CrowdScience

What’s the Oldest Living Thing?


Listen Later

Trees transcend human generations – but are they the oldest living things on Earth? CrowdScience listener William from London, UK, got in touch to ask what the oldest tree or other organism on our planet is. Presenter Marnie Chesterton heads out to meet one of our older arboreal cousins to see how we can work out its age - without cutting it down to count the rings. But whilst certain individual trees can live for thousands of years, some that live in colonies can survive for much longer – perhaps up to 80,000 years old. Along the way, Marnie asks what other organisms contend for this title, what the word ‘oldest’ really means, and even ponders whether some creatures could actually be immortal.
Do you have a question we can turn into a programme? Email us at [email protected]
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Jen Whyntie
(Image: Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Credit: Getty Images)
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

CrowdScienceBy BBC World Service

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

4 ratings


More shows like CrowdScience

View all
The Science Show by ABC listen

The Science Show

120 Listeners

All In The Mind by ABC listen

All In The Mind

748 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,837 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,687 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

415 Listeners

TED Talks Daily by TED

TED Talks Daily

11,128 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

895 Listeners

The Forum by BBC World Service

The Forum

276 Listeners

Future Tense by ABC listen

Future Tense

72 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,940 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

401 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

756 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

475 Listeners

ABC News Daily by ABC

ABC News Daily

125 Listeners

The Intelligence from The Economist by The Economist

The Intelligence from The Economist

2,517 Listeners