Naturebang

Plants and the Mystery of Consciousness

The mystery of consciousness has been one of the most unsolvable problems across neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. How can a lump of matter come to be aware of it

African Wild Dogs and Democracy

For African Wild Dogs in the Okovango Delta, living with the pack has its ups and downs. You get help with the hunting, and there's safety in numbers, but there's also a

Rats, Risk and Reward

Jackpot! Lights are flashing, bells are ringing, and you collect your big reward. No, this isn't Vegas, but it might as well be. We're in a specially designed casino for

Riverbeds and the Sedimentation of Ideas

What if all the ideas and values surrounding our lives are like pieces of sediment in a river? Some never quite settle and get swept away, lost to the currents of time. B

Giant Anteaters and Power Posing

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight look to the animal world to question why we "power pose". Anteaters are masters of it. When feeling threatened, they rear up on their hind l

Grooming Apes and the Origins of Kissing

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight discover the hairy history of the human kiss. Where did it come from? Why do we like doing it? And how is it good for us? Featuring Dr Adr

Photosynthetic Clams and the Problem of Power

How do we extract the maximum amount of power from the sun? Becky Ripley and Emily Knight enlist the help of a giant, thousand-year old clam. And end up in the depths of

Running Wild and the Science of Endurance

Why do animals move the way they do? And why do we humans love to run? Becky Ripley and Emily Knight enlist dogs, horses, armadillos, and some uncooperative rabbits to fi

Red Deer and Authority of Voice

Do lower voices demand more power? Do we take them more seriously? And is this a bias that needs to be challenged more in today’s world? Becky Ripley and Emily Knight com

Magpies and Altruism

Why do we help each other out? Even when it gets us nothing in return? Becky Ripley and Emily Knight explore the existence of altruism, with the help of some mischievous

Underground Fungi and the Market Economy

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight dig deep into the underground web of plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi networks. Here lies a 400 million year old market economy, founded on

Crafty Cuttlefish and Theory of Mind

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight explore whether we can ever know what others know, and how we figure out if they're telling fibs. Beneath the surface of the ocean, dartin

Burying Beetles and the Politics of Parenting

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight tackle a topic we love to fight about: parenting. How should we raise our kids? How much love is too much? Good parenting begins at home. A

Dr Orangutan and the Evolution of Medicine

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight explore the ancient origins of medicine. What makes us sick? What makes us well again? And do animals medicate like we do? Deep in the rain

Rainbowfish and the Mysteries of Memory

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight dive into the watery world of rainbowfish to confront the age-old myth that fish have bad memories. In actual fact, they are much more intel

Drunk Moose and the Drive to Get Loose

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight tackle a serious question. One of supreme scientific importance: do animals get wasted? From drunk moose stuck in trees, to wasted wallabie

Zebra Finches and Learning a Language

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight find out what it takes to learn the language of your people, with the help of some extremely chatty little birds. The song of the zebra fin

Buff Geese and Gym Rats

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight investigate physical fitness in the animal kingdom, and ask why animals never seem to have to go to the gym. Consider the Barnacle Goose, g

Killer Whales and the Mystery of the Menopause

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight dive into the underwater world of killer whales, where tight-knit family pods are led by the eldest post-reproductive matriarch, to better u

Chuckling Chimps and the Evolution of Laughter

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight look to the giggles and guffaws of the animal kingdom to ask where human laughter has come from. At least 65 species have been identified