Podcast appearances and mentions of becky ripley

Michael Rosen talks to sociolinguist Dr Haru Yamada about how we listen in different ways across different cultures and social groups. It's the side of conversation that is not about talking, but which is equally - if not more - important to how we communicate. Haru is the author of 'Kiku: The Japonese Art of Good Listening', and she believes that listening is something we can all learn to do better in order to build stronger relationships with each other, and with the world around us. Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley, in partnership with The Open University.Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz

The use of punctuation is rapidly changing within the quickfire back-and-forth of instant messaging. Are these changes causing misunderstandings? Presenter Michael Rosen and his guest Dr Christian Ilbury discuss. Is the full stop on the way out? What about capital letters? Exclamation marks and question marks seem to be holding their ground, but what about the rest? Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley, in partnership with The Open University. Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz

Adam Rutherford joins Michael Rosen to make sense of the heavily-loaded and often unscientific language that we use to talk about genetics, inheritance, ancestry and race. Adam is a geneticist, science writer, and lecturer in Biology and Society at University College London. His work tries to make sense of what our genes do (or don't) tell us about our similarities and our differences. He writes about this stuff in many of his books, including ‘How To Argue With A Racist' and ‘Where Are You Really From?'Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnzProduced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley

Martha Kearney hears stories of recovery from the Firth of Forth. First, she takes to the water with guide Maggie Sheddan and skipper John McCarter to explore the iconic Bass Rock, a volcanic island just beyond the shores of North Berwick in East Lothian. A decade ago, Bass Rock became the world's largest colony of Northern gannets, home to over 75,000 breeding sites. Then, in 2022, Avian Flu hit the colony at the height of the breeding season. By 2023, the total population was estimated at just under 52,000 breeding sites, a decrease of over 30% from the count in 2014. But now, at the beginning of a new breeding season, hope is in the air as the gannets return to the rock. Meanwhile, back on dry land, another story of recovery unfolds. Over the winter months, North Berwick was hit by huge storms. Four-metre waves, in combination with spring tides, left behind a huge hole in the harbour wall. Martha speaks to Andrew Duns from the North Berwick Harbour Trust and harbour master Ricky Martin about the repairs that are now underway. The storms also shifted the sand dunes on the beaches around North Berwick. Emma Marriott, Conservation Assistant at the Scottish Seabird Centre, tells Martha about the post-storm beach cleans which unearthed ancient litter from the 1960s. Presented by Martha Kearney Produced by Becky Ripley

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins, in the order established by Pope Gregory the Great: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these ugly emotions? What's going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?Envy is in the spotlight today. On one hand, it indicates what it is you want, and it motivates you to go out there and get it. On the other hand, it can be a corrosive feeling of yearning that eats you up from the inside. And at its ugliest, it can drive you to seek the destruction of others...How can we listen to our feelings of envy, without being riddled with resentment? And how can we make peace with that restless, nagging feeling that the grass is always greener? To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, psychotherapist and author of 'Coping with Envy', Professor Windy Dryden, from the Department of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths University, author and scholar Professor Ilan Kapoor, from the Department of Critical Development Studies at York University in Toronto, and clinical psychologist, poet, writer and educator, Dr Sanah Ahsan.

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins. Rolling with the order established by Pope Gregory the Great, first up is pride, followed by greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and (finally) lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these ugly emotions? What's going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?Pride - also known as the "original sin" - is now a bit of a double-edged word. The good side is motivating and self-affirming: to be proud of your work, your kids, or your identity. But then there's the ugly side of pride: thinking you're better than others. Arrogance, narcissism, an inflated sense of superiority. How can we have one without the other? Confidence without arrogance? Self-worth without self-aggrandisement? To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Professor Ian Robertson from the Department of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin, self-aware narcissist and motivational speaker Lee Hammock, Professor Jessica Tracy from the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, and a parade of people at a Pride march.Producer: Becky Ripley

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins, in the order established by Pope Gregory the Great: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these emotions? What's going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?Wrath is today's hot topic, and things can get pretty ugly when our blood starts to boil. Some of us are quick to flip, some of us brood, and some of us push down our anger. But ultimately anger is a motivator; a driver for change in the face of a perceived injustice. The question is, how are you going to act on it? For bad? Or for good?To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, psychology professor Dr Ryan Martin (aka "The Anger Professor"), multidisciplinary artist and former Children's Laureate of Wales, Connor Allen, and Jake Hall from the Destroy'd Rage Rooms. Producer: Becky Ripley

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins, in the order established by Pope Gregory the Great: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these ugly emotions? What's going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?Gluttony is on the menu today. On one hand, the odd bit of indulgence isn't such a bad thing. Eat, drink, and be merry. But sometimes we overdo it. We crave, we binge, we short circuit our dopamine reward systems, and before we know it, we can't stop. But why do we crave? Can we control our cravings? And when does a little bit of binging become too much? To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, food writer Mark Schatzker, author of 'Steak', 'The Dorito Effect' and 'The End of Craving', Dr Andrew Moynihan from the Department of Psychology at the University of Limerick, and writer AK Blakemore, author of 'The Glutton'.Producer: Becky Ripley

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins, in the order established by Pope Gregory the Great: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these ugly emotions? What's going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?Lust is today's hot topic. It's crucial to the continuation of our species, but it's also a form of neurochemical madness that can lead us astray. We all have wildly different brains, bodies, and cultural references, so everyone's relationship to lust is highly personal. Is it true that men want it more than women? When was the "lustiest" time in history? And, back in today's world, how can we navigate our drives alongside cultural expectations and the issue of consent? And how can we feel desire without shame? To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, sexologist with a specialty in men's health and sexual function, Dr Anand Patel, and sex historian Dr Kate Lister, lecturer at Leeds Trinity University and author of 'A Curious History of Sex'.Producer: Becky Ripley

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins, in the order established by Pope Gregory the Great: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these ugly emotions? What's going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?Greed is in the spotlight today. And we're not talking food. (That's gluttony, we come to that later in the series.) We're talking greed for money, for land, for material things – and ultimately for control, status, dominance, power. The kind of greed that separates the "haves" from the "have nots". On one hand, greed is a great motivator, driving us all forward in our pursuit to get more of whatever it is we want. But at its ugliest, greed can come at a huge cost to other people, and to the planet. When does self-interested behaviour become selfish? And can we be greedy for the good? To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, psychologist and social scientist Professor Paul Piff from the Department of Psychological Science at the University of California, Executive Director of the New Economy Organisers Network, Ayeisha Thomas-Smith, and a few wise words from Sir David Attenborough.Producer: Becky Ripley

