Scientists have managed to launch rovers on the Red Planet, but what will it take to get a human on the surface?

Could their bodies survive the rigors of the seven-month journey plus the seven minutes of terror it takes to enter, descend and land safely on the surface of Mars?

And could their minds cope with the isolation and the myriad psychological challenges they would be faced with?

Find out more on this special Mission to Mars Razor podcast.

Go to https://stories.cgtneurope.tv/how-to-get-to-mars/index.html#group-section-Your-home-jw6Qr8akag to see some of the footage discussed in the podcast.

The natural ecosystems we depend upon are in crisis globally, with around a million species at risk of disappearing from the wild. Penguins feed in the ocean and breed on land, so they face dangers in both places – more than half of penguin species are threatened with extinction.

In this Razor Podcast special, our correspondent Sylvia Rowley takes a trip to the picturesque southeastern coast of Australia to learn more about the work of the conservationists trying to protect the little penguin.

On Phillip Island, about 140 km from Melbourne, Summerland Peninsula has become a refuge for penguins from humans and predators such as foxes. The colony there has bounced back from 8,000 to 32,000 birds and the whole ecosystem has flourished.

Go to https://stories.cgtneurope.tv/saving-the-little-penguin/index.html to see footage of the little penguins.

Also if you want to see more RAZOR videos go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPxSZWJo7MVrWR7bLC45FQ and subscribe to our Youtube channel ‘Razor Science Show’.

It’s long been known that fish swim in schools to protect themselves from predators, but could there be another reason?

This week on the podcast, Shini Somara talks to Iain Couzin, professor of biodiversity and collective behavior at the University of Konstanz. His team has been placing robotic fish among schools to study the animals’ energy consumption. Couzin explains what we can learn from this study and why it could have real-world benefits for humans. [05:39].

Finally, in what’s exciting us in science this week, Emma Keeling tells us about a new eco-friendly rocketfuel and Shini explains the best way to transport rhinos over long distances.

The Razor Podcast is going on indefinite hiatus while we redesign the program to bring you bigger and better content. In the meantime, if you want to look at the videos from these stories go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPxSZWJo7MVrWR7bLC45FQ.

This week we look at a revolutionary new cancer treatment. Emma goes to Portugal to talk to Rita Fuore about how she realized injecting tumors into zebrafish could help doctors make more informed decisions about which cancer treatment is best for their patients [01:33].

In science this week, Frankie finds out how people’s mood can influence the efficacy of COVID19 vaccines and Emma explains why scientists are close to discovering new techniques to reverse the damage done by motor-neurone disease [13:12].

Remember, if you want to see the stories discussed in the podcast, you can find them on YouTube - just type in ‘Razor Science Show’, or click on this link to take you there: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPxSZWJo7MVrWR7bLC45FQ

This week on the RAZOR Podcast, Shini Somara and Emma Keeling hear about a revolutionary new therapy that could challenge the aging process.

Glenn Jeffery from University College London has been working on a way to slow down the aging process by focusing on “recharging” mitochondria. His team has been using red light therapy on fruit flies and has started to move into human trials [04:42]. We speak to evolutionary biologist Nick Lane who explains why mitochondrial therapy could be a game-changer for medicine.

In what’s exciting us in science this week, Shini Somara tells us about a unique way of measuring whale populations [13:39] and Emma Keeling finds a surprising new way to use soda bread [17:06].

Click here if you want to see the video clips from some of the stories we cover on the RAZOR podcast.

It's the final Razor podcast of 2020! In this episode Shini Somara and Emma Keeling look at what would happen if Covid-19 took hold in animals. Emma spoke to Tony Goldberg, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin in the U.S. Goldberg has been studying the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases in nature and explains the dangers of covid-19 moving back into animal populations [02:03].

In what’s exciting us in science this week, Shini explains how you can take a simple test to find out if you’re healthy and Emma shares some interesting facts about murderous hornets. If you enjoy the podcast and you want to check out some of the clips we discuss in the show, subscribe to RAZOR Science Show on Youtube.

This week on the podcast Emma Keeling and Shini Somara look at a magical mushroom that can be turned into insulation material for our homes. Emma visits Biohm, the company behind the innovation to find out how they came up with the idea and why this idea could revolutionise the construction industry [01:30].

We learn how owner Ehab Sayed came up with the idea for the company and why he’s trying to change an industry that’s traditionally been very slow to adapt to green technology [07:01]. In what's exciting us in science this week, Shini tells us why a positive attitude can slow the ageing process and Emma gives us an unexpected benefit of global warming [14:40].

This week on the podcast Shini Somara and Emma Keeling look at hair loss as a potential Covid-19 symptom. A leading hair loss clinic in London has recently reported that a number of patients suffering from temporary hair loss also experienced COVID-19 related symptoms three months prior to seeking treatment.

Emma Keeling spoke to an administrator at the clinic who also tested positive for Covid-19 in March [01:03]. Rali Bozhinova, a trichologist at the clinic, also gives a possible explanation for the temporary hair loss and why she thinks there has been a rise in the disorder during the pandemic [03:56].

In what’s exciting us in science this week, Shini Somara tells us about a biotechnology that could lead to less seafood waste and Emma Keeling explains why mouthwash could help us fight COVID-19.