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PODCAST

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

BBC World Service

Amazing things humans have learnt from the animal kingdom. Inspiring, fascinating, bingeable. Please note, we are no longer able to receive emails for this series.

technology

All Episodes

13:59

Fish schools and windfarm

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/08/19

The way hundreds of fish move together may help with the design of wind turbines. Schools of fish appear to move as one - turning, contracting, expanding, even parting and then coming back together again. This is a beautiful sight. Scientists have been studying them to try to make wind farms more efficient. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

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12:33

Bombardier beetle and fuel injection

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/08/12

It blasts a toxic spray at predators. Now this beetle may help cars become more fuel efficient. The bombardier is the species of beetle that even sprayed acid in Charles Darwin’s mouth. The 'biological cannons' may help in the design of powerful fuel injection systems. See our animations here: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

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15:38

Bat and unassisted flight

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/08/05

Imagine flapping your arms and flying. Could we do that based on how the bat does it? Leonardo Da Vinci was fascinated by the flight of bird and bats and used to sketch ideas in notebooks for a flying machine called the Ornithopter. With Patrick Aryee.Catch-up with our animations here: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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14:23

Spider and window glass

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/07/29

How can we prevent millions of birds from being killed by flying into windows? The solution could rest with spiders. Webs containing UV reflective threads deter birds from colliding with them. With Patrick Aryee. To see our spider and window glass animation go to: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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14:50

Whale and wind turbine

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/07/22

The shape of flippers may help with the efficiency of wind turbines, thanks to humpback whales. Bumps on the edge of their flippers assist them, as they power through water. Biologist Frank Fish discovered this when he saw a sculpture. With Patrick Aryee. For more information and animations: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals Please leave rating and reviews and help us to spread the word. #30Animals

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13:22

Gecko and adhesives

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/07/15

How do geckos walk up walls and across ceilings? It is all down to the hair-like structure on their feet. A sticky material based on these clever lizards could help us grab debris in space! With Patrick Aryee. For more information and animations: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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13:13

Spider and rescue robot

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/07/08

Meet the spider-inspired robot that one day might just save your life. Based on how spiders move, it could get to places too difficult for a rescue team to access. Just like our eight-legged friends, it can squeeze around obstacles and through small spaces. With Patrick Aryee. For more information and animations: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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13:08

Shark and hospital surfaces

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/07/01

Millions of ridged scales make it difficult for bacteria to attach to the skin of a shark. Can we reduce infections and fight superbugs in a similar way? Have a look at our beautiful animation to see how the shark’s scales or ‘denticles’ work: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

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14:59

Albatross and drone

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/06/24

Imagine a drone that can fly like the Wandering Albatross. The huge bird harnesses power from the wind and sun and glides over the sea. It is extraordinary. And an engineer has designed a robotic glider that can also ride the wind, while surfing the waves like a sailboat. With Patrick Aryee. See all our animations so far: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30animals

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12:45

Stenocara beetle and water collector

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/06/17

It performs headstands in a desert; now this beetle is teaching us how to collect water. The Stenocara beetle survives in one of the most arid places in the world – the Namib Desert in southern Africa. Scientists have been studying its wings and back. With Patrick Aryee. See our Stenocara beetle animation: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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13:34

Sea otter and wetsuit

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/06/10

Want a warm and waterproof wetsuit? Then take a look at how the sea otter does it! It’s all down to air-trapping hairs. Ideally, surfers want something that is flexible and easy to wear, which sheds water as quickly as possible when you are out of the sea and will keep you warm when you are in it. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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14:58

Desert spider and Mars robot

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/06/03

The cartwheeling spider acrobat that could help us explore Mars. This is no ordinary spider and it has led to an extraordinary robot design, perfect for space exploration. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals The audio for this podcast was updated on 7th June 2019.

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14:51

Cod and antifreeze

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/05/27

Fish living in sub-zero waters are inspiring ways to de-ice planes and store ice cream. Arctic and Atlantic cod and also snow fleas are able to live at temperatures which would normally freeze human blood. We are learning from them - new methods are now being developed that could even prolong the viability of human organs which have to be transported over vast distances. With Patrick Aryee.

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16:17

Termite and ventilation system

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/05/20

A building which heats and cools itself? How was that possible? Termites had the answer. The insects circulate air around their homes or mounds and regulate the temperature inside. They inspired an architect called Mick Pearce, who was designing the heating and ventilation system for a large office and retail building in Harare. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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14:28

Mussel and plywood

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/05/13

How a trip to the seaside led to the development of a glue and a formaldehyde-free plywood. When a scientist called Kaichang Li had trouble pulling mussels off a rock, he decided to investigate their tenacious grip. See our animations from previous episodes: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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11:51

Firefly and lightbulb

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/05/06

The secrets of a firefly’s glow could help us brighten our lives and create more energy efficient lighting. See our animation: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals Male fireflies attract mates by producing flashes of light in the dark at night. Scientists have been studying this in order to improve our own LED bulbs. #30Animals

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14:05

Tardigrade and vaccine transport

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/04/29

A bizarre looking creature that may help us make vaccines last longer to move them across the globe. It is less than a millimetre long but the tardigrade is tough - really tough! Its extraordinary survival abilities may hold the key to helping us extend the shelf life of both blood and vaccines. This could extend the distances they can be transported, saving more lives. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30animals

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14:51

Bat and visual aid

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/04/22

Click, click, click! The bat’s navigational skills could be life changing to people who are blind. Daniel Kish has mastered the art of echolocation and can navigate by tongue clicking. In this podcast, you can try too. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30animals

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14:10

Woodpecker and black box

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/04/15

A bird’s remarkable skull and the quest to protect aeroplane flight data recorders from damage caused by high impacts. Woodpeckers can hammer repeatedly on trees without damaging their brain. Could this lead to new designs for black boxes and bicycle helmets? With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30animals

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14:56

Mosquito and surgical needle

30 Animals That Made Us Smarter ·

2019/04/08

The blood sucking pest and a pain free surgical needle. Scientists have been studying the mosquito’s mouthparts. Could the dreaded ‘prick’ of a needle soon be a thing of the past? With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

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63 results

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