Lunar Landing Anniversary, Solar Eclipse, Chimpanzee AIDS
This week: The simian version of HIV is more lethal than scientists knew. The 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, from a Russian perspective. A Chinese take on the solar eclipse. Plus: a Neanderthal murder mystery, tracking a huge dust storm as it travels the globe, and a close analysis of a click language.
Chimp AIDS: Scientists believe that the human AIDS virus, HIV, evolved from a virus called SIV, which infects monkeys and chimpanzees. Researchers had thought that SIV was relatively harmless, but a new study has found that SIV-infected chimpanzees in Tanzania are dying of an AIDS-like illness. The finding could change approaches to AIDS treatment in people.
Guest: Dr. Beatrice Hahn of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Moon Landing: For almost two decades, the U.S. and the Soviet Union raced to be the first to the moon. The race obsessed both countries, and cost tens of billions of dollars (and rubles). Russians therefore have a different perspective than Americans on this 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing.
Report: By Jessica Golloher in Moscow.
Guest: Roald Sagdeev, former director of the Soviet Space Institute.
Solar Eclipse: The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st Century took place this week in Asia. It lasted more than six minutes. In China, the eclipse held deep cultural meaning.
Report: By Bill Marcus in Shanghai.
Elsa’s favorite science stories of the week:
- Scientists implicate an anatomically modern human in a Neanderthal murder attempt. (The study.) Here’s that novel we mentioned on the podcast.
- Researchers track a Chinese dust cloud as it circles the globe. (The study.)
- Linguists unpack the multiplicity of click consonants in an endangered language, N|uu. (The study and the press release.) At this site, you can hear more N|uu words, recorded by linguist Amanda Miller and colleagues.
Music:
- Moonwalk, by Pee Wee Ellis
- Total Eclipse of the Heart, by Bonnie Tyler
