Life Solved

With World EV Day on the 9th of September, in this episode we’re looking at the power behind electric vehicles – the batteries themselves. As more of us consider ditching our petrol cars, in favour of ones we simply plug in, we’re going to explore both the positives and negatives – and the charges for-and- against this developing technology.   Jamie Foster is Professor of Applied & Indust...

In this episode of Life Solved we take a look at nature’s role in cleaning our waters. There’s no doubt that us humans need to do much more to clean up our own damage, but there are experts here – and around the globe – who are giving nature the opportunity to lend a helping hand as well. Jo Preston is a Professor in Marine Ecology and Evolution at the University of Portsmouth and Gordon Watson is...

In this episode we take a look at the realities of Crime Scene Investigation or CSI. Zoe Cadwell from the University of Portsmouth and Selina Robinson from Winchester University both used to be Crime Scene Investigators. We ask how does the CSI activity we see in films and TV dramas compare to the real world? How do investigations differ around the world? And what are the myths of Crime Scene Inve...

If you’re outside of specific communities, you may not have heard of Chemsex. But the modern day use of drugs to enhance the sexual experience has its more complex side – and there are many who are either trying to leave that world, or are in – for want of a better word - recovery. In this episode, Veronika Carruthers, Lecturer in Victimology & Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth,...

Life Solved is back for its 12th series – and its 100th episode! As a special anniversary episode, we invited Chief Presenter at the BBC News Channel, Maryam Moshiri, to host a round-table discussion, exploring why our plastic waste in the Global North often ends up in low-income countries – and the efforts that retailers and governments are making to reduce plastics on the shelves to create a mor...

Life Solved is back for its 12th series and its 100th episode!   ‘From Shelf to Global South’ lands on Thursday 10th August and is a special panel discussion, recorded at London’s Royal Institute of British Architects and hosted by Chief Presenter at the BBC News Channel, Maryam Moshiri.   You’ll hear experts from the University, the retail sector and charity, exploring why our plastic w...

How close are we to seeing a global plastics treaty? Last week countries gathered for the second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting to bring them a step closer to signing a legally-binding agreement to end plastic pollution. Professor Steve Fletcher and Antaya March from the University of Portsmouth’s Global Plastics Policy Centre were at INC-2 in Paris, presenting the centre’s findin...

Despite what Barbie says, life in plastic isn’t always fantastic. This week’s Life Solved looks at the plastics in our clothes, and how proteins which speed up chemical reactions are the latest trend in the fight against synthetic waste. John Worsey is joined by Dr Victoria Bemmer, Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Enzyme Innovation at the University of Portsmouth, and Noorin Khamisani, Sen...

There’s no doubt that public confidence in UK police has been damaged recently, quite often through news stories about London’s Metropolitan force. This time our host Robyn Montague chats to Dr John Fox, former Senior Police Detective turned academic, about the authority of the Police service and the behaviour and attitudes of their officers. Despite an overhaul, background checks for new police r...

The case of Nicola Bulley, who went missing in a rural English village in January 2023, highlighted the concerns that many people have over true crime coverage, unregulated on the internet.  But true crime amateurs and ‘armchair detectives’ have been known to solve crimes and create awareness; often using unique methods. For this episode, Robyn Montague is joined by Dr Megan Hoffman and Dr Si...

To mark Zombie Awareness month and off the back of the success of ‘The Last of Us’ TV series, it felt fitting to dedicate this episode to the undead themselves. Three experts join Robyn Montague for a round-table discussion on how to survive a zombie apocalypse (according to science). Dr Sarita Robinson is an expert in disaster and emergency psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, Dr J...

In this episode of Life Solved, we explore the little-known ‘Ice Ivory’ market. Hear Dr. Caroline Cox, Senior Lecturer at Portsmouth Law School and Dr Luke Hauser, a Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, describe how mammoth ivory is being sold, in place of elephant ivory; often illegally. You’ll hear why the trade in mammoth ivory - surprisingly - isn’t necessarily unlawful, but that the ap...

