Instant Genius

In springtime, as the Sun rises, the early morning air is filled with the glorious sound of birdsong. This is known as the dawn chorus. But why exactly are birds so vocal at this time of the day, what purpose does it serve, and how did their songs get so complex?

In this episode, we’re joined by the RSPB’s Adrian Thomas, a bird expert and author of the RSPB Guide to Birdsong.

He explains how this breathtaking morning symphony is motivated by mating rituals and territorial displays, tells us about the songs of some of his favourite avian vocal superstars, and gives us some top tips on how we can best experience this stunning natural phenomenon for ourselves.

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Forests cover around one-third of all landmass on Earth and, as such, play a key role in the ecological health of the entire planet. However, thanks to decades of exploitation, climate pressures and natural disasters, this vital resource is beginning to struggle. So, what can we do to help these essential environments thrive?

In this episode, we’re joined by Suzanne Simard, a professor of forest ecology based at the University of British Columbia, to talk about her latest book, When the Forest Breathes – Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World.

She tells us about the environmental damage modern logging practices are causing to our precious natural forests, what the latest research is telling us about the measures we can take to nurture them back to health, and details the many lessons we can learn by joining forces with the indigenous people who have taken care of this key environmental resource for the last ten thousand years.

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For most of us, our experience of flowers is limited to sending a bouquet to our loved ones on special occasions or perhaps picking up some pretty plants from the garden centre to cheer up our homes. But if we take a wider, more nuanced view, it quickly becomes clear that flowers have played an essential role in the evolution of the vast and varied ecosystems of the planet we live on. The fact is, without them, the Earth would be a very different place indeed.

In this episode, we’re joined by David George Haskell, adjunct professor of environmental sciences at Emory University and author, to talk about his latest book, How Flowers Made Our World – The Story of Nature’s Revolutionaries.

He tells us how the emergence of flowering plants around 130 million years ago triggered a massive cascade in biodiversity that we’re still feeling the effects of today, how their genetic flexibility has allowed them to be so evolutionarily successful, and talks us through the huge influence they continue to have on human life and culture.

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While we may not always be consciously aware of it, chemical processes are busy whirring away every second of every day, no matter what we’re doing or where we look.

Be it the reactions that continuously occur in our own bodies to keep us alive, the manufacturing processes used to make the clothes we wear, the homes we live in and the products we rely on to make our lives more comfortable, or even in the development of the medicines we use to treat disease.

In this episode, we’re joined by Prof Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, professor of pharmaceutical neuroscience at University College London, and president of Wolfson College, Cambridge, to talk about her latest book, Chain Reaction – The Wondrous Chemistry of Everyday Life.

She tells us how all of the bodily functions we take for granted are grounded in the chemistry of the atoms and molecules we’re made of, how we’ve harnessed the processes of chemistry to create the materials we rely on for our survival every single day, and how taking a moment or two to think about these fascinating processes can open us up to a whole new way of looking, not only at ourselves, but also at the world we live in.

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Perhaps due to poor weather, the COVID pandemic, or a simple lack of motivation, these days many of us spend a lot of our time indoors. However, wherever we live, there are always opportunities to get out into nature and learn more about the world we live in. Doing so can not only enrich our own lives by more deeply engaging with the environments that surround us but can also help scientists and researchers to gather data and make new insights that are vital for the survival of our flora and fauna.

In this episode, we’re joined by Jo Harris, the education manager at the Field Studies Council.

She tells us about her work helping people of all ages to get outside and learn more about the rich environments and ecosystems that are on our own doorsteps and the huge contribution that we can all make to deepen our collective knowledge of the natural world by engaging in citizen science projects.

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Smelly, dirty and a bit embarrassing – we tend to treat our poo as a private matter, to be dealt with in the bathroom and then stringently ignored. But, while we may not want to discuss toilet time at the dinner table, our bowel movements can give us invaluable information about our wider health.

In this episode, we speak to Dr Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist, medical doctor and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and the author of the upcoming, You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong.

Trisha argues that we should treat our faecal matter with a little more curiosity and respect, as clues about our mood, diet, brain health – and more. She also explains how to upgrade your poops, in an effort to reach poophoria.

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Planet Earth is currently facing its sixth mass extinction event, with hundreds of species of plants and animals being lost for good every single day. For the first time in history, this devastating loss of the world’s flora and fauna is not being caused by natural phenomena, but by the actions of human beings. However, there is still hope that, if we start to take steps in the right direction, this looming crisis can be averted.

In this episode, we’re joined by environmentalist and author Natalie Kyriacou to talk about her latest book, Nature’s Last Dance – Tales of Wonder in an Age of Extinction.

She tells us how the influence of humans on the planet has become so profound that many researchers say the era we are now living in should be called the Anthropocene, talks us through some of the innovative solutions conservationists around the world are putting in place to save endangered species, and explains why we need to seriously reassess our current systems of economy, law and commerce if we are to turn the situation around.

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If you were to mention the term gout, the chances are that most of us would think of the gluttonous sovereigns of yesteryear who ended up with the condition after years of gorging on rich foods and drinking fortified wines. But the fact is, cases of gout have been climbing significantly over the past few decades. So, what’s behind this increase and what measures can we all take to help us avoid this painful condition?

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Daniel Baumgardt, a GP and lecturer in health and life sciences at the University of Bristol, to talk about what happens in our bodies when we suffer from gout.

He tells us how gout is caused by jagged acidic crystals forming in and around joints, how, far from only affecting the elderly, it’s beginning to affect more and more people in their 20s and 30s, and how suffering from an acute gout attack could be a warning sign that your cardiovascular system is also in poor health.

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Thanks to our highly developed brains, sophisticated ability to communicate and use of advanced technology, it can be easy to think that we humans are separate from, and even superior to, the animals we share the Earth with.

But the truth is that animals have profoundly influenced the progress and evolution of human beings for tens of thousands of years.

In this episode, we’re joined by science writer Michael Bond to talk about his latest book, Animate – How Animals Shape the Human Mind.

He tells us what the elaborate cave paintings found across the globe can teach us about our ancient ancestors’ relationship with animals, how evolution has finetuned our brains to help us recognise animals and understand their behaviour, and what we can learn about ourselves by more deeply investigating the way we treat other living beings.

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The human brain is undoubtedly one of the true marvels of nature. But many of the neural mechanisms that evolved to keep our ancestors alive over thousands of years are now leaving us feeling dissatisfied, anxious and depressed thanks to the rapid advances in technology and culture we now find ourselves faced with. The simple fact is, we’re living in an environment that our brains were not built to survive in.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Paul Goldsmith, an evolutionary neuroscientist, author and visiting professor at Imperial College London, to talk about his latest book, The Evolving Brain – An Ancient Tool in a Modern World.

He tells us how the pressures and goals many of us are now confronted with are vastly different from the challenges faced by our ancestors, the huge impact this is having on our mental wellbeing by excessively triggering our natural stress responses and shares some advice from neuroscience we can all use to navigate the trials of modern life more healthily.

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