Naturebang

BBC Radio 4

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight make sense of what it means to be human by looking to the natural world... Science meets storytelling with a philosophical twist.

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20 episodes
Updated May 8

Episodes20

Newest first

May 8 · 13 min
Plants and the Mystery of Consciousness
Are plants intelligent? Could they help us unravel the mystery of consciousness?
May 7 · 13 min
African Wild Dogs and Democracy
Can we take notes on democracy from a pack of sneezing wild dogs?
May 6 · 13 min
Rats, Risk and Reward
What can we learn about chasing the big win, from rats, in a tiny rat casino?
May 5 · 13 min
Riverbeds and the Sedimentation of Ideas
What if all the ideas surrounding our lives are like pieces of sediment in a river?
May 4 · 13 min
Giant Anteaters and Power Posing
What shape does an anteater make when threatened? And is there real power in a power pose?
Aug 29, 2025 · 14 min
Grooming Apes and the Origins of Kissing
The hairy history of the human kiss. Where did it come from? And why is it good for us?
Aug 28, 2025 · 14 min
Photosynthetic Clams and the Problem of Power
How do we extract the maximum amount of power from the sun? With the help of a giant clam.
Aug 27, 2025 · 14 min
Running Wild and the Science of Endurance
Why do animals move the way they do? And why do we humans love to run?
Aug 26, 2025 · 14 min
Red Deer and Authority of Voice
Do lower voices demand more power? The roar of a red deer stag may hold the answer.
Aug 25, 2025 · 14 min
Magpies and Altruism
Why do we help each other out? Even when it gets us nothing? Magpies might know.
Aug 2, 2024 · 14 min
Underground Fungi and the Market Economy
How do the underground trade deals between fungi and plants mirror our own market economy?
Aug 1, 2024 · 14 min
Crafty Cuttlefish and Theory of Mind
Can we know what others know? And how do we figure out if they're telling fibs?
Jul 31, 2024 · 14 min
Burying Beetles and the Politics of Parenting
How should we raise our kids? Is there such a thing as too much love?
Jul 30, 2024 · 14 min
Dr Orangutan and the Evolution of Medicine
What makes us sick? What makes us well again? And do animals medicate like we do?
Jul 29, 2024 · 14 min
Rainbowfish and the Mysteries of Memory
Are fish memories as bad as we think they are? And are human memories as good as we think?
Sep 22, 2023 · 14 min
Drunk Moose and the Drive to Get Loose
What can a drunken moose, stuck in a tree, tell us about our drive to get intoxicated?
Sep 21, 2023 · 14 min
Zebra Finches and Learning a Language
How to birds learn to sing? How do we learn to talk? And what happens when it goes wrong?
Sep 20, 2023 · 14 min
Buff Geese and Gym Rats
How do animals maintain fitness? And do I really have to go to the gym?
Sep 19, 2023 · 14 min
Killer Whales and the Mystery of the Menopause
Why do we - and a few species of whale - have a menopause?
Sep 18, 2023 · 14 min
Chuckling Chimps and the Evolution of Laughter
What do the giggles and guffaws of the animal world tell us about our own use of laughter?