International Jazz Day takes place on Sunday (30 April), and in this episode of Life Solved Robyn Montague speaks with George Burrows , Professor of Music and Theatre at the University of Portsmouth, about a band leader who moved to his own rhythm, decades before the 1960s pop revolution. Find out more about how the swing band, ‘Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy’, helped place popular music at the c...

Life Solved is back for its 11th series – and as it’s  International Dark Skies Week  in this first episode, John Worsey speaks with Dr Jen Gupta, Dr Lucy King & Dr Chris Pattison from the  Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation  at the University of Portsmouth. They explore some of the biggest mistakes made in space research. From Apollo 13 to Elon Musk, when things g...

Stroke patients have been benefiting from recuperation thanks to cutting-edge research in robotics and biomechanics.   In this episode of Life Solved we meet Amy Wright, who takes us through how biomechanical data informs artificial intelligence and robotics to help people recover the use of their limbs.   Amy explains how far rehab has come in just 20 years, thanks to motion capture tec...

Professor Deborah Shaw says the film and TV industry is falling short of being inclusive, and that’s reflected in ceremonies like the Oscars, which takes place next week.   In this episode of the Life Solved podcast, she explores how the route to equality lies in representation both on screen and off. She shares insights from her research into Latin American and Spanish film as well as gender...

As Iran experiences a period of heightened unrest, the conflict between civil rights and an authoritarian state continues to play out in public and private life.   Dr. Mahsa Ghaffari is a specialist in marketing, and in this episode of Life Solved she explores how dress codes and shopping choices are allowing women to subtly subvert state oppression through clothing and consumer choices in Ir...

One of the UK’s most commonly faced crimes is now fraud and it’s costing us billions of pounds. From text scams to fake websites and identity theft using deepfake technology, this kind of crime takes many forms and crosses national borders so policing it can be a challenge. But before you give up using the internet altogether, have a listen to this episode with Professor Mark Button, who shares hi...

What do intimacy and sex look like in cyberspace, and how will this inform relationships of the future?   Thanks to technology, humans have more ways to engage intimately with each other and themselves in cyberspace.   The University of Portsmouth’s Dr Trudy Barber has been exploring how the body can become ‘multi-mediated’ with technology and virtual reality since her 1980s art student...

Why do burglars commit crimes and what kinds of decisions do they make when carrying out a crime? The answer could help us reduce the number of burglaries taking place.   More than 192,000 burglaries were reported between 2021 and 2022 across England and Wales. The impact upon victims goes beyond lost possessions and can have a longer-term impact on their sense of security in their own homes....

Dr Claire Bailey-Ross explains how virtual, augmented and extended reality techniques are enhancing our learning experiences in museums, galleries and online in this episode of Life Solved.   From virtually exploring the culture of UK cities to immersive experiences of wartime history and former nightclubs, the projects Claire works on in her digital heritage role are diverse!   She expl...

From last summer’s hosepipe bans to burst pipes in winter and seasonal flooding, the UK’s water systems are far from predictable in the face of climate change and development. So what can research do to solve a growing crisis in the supply and management of water here? Dr Peter Cruddas is a Senior Lecturer in Water Environmental Engineering at the University of Portsmouth. In this episode of Life...

Escaping from reality with a favourite TV show, book or movie is a great move at this time of year, but how did the stories we love become massive money-making franchises? In this episode of Life Solved, Professor Lincoln Geraghty takes us through a history of the film franchise, and explores how they’re keeping our imaginations and the film industry alive today. From fan-based communities that se...

In this episode of Life Solved, Dr Fay Couceiro shares the latest on an exciting partnership between the University of Portsmouth and a 2,000 mile competitive rowing event! In the Summer of 2022, GB Row participants set out to row the length of the UK coastline in a gruelling endurance event, but not only that, they were gathering data to help study and map the health of our oceans. Braving waves,...

If you’re starting the new year with some aspirations to live a better life, you might be wondering what you can do to make a better planet too. Chris Jones is a Reader in Applied Psychology at the University of Portsmouth and he’s sharing his insights into how public perception and psychology can play a role in tackling one of our world’s critical problems: climate change. He says&...