Crowdscience

It's an issue that's been bothering CrowdScience listener Anne in Miami Beach, Florida. She can see the beach from her window and wonders why after every storm, several trucks arrive to dump more sand on it.

In this first of two programmes, CrowdScience visits Anne's home in south Florida and finds out how erosion threatens Florida's famous beaches. We hear why it's such a problem for this tourist-reliant state, and whether climate change impacts like extreme weather and rising sea levels are worsening erosion.

Meanwhile, the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency in April 2023 due to coastal erosion. We witness its impacts first-hand, visiting abandoned houses crumbling into the sea and talking to experts measuring how much land is lost each year to erosion.

Some of the methods used to protect coastal communities from the encroaching sea have done more harm than good. So what are the best ways to tackle this problem? That's what we'll be exploring in next week's episode.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

We take your questions about life, Earth and the universe to researchers hunting for answers at the frontiers of knowledge.

We've had a brilliant year hunting down the answers to your science questions - on everything from food and phobias to friction and flying - and in this episode presenter Anand Jagatia is revisiting some of the best stories we covered. We're bringing you some extra juicy bonus content that we couldn't fit in to those shows first time round.

Hannah Fisher joins Anand to revisit an episode she produced about the microbiome, the community of tiny organisms living both on and inside us. During that show Hannah took presenter Caroline Steel to a microbiome museum in the Netherlands called Micropia. And one thing from Micropia that never got aired was the kiss-o-meter, a device that measures how many microbes you exchange when you kiss! Micropia curator Jasper Buikx explains the science behind the kiss-o-meter, and then Caroline Steel tries it for herself!

Microbes aren't just living on and in humans and animals - they're pretty much everywhere in our environment. And to illustrate this CrowdScience producer Marijke Peters brings Anand a bonus interview with a professional surfer who's also a bioscientist.

Cliff Kapono undertook a scientific project travelling around the world to take microbiome samples from surfers in different countries. He discovered a fascinating global connection. Surfers are linked together by microbes on their skin that they get from the water around them. Intriguingly, he describes how this might affect our perception of who we are as humans.

Caroline Steel updates us on an interview she did with indigenous Australian astronomer Peter Swanton. Peter appeared on CrowdScience telling an ancient Australian folktale about a man who sacrificed himself to save his brother. The story, which has been handed down through several generations, provides possible evidence for an early observation of a supernova. You can hear that story in the episode “Why is the sun at the centre? ?

Today we hear two extra stories that originally got cut from the broadcast due to time constraints. They are beautiful and poignant tales that reveal the depth of indigenous scientific achievement and the extraordinary significance of the night sky.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Phil Sansom

Editor: Richard Collings

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Managers: Tim Heffer and Cath McGee

Featuring:

Jasper Buikx, scientific curator & spokesperson, ARTIS-Micropia

Prof. Cliff Kapono, surfer & molecular bioscientist, School of Ocean Futures at Arizona State University

Peter Swanton, indigenous research associate, Australian National University

Welcome to Part 2 of our year-end extravaganza, full of bonus content and stories

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Welcome to Part 2 of our year-end extravaganza, full of holiday cheer, bonus content and stories from our intrepid team of presenters and producers

Welcome to Part 2 of our year-end extravaganza and the final episode of 2023!

We’ve had a brilliant year hunting down the answers to your science questions - on everything from food and phobias to friction and flying - and in this episode presenter Anand Jagatia is revisiting some of the best stories we covered. We’re bringing you some extra juicy bonus content that we couldn’t fit in to those shows first time round.

Hannah Fisher joins Anand to revisit an episode she produced about the microbiome, the community of tiny organisms living both on and inside us. During that show Hannah took presenter Caroline Steel to a microbiome museum in the Netherlands called Micropia. And one thing from Micropia that never got aired was the kiss-o-meter, a device that measures how many microbes you exchange when you kiss! Micropia curator Jasper Buikx explains the science behind the kiss-o-meter, and then Caroline Steel tries it for herself!

Microbes aren’t just living on and in humans and animals - they’re pretty much everywhere in our environment. And to illustrate this CrowdScience producer Marijke Peters brings Anand a bonus interview with a professional surfer who’s also a bioscientist.

Cliff Kapono undertook a scientific project travelling around the world to take microbiome samples from surfers in different countries. He discovered a fascinating global connection. Surfers are linked together by microbes on their skin that they get from the water around them. Intriguingly, he describes how this might affect our perception of who we are as humans.

Caroline Steel updates us on an interview she did with indigenous Australian astronomer Peter Swanton. Peter appeared on CrowdScience telling an ancient Australian folktale about a man who sacrificed himself to save his brother. The story, which has been handed down through several generations, provides possible evidence for an early observation of a supernova. You can hear that story in the episode “Why is the sun at the centre? ?

Today we hear two extra stories that originally got cut from the broadcast due to time constraints. They are beautiful and poignant tales that reveal the depth of indigenous scientific achievement and the extraordinary significance of the night sky.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Phil Sansom
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Studio Managers: Tim Heffer and Cath McGee

Featuring:

Jasper Buikx, scientific curator & spokesperson, ARTIS-Micropia
Prof. Cliff Kapono, surfer & molecular bioscientist, School of Ocean Futures at Arizona State University
Peter Swanton, indigenous research associate, Australian National University

Welcome to Part 2 of our year-end extravaganza, full of bonus content and stories

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

This week presenter Anand Jagatia magically appears with a Santa's sack full of special features. We're catching up with some of our favourite guests from the past year and answering some of the extra questions that we never got the chance to cover.

First up we hear from presenter Tim Clare who we first heard in the episode “Why do some people have panic attacks? ? He takes Anand through his new book – it's about board games: why we play them, how they've existed throughout history and what he's learned about himself in the process of writing it.

Then it's time for a bonus question. The CrowdScience team often get questions about noise pollution. One listener got in touch to ask whether the transition to electric vehicles will reduce this noise. Acoustic scientist Kurt Fristrup and epidemiologist Erica Walker give their perspectives on this question, and how sound and noise can sometimes be very different things. CrowdScience listener Marie - who originally starred in an episode about why she doesn't have any sense of time - returns. Since the programme she has been speaking to psychologists about her problem and tells Anand what more she's learnt.

We received another bonus question after a show in 2023 about AI: why can't artificial intelligence be designed to explain it's decisions? Producer Phil returns to data scientist Briana Brownell from the original episode to ask her why AI decision making is so very complex.

Finally, as it's the season for holiday music, we're asking what makes the genre so distinctive? Composer Jane Watkins - who originally created the sound of a panic attack for a CrowdScience episode - brings in her musical keyboard to demonstrate what makes a Christmas song so specifically ‘a Christmas song'.

