In this week's podcast Alok Jha meets marine biologist Dr Michael Sweet, lead researcher in the Coral Health and Disease Laboratory at Derby University, UK. Michael gave this year's Darwin lecture at the British Science Festival in Newcastle. In the week when climate talks took place in Poland and scientists sounded serious warnings about sea acidification, Dr Sweet discussed the importance of coral reefs to marine ecology and why coral is under attack not just from acidification but also from pathogens in the coral triggered by rising sea temperatures.
Alok is joined by the Guardian and Observer science team, Robin McKie, Nicola Davis and Ian Sample to discuss some of the week's science stories including the imminent launch of the European Space Agency's Gaia probe, the growing use of neuroscience in US courts (here is the link to our David Eagleman interview on neuroscience and the criminal system that is mentioned in the podcast) and why singing is proving to be a therapy for dementia.
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