Rhythm

Sebastian is not afraid to admit that he lacks natural rhythm. But Rutendo thinks he’s too hard on himself – perhaps the world is just out of sync with him. Besides, every living thing is built upon natural rhythms, from our response to night and day, to the beating of our hearts.

Kristina Bolinder leads us on an exploration of a plant with a very unusual habit: it only flowers under the light of the full moon. The reason why connects a century of lunar records with the latest in botanical research.

Deep in the Budongo Forest in Uganda, a team of researchers has been following a group of chimps for several years, and learning that they each have their own signature rhythm, expressed through drumming on the base of trees. What’s more, they can choose when to reveal their identities through their drumming, and when to keep them hidden.

Frozen Planet II Producer Rachel Scott tells us about the rhythm of life in the Arctic, from the devastating effects of climate change, to a beautiful and unexpected sequence featuring polar bears dancing on ice.

We close with the friendly tap-tapping sounds of the Great Spotted Woodpecker – who reveals much within its rhythm.

Credits: The BBC Earth podcast is presented by Sebastian Echeverri and Rutendo Shackleton. This episode was produced by Rachel Byrne and Geoff Marsh. The researcher was Seb Masters. The Production Manager was Catherine Stringer and the Production Co-ordinator was Gemma Wootton. Podcast Theme Music was composed by Axel Kacoutié, with mixing and additional sound design by Peregrine Andrews. The Associate Producer is Cristen Caine and the Executive Producer is Deborah Dudgeon.

Special thanks to: Kristina Bolinder for sharing her discovery that connected plants to the lunar cycle. Vesta Eluteri, Viola Komedova, Catherine Hobaiter and Mugisha Stephen for the feature on chimpanzee drumming. Rachel Scott from the BBC Natural History Unit. Chris Hails of wildechoes.org for providing the woodpecker soundscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.