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins. Rolling with the order established by Pope Gregory the Great, first up is pride, followed by greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and (finally) lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these ugly emotions? What's going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?Pride - also known as the "original sin" - is now a bit of a double-edged word. The good side is motivating and self-affirming: to be proud of your work, your kids, or your identity. But then there's the ugly side of pride: thinking you're better than others. Arrogance, narcissism, an inflated sense of superiority. How can we have one without the other? Confidence without arrogance? Self-worth without self-aggrandisement? To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Professor Ian Robertson from the Department of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin, self-aware narcissist and motivational speaker Lee Hammock, Professor Jessica Tracy from the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, and a parade of people at a Pride march.Producer: Becky Ripley

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 wallabies asleep in opium fields, to dippy dolphins puffing on toxic pufferfish; stories abound about animals who seem to be using their free time to get sloshed. But do these stories, delightful as they are, stand up to scrutiny? In the natural world, when your survival relies on keeping your wits about you, what could be the evolutionary purpose of dulling your wits with psychoactive drugs? Come to think of it, why do we do it? And what's the connection between getting high, seeing God, and learning to love your neighbour?Produced by Becky Ripley and Emily Knight. Featuring zoologist Lucy Cooke, and Professor Richard Miller at Northwestern University.

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 finch has been compared to a 90's dial-up modem running triple-speed, or an alien fax machine. But to a female zebra finch, it's a song of irresistible seduction. The males learn their song in a very similar way to the way we learn language, and it all starts with the babies. Through babbling, then copying, then innovating motifs of their own, the zebra finches take their language and then put their own distinctive stamp on it.But if they don't learn it at just the right time, as a chick, they can't learn it as an adult.How does human language acquisition work, and what would happen if you denied a baby the opportunity to learn to speak? The surprising answer takes us to 1970s Nicaragua, and the extraordinary story of the birth of a language...Produced by Becky Ripley and Emily Knight. Featuring Professor Ofer Tchernichovski from Hunter College at CUNY, and Dr Judy Shepard-Kegl from the University of Southern Maine.

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, getting ready for one of the most phenomenal physical challenges of the animal world: the annual migration. They leave their sedentary summer life, floating about eating reeds, and take off to fly 2,700 miles. And what do they do to prepare for this incredible feat? Absolutely nothing. They just sit around, eating as much as they can.The physical fitness of so many animals is hard-wired into their biology. But not ours. If we want to gain muscle, we don't just wait for the seasons to change, we have to work for it. No pain no gain! And if we slack off and laze about, our muscles melt away. Why are we so different? And do I really have to go to the gym?Produced by Becky Ripley and Emily Knight. Featuring Professor Lewis Halsey from the University of Roehampton, and Professor Dan Lieberman at Harvard University.

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 understand why we have a menopause. Matriarchal killer whales usually stop being able to reproduce in their thirties or forties, but continue to live for decades longer. This phenomenon of having a long post-reproductive life is known only to exist in 5 species: killer whales, narwhals, beluga whales, short-finned pilot whales, and humans. That's it. Females across the rest of the animal kingdom can keep reproducing into old age, many until their dying days. So why? If the success of a species lies in its ability to breed and pass on its genes, why have we – and a few species of whale – evolved this seemingly counter-productive thing that stops us being able to do that? What's the point of it? And what does it say about our need for grandmas?Featuring Prof. Darren Croft, Professor of Animal Behaviour at the University of Exeter, and Dr. Brenna Hassett, Biological Anthropologist at UCL and author of Growing Up Human. Produced and presented by Emily Knight and Becky Ripley.

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 as making 'play vocalisations', a sort of animal version of laughter, according to a recent UCLA paper studying animals at play. Rats giggle in ultrasound, elephants have a play-specific trumpet, and kia parrots cackle from the treetops. These sounds are auditory cues that have come from breathing during play, and they signal to fellow playmates that their rough-and-tumble is in jest.But us humans have taken laughing to new levels. Our laughter has evolved from a play-specific vocalisation into a highly sophisticated tool of communication, sometimes spontaneous, other times performed. It is a powerful spell that affects our brains and bodies, playing so many important roles in our close relationships and wider social networks. And the best thing about it: it's good for you.Featuring biological anthropologist Sasha Winkler, co-author of the UCLA paper 'Play vocalisations and human laughter: a comparative review' (2021), and Professor Sophie Scott, Director of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL. Produced and presented by Emily Knight and Becky Ripley.Animal recording credits: The chimpanzee laughter clip is courtesy of Dr. Robert Provine. The rat clip (slowed down so that our ears can detect the ultrasound) is courtesy of Dr. Jaak Panksepp. The kea parrot play vocalisation is from Schwing et al. (2017)

Michael Rosen talks nonsense with literary scholar Noreen Masud. From the nonsense language of Shakespeare's fools, to the nonsense lyrics of The Beatles, via the limericks of Edward Lear, the portmanteaus of Lewis Carroll, and the made-up words of three year olds. A BBC Audio Bristol production. Produced by Becky Ripley.

Rhythm is everywhere in the biological world. The rhythm of heartbeat, the rhythm of breathing, the rhythm of gait and walking. In fact, in 'The Descent of Man', Charles Darwin wrote that the perception of rhythm is "probably common to all animals and no doubt depends on the common physiological nature of their nervous system.” And yet, recent studies have shown that even our closest living relatives, the great apes, can't seem to keep a beat. Becky Ripley and Emily Knight investigate.Enter YouTube sensation Snowball the Cockatoo. Much to the intrigue of evolutionary biologists, Snowball loves to dance to anything with a strong beat. Especially The Backstreet Boys. How is it that chimpanzees can't keep a beat and yet this parrot - which is more closely related to a dinosaur than a human - clearly loves to groove? What's going on in the brain of this bird? And how does that link to our own beat-keeping brains? Back in the human world, there's serious neurological benefit to this beat-based research. The more we understand how and why people move to a beat, the more we can appreciate its powerful therapeutic effects. It unites our brains with our bodies, which can help to relieve symptoms of movement-based neurological disorders like Parkinson's, and it unites us to each other. Featuring cognitive neuroscientist Aniruddh Patel and dance psychologist Peter Lovatt.

