Sep 7, 2025 · 10 min
B
Science
Biopedia
Vince's Podcasts
Biology is a fascinating subject which is well worth exploring. Its scope stretches from individual DNA strands and viruses to blue whales, metapopulations and the biosphere. We will shine the spotlight on a different biological concept in every episode. Topics I've covered in the past include the origins of cell theory, Dollo's law and the Anthropocene; however, there is still plenty more to discover. Our focus will range from the very smallest scales to the very largest; from virions to the Gaia hypothesis. So come and explore the fascinating world of biology, one episode at a time!
- 151 episodes
- Updated Sunday
Episodes151
- BAug 24, 2025 · 9 min
110- The World's Smallest Snake
A few weeks ago in episode 108, we talked about the largest species of snake to ever exist. Well, today we are travelling to the other end of the size spectrum to talk about the smallest snake in the world. This is Tetracheilostoma carlae, the Barbados threadsnake- which was thought to have gone extinct until the year 2025... Sources for this episode: TBA
- BAug 10, 2025 · 7 min
109- Colestein Veglin
Throughout history, there have been several claims of unusual longevity. For example, Pliny the Elder mentions several cases of people claiming to be 140 in a first century CE census. Moreover, there is a man in England who supposedly died at the age of 169 in 1670. However, they don't quite compare to the case of Colestein Veglin from July 1876. Sources for this episode: TBA
- BJul 27, 2025 · 5 min
108- Titanoboa
Previous episodes of the podcast have established the precedent of examining specific species or taxa. On today's episode, we are going to examine a snake. Not just any snake- the biggest snake to have ever lived... Sources for this episode: TBA
- BJul 13, 2025 · 14 min
107- Pascal's Triangle in Biology
Pascal's Triangle is a useful concept in binomial theorem. However, it also has uses in biology. Today, we use it to answer the question- if you have X number of kids in a family or randomly chosen people in a sample, what is the probability of ending up with at least Y males and/or Z females? Sources for this episode: TBA
- BJun 29, 2025 · 9 min
106- Mitochondrial Eve and Y-Chromosomal Adam
Adam and Eve, Ask and Embla, Deucalion and Pyrrha... The cultures of the world seemingly love the idea of humanity descending from two founders. While this notion may not be in line with scientific thought, there are two individuals who everyone can trace either maternal or paternal ancestry to. Say hello to mitochondrial Eve and Y-chromosomal Adam... Sources for this episode: Berta, P., Hawkins, J. R., Sinclair, A. H., Taylor, A., Griffiths, B. L., Goodfellow, P. N. and Fellous, M. (1990), Genetic evidence equating SRY and the testis-determining factor. Nature 348: 448- 450. Callaway, E. (2013), Nature News, Genetic Adam and Eve did not too far apart in time (online). (Accessed 18/10/2020). Chan, E. K. F., Timmermann, A., Baldi, B. F., Moore, A. E., Lyons, R. J., Lee, S.-S., Kalsbeek, A. M. F., Petersen, D. C., Rautenbach, H., Förtsch, H. E. A., Bornman, M. S. R. and Hayes, V. M. (2019), Human origins in a southern African palaeo-wetland and first migrations. Nature 575: 185- 189. Chiaroni, J., Underhill, P. A. and Cavalli-Sforza, L. L. (2009), Y chromosome diversity, human expansion, drift and cultural evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 190(48): 20174- 20179. Fleischmann, T. (2019), The Norse Creation of the Cosmos. MFA, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature. Fry, S. (2017), Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold. London: Michael Joseph Ltd (part of Penguin). Ingman, M., Kaessmann, H., Pääbo, S. and Gyllensten, U. (2000), Mitochondrial genome variation and the origin of modern humans. Nature 408: 708- 713. Nass, M. M. K. and Nass, S. (1963), Intramitochondrial fibers with DNA characteristics. The Journal of Cell Biology 10: 593- 611. Sykes, B. (2001), The Seven Daughters of Eve. London: Corgi Books (part of the Random House Group Ltd. Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2004), The Penguin dictionary of biology, 11th edition, London, Penguin Books Ltd. Author unknown (2010), Holy Bible: International Children's Bible (New Century Version). Milton Keynes: Authentic Media Limited.
