Futureproof with Jonathan McCrea

Language is fundamental to who we are and what has makes us so successful as a species, and while all species have their own means of communicating, we are the only ones that seem to have mastered it.

But where did this ability to share complex ideas using sound come from? And what effect has it had on our development?

In this Futureproof special, Jonathan looks to unravel questions about the evolution of language, the impact it has on our brain, and how we might communicate with extraterrestrials if we were to encounter them.

- Mark Pagel, Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading

- Lera Boroditsky, Associate Professor of Cognitive Science at UCSD and author of '7,000 Universes: How the Languages We Speak Shape the Way We Think'

- Daniel Oberhaus, writer with 'Wired' and author of 'Extraterrestrial Languages'

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately one out of every 15,000 births.

It affects males and females with equal frequency and affects all races and ethnicities and is recognized as one of the most common genetic causes of life-threatening childhood obesity.

To discuss this disorder and what can be done to help people living with it, Jonathan is joined now by Dr. Tony Holland, Professor Emeritus at the University of Cambridge, UK & President of the International Prader-Willi Syndrome Organisation.

Most of us could probably put together a list of things we find attractive in a potential partner and a lot of those things will likely come down to our personality or the cultural environment.

But what about that initial, almost unconscious, spark of attraction? What causes that and does it have any real impact on whether a relationship with that person will stand the test of time?

Paul Eastwick is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, and Head of the Attraction and Relationships Research Laboratory - he joins Jonathan to discuss.

There has been a lot said about the extinction of the dinosaurs.

But aside from the actual extinction event itself, when it comes to the days, weeks, months, and years immediately following it well, not so much.

So, how exactly did any species survive it, and why those specific species?

Riley Black is a freelance science writer specializing in evolution, paleontology, and natural history, and the author of ‘The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction and the Beginning of Our World’ -

She joins Jonathan to discuss.

In years gone by, if a bee was annoying you, it was usually "bye-bye Mr. Bee" but nowadays, we’re more likely to put out plates of sugary water to help them on their way as in recent years our appreciation for these incredible insects has grown, our understanding of their importance more rounded.

But just how intelligent are they?

Lars Chittka, Professor in Sensory and Behavioural Ecology at Queen Mary University of London and author of 'The Mind of a Bee' joins Jonathan to discuss.

Jurassic Park came out in 1993, then "Dolly" the sheep was cloned in 1996, and yet here we are more than two decades later and we still haven’t got a dinosaur theme park.

So, what’s the hold-up?

Well aside from the many significant ethical issues, the scientific challenges are huge and one in particular that adversely affects much more reasonable de-extinction projects is the simple fact that right now we can’t clone birds or dinosaurs for that matter.

Why?

Ben Novak is Lead Scientist with Revive & Restore, he joins Jonathan to discuss.

While you may be King or Queen of your local park run, no matter how much training you do, even if you were to use performance-enhancing drugs, you'll still never outrun the likes of the common house cat.

So, what are the determining factors when it comes to the top speed that can be achieved by animals?

Michael Gunther is a Researcher in Biomechanics at the University of Stuttgart, he joins Jonathan to discuss.

Dr. Shane Bergin & Dr. Lara Dungan also join Jonathan for this week's installment of Newsround.

Have you ever seen a ghost, or a UFO, or had some seemingly supernatural experience that you can’t explain?

If you haven’t, we'd be willing to bet you probably know someone who has.

These experiences are fairly common across cultures and they can’t all be the work of hoaxers and charlatans. So what’s going on?

Chris French is Emeritus Professor of Psychology in the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at the Goldsmiths University of London. He joins Jonathan to discuss.

If you are a pet owner you probably have plenty of experience trying to get a basic message across to your dog or perhaps if you own a cat you gave up on that hope years ago.

Yet many of us have had that momentary glimpse of understanding; that sense that we could communicate if we just worked at it.

But is animal translation actually possible?

Diana Reiss is a Co-Founder of the Interspecies Internet and Professor in the Department of Psychology at Hunter College. She joins Jonathan to discuss.

Dr. Lara Dungan & Dr. Shane Bergin also join Jonathan for Newsround.

Dr. Julia Shaw, a psychological scientist at University College London and the author of ‘Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality’ joins Jonathan to discuss her work in uncovering the many surprising truths behind sexual orientation and bisexuality as a whole.