The Science Show - Separate stories podcast

Theme parks and museums draw big crowds for dinosaurs. Kids love them. But palaeontologist James Ronan says some displays are based on ideas from the 1970s and present sound effects from movies. He says it is important to present current ideas about palaeontology accurately. So James Ronan is undertaking a worldwide audit of dinosaurs. Science communicator and podcast host Conor O’Keefe is also disturbed by inaccurate dinosaur displays at theme parks and supports the dinosaur edit saying it is long overdue.

Why did reptiles prevail for so long and why did mammals take so long to become dominant predators? Adam Lindholm is looking at body size, availability of prey and environmental conditions to reconsider our understanding of the history of reptiles and mammals.

Lions are under considerable stress across Africa. Their habitat is fragmented and impacted by human activity such as agriculture. Being unable to roam freely, has led to inbreeding. Climate change is expected to impact their habitat and bring additional stress.

Bees survive by collaboration. To fight infection, bees arrange their honey and other stores in ways that repel disease. Microbiologist and bee researcher Kenya Fernandes led a study into the ways bees arrange their hives for maximum protection from microbial infection.

No more “Red In Tooth and Claw”? Well, that’s not the only story in evolution – from the beginning. Rowan Hooper in his latest book, Togetherness, shows how lichens, corals and even ourselves, flourish by means of other life forms. We have mitochondria, plants have chloroplasts, both formerly free-living creatures. We would not have evolved to our current form and could not survive without these once-invaders.