Podcast: Feeling like a scientist, wastewater disease tests, and summer droughts

In this edition: When a scientist begins to feel like one, monitoring wastewater for diseases like COVID-19, and how droughts led to hosepipe bans.

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News: Flu campaign kick-off and 3D-printing drones – We find out what we might expect from this year’s flu season as the vaccination drive gets going, and learn about new drones that could 3D-print and repair buildings, working together as a fleet.

Feeling like a scientist: the space scientist – When does a scientist first start to feel like one? We introduce a new series exploring the careers of some of our scientists, beginning with Jesús Manuel Muñoz Tejeda, who studies space propulsion technology.

Testing wastewater for disease – We meet Claire Trant, Imperial alum and co-founder of Untap, a company that automatically tests wastewater in communal buildings including factories and offices to identify the presence of diseases like COVID-19.

When droughts lead to hosepipe bans – We get the lowdown on this year’s droughts from Dr Barnaby Dobson, who explains how droughts are defined, what causes hosepipe bans, and how climate change could impact droughts of the future.

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The podcast is presented by Gareth Mitchell, a lecturer on Imperial's MSc Science Communication course and the presenter of Digital Planet on the BBC World Service, with contributions from our roving reporters in the Communications and Public Affairs Division.