30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

S2 Ep10. Their wings aren’t just for show! The rose butterfly can help us harness energy from sunlight. Scientists have been inspired by their wings’ unique lattice structure. This could lead to cheaper and more effective solar panels.

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S2 Ep9. Ever heard of Venus’s Flower Basket? It’s the marine sponge inspiring bridges and skyscrapers! Its delicate and resistant structure is both lightweight and very resistant to buckling - it may provide the blueprint for the next generation of big builds.

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S2 Ep8. A cow’s amazing stomach could hold the key to stopping wastewater pollution. Engineers have designed a new sewage treatment plant based on a cow’s unique digestive process. Wastewater is progressively cleaned by microorganisms until it’s safe enough to be released into the environment. This new plant does not need electricity to operate, so it’s environmentally-friendly.

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S2 Ep7. Imagine being rescued by a snake! A new generation of wriggly robots, inspired by the movement of snakes, could save your life. The way a snake can move over a complex variety of landscapes could be replicated by robots to rescue people after earthquakes. It could even help with extra-terrestrial exploration.

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S2 Ep6. Bam! The mantis shrimp’s powerful punch could change the way we build cars and planes. The little crustacean has inspired lighter, more impact-resistant materials. These shrimps are ferocious predators which use their forelimbs to hit their prey with one of the strongest weight-for-weight punches on the planet. The design of their punching limb has caught the attention of scientists and could transform the way we create strong materials for the car and aerospace industries.

Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30Animals Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

S2 Ep5. Scared of wasps? They could help keep you alive, perhaps transforming life-saving keyhole surgery. Parasitic wasps possess a long tube which can reach inside the body of their host where they lay their eggs. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30Animals Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

S2 Ep4. A hedgehog could save your life! Spiky quills protect hedgehogs from being eaten by predators. But they also play an important role in cushioning the animal when it falls, keeping it safe even if it plunges from a great height. And now, they can help keep humans safe, too. By mimicking the flexibility, strength and pattern of the quills, scientists have developed a sports helmet that could prevent concussions. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30Animals Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

S2 Ep3. Camels are cool. They cope with intense desert heat, inspiring a gel for storing medicines. It could extend the life of medicines, making it easier to transport them across the globe. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30Animals Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

S2 Ep2. What if a robot could fix itself? It’s the story of the secret of scary squid suckers, with their razor sharp teeth-like structures. They could hold the key to materials which can repair themselves without human intervention. Scientists think this could be useful for repairing hazmat suits and even robots. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30Animals Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

S2 Ep1. An elephant’s trunk is amazing. Imagine a robotic arm with the same capabilities. Not only does a trunk have the strength to topple trees and lift hundreds of kilograms in weight, it can also perform precise and delicate movements. It has inspired engineers to create a "bionic handling assistant", which can be used for all sorts of complex tasks. Thank you to Pranav, a 7-year-old listener from India, for suggesting the first story of the new season. Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30Animals Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

Get ready to meet 30 more amazing animals. From cats to camels, ants to elephants, discover the unexpected things they can do that have inspired new technologies that make us smarter. Season 2 begins on 28 June.

#30Animals

The "nerd-fest" live show! A scorpion and tarantula on stage, biomimicry bingo and animal music, recorded at the BBC Radio Theatre in London. Welcome to the season finale, with your suggestions of animals which are inspiring us. Watch all the animations here: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

When a fly hits a spider’s web the web sends vibrations to the spider crouched at its edge. This is known as remote sensing. The webs may help us design sensors to detect vibrations in the earth and the built environment. These vibrations could be turned into electricity. This could lead to small scale energy harvesting. With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

The wings of one of the most beautiful butterflies could transform paints and textiles. Scientists are fascinated by how the blue morpho produces its shimmering blue effect. With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

Unlocking the secrets of the dazzling colours in the tail of the peacock. It is designed to attract females but has caught the eye of scientists, as they mimic it to develop high-resolution reflective colour-screen displays. With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

How road, subway and computer systems could be helped by trails created by turtle ants. For extra information about all episodes, visit: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

Babies in the womb could be saved with the help of a glue based on proteins found in mussels. Performing surgery on foetuses in the womb is an astonishing medical feat but closing the delicate amniotic sac after surgery is difficult. A synthetic adhesive could do the job and help save lives of the youngest patients. For extra information about all episodes, visit our #30Animals website: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals

Imagine a building based on the shape of an egg – all thanks to the butterfly. Nature has long been a source of inspiration for the design of buildings, like the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona. This is the story of a butterfly house inspired by the shape of the eggs of the White Royal butterfly and the patterns on their shells. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

The way dolphins communicate is being studied to create tsunami early warning systems. They produce click sounds to help navigate and hunt for prey. They listen back to the echoes to help create a 3D image and visualise their surroundings. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

Picture the scene after a serious earthquake or a tornado. A flying robot inspired by bats could help survey the damage. There may be burst gas pipes, live electrical wires and many other dangers. Scientists have been studying bats to design an “eye in the sky” for use in exactly these situations. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

The way hundreds of fish move together may help with the design of wind turbines. Schools of fish appear to move as one - turning, contracting, expanding, even parting and then coming back together again. This is a beautiful sight. Scientists have been studying them to try to make wind farms more efficient. www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

It blasts a toxic spray at predators. Now this beetle may help cars become more fuel efficient. The bombardier is the species of beetle that even sprayed acid in Charles Darwin’s mouth. The 'biological cannons' may help in the design of powerful fuel injection systems. See our animations here: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

Imagine flapping your arms and flying. Could we do that based on how the bat does it? Leonardo Da Vinci was fascinated by the flight of bird and bats and used to sketch ideas in notebooks for a flying machine called the Ornithopter. With Patrick Aryee.

Catch-up with our animations here: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

How can we prevent millions of birds from being killed by flying into windows? The solution could rest with spiders. Webs containing UV reflective threads deter birds from colliding with them. With Patrick Aryee. To see our spider and window glass animation go to: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

The shape of flippers may help with the efficiency of wind turbines, thanks to humpback whales. Bumps on the edge of their flippers assist them, as they power through water. Biologist Frank Fish discovered this when he saw a sculpture. With Patrick Aryee. For more information and animations: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals Please leave rating and reviews and help us to spread the word. #30Animals

How do geckos walk up walls and across ceilings? It is all down to the hair-like structure on their feet. A sticky material based on these clever lizards could help us grab debris in space! With Patrick Aryee. For more information and animations: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

Meet the spider-inspired robot that one day might just save your life. Based on how spiders move, it could get to places too difficult for a rescue team to access. Just like our eight-legged friends, it can squeeze around obstacles and through small spaces. With Patrick Aryee. For more information and animations: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

Millions of ridged scales make it difficult for bacteria to attach to the skin of a shark. Can we reduce infections and fight superbugs in a similar way? Have a look at our beautiful animation to see how the shark’s scales or ‘denticles’ work: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals With Patrick Aryee. #30Animals

Imagine a drone that can fly like the Wandering Albatross. The huge bird harnesses power from the wind and sun and glides over the sea. It is extraordinary. And an engineer has designed a robotic glider that can also ride the wind, while surfing the waves like a sailboat. With Patrick Aryee. See all our animations so far: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30animals

It performs headstands in a desert; now this beetle is teaching us how to collect water. The Stenocara beetle survives in one of the most arid places in the world – the Namib Desert in southern Africa. Scientists have been studying its wings and back. With Patrick Aryee. See our Stenocara beetle animation: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals #30Animals

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