Bright Sparks: Ideas that Change our World with Shane Bergin
Bright Sparks: Ideas that Change our World with Shane Bergin. Athena Media/RTÉ Radio 1/Broadcasting Authority of Ireland A radio feature series 8x52’ RTE Radio 1, 7p.m. Sunday May 24th to Sunday July 12th 2015 Billings: Bright Sparks is an eight part science series for RTÉ Radio 1, presented by physicist Professor Shane Bergin who poses the question; What happens when you enable bright people to follow their curiosity and solve the world’s problems ? Shane meets Ireland’s cutting edge scientists and discovers how Irish science and innovation are changing how we live. He explores how these ideas are shaping how we combat disease, face climate change, develop new technologies and how we uncover the mysteries of the universe and the meaning of life itself. Bright Sparks Episode 1 Title: How We Learn RTÉ Radio 1, May 24th 2015, 19:00 20.00 What drives scientific research in Ireland and who decides what get funded? Prof. Shane Bergin travels around the leading research centres in Ireland meeting scientists and asks; what gets researched and why ? Shane finds out what makes a scientist and how curiosity is at the heart and mind of it. He asks what fuels that curiosity and how can we empower it. Is our scientific research funding policy too market orientated? Voices in this episode include Prof. Luke Drury, Prof. Shane O’Mara , Dr. Mark Ferguson, Prof. Kevin Mitchell, Prof Luke O'Neill and Bright Sparks Episode 2 Title: The New Darwinians RTÉ Radio 1, May 31st 2015, 19:00 2000 Where did life come from? Prof. Shane Bergin learns about the origins of life on Earth and how Darwin’s “Tree of Life” might actually be a “Web of Life” and about unlocking the evolutionary secrets behind animals like bats, dogs and fruit flies. Shane explores the genetic line that connects us physically, to our ancestors and in an economic environment where genetic research is underfunded due to questions of applicability, one Irish company Equinome, is breaking the mould. Voices in this episode include Prof. James McInerney, Prof. Emma Teeling, Prof. Kay Nolan, Prof. Aoife McLysaght, Prof. Emmeline Hill Bright Sparks Episode 3 Title: Combatting Disease RTÉ Radio 1, June 7th 2015, 19:00 2000 How are Irish researchers helping the global battle against diseases like cancer and Motor Neurone Disease? Prof. Shane Bergin talks to scientists committed to switching off diseases from immunologists to microbiologists. Shane discovers what it takes to fight disease at home in new breast cancer research and in Sub Saharan Africa with the Ebola virus. Voices in this episode include Prof. Pat Kiely, Prof. Leonie Young, Prof. Orla Hardiman, Prof. Niamh O’Sullivan, Dr. Aisling Ryan and Dr. Joe Gallagher. Bright Sparks Episode 4 Title: The Little Things Matter RTÉ Radio 1, June 14th 2015, 19:00 What impact is Irish technology having on our lives and what are the tangible results of Irish research? Prof. Shane Bergin guides us through the field of nanotechnology which is shaping our modern world and where Irish research, at centres like CRANN in Trinity College Dublin, is leading. Shane looks at the scientists breaking ground in nanoscience and the implications of their work, from software systems developed in Limerick, to the future of drug manufacturing and building robots to assist dementia patients. Voices in this episode include Prof. Jonathan Coleman, Prof. Valeria Nicolosi, Prof. Brian Fitzgerald, Prof. Kieran Hodnett, and Conor McGinn. Bright Sparks Episode 5 Title: Super Bodies RTÉ Radio 1, June 21st 2015, 19:00 How do we make our bodies stronger or rebuild the parts that don’t work? Prof. Shane Bergin meets the researchers around the country who are trying to enhance and augment our bodies, to cure ailments and fight disease. Shane learns how the immune system fights infection, but also what happens when it loses control, and the potential of stem cells in medicine, from helping with transplants in the cornea to regrowing broken bones. Voices in this episode include Prof. Danny Kelly, Dr. Grainne Cunniffe , Prof. David Hoey, Prof. Paul Moynagh, Prof. Luke O’Neill, Prof. Frank Barry and Prof. Thomas Ritter. Bright Sparks Episode 6 Title: The Future of Food and the Wealth of Water RTÉ Radio 1, June 28th 2015, 19:00 How can Irish research help us utilise and protect our most precious resource; our food and water? Prof. Shane Bergin learns about bioinformatics and how ‘big data’ is changing how we look at our genetic makeup. Irish company, Nuritas, uses the melding of computer science and biology to find healthier ingredients and change the food we eat. Shane then takes a tour down our waterways learning how we keep them safe from bacteria and disease, and sees the wealth of life that lives in our rivers, lakes and the deep trenches off our northwest coast. Voices in this episode include Prof. Des Higgins, Dr. Nora Khaldi , Prof. Fergus Shanahan , Prof. Dearbhaile Morris, Prof. Louise Allcock, Prof. Jens Carlsson and Prof. Daniel Toal. Bright Sparks Episode 7 Title: An Atmosphere for Change RTÉ Radio 1, July 5th 2015, 19:00 How can Ireland help turn the tide against climate change? Prof. Shane Bergin learns the difference between climate and weather, how to reap the benefits of wind and wave energy in Ireland, and how we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels through the use of biogas. Shane poses the question to researchers; should scientists get involved in the political debate around climate change, or is the research their only responsibility? Voices in this episode include Prof. Peter Lynch, Prof. Conor Sweeney, Prof. Mike Hartnett, Prof. Paul Leahy and Prof. Jerry Murphy. Bright Sparks Episode 8 Title: The Final Frontier: Space RTÉ Radio 1, July 12th 2015, 19:00 What contributions has Irish science made to unraveling the mysteries of the universe through space exploration and astronomy? Prof. Shane Bergin learns the history of the observatory in Birr, where he finds out the importance of studying the heavens, and meets the Irish scientists working in the orbit of Earth, Mars and even The Sun. However, despite Ireland’s connection with the stars, astrophysics research is not funded by the Irish government, and Shane decides to find out why. Voices in this episode include Prof. Peter Gallagher, Prof. Creidhe O’Sullivan, Sinead McGlynn from Irish company EnBio, Dr Joseph Roche , engineer David McKeown and Dr. Michelle Bennett. The series producer of Bright Sparks is Helen Shaw Audio Editor is Amy Millar Researcher is Cormac Mc Adam The presenter is Shane Bergin You can follow the story behind the series on its website: brightsparksradio.ie Bright Sparks is an Athena Media Production for RTE Radio One made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and the television licence fee.
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