It's all topped-off with the premiere of a happy and heart-warming song performed by the CrowdScience Christmas Choir – a little gift for our loyal listeners.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Phil Sansom

Editor: Richard Collings

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Managers: Tim Heffer and Cath McGee

Featuring:

Tim Clare, author/poet/podcaster

Dr. Kurt Fristrup, acoustic scientist, Colorado State University

Prof. Erica Walker, RGSS Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health

Marie Bergholtz

Briana Brownell, data scientist

Jane Watkins, composer

It's Part 1 of CrowdScience's year-end extravaganza! Say hello to some familiar faces.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

It's Part 1 of CrowdScience's year-end extravaganza! We've reconnecting with some of our favourite guests and bringing out a bumper box of bonus questions.

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and welcome to part one of CrowdScience's year-end extravaganza! 2023 was a fascinating year - we answered questions about panic attacks, climbing plants, ostriches, even the weight of the internet - and in this episode we've got a smorgasbord of special stories to show you. There's audio that never made it on the air; updates with some of the fascinating people we've spoken to; and some bonus questions we never got to answer! All topped off with a hearty glug of holiday cheer -

In part one of our year-end celebration, we're following up on the best stories of 2023\u2026

In part one of our year-end celebration, we're following up on the best stories of 2023 -

Welcome to Part 1 of CrowdScience’s year-end extravaganza! It’s an extra-festive episode this week. For those who celebrate it, Christmas is the perfect time to pause and look back at the year just gone. Here on CrowdScience we’ve had a great 2023: we answered dozens of listener questions, ranging from climbing plants and ostriches to panic attacks and the weight of the internet.

This week presenter Anand Jagatia magically appears with a Santa’s sack full of special features. We’re catching up with some of our favourite guests from the past year and answering some of the extra questions that we never got the chance to cover.

First up we hear from presenter Tim Clare who we first heard in the episode “Why do some people have panic attacks? ? He takes Anand through his new book – it's about board games: why we play them, how they’ve existed throughout history and what he’s learned about himself in the process of writing it.

Then it’s time for a bonus question. The CrowdScience team often get questions about noise pollution. One listener got in touch to ask whether the transition to electric vehicles will reduce this noise. Acoustic scientist Kurt Fristrup and epidemiologist Erica Walker give their perspectives on this question, and how sound and noise can sometimes be very different things. CrowdScience listener Marie - who originally starred in an episode about why she doesn’t have any sense of time - returns. Since the programme she has been speaking to psychologists about her problem and tells Anand what more she’s learnt.

We received another bonus question after a show in 2023 about AI: why can’t artificial intelligence be designed to explain it’s decisions? Producer Phil returns to data scientist Briana Brownell from the original episode to ask her why AI decision making is so very complex.

Finally, as it’s the season for holiday music, we’re asking what makes the genre so distinctive? Composer Jane Watkins - who originally created the sound of a panic attack for a CrowdScience episode - brings in her musical keyboard to demonstrate what makes a Christmas song so specifically ‘a Christmas song’.

It’s all topped-off with the premiere of a happy and heart-warming song performed by the CrowdScience Christmas Choir – a little gift for our loyal listeners.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Phil Sansom
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Studio Managers: Tim Heffer and Cath McGhee

Featuring:

Tim Clare, author/poet/podcaster
Dr. Kurt Fristrup, acoustic scientist, Colorado State University
Prof. Erica Walker, RGSS Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health
Marie Bergholtz
Briana Brownell, data scientist
Jane Watkins, composer

It\u2019s Part 1 of CrowdScience\u2019s year-end extravaganza! Say hello to some familiar faces.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Welcome to Part 1 of CrowdScience’s year-end extravaganza! It’s an extra-festive episode this week. For those who celebrate it, Christmas is the perfect time to pause and look back at the year just gone. Here on CrowdScience we’ve had a great 2023: we answered dozens of listener questions, ranging from climbing plants and ostriches to panic attacks and the weight of the internet.

This week presenter Anand Jagatia magically appears with a Santa’s sack full of special features. We’re catching up with some of our favourite guests from the past year and answering some of the extra questions that we never got the chance to cover.

First up we hear from presenter Tim Clare who we first heard in the episode “Why do some people have panic attacks? ? He takes Anand through his new book – it's about board games: why we play them, how they’ve existed throughout history and what he’s learned about himself in the process of writing it.

Then it’s time for a bonus question. The CrowdScience team often get questions about noise pollution. One listener got in touch to ask whether the transition to electric vehicles will reduce this noise. Acoustic scientist Kurt Fristrup and epidemiologist Erica Walker give their perspectives on this question, and how sound and noise can sometimes be very different things. CrowdScience listener Marie - who originally starred in an episode about why she doesn’t have any sense of time - returns. Since the programme she has been speaking to psychologists about her problem and tells Anand what more she’s learnt.

We received another bonus question after a show in 2023 about AI: why can’t artificial intelligence be designed to explain it’s decisions? Producer Phil returns to data scientist Briana Brownell from the original episode to ask her why AI decision making is so very complex.

Finally, as it’s the season for holiday music, we’re asking what makes the genre so distinctive? Composer Jane Watkins - who originally created the sound of a panic attack for a CrowdScience episode - brings in her musical keyboard to demonstrate what makes a Christmas song so specifically ‘a Christmas song’.

It’s all topped-off with the premiere of a happy and heart-warming song performed by the CrowdScience Christmas Choir – a little gift for our loyal listeners.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Phil Sansom
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Studio Managers: Tim Heffer and Cath McGhee

Featuring:

Tim Clare, author/poet/podcaster
Dr. Kurt Fristrup, acoustic scientist, Colorado State University
Prof. Erica Walker, RGSS Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health
Marie Bergholtz
Briana Brownell, data scientist
Jane Watkins, composer

It\u2019s Part 1 of CrowdScience\u2019s year-end extravaganza! Say hello to some familiar faces.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Seeds are crucial to human existence – we eat them, we grow them and then we eat what they become. But what is a seed and how come it can sit there doing nothing for ages and then suddenly, when the conditions are right, burst into a plant?

That’s what CrowdScience listener Anke has been wondering. She runs an aquaponic salad farm near Stockholm in Sweden and she germinates thousands of seeds every week. With a bit of moisture and light, seeds that have been dormant for months can become leafy greens in just a few weeks. So are seeds alive, are they on some kind of life support, or is something else going on?

Presenter Caroline Steel sets off to Sweden to meet Anke, before heading for the Nordgen seed bank near Malmö. There she discovers how seeds being stored for future generations are tested for viability, and wonders what’s going on inside a seed that allows it to remain asleep before suddenly coming to life. How does a seed decide that the time is right?

We hear about one of the world’s longest running science experiments - a real-life treasure hunt that takes place every twenty years in Michigan, USA. Plant biologists tramp through the snow looking for bottles of seeds that were buried nearly a century and a half ago. Once found they try to germinate them. What superpowers does a seed need to be able to last that long?

Caroline also meets the woman who tried to grow date seeds that had been discarded at the palace of Herod the Great 2000 years ago, and ended up with previously extinct trees that produce delicious fruit. Surely a seed can’t have been alive for that long. Or can it?

