Stevie Bain
The Naked Scientists
United Kingdom
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Past articles by Stevie:
Bioinformatics: food detective
I began my three-month internship with The Naked Scientists in July 2017 and never believed that I'd end up talking to a Guinness World Record holder, or DNA sequencing a sausage before my time with the team was done... → Read More
Algal proteins may boost crop yields
By 2050, it is estimated that we will need around a 50% increase in crop yield to feed our rapidly growing population. However, it turns out that algae - the slimy green layer often found on the surface of ponds in summer - may provide a solution to this problem. Stevie Bain chatted with Luke Mackinder from The University of York about how a better understanding of algae may allow us to engineer… → Read More
Infant-like skulls crucial to bird success
From elaborate peacocks to seagulls by the shore, birds are found in a wide range of habitats on every corner of globe and a recent study suggests that the key to their world domination may all be in their heads. Stevie Bain chatted with Arkhat Abzhanov to find out more … → Read More
How smart is your pet dog?
David wanted to know how our pet dogs compare to other animals, such as primates and dolphins, when it comes to intelligence. Stevie Bain spoke to Ben Ambridge from the University of Liverpool, and author of ‘Are You Smarter than a Chimpanzee?’, to find out more. → Read More
Baby faces are key to bird success
Bird skulls and brains resemble those of young dinosaurs and may provide insight into their evolutionary origin and modern day success, according to researchers at Yale University and Imperial College London. → Read More
Chuckling cuckoo imitates predator
Cuckoos mimic predatory hawk calls to trick other birds and increase nest invasion success, according to researchers at The University of Cambridge.When it comes to deception, cuckoos are the masterminds of the avian world. They surreptitiously lay their eggs in the nests of other birds to evade the responsibilities of parental care. These unsuspecting hosts end up raising cuckoo chicks, often… → Read More
Can bacteria affect the sex life of animals?
Can bacteria influence the sex life of animals? Well, a serendipitous discovery made by researchers at UC Berkeley and Harvard University suggests they can. Stevie Bain spoke to researcher Jon Clardy about this bacterial aphrodisiac and how it works in the closest living relative of animals, the single-celled choanoflagellates. → Read More
EroS: The bacterial aphrodisiac
Bacteria produce a molecule that stimulates sexual reproduction in the closest living relatives of animals, according to researchers at UC Berkeley and Harvard Medical School.Choanoflagellates are single-celled organisms that are often referred to as the last living relatives of animals. These microscopic organisms are of significant interest to scientists as they provide insight into the… → Read More
Our hairy insides
Our hairy insides protect us from the full force of fluids racing through our bodies and may inspire future robotic design, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.As well as having hairs on the surface of our skin, did you know that the insides of our bodies are lined with microscopic hair-like structures?These hairs range in shape from the short hairs inside our… → Read More
How hairs affect fluid flow
Our hairy insides protect us from the full force of fluids racing through our bodies and may inspire future robotic design, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.As well as having hairs on the surface of our skin, did you know that the insides of our bodies are lined with microscopic hair-like structures?These hairs range in shape from the short hairs inside our… → Read More
World's largest volcanic range hides beneath Antarctic ice
The largest volcanic range on Earth lurks below an ice sheet in Antarctica, according to researchers at The University of Edinburgh.Using ice-penetrating radar along with satellite and database records, scientists peered beneath the surface of a previously unexplored area known as the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This region of the polar continent is known to harbour a number of volcanoes, as their… → Read More
Injectable bandages mend broken hearts
Damaged hearts may soon be treated using an injectable bandage, according to scientists at the University of Toronto.Heart damage, such as tearing that can occur after a heart attack, is a serious and potentially fatal condition that requires surgical repair. → Read More
Brain clean-up efforts promote Alzheimer's disease
Cellular garbage disposal structures, known as lysosomes, may be worsening damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers at Yale University School of Medicine. → Read More
How the urban sea snake lost its stripes
Stripy sea snakes are more susceptible to the harmful effects of water pollution than their black coloured counterparts, according to research published this week in Current Biology.Turtle-headed sea snakes live on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific and, across most of their geographical range, these animals are decorated with a black and white banded pattern. → Read More
New Alzheimer's Culprit Identified
More than half a million people in the UK suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Symptoms of this disease, including memory loss and communication problems, are due to sticky protein build ups within the brain, called amyloid plaques. These plaques cause damage to nerve cells and are a hallmark feature of the disease. Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. However, researchers at Yale… → Read More
Artificial light poses a threat to pollination
The use of artificial light at night, such as street lights, can harm pollination according to researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland.Pollinators are animals, commonly insects, that transfer pollen from plant to plant as they feed, allowing plants to reproduce. More than 30% of our plant-based food supply depends on animal pollination, which had an estimated economic value of $361… → Read More
Artificial light poses a threat to pollination
The use of artificial light at night, such as street lights, can harm pollination according to researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland.Pollinators are animals, commonly insects, that transfer pollen from plant to plant as they feed, allowing plants to reproduce. More than 30% of our plant-based food supply depends on animal pollination, which had an estimated economic value of $361… → Read More