Catalyst

T16:C03 - S16:E03 - Tick Allergy & Alien Technology

Mammalian meat allergy is on the rise in Australia and the surprising cause – a tick bite. Dr Jonica Newby meets Dr Sheryl van Nunen, the clinician who discovered the link. She found that if the tick had fed off another mammal first, the tick’s blood was infected with a sugar called alpha gal. Once bitten by the infected tick our immune system reacts to alpha gal causing an allergic reaction. This story is a must see if you want the latest tips on how best to remove a tick. Is there anyone out there? Does the popular movie quote ‘ET phone home’ have any substance? Astronomers have been pointing their radio telescopes at the skies for decades trying to pick up alien signals, so far without success. But now there’s a new way of looking for aliens. Hitch a ride with Dr Graham Philips as he joins astronomers trawling through the galaxy looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.