Contributors:

Anke Johanna van Lenteren, Johannas Stadsodlingar, Sweden
Johan Axelsson, Nordic Genetic Resource Center, Sweden
Prof George Bassel, University of Warwick, UK
Dr Grace Fleming, Michigan State University, USA
Dr Sarah Sallon, Hadassah Medical Center, Israel

Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Ben Motley
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo: Hands holding spinach seeds. Credit: Vince Streano / Getty Images)

How come a seed can do nothing for months, or even years, before bursting into life?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Seeds are crucial to human existence – we eat them, we grow them and then we eat what they become. But what is a seed and how come it can sit there doing nothing for ages and then suddenly, when the conditions are right, burst into a plant?

That’s what CrowdScience listener Anke has been wondering. She runs an aquaponic salad farm near Stockholm in Sweden and she germinates thousands of seeds every week. With a bit of moisture and light, seeds that have been dormant for months can become leafy greens in just a few weeks. So are seeds alive, are they on some kind of life support, or is something else going on?

Presenter Caroline Steel sets off to Sweden to meet Anke, before heading for the Nordgen seed bank near Malmö. There she discovers how seeds being stored for future generations are tested for viability, and wonders what’s going on inside a seed that allows it to remain asleep before suddenly coming to life. How does a seed decide that the time is right?

We hear about one of the world’s longest running science experiments - a real-life treasure hunt that takes place every twenty years in Michigan, USA. Plant biologists tramp through the snow looking for bottles of seeds that were buried nearly a century and a half ago. Once found they try to germinate them. What superpowers does a seed need to be able to last that long?

Caroline also meets the woman who tried to grow date seeds that had been discarded at the palace of Herod the Great 2000 years ago, and ended up with previously extinct trees that produce delicious fruit. Surely a seed can’t have been alive for that long. Or can it?

Contributors:

Anke Johanna van Lenteren, Johannas Stadsodlingar, Sweden
Johan Axelsson, Nordic Genetic Resource Center, Sweden
Prof George Bassel, University of Warwick, UK
Dr Grace Fleming, Michigan State University, USA
Dr Sarah Sallon, Hadassah Medical Center, Israel

Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Ben Motley
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo: Hands holding spinach seeds. Credit: Vince Streano / Getty Images)

How come a seed can do nothing for months, or even years, before bursting into life?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

That's what CrowdScience listener Anke has been wondering. She runs an aquaponic salad farm near Stockholm in Sweden and she germinates thousands of seeds every week. With a bit of moisture and a bit of light, seeds that have been dormant for months can become leafy greens in just a few weeks. So are seeds alive, on some kind of life support, or is something else going on?

Presenter Caroline Steel sets off to Sweden to meet Anke, before heading for the Nordgen seed bank near Malmö. There she discovers how seeds being stored for future generations are tested for viability, and wonders what's going on inside a seed that allows it to remain asleep before suddenly coming to life. How does a seed decide that the time is right?

She also hears about one of the world's longest running science experiments - a real-life treasure hunt that takes place every twenty years in Michigan, USA. Plant biologists tramp through the snow looking for bottles of seeds that were buried for them 143 years ago, and then they try to germinate them. What superpowers does a seed need to be able to last that long?

She'll also meet the woman who tried to grow date seeds that had been discarded at the palace of Herod the Great 2000 years ago, and ended up with previously extinct trees that produce delicious fruit.

Surely a seed can't have been alive for that long. Can it?

Contributors:

Anke Johanna van Lenteren, Johannas Stadsodlingar, Sweden

Johan Axelsson, Nordic Genetic Resource Center, Sweden

Prof George Bassel, University of Warwick, UK

Dr Grace Fleming, Michigan State University, USA

Dr Sarah Sallon, Hadassah Medical Center, Israel

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Ben Motley

Editor: Richard Collings

Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo: Hands holding spinach seeds. Credit: Vince Streano / Getty Images)

How come a seed can do nothing for months, or even years, before bursting into life?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

A seed might do nothing for months, or even years, before bursting into life and becoming a plant. So is a seed alive, and how does it decide when the time is right?

Inspired by his native language, Hebrew, Ghil'ad Zuckermann is a linguistics professor who is on a mission to revive Australia's dead and endangered languages, painstakingly piecing them back together from historical documents.

We speak to Ghil'ad and Shania Richards from the Barngarla community, whose language is being brought back from the brink.

How do you revive a language with no living speakers?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

They want to know whether it's possible to plant enough trees to soak up all the extra carbon we are putting into the atmosphere?

The quest to find answers takes us to a remote re-forestation project in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania which could be a model for other projects looking to tackle the climate crisis through reforestation.

We speak to experts to find out how much tree planting and reforestation can do in helping combat the climate crisis.

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

Editor: Richard Collings

Can we plant enough trees to soak up all the extra carbon we put into the atmosphere?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Our question this week comes from a father and his two boys, who want to know if it is possible to plant enough trees to soak up all the extra carbon we put into the atmosphere.

We spend a lot of our time thinking about climate change, but listener Paul has a question that isn’t usually part of the conversation. He wants to know whether a hotter atmosphere will affect how often volcanoes erupt, or make them more explosive when they do.

CrowdScience travels to New Zealand to search for answers, exploring volcanic craters and discovering traditional Maori knowledge about volcanoes.

Contributors:
Geoff Kilgour, Volcanologist, Geological and Nuclear Sciences Taupo, New Zealand
Heather Handley, Volcanologist, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Pouroto Ngaropo, Historian and Matauranga Māori expert, Rotorua, New Zealand

Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Emily Bird
Editor: Cathy Edwards
Production Co-Ordinator: Connor Morgans
Sound Engineer: Steve Greenwood

(Photo: Icelandic volcano. Credit: KRISTINN MAGNUSSON/Getty Images)

We head to New Zealand to ask how a hotter planet will affect volcanoes.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

CrowdScience travels to New Zealand to search for answers, exploring volcanic craters and discovering traditional Maori knowledge about volcanoes.

Contributors:

Geoff Kilgour, Volcanologist, Geological and Nuclear Sciences Taupo, New Zealand

Heather Handley, Volcanologist, University of Twente, The Netherlands

Pouroto Ngaropo, Historian and Matauranga Māori expert, Rotorua, New Zealand

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Emily Bird

Editor: Cathy Edwards

Production Co-Ordinator: Connor Morgans

Sound Engineer: Steve Greenwood

(Photo: Icelandic volcano. Credit: KRISTINN MAGNUSSON/Getty Images)

We head to New Zealand to ask how a hotter planet will affect volcanoes.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

How will a heating planet affect volcanic activity? CrowdScience heads to New Zealand to find out.

Many of us have habits that calm us down in times of stress. Things we find deeply comforting, like sucking our thumb or biting our nails. We might not even be aware we’re doing them, but they play a fundamental role in helping us regulate our emotions.

Our question this week comes from CrowdScience listener and nail-biter, Ash. He wants to know where these habits come from. And since his pet dog is also a nail-biter: do we share these traits with other animals?

Recently, a video of a mouse cleaning up a man’s shed took the internet by storm. Was this a house-proud mouse, or was it the animal's way of making sense of a frenetic environment? An emerging field of scientists focusing on animal behaviour and emotions help us shed some light on such questions.

