The world’s oldest fossilised forest was uncovered in Somerset last week. We head to palaeobotanist, Dr Christopher Berry’s, lab at Cardiff University to learn about these cladoxylopsids. They lived 390 million years ago and although they are not the ancestors of today’s trees, they reveal some extraordinary evolutionary secrets.
Also, Marnie speaks to Dr Chris Thorogood of the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens about his new book Pathless Forest: The Quest to Save the World’s Largest Flowers. Called “Rafflesia” plants and found in the remotest parts of South East Asia, their flowers burst from the rain forest floor the size of pumpkins and are critically endangered. Chris talks of his world of extreme fieldwork and hair-raising expeditions, braving leeches, lizards and lethal forest swamps, to discover the rarest of rare blooms.
Plus, the Wildlife Trust’s Making Friends with Molluscs campaign starts today, and I’m sure many gardeners will declare this an impossible task! We visit some allotments in Bristol to find out how people are managing slug and snail populations. And chat to Brian Eversham from the Trust of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, who explains why these garden creatures should be considered our friends, not foes.
And finally, Dr Stewart Husband from last week’s programme returns to answer more of your burning questions about your tap water.
The Science of the South Pole
Biggest COP in history
Vagrant Birds
Finding Tunnels
UK Covid-19 Inquiry
Iceland Volcano
Loss and damages for vulnerable countries
Metal Mines
Forever chemicals
White phosphorus
Tumbling down the rabbit hole of assembly theory
Life beyond Earth
The state of nature in the UK
Why is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rowing back on climate pledges?
The halfway point for sustainable development
What’s the cost of invasive species?
How will climate change affect where we can live?
What makes a healthy river?
Why do we want to go back to the Moon?
Time is still ticking for the Amazon
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Science Weekly
Post Reports
Science Vs
Global News Podcast
The News Agents