
Encore episode. Helium is the second-most common element in the cosmos, but it's far rarer on planet Earth. As part of our celebration of the periodic table's 150th birthday, correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares a brief history of helium's ascent, to become a crucial part of rocke ...Show more
Helium is the only truly non-renewable resource, and it's essential for things like MRI machines and nuclear reactors, but should we be worried? And, we turn air into food, so why can’t we get carbon to leave the atmosphere – or helium to stay? In this episode, Cosmos Science Jou ...Show more