Art historian Kate Bryan and comedian Mark Steel talk to Harriett Gilbert about their favourite books. Kate loves Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency by Olivia Laing, an inspiring collection of essays which make a case for why art matters. Mark is a big fan of Stalin Ate My Homework by Alexei Sayle, a comedic memoir about growing up in a Jewish atheist communist family in Liverpool. And Harriett puts forward Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss, in which a present-day story converges with ancient rituals to provoke a discussion about how far we have come from the “primitive minds” of our ancestors. Comment on instagram: @agoodreadbbc Produced by Becky Ripley

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight look to the freeze-thaw abilities of the North American wood frog to ask whether we can freeze ourselves in order to return to a future world...Early March is breeding season for the North American wood frog. They are frisky because they've just thawed out having spent the winter not just in hibernation, but frozen at -18°C. How do they do it, and still survive? And what can we learn from their frozen ways? Enter the growing field in medicine called cryo-preservation: the process of preserving cells, tissues, or organs by cooling them to very low, or freezing, temperatures. This can grant more time for medical procedures and operations, and help to preserve things like organs during a transplant. And if you take cryopreservation to the extreme, you get to the slightly sci-fi world of cryonics. The practice of cryo-preserving the whole body – immediately upon point of death - in the hope that future medicine can bring it back to life. Maybe in the future, we will crack the code on how to bring bodies back from the cold. And maybe some of the science lies in the freeze-thaw abilities of the wood frog. Or maybe cryopreserved bodies will remain frozen forever… Featuring Dr Allison Sacerdote-Velat, Curator of Herpetology at Chicago Academy of Sciences, and Dr Anders Sandberg, senior research fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford. Produced and presented by Emily Knight and Becky Ripley.

You may think 'culture' is one of those peculiar things unique to humans, like dancing to pop music or yelling at the TV. But you'd be wrong. Animals may not flock to the Opera, but they absolutely do have 'culture'; habits; traditions; ways of doing things that are passed down from one generation to the next. Animal culture has been studied in fish, mammals and even insects, and one of the longest-running studies is on a bird you might have spotted flitting around your garden, the humble Great Tit.Becky Ripley and Emily Knight head into the woods, armed with delicious peanuts, to find out more about Great Tit culture. It turns out that these enigmatic birds have long traditions which are shared among the community, and once formed, they can be hard to break, even if they're not serving the birds needs any more. Innovative experiments with puzzle-boxes show that old habits die hard. The one thing that can break the deadlock of tradition and bring back innovative thinking is the arrival of new birds - ones which aren't beholden to the prevailing culture.In the human world, it's well known that an influx of immigrants can have a profound effect on the prevailing culture, often bringing new ways of thinking and innovations in technology, or brand new cuisines. Becky and Emily explore one extraordinary example of this that emerged from the horrors of the Second World War. As German-Jewish scientists fled the anti-Semitic persecution of the Third Reich, they arrived on American shores with plenty to offer the established scientific culture.Featuring Michael Chimento, post-doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, and Professor Petra Moser, professor of Economics at NYU Stern. Produced and presented by Emily Knight and Becky Ripley.

We've all seen the Attenborough documentaries, full of the hurrying and scurrying of life on earth, the drama constantly unfolding. The natural world is a BUSY place... Or is it?The surprising truth is, away from the cameras, most animals spend most of the time doing absolutely nothing at all. It's not just the sleepy sloths and the cat-napping cats, even the critters with reputations for being the most industrious animals on the planet have an astonishing amount of down-time. Peer into the dark warmth of an ant's nest, for example, and you might be surprised to note that just under half of them... don't DO anything. Not a jot. They sit, still and silent, apparently contributing nothing to the colony. Evolution abhors wasted energy so... what's going on? Becky Ripley and Emily Knight search for answers among our insect friends.On the human side of the equation, we're astonishingly bad at doing nothing. We fuss and fidget, we tap our fingers and twiddle our thumbs, trying to escape the horrible fate of being BORED. When animals are so good at efficiently conserving energy, why do so many of us find it so uncomfortable? Perhaps the answer lies in not trying to escape boredom at all, but embracing it, and its creative potential. Becky and Emily discover that it's only through boredom that we can tap in to an extraordinary set of neural processes known as 'The Default Mode Network', and access the most creative parts of our brains. Perhaps doing nothing is more exciting than we first thought.Featuring Professor Dan Charbonneau, behavioral ecologist studying social insect behaviour at the University of Arizona, and Dr Sandi Mann, senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire. Produced and presented by Emily Knight and Becky Ripley.

Why are some sounds more frightening than others? Are there evolutionary origins behind the things we find scary? And is there anything more blood-curdling than a full throated scream?Becky Ripley and Emily Knight tune in to the sounds that send the shivers down our spines, via a frightened Marmot in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and a brand new kind of musical instrument known as the 'apprehension engine'. Beware listeners, you may be in for a fright....Featuring professor Daniel Blumstein, Chair of the Department of Ecology at UCLA, and film score composer Mark Korven. Produced and presented by Emily Knight and Becky Ripley.

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight ask whether giving legal rights to things like rivers and forests changes how we think about the world that lives around us.The Whanganui River, in New Zealand, is a legal person in the eyes of the law. It is legally defined as a living whole, from the mountains to the sea, and two local Maori tribe members speak on its behalf as its legal representatives. Other nations have had similar thinking: the Amazon rainforest in Columbia, one of the Great Lakes in the US, and the River Ganges in India all have legal personhood, as does land in Ecuador and Bolivia, where Mother Earth is recognised as a legal person. Assigning personhood to non-human things is not a new idea. Since the late 1800s, corporations have been granted legal personhood, giving them the rights to hold property, enter into contracts, and to sue or be sued. Then in 1972, Christopher Stone, himself a Professor of Law, published the essay ‘Should Trees Have Standing?', arguing that if corporations can have personhood, why can't natural entities?Does the act of doing this reframe our relationship to the natural world, as something which lives not just for us, but alongside us in its own right? And as the law extents rights to nature, does that - in turn - extend our empathy towards the more-than-human world? Featuring Dr Rāwiri Tinirau, advisor on Māori and Indigenous human rights, and Anna Grear, Professor of Law and Theory at Cardiff University and founder of the Journal of Human Rights and the Environment. Produced and presented by Emily Knight and Becky Ripley.

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight find out what ants teach us about surviving a pandemic. As social animals, we're particularly susceptible to disease, so perhaps there are lessons to be learned from other sociable species in how we manage this. Ants are one of the most social species on the planet, and it turns out they know a thing or two about self-isolation and social distancing.The story of how we protect each other (and ourselves) is a story that takes us from the complex maze of an anthill to the equally complex maze of human etiquette. If you think social distancing is a new invention - or even a human invention - think again.Featuring Dr Nathalie Stroeymeyt, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol, and Michael de Barra, Lecturer in Psychology at Brunel University London.