Along the way we meet a dog training specialist, learn what a sniffari is, go for playtime with a thumb-sucking otter, and visit an OCD clinic. We’ll also be getting tips on how to give your pets the best home environment, and meet an animal enrichment officer in South Africa, who knows how to spot the signs of an unhelpful habit developing.

Contributors:
Karolina Westlund, Ethologist, Stockholm University and ILLIS
Ben Terry, CBT Therapist, Priory Hospital North London
Karin Pienaar, Animal Behaviourist, COAPE International
Candice Ward, Animal Behaviourist, Johannesburg Zoo

Jaak Panksepp clip: The science of emotions: Jaak Panksepp at TEDxRainier

Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski
Presenter: Alex Lathbridge
Editor: Cathy Edwards
Production co-ordinator: Connor Morgans
Additional recording by Elna Schutz

(Photo: Portrait of border collie puppy biting a curtain. Credit: Rawlstock/Getty Images)

Why do we bite our nails - and do animals share similar habits?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Many of us have habits that calm us down in times of stress. Things we find deeply comforting, like sucking our thumb or biting our nails. We might not even be aware we’re doing them, but they play a fundamental role in helping us regulate our emotions.

Our question this week comes from CrowdScience listener and nail-biter, Ash. He wants to know where these habits come from. And since his pet dog is also a nail-biter: do we share these traits with other animals?

Recently, a video of a mouse cleaning up a man’s shed took the internet by storm. Was this a house-proud mouse, or was it the animal's way of making sense of a frenetic environment? An emerging field of scientists focusing on animal behaviour and emotions help us shed some light on such questions.

Along the way we meet a dog training specialist, learn what a sniffari is, go for playtime with a thumb-sucking otter, and visit an OCD clinic. We’ll also be getting tips on how to give your pets the best home environment, and meet an animal enrichment officer in South Africa, who knows how to spot the signs of an unhelpful habit developing.

Contributors:
Karolina Westlund, Ethologist, Stockholm University and ILLIS
Ben Terry, CBT Therapist, Priory Hospital North London
Karin Pienaar, Animal Behaviourist, COAPE International
Candice Ward, Animal Behaviourist, Johannesburg Zoo

Jaak Panksepp clip: The science of emotions: Jaak Panksepp at TEDxRainier

Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski
Presenter: Alex Lathbridge
Editor: Cathy Edwards
Production co-ordinator: Connor Morgans
Additional recording by Elna Schutz

(Photo: Portrait of border collie puppy biting a curtain. Credit: Rawlstock/Getty Images)

Why do we bite our nails - and do animals share similar habits?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Our question this week comes from CrowdScience listener and nail-biter, Ash. He wants to know where these habits come from. And since his pet dog is also a nail-biter: do we share these traits with other animals?

Recently, a video of a mouse cleaning up a man's shed took the internet by storm. Was this a house-proud mouse, or was it the animal's way of making sense of a frenetic environment? An emerging field of scientists focusing on animal behaviour and emotions help us shed some light on such questions.

Along the way we meet a dog training specialist, learn what a sniffari is, go for playtime with a thumb-sucking otter, and visit a specialist OCD clinic. We'll also be getting tips on how to give your pets the best home environment, and meet an animal enrichment officer in South Africa, who knows how to spot the signs of an unhelpful habit developing.

Why do we bite our nails - and do animals share similar habits?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Across the world, wars and bloody conflicts continue to rage. A deeply troubling reality that led a CrowdScience listener from Sierra Leone to pose this simple yet fascinating question: why is there still so much war and fighting in so many parts of the world?

In an effort to find the answers, CrowdScience has assembled some of the world's leading experts in psychology, evolution, anthropology, modern warfare and conflict mediation. Is fighting in our DNA? Are we pre-disposed to resolve conflict with war? Are we more violent now than we were in centuries past? As individuals, what is the true motivation for going to battle when, in a practical sense, the risks far outweigh the benefits?

We also look to our closest living relatives, and fellow primates, for potential solutions. How and why do monkeys do battle? And can studying their complex behaviour help us as we strive for a world without war?

We take your questions about life, Earth and the universe to researchers hunting for answers at the frontiers of knowledge.

Caroline Steel comes up with some answers, talking to colour scientists about their research into the multiple factors that enable us to see in multi colours, from the intricate biology of our eye to the changing environment around us.

She also investigates her own colour vision and solves a personal mystery, discovering why the world has always looked a slightly different colour from each eye.

Contributors:

Professor Jay Neitz, Department of Opthalmology, University of Washington, US

Professor Hannah Smithson, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford

Dr Juan Perea García, researcher, Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Leiden

Dr Lauren Welbourne, researcher, Department of Psychology, University of York

Dr Adam Bibbey, lecturer in sport, Department of Sport, Oxford Brookes University

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Jo Glanville

Editor: Cathy Edwards

Production co-ordinator: Connor Morgans

Studio manager: Jackie Margerum

(Photo: LWA)

Caroline Steel investigates what affects the way we see the colours of the world

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

CrowdScience listener Gregory wants to know what affects the way we see the colours of the world. Could eye colour have anything to do with it?

We peer into the world of colour perception, thanks to a question from CrowdScience listener Gregory. Do the colours we see vary from person to person, and if so, what factors are at play? Does our eye colour affect the colours we see out in the world, for example?

And since we can only see through our own eyes, how can we ever really know if your blue is the same as my blue? Caroline Steel investigates.

Does colour perception vary between people - and how would we know?

We peer into the world of colour perception: does it vary between people, what affects the colours we see, and can we ever really know if we see the same shade as someone else?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Our inbox has been bursting at the seams with questions about creepy crawlies, deep sea beasties, cheeky monkeys, endangered species and animals of all shapes and sizes. So, we rounded up a panel of experts to get some answers!

Surrounded by 25,000 people trudging merrily through the mud, pelted with torrential rain, underscored by the warm hum of revelry, the BBC's Marnie Chesterton speaks with Dr David Jones from the Natural History Museum, an expert on creepy crawlies and someone who spends a considerable amount of time thinking about earthworms, ants, and termites. Also joining us is Jess Savage, a researcher from the Institute of Zoology in London who's an expert on ocean-dwelling animals and the impact of plastic pollution. Finally, we have Simon Watt, a biologist, comedian and founder of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society.

Join us for this very special edition of Crowdscience, in partnership with Green Man Festival, where we bring the experts closer to you than ever before.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producer: Emily Bird

Editor: Richard Collings

Technical producer: Mike Cox

Studio manager: Jackie Margerum

Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo: Marnie and guests. Credit: Jonathan Harris)

Why are some animals cute - and some downright weird?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Why are some animals cute – and some downright ugly? This edition of Crowdscience comes to you directly from Green Man Festival in Cymru (Wales).

