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The genes of unrelated others can influence our health and behaviour. New research suggests the genetic makeup of our partners can have a profound influence on our lives. Scientists have quantified genetic influence, in mice at present but the plan is to try to extend this to human interactions. If accepted this has potentially far reaching consequences for studying heritability and also perhaps modern medicine as the findings suggest an illness can in part be influenced by those we live with.

Making Metallic Hydrogen
For more than 80 years, it has been predicted that hydrogen will adopt metallic properties under certain conditions, and now researchers have successfully demonstrated this phenomenon. Theoretically, metallic hydrogen will have many qualities important in the realm of physics, including high temperature superconductivity and super-fluidity, which could hold valuable implications for solving energy problems.

What Makes Us Fat?
Is it true that some people put on weight more easily than others? And if so why? It's a question that is close to many of our hearts. And it's a question that medical researcher, Professor Sadaf Farooqi is trying to answer. She tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili how she discovered ten rare genetic disorders that cause severe childhood obesity and what this means for the rest of us.

Human/Animal Chimeras
Efforts to grow the first embryos containing cells from humans and pigs are proving more challenging than anticipated. Human/animal chimeras are not without controversy. However, supporters say they can offer insights into early human development and disease onset and provide a realistic drug-testing platform. And they may also someday provide a means of growing human cells, tissues, and organs for regenerative medicine.

The Falklands Island Wolf
Scientists unravel the mysterious natural history of the Falklands Island Wolf. It was first spotted and described by Charles Darwin. The now extinct ‘wolf’ is thought to be an ancestor of a jackal-like creature which crossed the shallow, sometimes frozen sea from South America.

How to Spot Fake Health News
How much do you trust the news you read about health and medicine? Some stories on social media are not to be trusted – according to public health officials, voicing concern about the amount of made-up health news shared online. In 2016 the UK’s Independent newspaper found that out of the 20 most shared articles with cancer in the headline, more than half have been discredited. Claudia Hammond hears from the Stat News’s Watchdog Columnist Ivan Oransky who has some tips on how to spot the fakes.

Altered States of Consciousness
How normal are you? People who hear voices or have other sensory experiences often do not talk about it – because of the fear of stigma. An immersive art exhibition in south London’s Copeland Gallery gives an insight into what it feels like to hear voices to and challenge our perceptions of mental health.

(Photo caption: Group of friends cooking breakfast in kitchen together © monkeybusinessimages)

The Science Hour was presented by Claudia Hammond with comments by James Gallagher, Science Reporter, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News online

Producer: Adrian Washbourne

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