Past Programs
Animals - 2006
The Chimeric Brain
09/12/2006
The Chimera - a creature of Ancient Greek mythology - was part lion-goat-snake. Crossing the boundaries between species is everyday in science. To test the therapeutic potential and behaviour of human stem cells, scientists implant them into animals first. But transplanting our brain cells into our closest primate relatives has raised eyebrows, and the prospect of the 'humanzee'. Could this make their brain more human-like? Might this change their moral status in the lab? Top stem cell scientist, John Gearhart, bioethicist Jason Scott Robert, and neuroscientist Peter Schofield join Natasha Mitchell to discuss the scientific and moral questions at the core of creating chimeric brains.
Bird brains: Smarter than the Average...
07/10/2006
Bird brains don't deserve the bad rap they get. Like us, songbirds are among the only animals that can learn new and complex vocal skills. Mental time travel isn't beyond them, and even mastering grammar-like patterns could be part of their cognitive repertoire! This week, three top bird brain researchers leave their aviaries and join Natasha Mitchell to discuss the unique heads of our flying feathered friends.
Seeing ourselves as others see us
22/04/2006
We take an honest and sometimes confronting look at how we perceive others and how they perceive us. We hear about the difference between benevolent sexism and hostile sexism and the intricate ways in which we form our prejudices towards others. And, beware - it seems that we may often be judged according to the personality of our pets!