So how much energy and water are data centres using globally? And how can they become more sustainable? To answer Art's question CrowdScience heads to chilly western Norway to visit a data centre hidden deep within a mountain, that's said to be one of the most efficient in the world. And we hear how a data centre in South Africa is saving water and dealing with crippling power cuts by generating its own renewable energy.

Do we just need to stream less TV and reduce our email inbox? With the help of carbon footprint expert Mike Berners-Lee, we crunch the numbers to find out.

Featuring:

Svein Atle Hagaseth, CEO of Green Mountain data centres in Norway

Mike Berners Lee, Professor at Lancaster University's Environment Centre and consultant at Small World Consulting

Thulani Ncube, Group Energy Lead at Africa Data Centres

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Sophie Eastaugh

Editor: Cathy Edwards

Production: Jonathan Harris

What's the environmental impact of all the data we use?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

What's the environmental impact of all the data we use, and how can we make data centres more sustainable?

We each have trillions of tiny microbes and bacteria inside our bodies, living in our mouths, skin, ears and even in our eyes. Each community of microbes and bacteria is known as a microbiome. The most populous of these is in our gut, with hundreds of trillions of organisms and bacteria helping digest the food we eat.

Our gut microbiome is affected by lots of things but mainly by our diet. With our gut microbiome forming such a massive part of our insides, people have long suspected that what we eat impacts how we feel.

Presenter Caroline Steel investigates. She speaks to a professor of Psychiatry, Jane Foster, to find out how interconnected our microbiome and our brain really are. Professor Foster also explains the different ways in which our microbiome and brain communicate.

Do we really know what role diet plays in mental health? Consultant psychiatrist Professor David Veale provides more detail. And at a café with a rather interesting menu, Caroline samples some of the food available as occupational therapist Joel Oliver explains how important food can be as part of mental health treatment.

This begs the question: if our microbiome really does influence our mental health, can we harness the power of microbes to potentially find new treatments to help our mental health? Dr Najaf Amin tells us about her research identifying the link between specific microbes and depression.

Producer: Hannah Fisher

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Editor: Richard Collings

Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Manager: Bob Nettles

(Photo: Young hipster man eating salad. Credit: Tara Moore / Getty Images)

What we eat impacts our microbiome. How does that impact our mental health?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

What we eat impacts the microbes and bacteria in our gut. How do these micro-organisms impact our mental health?

The Population Research Bureau in the USA estimated this number back in the 90s, and have been updating their calculations ever since. Demographer Toshiko Kaneda explains how their model works, the assumptions it makes – and the huge uncertainties around the number it comes out with.

We first need a date for when ‘humans' first began, so Caroline travels to the Natural History Museum in London to meet human evolution expert Chris Stringer, and marvel at his collection of replica fossil skulls. Chris demonstrates how to distinguish our species, Homo sapiens, from other species like Neanderthals. When did these species first appear - and which of them count as human?

And once you know where to start the clock, how do you estimate the numbers of people alive at different points in history? For a population demographer like Walter Scheidel, it helps that some ancient civilisations kept detailed censuses, a few of which have survived to the present day. Caroline and Walter pour over one of these census fragments, and learn how to combine them with other archaeological clues to get some very rough numbers.

And finally: what does the future of our population look like? Poonam Muttreja from the Population Foundation of India discusses developments in the world's most populous country, as well as the big demographic trends ahead for humanity.

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Phil Sansom

Additional Recording: Umaru Fofana

Editor: Cathy Edwards

Production Co-ordinator: Connor Morgans

Studio Manager: Sue Maillot

Featuring:

Toshiko Kaneda, Technical Director of Demographic Research, Population Research Bureau

Chris Stringer, Research Leader in Human Evolution, Natural History Museum London

Walter Scheidel, Professor of Classics and History, Stanford University

Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, Population Foundation of India

Listener Alpha in Sierra Leone asks us to count all the humans who have ever lived

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Listener Alpha in Sierra Leone wants us to count all the humans who have ever lived - so Caroline Steel gets down to some serious number crunching.

Today there are over eight billion people on Earth. That's an awe-inspiring figure - but how does it compare to the vast numbers of people who came before us? Do we living humans make up the majority of the number of people who have ever lived, or are we dwarfed by the vast ranks of our ancestors? Listener Alpha wanted to know, and so presenter Caroline Steel is doing a quick historical headcount. How do you figure out the number of people who lived in the past? When did humans even first begin? And finally - what does the future of humanity look like?

In the search for answers Marnie and the team are locked in rooms to battle mental, physical, mystery and skill-based challenges, all against the clock.

Unpicking their efforts in the studio are a global team of cleverness researchers: Dr Stuart Ritchie from Kings College London, Prof Sophie von Stumm from York University and Dr Alex Burgoyne from Georgia Institute of Technology in the US.

They are challenged to face the toughest questions in their field: Why do men and women tend to perform differently in these tests? Is our smartness in our genes? And what about the Flynn Effect – where IQs appear to have risen, decade after decade, around the world.

Producer/presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Editor: Richard Collings

Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo Man doing puzzle. Credit: Getty Images)

The CrowdScience team are tested to the limit to see how brainy they are.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

The CrowdScience team are locked in rooms to battle mental, physical, mystery and skill-based challenges, all against the clock. It's all in the name of measuring cleverness

As we heard in the first programme, listener Anne from sees trucks dumping sand on the beach near her Florida home. We dig into this effective but expensive strategy to restore beaches by replenishing the beach with imported sand.

And in Puerto Rico, we hear about the importance of natural ecosystems, both on and offshore, in combating the power of the sea. CrowdScience joins in with restoration efforts, discovering that such work not only benefits vital and fragile habitats, but protects local communities too.

What's the best way to combat coastal erosion?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Marnie Chesterton comes up with some answers, talking to doctors about how the BMI is used and misused in clinical practice, and looks at some alternative methods for measuring our body composition. She also sits down with philosopher Kate Manne to discuss the realities of living in a fat-phobic world.

We hear from Tonga in the South Pacific, where high BMI scores have labelled the country highly obese. But this is not necessarily how Tongans see themselves.

And Marnie finds out if the BMI will continue to be used across the world as an important health marker or whether it is destined for the scrap heap of medical history.

Contributors:

Professor Kate Manne

Dr Francesco Rubino

Dr Naveed Sattar

Professor Brendon Noble

Technician Leah Siegel

Fononga Pulu

Sela Latailakepa

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producer: Richard Walker

Editor: Cathy Edwards

Production co-ordinator: Connor Morgans

Studio manager: Emma Harth

How useful is the Body Mass Index?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

The BMI, or Body Mass Index, is used globally to flag health risks associated with weight. But is it actually useful, and why is there growing concern it could be bad for us?

How useful is the BMI?

What evidence is there for a semi-aquatic period in human evolutionary history? That’s the question that’s been bothering listener Dave in Thailand. He thinks our lack of hair and love of water might indicate that, at some point, we were more water-based than we are now. But what does science have to say on the matter?

The theory that our ape ancestors returned to the water for a phase in our evolutionary history is a controversial idea that most scientists disagree with.