- BJun 15, 2025 · 5 min
105- Former Estimates of Earth's Age
We know today that our planet Earth is billions of years old. However, the people of a few centuries ago would have been equally convinced it was only a few thousand years old. So what were some of these old ages, and how big a shift is it from there to the age we've arrived at today? Sources for this episode: TBA
- BJun 1, 2025 · 5 min
104- Ming the Mollusc
It was one of the oldest individual organisms to have lived. And yet, in 2006, its story would come to an end. To find out how, come and join us on this adaptation of a post on the Biopedia website into audio format. Sources for this episode: TBA
- BMay 18, 2025 · 12 min
103- The Gaia Hypothesis
Tackling James Lovelock's most famous theorem is no easy task. However, that's exactly what we're going to do today. Join us for a breakdown of the Gaia Hypothesis, a discussion of altruism, a throwback to the Black Queen Hypothesis in episode 21 and some speculation based on an early 2000s book by Lovelock himself. Sources for this episode: TBA
- BMay 4, 2025 · 9 min
102- Hyperdontia and Hypodontia
As it turns out, Louis XIII of France and Drypetina of Pontus have something in common. They have hyperdontia, or too many teeth. Today, we go through the phenomena of hyperdontia, hypodontia and concomitant hypo-hyperdontia. Sources for this episode: Ammianus Marcellinus (1956) in Three Volumes (Vol. I). Translated by J. C. Rolfe. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd. Eshgian, N., Al-Talib, T., Nelson, S. and Abubakr, N. H. (2021), Prevalence of hyperdontia, hypodontia, and concomitant hypo-hyperdontia. Journal of Dental Sciences 16: 713-717. Gracco, A. L. T., Zanatta, S., Valvecchi, F. F., Bignotti, D., Perri, A. and Baciliero, F. (2017), Prevalence of dental agenesis in a sample of Italian orthodontic patients: an epidemiological study. Progress in Orthodontics 18:33. Littlewood, I. (2002), The Rough Guide: History of France. London: Rough Guides Ltd. Peker, I., Kaya, E. and Darendeliler-Yaman, S. (2009) Clinical and radio- graphical evaluation of non- syndromic hypodontia and hyperdontia in permanent dentition. Medicina Oral Patologia Oral y Cirugia Bucal 14: e393e7. Pliny (1961), Natural History in Ten Volumes (Volume II: Libri III- VII). Translated by H. Rackham. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann, Ltd. Snow, P. and Macmillan, A. (2022), Kings & Queens: The Real Lives of the English Monarchs. London: Welbeck. Author unknown (1830), A Collection of the Most Instructive and Amusing Lives Ever Published. Volume VIII: Lord Herbert and Prince Eugene. London: Whittaker, Treacher, and Arnot. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Agrippina the Younger (online) (Accessed 15/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Drypetina (online) (Accessed 15/10/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Louis XIII (online) (Accessed 15/10/2024).
- BApr 20, 2025 · 5 min
101- Walruses
An episode all about a suggested topic- the walrus! Let's explore how one species used to many, and the challenges the sole surviving species faces in the modern day... Sources for this episode: TBA
- BApr 6, 2025 · 7 min
100- Germ Theory and Spontaneous Generation
WE DID IT! 100 episodes. It feels crazy to say that the beginning of Biopedia in late 2020 is four and a half years ago when this episode comes out. Thank you all so much for listening and I look forward to many more episodes to come! To celebrate our milestone, we are discussing a milestone in biology- as voted for by you the community over on YouTube. Get ready for an outmoded theory about how bacteria emerge on food and huge names such as Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch! Sources for this episode: Madigan, M. T., Bender, K. S., Buckley, D. H., Sattley, W. M. and Stahl, D. A. (2019), Brock Biology of Microorganisms (15th edition). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Pasteur, L. (1881), On the Germ Theory. Science os-2(62): 420-422.
