As Sir David King prepares to step down from his position as the UK government's chief scientist at the end of the month, he tells Alok Jha about his legacy and the advice he has for his successor, John Beddington.
Also in the show, Ian Sample tells us about empathetic orang-utans and why humans are evolving faster than ever. Technology correspondent and serial podder Bobbie Johnson - yes, stand by for our new Technology Weekly podcast - laments the end of 'big physcis' as the UK pulls out of plans for ILC. (He'd rather you look at our video of a long-eared jeroba instead.) And with the Bali climate change talks over, James Randerson travels to a small Swedish town 300 kilometres north of the artic circle to speak with the scientists at the very forefront of the battle against global warming. Finally, we discuss the science of Harry Potter - mostly with the contempt it deserves.
We're back on christmas eve with a special look back on 2007 and our very best bits from the pod, and then again on Wednesday January 2 with our first podcast of 2008.