Anand Jagatia chats to Dr Melissa Ilardo, assistant professor at the University of Utah, about our dive reflex - a physiological response we display when submerged underwater, which helps direct oxygen towards vital organs. But this is not a response that is unique to humans - it is found in all mammals. Experts say it developed long before all apes split off in the evolutionary tree.

To find out more about the theory itself Anand hears from John Langdon, emeritus professor at the University of Indianapolis. He explains why the aquatic ape theory is not generally accepted by anthropologists, what the fossil record can tell us about our evolutionary path and why evolution is much more complex than the aquatic ape hypothesis suggests.

While there may be little evidence of a semi-aquatic period in our evolutionary past, there are some communities around the world that have adapted to utilising their watery environments in more recent evolutionary history.

Anand speaks to Dr Nicole Smith-Guzman at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute who has found evidence that ancient populations in Panama were habitually diving in the sea for shells and seafood. She explains how she can piece together evidence from different sources to detect the activity of ancient populations. And Dr Melissa Ilardo explains how evolutionary pressure can cause physical changes in isolated communities, as our bodies ultimately adapt to help us thrive in more watery environments.

Producer: Hannah Fisher
Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Editor: Richard Collings
Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Sound engineer: Jackie Margerum

(Photo: Woman swimming underwater. Credit: Petrelos/Getty Images)

Was there a semi-aquatic period for humans as we\u2019ve evolved?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

The theory that our ape ancestors returned to the water for a phase in our evolutionary history is a controversial idea that most scientists disagree with.

Anand Jagatia chats to Dr Melissa Ilardo, assistant professor at the University of Utah, about our dive reflex - a physiological response we display when submerged underwater, which helps direct oxygen towards vital organs. But this is not a response that is unique to humans - it is found in all mammals. Experts say it developed long before all apes split off in the evolutionary tree.

To find out more about the theory itself Anand hears from John Langdon, emeritus professor at the University of Indianapolis. He explains why the aquatic ape theory is not generally accepted by anthropologists, what the fossil record can tell us about our evolutionary path and why evolution is much more complex than the aquatic ape hypothesis suggests.

While there may be little evidence of a semi-aquatic period in our evolutionary past, there are some communities around the world that have adapted to utilising their watery environments in more recent evolutionary history.

Anand speaks to Dr Nicole Smith-Guzman at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute who has found evidence that ancient populations in Panama were habitually diving in the sea for shells and seafood. She explains how she can piece together evidence from different sources to detect the activity of ancient populations. And Dr Melissa Ilardo explains how evolutionary pressure can cause physical changes in isolated communities, as our bodies ultimately adapt to help us thrive in more watery environments.

Producer: Hannah Fisher

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Editor: Richard Collings

Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Sound engineer: Jackie Margerum

(Photo: Woman swimming underwater. Credit: Petrelos/Getty Images)

Was there a semi-aquatic period for humans as we've evolved?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Is there any evidence for humans having a semi-aquatic period in our evolutionary history?

*Warning* This episode includes references to suicide.

When listener Ben heard about a Kenyan “starvation cult ? in the news, he wondered whether the members of this group had been brainwashed. Is it possible to control someone’s mind?

In this episode presenter Caroline Steel learns how easily people can be influenced. She hears what it’s like to be part of a cult, and gets to the bottom of a decades-long debate: does brainwashing exist? And, if so, how does it work?

Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Florian Bohr
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris
Studio Managers: Donald McDonald and Emma Harth

Featuring:

Anthony Pratkanis, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz
Alexandra Stein, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Sussex
Eileen Barker, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, London School of Economics

(Image: Washing a brain. Credit: Cemile Bingol / Getty Images).

Is it possible to control someone\u2019s mind?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

*Warning* This episode includes references to suicide.

When listener Ben heard about a Kenyan “starvation cult ? in the news, he wondered whether the members of this group had been brainwashed. Is it possible to control someone's mind?

In this episode presenter Caroline Steel learns how easily people can be influenced. She hears what it's like to be part of a cult, and gets to the bottom of a decades-long debate: does brainwashing exist? And, if so, how does it work?

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Florian Bohr

Editor: Richard Collings

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Managers: Donald McDonald and Emma Harth

Featuring:

Anthony Pratkanis, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Alexandra Stein, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Sussex

Eileen Barker, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, London School of Economics

(Image: Washing a brain. Credit: Cemile Bingol / Getty Images).

What is brainwashing? Presenter Caroline Steel finds out if controlling somebody's mind is actually possible.

*Warning* This episode includes references to suicide.

When listener Ben heard about a Kenyan “starvation cult ? in the news, he wondered whether the members of this group had been brainwashed. Is it possible to control someone's mind?

In this episode presenter Caroline Steel learns how easily people can be influenced. She hears what it's like to be part of a cult, and gets to the bottom of a decades-long debate: does brainwashing exist? And, if so, how does it work?

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Florian Bohr

Editor: Richard Collings

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Managers: Donald McDonald and Emma Harth

Featuring:

Anthony Pratkanis, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Alexandra Stein, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Sussex

Eileen Barker, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, London School of Economics

(Image: Washing a brain. Credit: Cemile Bingol / Getty Images).

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

What is brainwashing? Presenter Caroline Steel finds out if controlling somebody's mind is actually possible.

From sundials to water clocks, from uneven hours to precision seconds determined by the vibration of an atom, we examine how we came to measure time. We visit possibly the oldest working mechanical clock in the world to discover how its time was originally set; and hear how the time we go by today is not quite the same as it was in the past.

Will all this be enough to solve Chris' question, or has he stumped the team?

Featuring:

Ian Westworth, Clock Mechanic

Dr. Chad Orzel, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Union College

Anna Rolls, Curator of Clocks, Clockmakers' Museum

Peter, Guide, Salisbury Cathedral

Dr. Jun Ye, Physicist at NIST (National Institutes of Standards and Technology) and The University of Colorado, Boulder.

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

Editor: Cathy Edwards

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Manager: Jackie Margerum

(Photo:Stopwatch on red background. Credit: Martin Poole / Getty Images).

From sundials to atomic clocks via Big Ben, a quest into the history of timekeeping.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

When the first person set the very first clock, how did they know what time to set it to? We go on a quest into the history of timekeeping, from sundials to atomic clocks.

With the help of climate scientists, the BBC's Anand Jagatia dives into the worlds of virtual climate models. From heatwaves to higher humidity indices to extreme precipitation and drought, he gets a picture of what's to come.

We also venture to places that are warming both faster and more slowly than the global average.

In a remote village in Alaska residents are already dealing with life-changing permafrost thaw and ground that's melting beneath their feet. Permafrost expert Sue Natali tells us what this unexpected thawing ground means for the planet as it releases carbon and methane we weren't necessarily counting on.

In Indian cities, temperatures were already high, but they're not rising as quickly as climate scientists had initially predicted. We hear why this is and why it might be a big problem in the not- too-distant future.

Anand also speaks to television series writer Dorothy Fortenberry about how science informed plotlines in her new show Extrapolations.