- BMar 23, 2025 · 6 min
99- The Laws of Thermodynamics in Evolution
Don't worry, you have not in fact stumbled onto a physics podcast. However, the Laws of Thermodynamics do have a rather significant connection to evolutionary biology. This is because, at first glance, they appear to lead to a rather startling conclusion- life should not be able to evolve at all... Sources for this episode: Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L. and Stryer, L. (2007), Biochemistry (6th edition). New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. Herron, J. C., and Freeman, S. (2015), Evolutionary Analysis. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Masanes, L. and Oppenheim, J. (2017), A general derivation and quantification of the third law of thermodynamics. Nature Communications 8: 14538. Ritchie, R. and Ghent, D. (2015), A Level Chemistry for OCR A. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- BMar 9, 2025 · 6 min
98- Cryptic Species
Quick correction: I call the episode on sibling species episode 37 in the audio, but it's actually episode 47! Way back in the early days of Biopedia, we discussed the concept of sibling species. Now, we're talking about cryptic species. Are these the same concept? Well, as we will see today, it's complicated... Sources for this episode: Allaby, M. (editor) (2020), Oxford Dictionary of Zoology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bickford, D., Lohman, D. J., Sodhi, N. S., Ng, P. K. L., Meier, R., Winker, K., Ingram, K. K. and Das, I. (2007), Cryptic species as a window on diversity and conservation. TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution 22(3): 148-155. Herron, J. C., and Freeman, S. (2015), Evolutionary Analysis. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Hine, R. (2019), A Dictionary of Biology (Oxford Quick Reference), 8th edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Species complex (online) (Accessed 25/07/2024).
- BFeb 23, 2025 · 6 min
97- The Hottest Summer in 2000 Years
2023 was a warm year. But let's put it into context. To do that, a 2024 study looked at temperature and tree core data to assemble summer temperatures all the way back to 1 CE. As for the result- the title speaks for itself... Sources for this episode: Bianchi, G. G., & McCave, I. N. (1999). Holocene periodicity in North Atlantic climate and deep-ocean flow south of Iceland. Nature, 397(6719): 515–517. Büntgen, U., Myglan, V. S., Ljungqvist, F. C., McCormick, M., Di Cosmo, N., Sigl, M., Jungclaus, J., Wagner, S., Krusic, P. J., Esper, J., Kaplan, J. O., de Vaan, M. A. C., Luterbacher, J., Wacker, L., Tegel, W., & Kirdyanov, A. V. (2016). Cooling and societal change during the Late Antique Little Ice Age from 536 to around 660 AD. Nature Geoscience, 9(3): 231–236. Dull, R. A., Southon, J. R., Kutterolf, S., Anchukaitis, K. J., Freundt, A., Wahl, D. B., Sheets, P., Amaroli, P., Hernandez, W., Wiemann, M. C., & Oppenheimer, C. (2019). Radiocarbon and geologic evidence reveal Ilopango volcano as source of the colossal ‘mystery’ eruption of 539/40 CE. Quaternary Science Reviews, 222: 105855. Dytham, C. (2011). Choosing and Using Statistics: A Biologist’s Guide (3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. Esper, J., Torbenson, M. and Büntgen, U. (2024), 2023 summer warmth unparalleled over the past 2,000 years. Nature 631: 94-97. Goosse, H., Crespin, E., Dubinkina, S., Loutre, M.-F., Mann, M. E., Renssen, H., Sallaz-Damaz, Y., & Shindell, D. (2012). The role of forcing and internal dynamics in explaining the “Medieval Climate Anomaly.” Climate Dynamics, 39(12): 2847–2866. Graham, N. E., Ammann, C. M., Fleitmann, D., Cobb, K. M., & Luterbacher, J. (2011). Support for global climate reorganization during the “Medieval Climate Anomaly.” Climate Dynamics, 37(5–6): 1217–1245. Lamb, H. H. (1965). The early medieval warm epoch and its sequel. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 1(1): 13–37. Lowe, J., & Walker, M. (2015). Reconstructing Quaternary Environments (3rd ed.). Routledge. Mann, M. E., Zhang, Z., Rutherford, S., Bradley, R. S., Hughes, M. K., Shindell, D., Ammann, C., Faluvegi, G., & Ni, F. (2009). Global Signatures and Dynamical Origins of the Little Ice Age and Medieval Climate Anomaly. Science, 326(5957): 1256–1260. Matthews, J. A., & Briffa, K. R. (2005). The ‘little ice age’: re‐evaluation of an evolving concept. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 87(1): 17–36. Shi, F., Sun, C., Guion, A., Yin, Q., Zhao, S., Liu, T., & Guo, Z. (2022). Roman Warm Period and Late Antique Little Ice Age in an Earth System Model Large Ensemble. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 127(16): e2021JD035832.