Starling murmurations, those swirling, shifting sky-patterns made by hundreds of birds moving in synchrony, are one of nature's greatest spectacles. How do they avoid crashing into each other? Becky Ripley and Emily Knight delve into the maths behind the movement with some computer modelling to help them chart the flight patterns, and discover the secret.As for us humans, sadly we don't fly together through the sky in swirling clouds. But there are patterns to how we interact with one another. Like a ripple of movement, travelling through a cloud of starlings, ideas can spread through social media with blistering speed. Here too, computer modelling can help us chart how opinions morph as we react to those around us. Do we have more in common with the birds than we think?Featuring Jamie Wood from the University of York, and Dr Jennifer Golbeck from the University of Maryland.

The humble sea sponge has been around for over 500 million years. We may think of them as ‘simple' animals, with no brain, no nerves and no organs. But they have a pretty good party trick up their fleshy sleeves. Push a sponge through a mesh, until all that remains is a cloud of cells. Pour those cells into a tank, and watch as the cells reform themselves, like the terminator, back into a sponge.Becky Ripley and Emily Knight ask: is it the same sponge it was before? In the human world, nobody is queueing up to be forced through a discombobulating mesh. But enter the world of science fiction and there's something that's not far off… the teleportation machine. Would you allow yourself to be dissolved into a molecular cloud and flung through space and time? And would the ‘you' at the other end really be the same ‘you' that left?Featuring Professor Sally Leys from the University of Alberta, and Philosopher Charlie Huenemann from Utah State University.

Strange things dwell out in the open ocean. Bobbing atop the waves, Becky Ripley and Emily Knight meet one such creature, the Portuguese Man O'War. With its bulbous air-sacs and trailing tentacles you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a jellyfish, but you'd be wrong. It's a colony, a society of tiny individual animals, who work together to eat, hunt and reproduce as one.In the Age of the Individual, we humans like to think of ourselves as self-sufficient little nodes who don't need nobody. But that perspective gets called into question when you consider where we live. Thanks to some complex maths and some incredible data-crunching, we're beginning to see the cities we inhabit in a different light. They grow, move, breathe, and die, just like a living organism, according to strict mathematical principles. Just like polyps in a Man O' War, are we really any more than cogs in a machine?Featuring Marine Biologist Dr John Copley from the University of Southampton, and Geoffrey West, Theoretical Physicist from the Santa Fe Institute.

Naturebang is back. Becky Ripley and Emily Knight are again trying to make sense of what we humans are all about, with a little help from the natural world. And this week, they're getting lost.Navigating our world is a challenge faced by every creature that moves. From dung beetles mapping the desert dunes, to eels circumnavigating the globe, each finds its own way about with unerring accuracy. How do they do it? And how is that going to help Becky and Emily get out of the woods? The story of animal (and human) navigation is a story of the sun, the stars, magnetic fields, polarised light, and… dog poo. Yes, dog poo.Featuring Michael S. Painter, Assistant Professor at Barry University, and John Edward Huth, Donner Professor of Science at Harvard University.

If you think you're in control, think again.What invisible forces might be guiding your behaviour, your decisions, your most intimate emotions? Becky Ripley and Emily Knight take a trip into the bizarre nightmare world of the undergrowth, and watch ‘zombie ants' stumble forward, blindly following the orders of the deadly fungi controlling their brains. Parasites often get the upper hand of their hosts, manipulating their behaviour in sometimes horrifying ways. But is that true of humans too? Could we be unknowingly subservient to creatures that live inside us? Do they wish us well, or might they be plotting our downfall?Featuring entomologist Dr David Hughes from Penn State University, and neuroscientist John Cryan from University College Cork.

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight examine the naked mole rat, a saber-toothed sausage of a rodent, which seems to defy the mammalian laws of aging. It lives way longer than what is expected of a rodent and is now the focus for much medical research as scientists try to understand more about their aging process in the name of human life extension. Of course, we all want to age slower and live longer, but does that mean we should continually strive to extend human life expectancy forever and always? Beyond the ethics, there's also some big philosophical questions. How does a longer life span affect our sense of 'self'? And does living longer solve the problem of death? Featuring Dr Rochelle Buffenstein, Senior Principal Investigator at Calico Life Sciences, and Julian Baggini, philosopher, journalist and author.

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight celebrate the intelligence of a brainless slime mould. As single-cell protists, with no brain and no nervous system, slime moulds do not 'think' in human terms, but they can calculate and navigate complex systems with incredible efficiency and objectivity. With some help from a few oat flakes, because slime mould loves oats. One species in particular, Physarum Polycephalum, has proven itself to outwit us time and time again, from solving complex urban transport problems to mapping the structures of the cosmic web. In doing so, it totally overthrows our human definition of intelligence, where we have positioned ourselves at the top of a big biological hierarchy. From the bottom up, slime mould is starting to uproot the whole system.Featuring Merlin Sheldrake, writer of 'Entangled Life', and experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats.

Sex is simple. Or so we're taught; animals can be male or female. But even the briefest glance at the animal kingdom tells us that this simply isn't true. Some creatures have only one sex; some have three; some have none at all. Some animals are two sexes at the same time; some flip flop between them when the time is right. When evolution came to solve the problem of procreation, she did it in a myriad of mind-blowing ways.When it comes to humans, it's even more complicated - we have this thing called Gender, too. It's often defined as the social and cultural side of sex, distinct from the biological. But that's not the full story. Becky Ripley and Emily Knight travel back to the dawn of human culture, and into the tangled depths of our genetic code, to try and unravel why we are the way we are, and why it matters so much that we understand it all properly.Featuring Professor Jenny Graves, geneticist at La Trobe University, and the writer and scholar Meg-John Barker.

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight get to grips with fatherhood in the animal kingdom by way of the largest land animal on earth, a fully grown bull elephant. Like the majority of mammals, male elephants aren't directly involved in raising the youngsters - that's left to the matriarchal herd composed of grandmothers, mothers and daughters. But you'd be wrong to think that means they don't have an influence. Via an extraordinary physiological phenomenon unique to elephants, known as 'musth', elephant bulls have a huge role in helping the teenage males navigate their tricky teenage years. And when it goes wrong, tragedy can strike.Back in the human world, dads play a major role in their children's upbringing. Human men are what's known as 'investing fathers', with powerful brain chemistry bonding them to their partners AND to their babies. The skills of fatherhood, which have evolved over millennia, are instinctive, biologically innate and hugely impressive, yet often get overshadowed by our culture's (perhaps understandable) focus on motherhood. Perhaps it's time for a rethink?Featuring conservationist Gus Van Dyk, and evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin.

