30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

Want a warm and waterproof wetsuit? Then take a look at how the sea otter does it! It’s all down to air-trapping hairs. Ideally, surfers want something that is flexible and easy to wear, which sheds water as quickly as possible when you are out of the sea and will keep you warm when you are in it. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

The cartwheeling spider acrobat that could help us explore Mars. This is no ordinary spider and it has led to an extraordinary robot design, perfect for space exploration. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals The audio for this podcast was updated on 7th June 2019.

Fish living in sub-zero waters are inspiring ways to de-ice planes and store ice cream. Arctic and Atlantic cod and also snow fleas are able to live at temperatures which would normally freeze human blood. We are learning from them - new methods are now being developed that could even prolong the viability of human organs which have to be transported over vast distances. With Patrick Aryee.

A building which heats and cools itself? How was that possible? Termites had the answer. The insects circulate air around their homes or mounds and regulate the temperature inside. They inspired an architect called Mick Pearce, who was designing the heating and ventilation system for a large office and retail building in Harare. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

How a trip to the seaside led to the development of a glue and a formaldehyde-free plywood. When a scientist called Kaichang Li had trouble pulling mussels off a rock, he decided to investigate their tenacious grip. See our animations from previous episodes: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

The secrets of a firefly’s glow could help us brighten our lives and create more energy efficient lighting. See our animation: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals Male fireflies attract mates by producing flashes of light in the dark at night. Scientists have been studying this in order to improve our own LED bulbs. #30Animals

A bizarre looking creature that may help us make vaccines last longer to move them across the globe. It is less than a millimetre long but the tardigrade is tough - really tough! Its extraordinary survival abilities may hold the key to helping us extend the shelf life of both blood and vaccines. This could extend the distances they can be transported, saving more lives. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30animals

Click, click, click! The bat’s navigational skills could be life changing to people who are blind. Daniel Kish has mastered the art of echolocation and can navigate by tongue clicking. In this podcast, you can try too. With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30animals

A bird’s remarkable skull and the quest to protect aeroplane flight data recorders from damage caused by high impacts. Woodpeckers can hammer repeatedly on trees without damaging their brain. Could this lead to new designs for black boxes and bicycle helmets? With Patrick Aryee. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30animals

The blood sucking pest and a pain free surgical needle. Scientists have been studying the mosquito’s mouthparts. Could the dreaded ‘prick’ of a needle soon be a thing of the past? With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

The eight-limbed master of disguise and surveillance technology. The colour and texture-changing abilities of the octopus are helping researchers develop camouflage. Can we make robots do the same thing? With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

The story of the bird and the engineer. How the kingfisher inspired the design of a train. The 500 series Shinkansen, also known as bullet train, is one of the fastest in the world. It is also quiet, but that was not always the case. This is the tale of Japanese engineer Eiji Nakatsu, the kingfisher, an owl, a penguin and biomimicry. With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

"It’s about animals which have inspired us": Patrick Aryee explains what it’s all about. Episode one available from 25 March 2019. #30Animals