Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

Semiconductor devices are everywhere, with almost 80% of the Irish population having a smartphone - not to mention any number of other computer devices. And not only is their presence in modern life ubiquitous, but the way in which these devices are produced is also astonishing - being created through a painstaking process requiring single atoms to be removed one by one. Joining Jonathan to discuss the challenges and solutions involved in making semiconductors is Michael Nolan, Principal Scientist at Tyndall National Institute, where he leads the Materials Modelling for Devices activity in the MNS Centre.

Severe period pain, infertility and even depression - living with endometriosis can have serious effects on quality of life. Will new technologies finally yield therapy for those with the condition? Joining Jonathan to discuss this is Dr Kate Lawrenson, associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in LA.

An injury to the spinal cord can be hugely traumatic and life-changing. While currently, there are no proven treatments that protect against the consequences of SCI work goes on to change that. Aleksandra Serafin, a Ph.D. researcher at the School of Engineering at the University of Limerick, is involved in one line of research that looks to be a part of that change - she joins Jonathan to discuss.

The Africanized honey bee has earned itself the nickname of ‘the killer bee’, but how much truth is there to the suggestion that the species was created by an experiment gone wrong? Joining Jonathan to discuss this is Mark L. Winston, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University, in British Columbia, Canada. Catherine McGuinness, Zoologist and Educator & Dr Jessamyn Fairfield, University of Galway physicist join us to go through the top science stories from the week in Newsround.

Think of those greatly-preserved Roman structures like the Pantheon and you might marvel that they are still standing after all these centuries. So what’s so special about this ancient construction that leaves us with these marvelous buildings? Linda Seymour, a former MIT doctoral student with a background in civil engineering – alongside researchers from MIT, Harvard, and labs in Switzerland and Italy – has been examining what made Roman concrete so durable - she joins Jonathan to discuss.