Why do we want the things we want? What really drives us? And how in control of our instincts are we? All questions you might ask the humble cuckoo. This dastardly bird - a 'brood parasite' - famously leaves its eggs in another bird's nest and flies off, never to be seen again. The enormous chick hatches, kills all its nest-mates, then runs its adoptive parents ragged with round-the-clock feedings. But why on earth do the poor host-parents fall for the con?To find the answer, Becky Ripley and Emily Knight delve into the history of animal behavioural research to uncover the 'Supernormal Stimulus', a curious phenomenon in which an animal's most basic instincts can be over-ridden, twisted and manipulated, to make them behave in extraordinary ways. Often against their own best interests.And if you think humans are far too smart to be manipulated in this way, think again. Take a look at the things you like, and ask yourself why? Why do you like fast food when it's so bad for you? Why is porn so appealing, when it's so unrealistic? And why can't you put your smart-phone down? Perhaps just like the parasitised victims of the cuckoo chicks, you're not completely in control of what you want.Featuring evolutionary biologist professor Rebecca Kilner and evolutionary psychologist Becky Burch

As our global society becomes ever more mobile, with people migrating across borders and making new homes among strangers, how do we figure out how to fit in? Trust is the glue that holds society together, but trust - as we all know - must be earned. Becky Ripley and Emily Knight take a trip to the African savanna, to see what a mob of dwarf mongooses can teach us about migration, integration, and making friends across cultural divides.Featuring behavioural biologist professor Andy Radford, and political scientist Marc Hooghe.

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight look to the natural world to answer some of life's big questions. Science meets storytelling, with a philosophical twist.

Zoe's not entirely sure how to make sense of the last couple of years. But she's going to give it a go. This is her story of the good, the bad and the ugly everydayness of life with Long Covid. Via life-saving phone calls, cloud-gazing park walks, homeschooling squabbles, summer holidays that don't feel like summer holidays, and lots of lying in bed. And now it's December 2022, over two and a half years after Zoe first got ill. Life is not all Christmas chocolate boxes and Ding Dong Merrily on High. It's still really hard sometimes. But it is getting easier. There is singing and music-making again. There is hope. Programme image by Zoe's daughter Clara, age 9. Produced by Becky Ripley.

Most groups of wildlife can be described as a flock or a herd, a swarm or a shoal – but where is the fun in stopping there? From an army of ants to a dazzle of zebras, an exultation of larks to a murder of crows, the English language is brimming with weird and wonderful collective nouns to describe groups of animals and birds. Michael Rosen talks to Matt Sewell, author of 'A Charm of Goldfinches', about some of the more obscure examples that have made their way into common usage as collective nouns for creatures of the land, the sea and the air... Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley

Michael Rosen talks to sociolinguist Louise Mullany about all the ways in which we say sorry. From the sympathetic sorry in the face of bad news, to the polite sorry we say to strangers in the street. Via workplace hierarchies, gender differences, and the nitty-gritty of political apologies. Louise is a Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham and author of 'The Science of Politeness', due out next year. Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley

by Helen Cross. Eighteen-year-old Rose travels from Whitby to New York to work as nanny to a glittering but secretive family. It's a culture shock and Rose seems unprepared for the mostly male attention she elicits. But it turns out she is quite capable of looking after herself: bloody revenge is her speciality. She's not like the other girls. And Gulliver is no ordinary baby. This is a world not just of champagne, but shadows, where all is definitely not as it seems. Stylish and surprising fantasy horror with a comic twist, starring Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) and Demetri Goritsas (Ten Percent). With music by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Mercury-nominated band, Porridge Radio. Helen Cross wrote ‘My Summer of Love' which won a Betty Trask award and was made into a Bafta-winning film with Emily Blunt (recently rated her best film in The Guardian top ten Emily Blunt films). Mary Ward-Lowery won Best Director in 2020 Audio Drama Awards. Rose ... Alexandra Mardell Maya ... Miranda Braun Austin ... Demetri Goritsas Siobhan ... Deirdre Mullins Delphine ... Yasemin Özdemir Randy ... Michael Begley Art Guy ... Mathew Durkan Beatrice ... Alexandra Hannant Newsreader ...Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong Jason ... Joseph Tweedale Mam ... Jane Thornton Including the voices of Jo Makel, Paul Murphy, James Hoggarth, Freya Pollaidh, Augusta Chapman, Becky Ripley and Ben Casswell. Original music written and performed by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Porridge Radio, and produced, mixed and engineered by Sam Yardley. Sound design by Ilse Lademann Producer Mary Ward-Lowery

by Helen Cross. Eighteen-year-old Rose has travelled from Whitby to New York to work as a nanny to a wealthy and secretive family. Manhattan is a culture shock and she has to stay alert to the dangers all around her. But it turns out she is quite capable of looking after herself: bloody revenge is her speciality. She's not like the other girls. And Gulliver is no ordinary baby. This is a world not just of champagne, but shadows, where all is definitely not as it seems. Stylish and surprising fantasy horror with a comic twist, starring Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) and Demetri Goritsas (Ten Percent). With music by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Mercury-nominated band, Porridge Radio. Helen Cross wrote ‘My Summer of Love' which won a Betty Trask award and was made into a Bafta-winning film with Emily Blunt (recently rated her best film in The Guardian top ten Emily Blunt films). Mary Ward-Lowery won Best Director in 2020 Audio Drama Awards. Rose ... Alexandra Mardell Maya ... Miranda Braun Austin ... Demetri Goritsas Siobhan ... Deirdre Mullins Delphine ... Yasemin Özdemir Randy ... Michael Begley Art Guy ... Mathew Durkan Beatrice ... Alexandra Hannant Newsreader ... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong Jason ... Joseph Tweedale Mam ... Jane Thornton Including the voices of Jo Makel, Paul Murphy, James Hoggarth, Freya Pollaidh, Augusta Chapman, Becky Ripley and Ben Casswell. Original music written and performed by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Porridge Radio, and produced, mixed and engineered by Sam Yardley. Sound design by Ilse Lademann Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery

