Podcast: Vaping concerns, medical detection dogs, and a visit to CERN

In this edition: We explore the possible harms of vaping, meet dogs trained to detect disease, and travel through the physics of CERN.

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News: Sepsis alert and dreaming while awake – We find out about a new system to automatically alert doctors to patients displaying signs of sepsis, and discover how the psychedelic drug in ayahuasca affects the brain.

Is vaping dangerous? – We examine the evidence around recent deaths from e-cigarettes, exploring how non-sanctioned uses and flavourings may be harmful, while also recognising how vaping helps cigarette smokers avoid potentially worse effects.

The dogs that sniff out disease – We meet medical detection dogs that are being trained (by their human researchers) to recognise early lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients before they become chronic and cause damage.

A voyage through CERN – We visit the home of the Large Hardon Collider, investigating the forefront of particle physics and meeting Imperial researchers trying to answer big questions about the universe.

You can also listen to the extended version with even more physics.

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The podcast is presented by Gareth Mitchell, a lecturer on Imperial's MSc Science Communication course and the presenter of Click Radio on the BBC World Service, with contributions from our roving reporters in the research news and media team.