Episodes

  • The Lek Inspectors
    Sep 10 2025

    Have you ever heard of Blackbucks? Do you know what a 'lek' is? In this episode, we are joined by Dr Vivek Sridhar and Dr Hemal Naik as they tell us the tales of the visually spectacular and extremely rare mating phenomenon that is called 'lekking'.

    See Hemal, Vivek and their colleagues at work in India in this fascinating documentary on their project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i4dX2l6Y-Y

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    41 mins
  • The Egg Translator
    Aug 27 2025

    What is it like being inside an egg? Can you feel your sibling eggs nearby? Do you – can you – try to talk to them? Let them know you are here as well? How do you tell your parents when you are ready to come out? We are so delighted to be joined today by Dr Gabriella Gall who is here to tell us all about her research into the world of egg communication.

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    34 mins
  • The Desert Swarmers
    Aug 13 2025

    Most of us have heard of the plague of locusts. But did you know that to this day, desert locust plagues still threaten the food security of millions? In this episode, Yannick Günzel and Inga Petelski will tell us all about how the population density and social order within a locust population can transform shy, solitary locusts into hungry, gregarious ones who are ready to march with millions of their friends to search for the next meal.

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    36 mins
  • The Flying Visionary
    Jul 30 2025

    Have you ever wondered how tiny insects navigate this huge world of ours? How do they know where to find food, how to avoid trouble, and even how to get back home? In this episode, Prof Anna Stöckl explains how the tiny but mighty insect brain controls behaviour of stunning complexity.

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    29 mins
  • The Fish Imitator
    Jul 16 2025

    Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a tiny fish travelling in a huge school of other fish like you? Would it be much easier to swim with your friends rather than just by yourself? If so – how? Today, we are joined by Dr Liang Li who designs, builds, and optimises robotic fish to study energy saving mechanisms within fish schools.


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    30 mins
  • The robot swarmer
    May 9 2024

    Are robots able to communicate with each other? Can they collaborate to achieve a common goal? In this episode, computer scientist Prof. Heiko Hamann talks about how simple robots create swarms to solve complex tasks efficiently.

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    34 mins
  • The risk-taker
    Apr 25 2024

    How do humans perceive risk? When we evaluate risky situations, are we aware that we’re being influenced by others? In this episode, decision scientist Prof. Wolfgang Gaissmaier gives us insight into risk perception and communication within the human collective.

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    30 mins
  • The plant commander
    Apr 11 2024

    Do plants communicate with each other? From roots to leaves within individuals or between different plant species? Do plants behave as a collective? In this episode, biologist Dr. Kaz Uyehara talks about how scientists observe plant communication and behaviour.

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    30 mins