Science of envy, sugar and kids ... - 09.02.19 Breaking Science

We explore the discovery that super hot, burning chillies can be used for pain relief; how holes in the asteroid belt show scientists how the planets got to be where they are; why things smell the way they do; the new clue into the cause of Alzheimer's; how our reaction to an unpleasant taste is the basis for our reaction to things we find objectionable; how arsenic exposure can be monitored in your toenails. Plus in 'Stuff and Non-Science', are the sea and the sky blue because they reflect each other?

We explore archaeologists' revelation that people have been riding on, eating and drinking the milk of horses for over 5,000 years; why the Amazon forest might become a carbon criminal; how marine organisms produce laughing gas; how a mutated gene has been linked to pancreatic cancer; how observations from space provide information on how the ground recovers after an earthquake. Plus in 'Stuff and Non-Science', are old glass windows thicker at the bottom because glass is a liquid?

We discuss why the sequence of how four-legged animals move their legs is commonly misrepresented; Wi-Fi, the gaping hole in our internet security; why eating too much is bad for your brain; fossilised evidence of dinosaurs fighting; what makes locusts swarm and could they be 'deactivated'; why you have your DNA to thank for the party animal inside you and what this means for your health. Plus in 'Stuff and Non-Science', are lemmings suicidal?

We explore the chemical link between asthma and eczema that has been uncovered; how a synaesthesia gene has been found; why rising levels of CO2 are affecting clown fishes' sense of smell; the evidence of a 700-million-year-old sponge which sets the clock back on evolution; how the butterfly species, Maculinea rebeli, convinces ants to look after their caterpillars; how IVF can help disentangle the effects of nature from nuture. Plus in 'Stuff and Non-Science', can you predict a child's adult height by doubling their height at 2 years?

We explore the hottest breakthroughs from the world of research. Plus in 'Stuff and Non-Science', does sugar make kids hyperactive?

We explore the discovery of a gene that triggers nerve repair; research showing that 'fake' acupuncture has the same pain relief effect as real acupuncture; how the analysis of brown clouds over East Asia shows the main culprit to be burning biomass; how the discovery of an 18 million-year-old fossil challenges the theory of when New Zealand was undersea; why DNA previously thought to be "junk" isn't; how the study of the genetic variations in stomach bacteria describe human migration. Plus in 'Stuff and Non-Science', does watching TV really make you short-sighted?

How fish lock carbon in their poo, why stress is bad for your attention span, why shiny plants could put a new sheen on global warming, how to make your own metal micrograbber and why your fingers can indicate your trading ability. Plus, in Stuff and Non-Science are daddy long-legs all that venomous?

How eco-friendly clothing could soon be made from chicken feathers and wheat; how mosquitoes use the harmonics of their wing beats to choose a mate; a gene that may predict heart disease; the discovery of a new species of pink iguana on the Galapogos Islands. Plus in 'Stuff and Non-Science', do your eyes pop out when you sneeze?

How computers can now interpret what someone is seeing just from their brain activity - could we see dreams in the future? Oil extracted from used coffee grounds can be used to make a better smelling biodiesel; chimps recognise faces in the same way we do; proteins found to located specific DNA sequences very effectively; and the ethical issues surrounding the use of robots for care and war. Plus, in 'Stuff and Non-Science', are meteorites hot when they hit the ground?

How coral suggests a major earthquake is due in the next decade; the impact humans have on fire ant invasions; why extinct bird species are not what we thought they were and how studying the 'morals' of dogs gives an insight into the evolution of co-operation. Plus, in 'Stuff and Non-Science', does searing meat really seal in the juice?