This episode is not just about what climate change will bring -- but what it will feel like.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Sam Baker

Reporters: Sunni Bean & Chhavi Sachdev

Editor: Richard Collings

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

Featuring:

Dorothy Fortenberry, Extrapolations, Apple TV

Tom Matthews, Department of Geography, King's College London

Sue Natali, Woodwell Climate Research Center

Morris Alexie, Tribal Liaison, Alaska Native village of Nunapicuaq (Nunapitchuk)

Rakesh Kumar, India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

(Photo: Two children look out at floating sea ice. Credit: StutterStockX / Getty Images)

Listener Julian wants to know what to expect on the other side of this climate threshold.

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Scientists say we're on track to cross this climate milestone in the coming decade. Listener Julian wants to know what life will look like on the other side of that threshold.

Anand Jagatia finds out whether curling up with a good book is better than putting on his headphones. She is speaks to Prof Fatma Deniz from the Technical University of Berlin; Prof Naomi Baron from American University, Washington DC; Prof Patrick Nunn from the University of Sunshine Coast, Queensland and The Guesthouse Storytellers.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Jo Glanville

Editor: Richard Collings

Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harrison

Sound engineer: Andrew Garratt

(Photo: Senior man wearing headphones listening to an audiobook. Credit: pixdeluxe/Getty Images)

Why our brains respond differently if we listen to books instead of reading them

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Why our brains respond differently if we listen to books instead of reading them.

It arrived unannounced - as all earthquakes do - leaving her with no time to prepare a response. So Amanda wants to know whether science will ever be able to give us advance warning of quakes.

To explore her question CrowdScience heads to New Zealand to meet listener Amanda, as well as the brains behind the country's earthquake forecasting models. We dig in a field for thousand-year-old tectonic clues that could help us understand when the next earthquake might strike. But even if we could get a head start against a quake, would we respond in the right way?

Please note: earthquake response advice varies by location. Please check local guidance and individual building procedures.

Featuring:

Nicola Litchfield, Principal Scientist in Paleoseismology at GNS, Wellington, New Zealand

Matt Gerstenberger, Seismologist and leader of the National Seismic Hazard Model, GNS, Wellington, New Zealand

Andy Howell, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Lauren Vinnell, Lecturer in Emergency Management at the Joint Centre for Disaster Research at Massey University

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Emily Bird

Editor: Cathy Edwards

Production: Jonathan Harris, Jana Holesworth

Sound Engineer: Steve Greenwood

(Photo: Earthquake damage in Christchurch. Credit: John Crux Photography)

Will we ever be able to predict earthquakes?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

To explore her question CrowdScience heads to New Zealand, to meet the brains behind the country's earthquake forecasting models, and dig for thousand-year-old tectonic clues. But even if we could get a head start against a quake, would we respond in the right way?

If, like this week’s Crowdscience listener Lili, you enjoy working out in the gym, you may have wondered where your fat disappears to when you exercise?

The short answer is that we convert it to energy that powers a whole range of physical processes - from breathing to walking as well as lying down and doing nothing. But the science behind energy expenditure is a little more complicated than that.

Presenter Anand Jagatia jumps on an exercise bike to have his metabolism measured and learns that he may be relying on an entirely different source of fuel as he works up a sweat.

Is all that hard work worth the effort it involves? Recent research suggests there is a limit to the number of calories humans can burn and that engaging in physical activity is not always a sure-fire way to keep trim.

So if working out is not the best way to lose weight, how about harnessing our own fat to tackle the complications of obesity? It used to be thought brown fat was exclusive to babies (and bears) but we now know adults have some of it too. Anand discovers that it appears to play a vital role in combatting a range of chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Marijke Peters
Editor: Richard Collings
Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo: Person squeezing their tummy. Credit: Getty Images)

What happens to the fat in our bodies when we exercise?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

If, like this week’s Crowdscience listener Lili, you enjoy working out in the gym, you may have wondered where your fat disappears to when you exercise?

The short answer is that we convert it to energy that powers a whole range of physical processes - from breathing to walking as well as lying down and doing nothing. But the science behind energy expenditure is a little more complicated than that.

Presenter Anand Jagatia jumps on an exercise bike to have his metabolism measured and learns that he may be relying on an entirely different source of fuel as he works up a sweat.

Is all that hard work worth the effort it involves? Recent research suggests there is a limit to the number of calories humans can burn and that engaging in physical activity is not always a sure-fire way to keep trim.

So if working out is not the best way to lose weight, how about harnessing our own fat to tackle the complications of obesity? It used to be thought brown fat was exclusive to babies (and bears) but we now know adults have some of it too. Anand discovers that it appears to play a vital role in combatting a range of chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Marijke Peters
Editor: Richard Collings
Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo: Person squeezing their tummy. Credit: Getty Images)

What happens to the fat in our bodies when we exercise?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

The short answer is that we convert it to energy that powers a whole range of physical processes - from breathing to walking as well as lying down and doing nothing. But the science behind energy expenditure is a little more complicated than that.

Presenter Anand Jagatia jumps on an exercise bike to have his metabolism measured and learns that he may be relying on an entirely different source of fuel as he works up a sweat.

Is all that hard work worth the effort it involves? Recent research suggests there is a limit to the number of calories humans can burn and that engaging in physical activity is not always a sure-fire way to keep trim.

So if working out is not the best way to lose weight, how about harnessing our own fat to tackle the complications of obesity? It used to be thought brown fat was exclusive to babies (and bears) but we now know adults have some of it too. Anand discovers that it appears to play a vital role in combatting a range of chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Marijke Peters

Editor: Richard Collings

Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo: Person squeezing their tummy. Credit: Getty Images)

What happens to the fat in our bodies when we exercise?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

What happens to our fat when we exercise and are we really ‘burning' it?

If, like this week's Crowdscience listener Lili, you enjoy working out in the gym, you may have wondered where your fat disappears to when you exercise?

The short answer is that we convert it to energy that powers a whole range of physical processes - from breathing to walking as well as lying down and doing nothing. But the science behind energy expenditure is a little more complicated than that.

Presenter Anand Jagatia jumps on an exercise bike to have his metabolism measured and learns that he may be relying on an entirely different source of fuel as he works up a sweat.

Is all that hard work worth the effort it involves? Recent research suggests there is a limit to the number of calories humans can burn and that engaging in physical activity is not always a sure-fire way to keep trim.

So if working out is not the best way to lose weight, how about harnessing our own fat to tackle the complications of obesity? It used to be thought brown fat was exclusive to babies (and bears) but we now know adults have some of it too. Anand discovers that it appears to play a vital role in combatting a range of chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Marijke Peters

Editor: Richard Collings

Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

(Photo: Person squeezing their tummy. Credit: Getty Images)

What happens to the fat in our bodies when we exercise?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

What happens to our fat when we exercise and are we really ‘burning' it?

