CrowdScience

Do animals hold funerals?

CrowdScience listeners Dougie and Molly have been wondering what happens to animals when they die, and whether there are animals that hold rituals to mark the passing of one of their kin. Presenter Caroline Steel is on the case, trying to work out what happens to the bodies of animals when they die. Dougie and Molly say they rarely see animal carcasses where they live - so where do they all go? Dr Sarah Perkins of Cardiff University in the UK runs a research project called Roadlab, which logs how quickly the bodies of animals killed by traffic disappear, and she thinks she might have a clue. Caroline joins her on a hunt through the undergrowth for animals, and answers. And when animals lose a member of their flock, herd or school, do they indulge in rituals that look anything like a funeral? Caroline meets Dr Kaeli Swift, an ecologist at the University of Washington in the US, who has some surprising evidence from her research into bereaved crows. Meanhile, in Botswana, Mathale ‘Metal’ Mosheti is a safari guide in Chobe National Park. The African Savannah Elephants there demonstrate some remarkable behaviour when another elephant dies. But do animals really grieve for their loved ones? Dr Barbara J. King, Emerita Professor of Anthropology at William & Mary University in the US, has some ideas. But is it enough to answer Dougie and Molly’s question? Presenter: Caroline Steel Producer: Tom Bonnett Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Little red sick bird canary inside a wheelbarrow pushed by a lizard. Credit: Fernando Trabanco/Getty Images)

Why does salt taste so good?

Salt can be found in almost every kitchen in the world. But how did this seemingly simple ingredient become the world's favourite flavour enhancer? This week, Crowdscience sets out to uncover why these tiny crystals have such a powerful effect on us. We explore the magic behind this tiny mineral that has shaped our tongues, our culture, and our cravings. Our investigation begins with CrowdScience listener George, who heard from a friend that if he added a few grains of salt to his morning coffee, he could make it taste less bitter. Following some light investigation at his local coffee chain, he began wondering why salt make things taste more delicious. To try and find an answer, presenter Anand Jagatia heads to a salt mine in Austria with Daniel Bradner, an archaeologist from the Natural History Museum of Vienna. The mine is 200 kilometres from the sea, so where does all the salt come from? In London, UK, we meet Adriana Cavita, a chef who helps us explore how salt transforms what we eat:  sharpening aromas, softening harsh flavours, and boosting sweetness. We explore the receptors inside our mouth with taste expert Courtney Wilson from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in the US, to find out how we detect whether there’s too much or too little salt in our food.    And we meet Joel Geerling, Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Iowa, US, who’s been looking inside the brain to try and work out why we crave salt. He’s discovered an incredible system that’s highly engineered to give us an appetite for salt. Could it be the answer to George’s question? Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Measuring Teaspoon of Sea Salt with Vibrant Colors - stock photo JannHuizenga via Getty Images)

When will the next super-volcano erupt?

Is the world sitting on a ticking time bomb? CrowdScience listener Christel recently watched a documentary about a volcanic eruption in 536 AD that left her native Sweden under a cloud of ash for three years. It got her thinking, do we know when this could happen again? With more than 300 volcanoes – and 24 of them listed as currently active – the Philippines is a country where trying to predict eruptions has huge real world consequences. Presenter Anand Jagatia travels to Manila to meet the scientists at PHIVOLCS, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, including the head of their Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, Mariton Antonia Bornas, to find out how they try to predict volcanic activity in the country and help make sure communities are evacuated out of harm’s way. He travels with the team to Taal volcano, which experienced violent eruptions in 2020 and has been active again this year, to visit the observatory monitoring for signs of future activity and to hike to the main crater of the volcano with resident volcanologist Paolo Reniva. He also speaks to Dr George Cooper from Cardiff University in the UK about what makes a volcano a supervolcano, and to ask the all important question of if we know when this will happen again. Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Dan Welsh Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Smoke Emitting From Volcanic Mountain Against Sky - stock photo -EyeEm Mobile GmbH via Getty Images)

Will rabbits become super predators?

Listener Bart in Australia sees invasive species in his area almost every day – rabbits, foxes, and cats. They were transplanted to Australia from Europe more than 100 years ago, but seem to be thriving in their new home. This got him wondering: how are they going to evolve, now that they are in a new habitat? Can we predict what future evolution will look like based on what we already know? To find out, Marnie Chesterton visits Sandy Ingelby at the Australian Museum, who manages the mammal collection. She shows Marnie how indigenous Australian animals have evolved to suit where they live. On the island of Tasmania, Marnie meets the famous Tasmanian Devil and keeper Jono Thomas. Andy Flies from the University of Tasmania explains how the devil is evolving in real-time in response to a health crisis. So what might the invasive species in Bart’s backyard look like over the next 100 years? We’ll find out, with a little bit of help from palaeontologist Matt McCurry and millions of murderous toads. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Wild rabbit- stock photo Credit: John Porter via Getty Images)

Could AI present CrowdScience?

CrowdScience listener Po wants to know whether AI could one day replace all human jobs. And while he requests that CrowdScience continues to be hosted by people, it made presenters Caroline Steel and Anand Jagatia wonder – could an AI really present this show? To find out more about how AI models work and what they’re capable of, Caroline Steel speaks to AI journalist Alex Hern from The Economist. She creates an AI version of herself with Nicky Birch, Innovation Lead for the BBC’s generative AI program, and hears how the BBC is attempting to navigate the ethical use of this new technology. Anand Jagatia speaks to phonetician Prof James Kirby about how synthetic AI voices have become so convincing, as well as why they still sound slightly unnatural. And Anand and Caroline ponder whether there could ever be a place for AI presenters on the airwaves. Presenters: Caroline Steel and Anand Jagatia Producer: Anand Jagatia Additional production: Lorna Stewart Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Mirror image of presenter Caroline holding microphone Credit: BBC)