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
Avg 14 min
English

Episodes 20

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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?

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes