30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

Season 1 of the hugely successful BBC radio series about the natural world and the awesome ways it has inspired us. Over billions of years, animals have evolved and adapted, learning through trial and error the best strategies for surviving and thriving. So who better to help us humans when it comes to solving our own challenges? In this fascinating series, biologist and wildlife filmmaker Patrick Aryee tells the incredible stories of some remarkable animals, and the surprising ways they have enabled us to make technological and scientific breakthroughs. From the kingfisher whose beak led to a redesign of the bullet train, to the spider's web that may help us detect the earth's vibrations and turn them into electricity, the animals in these 30 episodes all have extraordinary abilities that could revolutionise our world. There's the bloodsucking mosquito whose mouthparts might hold the key to a future of painless injections; the woodpecker whose hard head has given us ideas for better bicycle helmets and black box recorders; the shark whose scaly skin could show us how to fight superbugs, the tenacious mussel that could make risky foetal surgery safer and save lives - and many more. And in the final, live show, we dig deeper into the world of biomimicry, and hear from listeners about other creatures who could spark innovation - including scorpions, tarantulas and hibernating bears... Full of brilliant, bingeable tales and astonishing revelations, this mind-blowing natural history series will thrill animal lovers, science fans and anyone who's curious about our wonderful natural world. Production credits Presented by Patrick Aryee Series producer: Sarah Blunt Produced by Amelia Butterly Live show produced by Mark Ward Series and live show editor: James Cook Music and sound design by Dan Pollard Sound recordist: Chris Watson First broadcast on the BBC World Service on the following dates: Track List Kingfisher and bullet train 25 March 2019 Octopus and camouflage 1 April 2019 Mosquito and surgical needle 8 April 2019 Woodpecker and black box 15 April 2019 Bat and visual aid 22 April 2019 Tardigrade and vaccine transport 29 April 2019 Firefly and lightbulb 6 May 2019 Mussel and plywood 13 May 2019 Termite and ventilation system 20 May 2019 Cod and antifreeze 27 May 2019 Desert spider and Mars robot 3 June 2019 Sea otter and wetsuit 10 June 2019 Stenocara beetle and water collector 17 June 2019 Albatross and drone 24 June 2019 Shark and hospital surfaces 1 July 2019 Spider and rescue robot 8 July 2019 Gecko and adhesives 15 July 2019 Whale and wind turbine 22 July 2019 Spider and window glass 29 July 2019 Bat and unassisted flight 5 August 2019 Bombardier beetle and fuel injection 12 August 2019 Fish schools and windfarm 19 August 2019 Bat and robot 26 August 2019 Dolphin and tsunami detector 2 September 2019 Butterfly and butterfly house 9 September 2019 Mussel and foetal surgery 16 September 2019 Ant and networks 23 September 2019 Peacock and computer screen 30 September 2019 Butterfly and paints 7 October 2019 Spider and remote sensing 14 October 2019 30 Animals LIVE 21 October 2019 ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd