Weekly: How plant skin transplants could supercharge crops; China’s pollution win spikes global temperatures; the oldest ivory tools ever found

The world, the universe and us

Episode 296

There’s a strange phenomenon in the plant world that we’ve known about for ages - but have only just figured out how to make use of it. Thanks to a process that sometimes happens during plant grafting, we can give plants skin transplants. This process produces ‘graft chimeras’, which have been seen as mere curiosities for many years. But now one company in the Netherlands is now planning to do something more with them, creating a whole new world of plant combinations that could produce more pest resistant crops or more delicious fruits.

Air pollution in China has been a hot topic for many years, especially since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But China has been successful in bringing emissions from aerosols down drastically - a massive win for the health of people in the country. However, there’s been an unintended consequence, as their efforts to clean the air have caused a spike in the rate of global warming. What’s going on? Find out how this all links to the subject of geoengineering.

The oldest ivory tools ever found have been discovered in Ukraine. Thought to be created by our ancient ancestor, Homo heidelbergensis, these tools made from mammoth tusks are 400,000 years old. They give a surprising window into the lives of ancient humans - who may have been more intelligent than we realised.

Chapters:

(00:31) Giving plants skin transplants

(07:16) How China’s pollution win has spiked global temperatures

(16:34) The oldest ivory tools ever found

Hosted by Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet, with guests Michael Le Page, Madeleine Cuff, Jeroen Stuurman and Vadim Stepanchuk.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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