| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (28 min. 15 sec.) ; 170087821 bytes |
| Summary |
The exciting discovery of a new human species; What dredging a harbour means for fish; Testing our knowledge of the sun; Evolution of laughter.DENISOVANSHave you ever pondered the big questions? Like, who are we? Where did we come from? And did we ever have sex with Neanderthals? The answer to that one is yes, according to the 1-3% of Neanderthal DNA in each of us. But, if you're an Australian, you also have up to 5% of a brand new hominin species, that up until two years ago we didn't know existed. Jonica Newby visits the Max Planck Institute in Germany and discovers the extraordinary story of how a tiny bone and tooth confirmed the existence of a not-so-distant relative.GLADSTONE DREDGINGThe harbour of Port Curtis in Gladstone, Queensland, is being transformed by a massive dredging project. The initial target is to remove 46 million cubic metres of mud - enough to fill so many wheelbarrows they'd circle the earth. Gladstone has been an industrial port for several decades now, and there's evidence from other ports in the world that marine life can get sick if the heavy metals and mud are stirred up from the seafloor. However, the Gladstone Ports Corporation maintains that the turbid water from the dredging is within Australian water quality standards. Mark Horstman boards boats from opposite sides of the debate to see how water quality is monitored and whether all the dredging could be causing disease in fish and crabs.PHYSICS ON THE STREET: THE SUN'S ENERGYDerek Muller takes to the street to find out if anyone knows why the sun shines. Is the sun really a giant ball of fire? It's been burning for around 5 billion years, so why hasn't it run out of fuel? It all comes back to Einstein's famous equation...you know the one. EVOLUTION OF LAUGHTERLaughter is unique to humans and the great apes. Researchers at the University of Portsmouth know this because they tickled 25 juvenile apes and 3 human babies. It is believed that our ability to laugh dates back to a common human ape ancestor about 13 million years ago. The benefits of having a chortle or a giggle are significant |
| Event |
Broadcast 2012-09-20 at 20:00:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: NC |
| Subject |
Dredging -- Environmental aspects.
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Fossil hominids.
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Hydraulic engineering -- Research.
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Primates -- Research.
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Solar energy.
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Germany.
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Queensland -- Gladstone.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Phillips, Graham, host
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Horstman, Mark, reporter
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Muller, Derek, reporter
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Newby, Jonica, reporter
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Andersen, Leonie, contributor
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Angel, Brad, contributor
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Appo, Bob, contributor
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Golding, Lisa, contributor
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Landos, Matt, contributor
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Paabo, Svante, contributor
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Stoneking, Mark, contributor
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Viola, Bence, contributor
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