by Helen Cross Rose has come from Whitby to Manhattan to work as a nanny for power couple Austin and Maya. Their baby Gulliver is... unusual. But then, so is Rose. Bloody revenge is her speciality. The body count is rising and she still has to work out where the dangers lie. Also she needs something expensive to wear to Maya's launch. Time to go shopping with the platinum credit card. Stylish and surprising fantasy horror with a comic twist, starring Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) and Demetri Goritsas (Ten Percent). With music by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Mercury-nominated band, Porridge Radio. Helen Cross wrote ‘My Summer of Love' which won a Betty Trask award and was made into a Bafta-winning film with Emily Blunt (recently rated her best film in The Guardian top ten Emily Blunt films). Mary Ward-Lowery won Best Director in 2020 Audio Drama Awards. Rose ... Alexandra Mardell Maya ... Miranda Braun Austin ... Demetri Goritsas Siobhan ... Deirdre Mullins Delphine ... Yasemin Özdemir Randy ... Michael Begley Art Guy ... Mathew Durkan Beatrice ... Alexandra Hannant Newsreader ... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong Jason ... Joseph Tweedale Mam ... Jane Thornton Including the voices of Jo Makel, Paul Murphy, James Hoggarth, Freya Pollaidh, Augusta Chapman, Becky Ripley and Ben Casswell. Original music written and performed by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Porridge Radio, and produced, mixed and engineered by Sam Yardley. Sound design by Ilse Lademann Producer Mary Ward-Lowery

By Helen Cross. Gulliver is in the hospital and Rose wants to know why. There is danger everywhere and she must protect him. Eighteen-year-old Rose has come from Whitby to Manhattan to work as nanny to a glittering but secretive family. She's not like the other girls. And Gulliver is no ordinary baby. This is a world not just of champagne, but shadows, where all is definitely not as it seems. Stylish and surprising fantasy horror with a comic twist, starring Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) and Demetri Goritsas (Ten Percent). With music by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Mercury-nominated band, Porridge Radio. Helen Cross wrote ‘My Summer of Love' which won a Betty Trask award and was made into a Bafta-winning film with Emily Blunt (recently rated her best film in The Guardian top ten Emily Blunt films). Mary Ward-Lowery won Best Director in 2020 Audio Drama Awards. Rose ... Alexandra Mardell Maya ... Miranda Braun Austin ... Demetri Goritsas Siobhan ... Deirdre Mullins Delphine ... Yasemin Özdemir Randy ... Michael Begley Art Guy ... Mathew Durkan Beatrice ... Alexandra Hannant Newsreader ...Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong Jason ... Joseph Tweedale Mam ... Jane Thornton Including the voices of Jo Makel, Paul Murphy, James Hoggarth, Freya Pollaidh, Augusta Chapman, Becky Ripley and Ben Casswell. Original music written and performed by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Porridge Radio, and produced, mixed and engineered by Sam Yardley. Sound design by Ilse Lademann Producer Mary Ward-Lowery

By Helen Cross. Maya is excited by her new life and potential, but she has a lot to learn. Restraint for one thing. Rose is worried that Gulliver's family will want to steal him and The Others will try to kill him. Delphine isn't returning her calls. And then there's Austin, who knows her secret. Eighteen year old Rose has travelled from Whitby to New York to work as nanny to a glittering but secretive family. It's a culture shock and Rose has had to devise ways of dealing with unwelcome male attention. But it turns out she is quite capable of looking after herself: bloody revenge is her speciality. She's not like the other girls. And Gulliver is no ordinary baby. This is a world not just of champagne, but shadows, where all is definitely not as it seems. Stylish and surprising fantasy horror with a comic twist, starring Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) and Demetri Goritsas (Ten Percent). With music by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Mercury-nominated band, Porridge Radio. Rose...Alexandra Mardell Maya...Miranda Braun Austin...Demetri Goritsas Siobhan...Deirdre Mullins Delphine...Yasemin Özdemir Randy...Michael Begley Art Guy...Mathew Durkan Beatrice...Alexandra Hannant Newsreader...Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong Jason...Joseph Tweedale Mam...Jane Thornton Including the voices of Jo Makel, Paul Murphy, James Hoggarth, Freya Pollaidh, Augusta Chapman, Becky Ripley and Ben Casswell. Original music written and performed by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Porridge Radio, and produced, mixed and engineered by Sam Yardley. Sound design by Ilse Lademann Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery

Michael Rosen asks William Laven about how he has learnt to embrace language and life with a stammer. For the first 10 years of his life, William Laven went to speech therapy with a stammer that was so severe he could not form a full sentence. Fast forward to today, William is now a 23-year-old podcast founder, Tedx speaker, stammer advocate, awareness raiser and campaigner. He is devoted to improving expectations for those with speech impediments, to challenge the stigma surrounding stammers, and to encourage children with stammers to believe in themselves. When it comes to his own stammer, he now believes it's his superpower! Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley

"I never meant to cause you any sorrow, I never meant to cause you any pain..." True stories of what Prince's epic ballad means to different people around the world, from the very first jam in 1983 to the global hit that reigns over us today. Bobby Z, the drummer from Prince and The Revolution, remembers the buzz of the first ever performance of Purple Rain, and how the recording from that night lives on. Susan Rogers, Prince's recording engineer, tells stories from the Purple Rain tour, when the crew took bets on how long Prince's guitar solos would last. Comedian Sindhu Vee first heard the song as a teenager growing up in India and was knocked sideways by it. Weather reporter Judith Ralston describes the beautiful and rare weather phenomenon of purple rain. Social historian Zaheer Ali sees the song as a cry out for change, bringing audiences from different backgrounds together in cross-genre harmony. And finally, an intensive care hospital nurse played Purple Rain to Kevin Clarke while he was in a coma, because his sister knew he loved the song and hoped it might pull him through. Produced by Becky Ripley

What makes us feel in love? And can we make ourselves feel it? Biomedic Sophie Ward sets herself the deluded task of making a scientifically-accredited love potion, with the help of neuroscientists, evolutionary anthropologists, aphrodisiac historians, and a smell scientist who really likes pumpkin pie. Ingredients: a neurochemical cocktail of oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin and beta endorphin, a metaphorical "good egg", a splash of kindness, a cup of communication, five figs, an entire tiramisu, a punnet of stewed plums and a stick of liquorice. Prescribed by the following doctors of various disciplines: Dr Anna Machin, Dr Helen Fisher, Dr Viren Swami, Dr Kate Lister and Dr Alan Hirsch. Produced by Becky Ripley

An original short story for Radio 4, produced by Becky Ripley.

