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Since last May the Comoros islands in the Indian Ocean have been experiencing earthquake tremors and the island of Mayotte has sunk by more than 10cm. French geologists have set up monitoring equipment on land and the seabed to try to assess the extent of the continuing seismic activity.

Our diet influences our language according to a new study on the evolution of the way we bite. Softer foods, eaten more commonly as we developed cooking and agriculture meant our teeth wore in different ways and over time this has led to our ability to pronounce f and v sounds which rely on how we bring our jaws together.

Climate change is having a major impact on the ability of forests to recover after forest fires. If temperatures remain high and rainfall low trees have difficulty re-establishing. Over long time periods this could change landscapes, reducing forest cover.

We head to Africa's biggest science festival for a panel debate in front of a live audience that takes us into space then back down to earth to solve listeners' questions. Marnie Chesterton and Anand Jagatia are joined by aspiring extra-terrestrial, Dr Adriana Marais, who hopes to travel to Mars, along with cosmologist Palesa Nombula and sustainable energy expert Dr Sampson Mamphweli. They all explain how solving challenges on the ground will eventually help us set up home in space.

(Image: A white sand island in a lagoon, Mayotte Island. Credit: Getty Images)