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BBC Inside Science

May 14, 2026 · Unknown · Original Source

BBC Inside Science

Episode Summary

The episode is available for streaming for the next 14 days. In the wake of three fatalities associated with a severe hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship earlier this month, researchers are urgently working to resolve numerous unanswered questions regarding the incident. Journalist Tom Whipple interviews Dr. Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Basel and co-creator of Pathoplexus—a digital repository for pathogen genomes—to discuss the insights provided by newly sequenced hantavirus genetic data. Additionally, the program features commentary from Dr. Nicole Luri, Executive Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the NGO The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Dr. Luri outlines the protocols that would be enacted if this specific hantavirus strain posed a pandemic threat and evaluates the progress made toward CEPI’s "100 days" mission goal.

With the men’s football World Cup set to begin in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in under a month, climate scientists are urging FIFA to take stronger action against the dangers of extreme heat. Both athletes and spectators are anticipated to endure high temperatures, prompting warnings from experts. Dr. Theodore Keeping of Imperial College London’s World Weather Attribution team joins the show to discuss these projected environmental conditions and the associated safety concerns.

The program concludes with mathematician Kit Yates from the University of Bath, who highlights notable science stories from the week that may have escaped public notice, such as innovative hearing aids designed to assist individuals in tracking conversations during loud social gatherings.

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