Greg and David are desperate to get on the ladder. They rent a small flat together in Greater Manchester and have spent the last year of lockdowns living on top of each other. The dream is to get somewhere with a bit more space. A place of their own. It feels beyond their budget until they realise they can afford a new build house under the government's Help To Buy scheme. The scheme works as an equity loan, where the government loans the buyer 20% of the house price to go toward the deposit. The buyer only needs to contribute 5% from their own savings. Which suddenly makes it doable for Greg and David. In August last year, their Help To Buy application was approved, and their offer on a house was accepted. It was a dream come true. The thing is, the house is still not built. Across the country, construction sites face inevitable delays to the new coronavirus measures. And on top of that, the current Help To Buy scheme is soon to close. There's no way they can afford the house without the scheme. So the question is: will the house be built in time? Produced in Bristol by Becky Ripley.

In an unexpected twist of Lockdown 3, sea shanties blew up on social media. Suddenly, everyone was singing ‘Wellerman', a mid-19th Century whaling song about life on-board a whaling ship. A song of hope and unity which brought people together via the power of the internet. JD, Dave, Andy and Robbie find themselves at the centre of this shanty storm. They are old friends who together make up The Longest Johns, a sea shanty band from Bristol. Back in 2018, they released a version of Wellerman on their second album, and now - suddenly - it's gone viral. They've been a band for years and they've never exactly been 'mainstream'. But now that 2021 has woken up to shanties, everything is about to change for them... Produced in Bristol by Becky Ripley.

Some stories have sound at their core. A stand-out example of this is BBC eco-thriller Forest 404, where bird calls haunt the mind of the protagonist and archival sounds are wiped from living memory one-by-one. How can we centre sound in our writing and production? In this episode writer Timothy X Atack and director Becky Ripley tell you how they went about creating this very special sonic world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do Puffins know where home is? Why do they mate for life? What do they eat? And where do they go in winter? Emily Knight and Becky Ripley, from Blue Planet II: The Podcast, head to Scotland’s Isle of May to follow the fortunes of a puffin colony across this year’s breeding season. They’ll also be exploring some bigger questions on how climate change may be affecting seabird colonies as storms become more frequent and seas warm. How can we monitor their survival rates? And what can we do to help? And as they report through the summer, they’d love to hear your puffin stories: #planetpuffin Join us for a slice of island life, where stories of the past are met by the cries of seabirds.

In the final episode, Becky Ripley and Emily Knight search for pufflings that have run into trouble on their journey from their burrows to the sea, guided by the light of the moon

Emily Knight & Becky Ripley, from Blue Planet II: The Podcast, stake out in a hide on the Isle of May to monitor how many puffins have survived the cold winter months. Spring is here, and the breeding season is about to kick off. #planetpuffin

Emily Knight & Becky Ripley, from Blue Planet II: The Podcast, drop anchor at Scotland’s Ilse of May as the puffins return after a winter at sea and the year’s breeding season is getting under way. They meet reserve manager Steely for a tour around the island’s three famous lighthouses and hear the ghastly story that could have put its first burning beacon of flames to rest. And a husband and wife who dedicated decades to studying puffins on the Isle of May reveal how much there’s left to discover about the mysterious life of the island’s puffins. As they report through the summer, Emily and Becky would love to hear your puffin stories: #planetpuffin Join them for a slice of island life, where stories of the past are met by the cries of seabirds.

Stuart Clarkson chats to guests on the red carpet and some of the winners from the 2020 Radio and Audio Industry Awards (ARIAs). You will hear from: Julia Hartley-Brewer (talkRADIO), Stephanie Hirst (BBC Radio Leeds), Tom Green (KISS), Paul Anthony (Planet Rock), Matthew Wright (talkRADIO), Nigel Williams (Jazz FM), Scott Mills (Radio 1 & 5 Live) and Jeremy Vine (Radio 2) ahead of the awards. Then there’s Myles Bonnar (BBC Scotland); Liza Ward, Hugh Costello & David Prest (Whistledown); Lee Clayton, Laurie Palacio & Hugh Woozencroft (talkSPORT); Lee Stone (BBC WM); Becky Ripley & James Cook (BBC Radio 4); Paul Sylvester (Absolute Radio); John Scott Dryden (Passenger List); Elis James & John Robins (5 Live); Phil Maguire (Prison Radio Association); Jamie Crick (Jazz FM); Jess Gillam (BBC Radio 3); Mistajam (1Xtra & Radio 1); Jim White & Gary Bloom (talkSPORT); Steffan Garrero (BBC Radio Wales); John Milne (Tay FM); Kat Harbourne (BBC Radio Sheffield); Emma Barnett (5 Live); Lewis Carnie, Sara Cox & Rylan Clark-Neal (Radio 2); and Iain Lee & Katherine Boyle (talkRADIO). Plus David Lloyd has more from the archives this week in history in RadioMoments. Processing by Ian Deeley. Voiceover by Hannah Patterson. Original music by Mcasso.

In the final episode, Becky Ripley and Emily Knight search for pufflings that have run into trouble on their journey from their burrows to the sea, guided by the light of the moon.

The season is ending. Becky Ripley and Emily Knight go in search of the last pufflings left in the burrows on the Isle of May to give them a quick check-up before the birds leave their family homes and head out to sea.

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight find the Isle of May's beaches awash with plastic waste and discover its not just plastic we can see that is damaging, but tiny fragments shed from our clothes too.

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight return to the Isle of May, where they string up a giant net to catch puffins as they fly past. When the fish in their beaks are sent flying, they go running to gather them up in the name of science.

High winds and choppy waters slow Emily Knight and Becky Ripley's return to the island, raising fears for some of the seabirds' chicks, and there's news of a mass puffin death in Alaska

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight invite you to sink deep in sound as they present an immersive wildlife experience from master recordist Chris Watson

Daria escorts Pan to The Convocation. An era has ended. Can, or should, a new one begin? An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A love letter to the forests of the world. Written by David Haskell, read by Pearl Mackie. The first forests grew 400 million years ago. Time enough for them to have listened to this world and discovered how to bring about new life. Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. And don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Pan and Theia have a plan, but it’s a sketchy one and it’s probably going to go wrong. An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A talk for episode 8, an ode to Theia. Anthropologist Michael Rivera on our evolutionary history compared to other less successful species who became extinct. Are we heading in the same direction? Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A soundscape for Episode 8. Theia’s half-remembered memory of her daughter humming by the sea's edge, used by Guggy for the brain transfer. Wind howls, thunder cracks, gulls call overhead. Headphones are best. With sound design by Graham Wild and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A soundscape for Episode 7. A full playout of one of Daria’s nightmares. Flesh and feather aberrations, horrific chirruping little fluff balls laughing through tiny keratin megaphones. Headphones are best. With sound design by Graham Wild and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Emily Knight & Becky Ripley, from Blue Planet II: The Podcast, drop anchor at Scotland’s Ilse of May as the puffins return after a winter at sea and the year’s breeding season is getting under way. They meet reserve manager Steely for a tour around the island’s three famous lighthouses and hear the ghastly story that could have put its first burning beacon of flames to rest. And a husband and wife who dedicated decades to studying puffins on the Isle of May reveal how much there’s left to discover about the mysterious life of the island’s puffins. As they report through the summer, Emily and Becky would love to hear your puffin stories: #planetpuffin Join them for a slice of island life, where stories of the past are met by the cries of seabirds.

