Naturebang

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight make sense of what it means to be human by looking to the natural world... Science meets storytelling with a philosophical twist.

Radio 4,41 episodes

Episodes

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Plants and the Mystery of Consciousness
Are plants intelligent? Could they help us unravel the mystery of consciousness?
08 May 2026,14 mins
African Wild Dogs and Democracy
Can we take notes on democracy from a pack of sneezing wild dogs?
07 May 2026,14 mins
Rats, Risk and Reward
What can we learn about chasing the big win, from rats, in a tiny rat casino?
06 May 2026,14 mins
Riverbeds and the Sedimentation of Ideas
What if all the ideas surrounding our lives are like pieces of sediment in a river?
05 May 2026,14 mins
Giant Anteaters and Power Posing
What shape does an anteater make when threatened? And is there real power in a power pose?
04 May 2026,13 mins
Grooming Apes and the Origins of Kissing
The hairy history of the human kiss. Where did it come from? And why is it good for us?
29 Aug 2025,14 mins
Photosynthetic Clams and the Problem of Power
How do we extract the maximum amount of power from the sun? With the help of a giant clam.
28 Aug 2025,14 mins
Running Wild and the Science of Endurance
Why do animals move the way they do? And why do we humans love to run?
27 Aug 2025,14 mins
Red Deer and Authority of Voice
Do lower voices demand more power? The roar of a red deer stag may hold the answer.
26 Aug 2025,14 mins
Magpies and Altruism
Why do we help each other out? Even when it gets us nothing? Magpies might know.
25 Aug 2025,14 mins
Underground Fungi and the Market Economy
How do the underground trade deals between fungi and plants mirror our own market economy?
02 Aug 2024,14 mins
Crafty Cuttlefish and Theory of Mind
Can we know what others know? And how do we figure out if they're telling fibs?
01 Aug 2024,14 mins
Burying Beetles and the Politics of Parenting
How should we raise our kids? Is there such a thing as too much love?
31 Jul 2024,14 mins
Dr Orangutan and the Evolution of Medicine
What makes us sick? What makes us well again? And do animals medicate like we do?
30 Jul 2024,14 mins
Rainbowfish and the Mysteries of Memory
Are fish memories as bad as we think they are? And are human memories as good as we think?
29 Jul 2024,14 mins
Drunk Moose and the Drive to Get Loose
What can a drunken moose, stuck in a tree, tell us about our drive to get intoxicated?
22 Sep 2023,14 mins
Zebra Finches and Learning a Language
How to birds learn to sing? How do we learn to talk? And what happens when it goes wrong?
21 Sep 2023,14 mins
Buff Geese and Gym Rats
How do animals maintain fitness? And do I really have to go to the gym?
20 Sep 2023,14 mins
Killer Whales and the Mystery of the Menopause
Why do we - and a few species of whale - have a menopause?
19 Sep 2023,14 mins
Chuckling Chimps and the Evolution of Laughter
What do the giggles and guffaws of the animal world tell us about our own use of laughter?
18 Sep 2023,14 mins
Frozen Frogs and Preserved People
Can we freeze ourselves and return to a future world, like a frozen wood frog over winter?
13 Jan 2023,14 mins
Great Tits and Group Think
What can we learn about culture and creativity from a forest full of great tits?
12 Jan 2023,15 mins
Lazy Ants and the Power of Doing Nothing
Should we be doing a whole lot more... nothing?
11 Jan 2023,14 mins
Rivers and the Rights of Nature
Does giving rights to rivers and forests change how we think about the world around us?
10 Jan 2023,14 mins
Screaming Marmots and the Sound of Fear
What are the evolutionary origins of the sounds that frighten us the most?
09 Jan 2023,14 mins
Mongooses and the Magic of Trust
How dwarf mongooses can help us figure out who to trust and how to make friends.
21 Jan 2022,14 mins
Cuckoo Chicks and the Supernormal Stimulus
Lessons from a cuckoo on why we want what we want, and why our desires can't be trusted.
20 Jan 2022,15 mins
Cockatoos and the Power of the Beat
What is it about our brains - and the brains of some birds - that makes us want to groove?
19 Jan 2022,14 mins
Bull Elephants and the Importance of Dads
A herd of elephants, a murder mystery, and a lesson on the importance of fatherhood.
18 Jan 2022,15 mins
Octopuses and the Mind-Body Problem
What can an octopus teach us about our relationship between the mind and the body?
17 Jan 2022,14 mins