Cross Section: Dame Jane Francis - Science Weekly podcast

Prof Dame Jane Francis knows Antarctica better than most: she's spent the majority of her career researching this icy landscape. Ian Sample talks to her about what it's like to camp in Antarctica and what her findings can tell us about our future on this planet

Prof Jane Francis was made a dame in 2017 for services to diplomacy and polar science. As you might expect, Francis has spent much of her career in Antarctica. What you might not expect is that she did so in the hope of finding fossilised plants. Millions of years ago, Antarctica was covered in luscious forests and had very little snow. Francis's work has shed light on some of the reasons for this Antarctic paradox.

Ian Sample invited Francis, the director of British Antarctic Survey, on to the podcast to talk about what it's like to camp in Antarctica and how her findings there should make us all think about our future on this planet.