CrowdScience's Marnie Chesterton is on the case! Her first stop: a remote loch in the west of Scotland, where salmon company Mowi rears thousands of the fish in big, open-water nets. Marnie takes the chance to see for herself what salmon farming actually looks like. She then speaks to aquaculture nutritionist Stefanie Colombo, who researches the nutrient content of different types of salmon. Stefanie breaks down the health positives and negatives of each, as well as what causes some of these differences.

Crucially, farmed salmon will vary in nutrition depending on where you are in the world. Jodie, the listener who asked this week's question, is from Australia so her fish will most likely come from Tasmania. Chemist Christian Narkowicz has been conducting chemical tests on the salmon there - he tells Marnie what he's found.

When we ask which type of salmon is healthier, it's also important to consider the issue of environmental health. Eilís Lawlor is an economist and the author of a report on externalities and unintended consequences of the global salmon industry. She and Marnie discuss problems of overfishing and environmental pollution.

It's also necessary to understand where wild salmon comes from. Marissa Wilson, director of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, explains her average day out at sea and talks about some of the consequences of industrial offshore fishing.

Finally, we ask if there's a way to improve farmed salmon by moving it onto land? That's Yonathan Zohar's mission. In the basement of the Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, USA, he keeps several tanks of salmon in artificial seawater, using bacteria to dispose of the waste. Is this where salmon farming is headed? Or is the future more complex?

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton

Producer: Phil Sansom

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Editor: Richard Collings

(Photo: Atlantic Salmon jumping out of the water. Credit: Kevin Wells / Getty Images)

This week on CrowdScience: which is healthier, farmed salmon or wild?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

This week on CrowdScience: which is healthier, farmed salmon or wild? We're traveling from Scotland to Tasmania on the trail of one of the world's most popular fish.

Anand Jagatia visits the historic naval city of Portsmouth in the UK, where exotic spices from around the world were first brought in from the East Asia more than 600 years ago.

He's on a journey to find out why many of us think spices are delicious. But are there also nutritional benefits to seasoning our food with them? Anand asks what science or studies are there to show that eating herbs and spices can be beneficial for our health?

Presenter: Anand Jagatia

Producer: Joanna Hall

Assistant Producer: Jonathan Harris

Editor: Richard Collings

Studio Technicians: Bob Nettles & Steve Greenwood

Contributors:

Prof. Lindell Bromham, evolutionary biologist, Australian National University

Dr. Kanchan Koya, Molecular Biologist and founder of the Spice Spice Baby website

Dr. Beronda L. Montgomery, plant biologist and Dean at Grinnell College, Iowa, USA

Dr. Lorenzo Stafford an olfactory researcher, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK

(Photo: A couple stand at a spice shop. Credit: Thomas Barwick / Getty Images)

CrowdScience listener Kristine wants to know why herbs and spices taste so good?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

CrowdScience listener Kristine from Wisconsin wants to know why herbs and spices taste so good, and is intrigued to know if there's evidence that herbs and spices keep us healthy.

Listener Elkin, experienced just that. But rather than wallowing in self-pity, he sought out an explanation. Where better to get it, than from CrowdScience. Now, Alex Lathbridge is putting on his thinking cap to find out why we daydream?

Presenter: Alex Lathbridge

Producer: Harrison Lewis

Editor: Martin Smith

Production: Jonathan Harris

Featuring:

Giulia Poerio, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Sussex.

Karina Christoff, Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia.

Eli Sommer, Israeli Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Haifa.

Sophie Forster, Reader in Psychology, University of Sussex

(Photo: Man daydreaming surrounded by clouds. Credit: jacquesdurocher / Getty Images)

Meandering into your wandering mind, why can't we stay present?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Alex Lathbridge explores the inner workings of the mind and fantasy of daydream, figuring out why our minds wander and what can be done to stop it.

In an effort to find the answers, CrowdScience has assembled some of the world's leading experts in psychology, evolution, anthropology, modern warfare and conflict mediation. Is fighting in our DNA? Are we pre-disposed to resolve conflict with war? Are we more violent now than we were in centuries past? As individuals, what is the true motivation for going to battle when, in a practical sense, the risks far outweigh the benefits?

We also look to our closest living relatives, and fellow primates, for potential solutions. How and why do monkeys do battle? And can studying their complex behaviour help us as we strive for a world without war?

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Wisdom teeth, the third molars in the back of our mouths, are so called because they normally appear in late teenage, early adulthood – the time in life we supposedly have learned some wisdom. But around 25% of people don't develop all four. Of those that do emerge, it is not uncommon for them to appear at nasty angles, jutting into the tooth next door causing potentially dangerous infections and pain. Because of this, for decades many people have them surgically removed.

Listener Khaleel was preparing to have his remaining wisdom teeth removed when he wrote to CrowdScience to ask about them. Given that they can seem to cause more harm than good, why has evolution resulted in these troublesome teeth? But many people have perfectly uneventful relationships with their wisdom teeth, so have we perhaps removed more than we needed to over the years?

Anand Jagatia chews it over with the help of surgeons and dentists to try to extract the truth – why DO we have wisdom teeth?

Featuring:

Tanya M Smith, Professor in the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University, Australia

Patrick Magennis, Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon at University Hospitals Aintree, Liverpool UK

Verena Toedtling, Dentist and Specialist Oral Surgeon, UK

Presented by Anand Jagatia

Produced by Alex Mansfield

Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe

Our question this week is from listener Anthony from Cambodia. He asked us to find out why we lie, and wants to know how conscious we are of the lies that we tell?

CrowdScience's Caroline Steel is in the hot seat, on a journey where she will attempt to untangle the complex story behind lying.

It's a subject scientists and psychologists have been studying for a long time. It's also something writers, philosophers and theologists have been interpreting for thousands of years. But we're only now really starting to get to grips with how it works as a human behaviour.

There are lies in our folklore, lies in the media and also lies in everyday conversation. It's something we've all had to learn to navigate at some point in our lives. In this episode the CrowdScience team unravels the mysteries surrounding the behaviour and the art of lying.

Our journey will take us to meet the world's ‘second best liar', an award she picked up at West Virginia's Liar Contest. We'll also meet a comedian who's proud of the down-to-earth plain honesty of Dutch people.

An academic who has studied thousands of children's brains will explain when we first start learning to lie. And we'll hear about new research using magnetic resonance imaging, commonly known as MRI scans, which is helping to show how the more we actually lie, the less our brain reacts telling us not to.

Caroline looks at how lying changes from culture to culture. Do we really all lie? And do we lie in the same way?

The surprising and intriguing answer is found in how early it develops in us as a human behaviour.

Contributors:

Prof Kang Lee, Professor in Applied Psychology and Human Development at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

Prof Tali Sharot, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London

Ian Leslie, journalist and author of ‘Born Liars

Ariana Kincaid, Champion Liar at West Virginia Liars Contest

Derek Scott Mitchell, actor and comedian

@letsdoubledutch on Instagram

Readings by Kitty O'Sullivan

Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski

Editor: Richard Collings

Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Harris

Studio Managers: Emma Harth, Donald MacDonald, Andrew Garratt

(Photo: Young Businessman Interviews for new job. Credit: Andrew Rich/ Getty Images)

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