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Nature Podcast
19 December 2019: The three-body problem, and festive fun
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This week, a solution to a centuries-old physics problem, and holiday shenanigans.
In this episode:
00:51 Disentangling three bodies
Researchers have been working to unpick a problem that has stumped scientists since the 1600s. Research Article: Stone and Leigh
08:50 Frosty the Snowman
The first of our festive science songs, about how a certain snowman is faring under climate change. Scroll to the transcript section below for the lyrics.
11:00 Festive quiz show
Our reporters battle it out to be crowned as this year’s quiz champion. Can they describe some of the top news headlines without saying certain important words? We find out.
19:21 Carol of M87
Our second song is about the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration’s imaging of the supermassive black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy. Scroll to the transcript section below for the lyrics.
20:33 News Chat
We hear about some of the people on Nature’s 10 this year. Feature: Nature’s 10: Ten people who mattered this year
30:00 Rockin’ Around Supremacy
For our final song, we hark back to October, when Google claimed to have achieved quantum supremacy. Scroll to the transcript section below for the lyrics.
TRANSCRIPT
Frosty the Snowman lyrics:
Frosty the Snowman was a jolly, happy soul
But the smile wore off as the globe got hot
‘Cause the world used too much coal.
Frosty the Snowman is a fairy tale they say
He was made of snow
But the kids won’t know ‘cause it’s them who have to pay.
Gonna’ need some magic to
Convince the world to stop
‘Cause now we’re running out of time
And he’s feeling mighty hot.
Oh, Frosty the Snowman, is endangered as could be
And the children say they wish he’d stay,
But they don’t trust you and me.
He led them down the streets of town
Right to the climate COP.
They gathered there, and Greta stared
And together hollered “STOP”.
Frosty the Snowman, had to hurry on his way
But he said we should do all that we could
For to change our dirty ways.
Frosty the Snowman, knew the time to act was now
So the girls and boys said make some noise
And we’ll get a change somehow
Carol of M87 lyrics:
Hark at the sound
Photons abound
Radio waves
All seem to say
Out in the dark
This glowing spark
We find our goal
See a black hole.
(M) M Eight-se’en
(Eight) As it was then
(tee) eons ago
(se’en) See it aglow
Data from these
Observatries
Processed to give
The first image
One seems to see
With EHT
Fire in a ring
Light circling
Einstein was right,
Warped is the light,
See the lensing
Bending the ring.
Now-we see-a supermassive black hole. (M – eigh-ty- se’en)
How-we see-a supermassive black hole. (M – eigh-ty-se’en)
(M) Space time is bent
(Eight) See this event
(tee) Horizon burn
(ee) So...
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