The term 'bird brain' might suggest our feathered friends are stupid, but Hannah and Dara learn it's completely untrue. They play hide and seek with a raven called Bran, and hear how his behaviour changes depending on his mood. Corvid expert Nicola Clayton explains these creatures are actually cleverer than the average 8-year-old, and can learn how to choose specific tools for different scenarios. And neurobiologist Andreas Nieder tells them that while crows evolved totally different brains from humans - 300,000 years apart - they might just be capable of the same type of intelligence. Contributors: Bran the raven
Lloyd Buck, bird handler
Professor Nicky Clayton, University of Cambridge
Professor Andreas Nieder, University of Tubingen Producer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem A BBC Studios Audio Production
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28:30
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28:30
Memory Swap
Could you ever trade memories with someone else? Fancy downloading the experience of landing on the moon, winning an Oscar or performing at Glastonbury? Listener Adam wants to know, and Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain are on the case.With expert insights from Professor Chris French and Professor Amy Milton, they dive into the mind’s tendency to blur the lines between reality and imagination - often embellishing, distorting, or downright making stuff up.Discover how memory conformity makes us “see” things like spoons being bent by paranormal forces, how scientists can implant artificial memories in mice, and hear Al Hopwood’s hilariously vivid tales of things that definitely never happened. Chris even spills the secrets of how to deliberately plant false memories in others (don’t try this at home!).From rewiring trauma to curing phobias, the potential of memory manipulation is both exciting and unnervingly sci-fi. Prepare to question everything you think you remember.Contributors:Amy Milton - Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge
Chris French - Professor of Anomalistic Psychology at Goldsmiths University
Al Hopwood - Artist, writer and curator Producer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
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30:19
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30:19
Clowns in Spacetime
Can you slow down time by hurtling through space at breakneck speed? Could listener Saskia’s friend - currently one year older - end up the same age as her if he went fast enough? It sounds bananas, but it’s all part of Einstein’s mind-warping theory of relativity.With expert copilots Professor Sean Carroll and Dr. Katie Clough, Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain embark on a cosmic roller coaster through space and time. They uncover why GPS satellites - whizzing around Earth at 14,000 km/h - need to account for time bending, why penthouse dwellers age faster than those on the ground floor, and, most importantly, why clowns on trains might just hold the key to understanding modern physics.Contributors:Katy Clough - Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London
Sean Carroll - Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University
Peter Buist - Manager of the Galileo Reference Centre
Richard Dyer - PhD student at the University of CambridgeProducer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
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29:57
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29:57
Colossal Creatures
How big can animals really get before they collapse under their own weight or run out of snacks? Could a 12-foot comedian survive their first punchline without snapping in half? Listener Andrew sends Hannah and Dara on a deep dive into the science of supersized species.With evolutionary biologists Ben Garrod and Tori Herridge as their guides, they explore the quirky rules of scaling: why giant bones need air pockets, how pressure stockings aren’t just stylish but essential, and why massive creatures have to choose between inefficient chewing or letting dinner ferment in their cavernous stomachs.Discover why scaling up a mouse would turn it into a blood-boiling disaster and learn the curious logic behind whether the meat bear should eat the two meat dogs, or vice versa (it’s a maths thing…you’ll have to listen). Oh, and here’s the weird constant: whether you’re a mouse or an elephant, everyone takes roughly the same time to pee!Join Hannah and Dara for a colossal romp through the wild world of ancient giants and the gross super blobs of the (possible) future. Contributors:Tori Herridge - Senior Lecturer in evolutionary biology at the University of Sheffield
Ben Garrod - Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement at the University of East Anglia
Martin Sander - Professor of Palaeontology at the University of BonnProducer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production
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28:57
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28:57
Nano Sharks
Think of a shark and you'll probably conjure up images of Jaws, but it turns out their skin is also covered in tiny teeth. Hannah and Dara investigate the incredible properties of these so-called dermal denticles, to find out whether they could be replicated at a nanoscale to increase vehicle speeds. They learn that while sharks might look like they have beautifully sleek surfaces, up close their skin is covered in something extremely rough and textured, a property that helps them swim up to 12 percent faster. And it's already inspiring airlines to design ultra-thin films that can reduce drag and increase efficiency.ContributorsDr Jess Wade
Professor Manish TiwariProducer: Marijke Peters
Executive Producer: Sasha FeachemA BBC Studios Audio Production
Netherlands