The great Pacific garbage patch is crawling with coastal life; A new cosmic map shows lumpy dark matter was scaffolding for our universe to evolve; We now know why huge underwater volcanoes don’t change the climate much; Spadefoot toads decide in the egg what kind of tadpoles they need to be; Life in Antarctica survived the last ice age, but is threatened in a warming world; Antarctic seabirds’ breeding seasons are being pre-empted by unseasonal storms; Listener Question: What would happen to animals if atmospheric oxygen levels increased significantly?

A new AI can develop scientific theories like a human scientist; A Canadian Astronaut on catching a ride to the moon; Understanding the secret of bear hibernation could help humans avoid blood clots; Medieval monks watching the moon provided valuable climate data; A view on the womb - a new book looks at the neglected science of the uterus; How would the Earth be different if it had never collided with the object that created the moon?

Scientists map Earth’s ionosphere with artificial auroras; Climate change is a boon for baseball’s power hitters; Scientists identify where babies get their bacteria; When we walk through crowds, math, not intelligence, controls the flow of traffic; How stories can work with science to help us make sense of the world; The stories that books can tell — that aren’t in the words they contain

Tyrannosaurus rex had lips covering its terrifying teeth; Eagles are eating cows instead of salmon – and farmers are happy; Inspired by the High Seas treaty, scientists are calling for the protection of space; Arches, loops and whorls — how your unique fingerprints are made; Humans are fueled by food — but we run on electricity.

Oumuamua’s strange behaviour has a natural explanation, no aliens needed; Great apes spin to make themselves dizzy — apparently just for kicks; A sensor equipped surgical glove could help make delivery of babies safer; The process of elimination — how tiny insects pee 300 times their own weight every day; A new scale for atmospheric river intensity is helping us understand them; Extreme weather is increasing — so much that it’s changing earth’s gravity; Listener Question: Why do geese sometimes fly north in winter?

5,000 years ago riding left traces on the legs and butts of the earliest horsepeople; Whales use ‘vocal fry’ to echolocate at depth; Fossils suggest that if equatorial oceans get too warm, plankton may desert; Scientists have mapped the most complex animal brain yet - and it's the size of a grain of salt; A new book explores the unique biology and uncertain fate of Australia’s iconic koala.

Owls zero in on their prey under snow by eavesdropping on the sounds they make; Elephant behaviour helps to maintain healthy, carbon-rich forests; Feisty songbirds swarm their predators – but only when the time's right; The ‘sensory moustache’ that helps bats find sweet snacks; Cockatoos have a handy tool belt to fish for cashews; Seals may not tap their toes, but seals also appreciate a good musical rhythm; Listener Question: Why can’t waste plastic be dumped into volcanoes?

Male giraffes drink and savour female giraffe urine to see if she’s ready to mate; What scientists do when a volcano upsets their climate change record; Europe’s first farmers suffered more violence than their hunter-gatherer ancestors; Recycled wastewater can be cleaner than conventional sources; Don’t worry about zombie fungus. Do worry about other fungal pathogens.

Gorilla-sized penguins once roamed New Zealand; The first dedicated mission to Uranus will investigate why it’s tipped-over; Archaeologists decipher mummification secrets in embalming workshop; Engineered egg whites are the key element in a new water filter material; A new book explores 19 perspectives on the problem of consciousness.

The science behind the ‘love hormone’ may have a big problem; Could moon dust solve our global warming problem?; Canadian researchers develop a smartphone app for making memories; Orca sons are costing their mom’s a chance at more offspring; Crossing the land bridge — and back again. The travels of North America’s first settlers.