Follow the fortunes of a Scottish puffin colony across this year’s breeding season with Emily Knight & Becky Ripley, from Blue Planet II: The Podcast, in #planetpuffin

A talk for Episode 7. Biofuturist and sci-fi writer Elsa Sotiriadis on whether AI would run the country better than us humans. Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Emily Knight & Becky Ripley, from Blue Planet II: The Podcast, explore the Scottish puffin paradise where they’ll be following breeding season in #planetpuffin. In episode 2 the duo stake out in a hide on the Isle of May to monitor how many puffins have survived the cold winter months. Spring is here, and the breeding season is about to kick off.

Daria has a confession to make – a secret from her past that haunts her every night. An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Ella Watts joins Amanda Litherland to dive into the rich world of audio fiction. Featuring US podcast The Bright Sessions, UK series The Magnus Archives and BBC Sounds' Forest 404. Also featuring conversations with creators Lauren Shippen, Becky Ripley and Rusty Quill CEO Alexander J Newall. The Bright Sessions is a science fiction podcast that follows a group of therapy patients. But these are not your typical patients - each has a unique supernatural ability. The show documents their struggles and discoveries as well as the motivations of their mysterious therapist, Dr. Bright. The show is written and directed by Lauren Shippen. Set in the 24th Century in a world where forests have been erased from history, Forest 404 is an immersive sci-fi thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie and Pippa Haywood – with original music by Bonobo. The series is accompanied by a series of talks and soundscapes which further explore questions and themes of technology, nature and climate change. The Magnus Archives is a podcast by Rusty Quill. It is an ongoing long-form anthology details the supernatural cases under investigation by the Magnus Institute and its archivists and boasts a dedicated cult following in addition to multiple award nominations. The series has more than 125 episodes in its catalogue and releases a new episode every week. The show is written and performed by Jonathan Sims (along with guest actors) and directed by Alexander J Newall.

In fear of seeing another civilisation self-destruct, Theia uncovers the truth behind Pan’s journey. An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A soundscape for Episode 6. A full playout of Pan’s dwindling as her system shuts down. Cicadas accelerate into oblivion, whales call from the deep, birds morph into monkeys, waves crash into white noise. Headphones are best. With sound design by Graham Wild and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest 404

Cemetery Historian Katie Thornton on what happens to our digital selves when we die. Where are the cemeteries for our digital ghosts and who's looking after them? Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A soundscape for Episode 5. A walk through Theia’s hometown, the streets of St Petersburg. Headphones are best. With sound design by Graham Wild and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A talk for Episode 5. Bioethicist Andy Miah on what cyborgs today can tell us about humanity’s future. Will genetic modification and life extension technology cause more or less social equality? Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Theia tells Pan the story of how the old world came to an end. An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A soundscape for Episode 4. A British woodland thick with birdsong; blackbirds, larks, dunnocks, wood pigeons. The rustle of leaves and the distant bleat of sheep. Headphones are best. With sound design by Graham Wild and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A talk to go with Episode 4, when Pan sees her first ever tree. Forest canopy cameraman and expert tree-climber James Aldred explains how trees can stay alive for centuries. Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Daria and The Hands close in on Pan as they race towards the oil lake. An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A talk to go with Episode 3. Now that Pan is down in The Inner, chronobiologist Herman Wijnen talks through what happens to our minds and bodies without sunlight. Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. You can also take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Pan finds an illegal brain shop to uncover how the recordings have changed her. An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A soundscape for Episode 3. A full playout of the whale song that sent Pan to sleep. A watery montage of humpback, orca, bowhead and blue whales. Headphones are best. With sound design by Graham Wild and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Pan goes on the run from Daria and The Hands to find answers deep down in Fumetown. An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A talk to go with Episode 2. Musician Cosmo Sheldrake on how human noise pollution and climate change is impacting animals' ability to communicate through sound. Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. You can take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A soundscape to go with Episode 2. A full playout of the chorus of frogs that Pan plays to the Interlocutor. Frogs from across the world: burping, croaking, mating. Headphones are best. With sound design by Graham Wild and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A soundscape to go with Episode 1. A full playout of the Sumatran rainforest recording that Pan finds. Whistling thrush, cicadas, howler monkeys. Flies buzz the microphone. Headphones are best. With sound design by Graham Wild and Becky Ripley. And you can take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

When Pan finds a 21st century recording of a rainforest, she has no idea what it is… An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

A talk to go with Episode 1. Alex Smalley on the physical and mental health effects of spending time in nature. Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. And you can take part in our Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to natural sounds at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Can you feel loss for something you’ve never known? An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. Plus, you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest #Forest404

Becky Ripley, one half of the team behind the recent Blue Planet II podcast, introduces this week's collection of episodes from Joe Acheson, David Rothenberg and Michael Morpurgo. Photograph: Christine Sweet.

This is a race against time. Earlier this year The Food Programme set out to record stories of foods around the world facing extinction, a project that has provided dramatic accounts from the depths of Anatolian caves to the heights of Indonesian rainforest canopies. In this episode Jamie Oliver, Thomasina Miers and chef Paula McIntyre talk about the tastes, flavours and ingredients which are facing extinction. The gathered stories all come from the Ark of Taste; an ever-growing list of endangered foods from 100 different countries across the world. Created by the International Slow Food movement, the food NGO founded in Italy 30 years ago, the Ark of Taste is backed by the United Nations as well as the European Union. As the biblical reference indicates, this Ark is on a mission to prevent extinction and protect biodiversity. The Food Programme is about to start a new mini series of stories found within the Ark of Taste. Each week - in Monday's edition of The Food Programme - listeners can hear about an ingredient or recipe, find out why it is disappearing and why it is important to save. But before he unveils a new batch of forgotten flavours, Dan Saladino plays out some of his favourite stories from our last series. Produced by Becky Ripley.