- BFeb 12, 2025 · 6 min
Darwin Day 2025- Charles Darwin Represented in Science Fiction
A bit of an unusual one this year- I was recently given a Dr Who book featuring Charles Darwin. So, let's examine the historical details of this novella and see how they represented Darwin. Have they done him justice? Sources for this episode: TBA
- BFeb 9, 2025 · 5 min
96- Ancestors versus Human Population
Your number of ancestors double every generation. Two parents, four grandparents, and so on. If we compare these numbers to the total number of people alive on the planet as we go back in time, what do we find? And what do researchers say on the subject? Sources for this episode: Bell, S., Phys (2013), Researcher uses DNA to demonstrate just how closely everyone on Earth is related to everyone else (online) (Accessed 05/07/2024). Berger, B. M. (1960), How Long Is a Generation? The British Journal of Sociology 11(1): 10-23. Hershberger, S., Scientific American (2020), Humans Are All More Closely Related Than We Commonly Think (online) (Accessed 05/07/2024). Matsamura, S. and Forster, P. (2008), Generation time and effective population size in Polar Eskimos. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 275: 1501-1508. Murdock, N. H. (1998), Teenage Pregnancy. Journal of the National Medical Association 90(3): 135. Author unknown, Guiness World Records (date unknown), Oldest person to give birth (online) (Accessed 05/07/2024). Author unknown, Our World in Data (date unknown), Population, 10,000 BCE to 2021 (online) (Accessed 05/07/2024).
- BJan 26, 2025 · 5 min
95- Rewind: Fossil Fuels
For a podcast which has talked several times before about global warming and climate change, we haven't addressed fossil fuels yet. So, let's redress that today! Sources for this episode: Hine, R. S. (2019), Oxford Dictionary of Biology (8th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kalair, A., Abas, N., Saleem, M. S., Kalair, A. R. and Khan, N. (2020), Role of energy storage systems in energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Energy Storage 3: e135. Ritchie, R. and Gent, D. (2015), A Level Chemistry for OCR A. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Author uknown, The Ohio State University (date unknown), Life on Mars: The Future of Human Adventure- Exploring Mars as a Solution to Earth's Problems (online) (Accessed 28/06/2024). Author unknown, Our World in Data (date unknown) Fossil fuels (online) (Accessed 28/06/2024). Author unknown, UMCP Berkeley (date unknown), The Carboniferous Period (online) (Accessed 28/06/2024).
- BJan 12, 2025 · 4 min
94- Galactic Cycles Part II
In episode 71, we treated a galactic cycle of about 220 million years as a unit of time with which to view evolution. Today, we'll be picking up where we left off and seeing the story through all the way to the end- or rather, the beginning... Sources for this episode: Cox, B. and Cohen, A. (2013), Wonders of Life. London: HarperCollins Publishers. Emelyanov, V. V. (2001), Rickettsiaceae, Rickettsia-like Endosymbionts, and the Origin of Mitochondria. Bioscience Reports 21(1): 1-17. Herron, J. C., and Freeman, S. (2015), Evolutionary Analysis. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Knoll, A. H. (2005), Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2004), The Penguin Dictionary of Biology (11th edition). London: the Penguin Group. Wernegreen, J. J. (2012), Endosymbiosis. Current Biology 22(14): R555-R561.
- BDec 29, 2024 · 6 min
93- Biological Impacts of Chernobyl
In 1986, the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl- then in the USSR, now in Ukraine- experienced meltdown. This disaster is one of the worst in nuclear history. However, there are some biological consequences we should explore. Sources for this episode: The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2020), Chernobyl accident summary (online) (Accessed 29/05/2024). The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2024), Half-life (online) (Accessed 31/05/2024). Ellegren, H., Lingren, G., Primmer, C. R. and Møller, A. P. (1997), Fitness loss and germline mutations in barn swallows breeding in Chernobyl. Nature 389: 593-596. Hine, R. S. (2019), Oxford Dictionary of Biology (8th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Møller, A. P. and Mousseau, T. A. (2015), Strong effects of ionizing radiation from Chernobyl on mutation rates. Nature Scientific Reports 5: 8363. Weinberg, H. Sh., Korol, A. B., Kirzhner, V. M., Avivi, A., Fahima, T., Nevo, E., Shapiro, S., Rennert, G., Piatak, O., Stepanova, E. I. and Skvarskaja, E. (2001), Very high mutation rate in offspring of Chernobyl accident liquidators. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 268: 1001-1005.