In the last few decades a revolution has been brewing in zoology and evolutionary biology. Lucy Cooke introduces us to a riotous cast of animals, and the scientists studying them, that are redefining the female of the species.The bitches in her book titled "Bitch" overturn outdated binary expectations of bodies, brains, biology and behaviour. Lucy …

Soon nothing will be untouched by the exponential growth of AI technology. It is no surprise that museum collections and biological research has already incorporated these new advancements. So, what does it mean for our interpretation of large data and might we learn something new that was not possible before such technology existed?Interviewer and…

The increase in demand for electric vehicles has caused an increased demand for the metals needed to produced lithium-ion batteries used in these vehicles. The extraction of these metals has caused devastating damage to the natural world on a global scale. But what if we could extract metal from the ground without ruining the natural world and poll…

Do you wake up to early morning Twitter? Not the app that interrupts your sleep and haunts your dreams but the sweet dulcet tones of summer birds. Birdsong, the background score that heralds tropical jungles, urban parks and gardens, and wilderness. This episode will take you to the land of the vividly coloured and luminescent sunbirds in Wallacea.…

So much has been lost; so little remains. Few people realise that Britain harbours fragments of a globally rare habitat: temperate rainforest. This is the extraordinary tale of Guy Shrubsoles' quest to find Britain’s lost rainforests – and bring them back.Interviewer and producer: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Guy ShrubsoleWant to learn more about fores…

The redistribution of "alien species" around the world accelerated with European colonialism. European powers were responsible for the deliberate and accidental transportation, introduction, and establishment of alien species throughout their occupied territories, and the metropolitan state. These activities left a lasting imprint on the global dis…

In the last few decades a revolution has been brewing in zoology and evolutionary biology. Lucy Cooke introduces us to a riotous cast of animals, and the scientists studying them, that are redefining the female of the species.The bitches in her book titled "Bitch" overturn outdated binary expectations of bodies, brains, biology and behaviour. Lucy …

Predators that hunt dangerous prey require specialized predatory tactics to avoid counter-attack. Usually, these predatory tactics reduce the probability of detection. The assassin bugs Stenolemus bituberus and S. giraffa rely on stealth or mimicry to prey on dangerous web-building spiders. Paradoxically, however, these assassin bugs tap the spider…

Jared diamond's latest book upheaval discusses "How Nations Cope With Crisis And Change". These individual nations stories act as evidence of how crises can be overcome and stand as evidence for how we might seek to resolve global issues, such as climate change.Interviewer: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Jared diamond…

Look up - is there anything harder than trying to pin down a cloud? But a young chemist and future metereologist did the very exact thing - he categorised clouds for the world. His name was Luke Howard (1772-1864).Through out his life, Howard, a quaker and self-taught naturalist, gazed at clouds - his cloud taxonomy still holds strong today for the…

We are currently living through an energy crises, but what actually is an energy crises? What does it mean for our future? and what is being done to help us get through it? We speak with researcher, activist and climate change communicator, Peter Harper, who has spent his entire life thinking about these questions. We also speak with Elree Winnett …

Owls have evolved sensitive hearing facilitated by a facial disc, and flight that is quieted in part by a leading-edge comb on their wing. This comb is a series of modified barbs, or serrations, which project up from the outermost primary feathers on the leading edge of the wing. Here we explore the evolution of comb and facial disc morphology.Spea…

The specimen, nicknamed “Dolly”, was discovered in southwest Montana, USA, and dates back to the Late Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era (approximately 150 million years ago). This specimen may provide the first evidence of a unique respiratory infection in a dinosaur. In this podcast we dive deep into the dirt to discover the details of this dino…

Two temporarily sited artworks by leading contemporary artists Ivan Morison and Heather Peak were unveiled on 19 August in Bristol. Overstory, a pair of site-specific suspended structures featuring microscopic imagery of trees, will hang above Broadmead highlighting the importance of urban tree cover.Overstory gives a view into the microscopic worl…

Cosmo Sheldrake, a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and producer brings us into a musical conversation with nature. In this podcast, we explore how sound and music is not only a vehicle for us to communicate stories about the natural world, but can in itself be a method of investigation. Cosmo also shares with us his journey with climate ac…

What do parasites see when they look at the world around them? And how is a changing climate modifying the environments they thrive in? As our climate shifts and changes, parasites too are on the move constantly looking for new hosts and new prospects. For parasites, it is the gold rush.We talk to Prof. Daniel Brooks about how climate change is exp…

Climate change is already affecting our food security and will continue to do so for many years to come. Some have suggested that urban farming could be an actual viable alternative option to provide entire cities with enough food. Simply put, as things stand, this is probably not the case, but perhaps there are other reasons to consider it as a va…

Capitalism has woven itself into every thread of our lives, including how we value nature. Today, money is how we transact, how we live, how we prosper, and to think that capitalism as an idea is really not that old. And yet, it is judging the value of our planet and everything within it. Its magnetic hold over the planet means that it is now a glo…

The impacts of climate change that are being felt around the world is a stark reminder that we are all connected. In this Linnean Future podcast, Prof. Tom Oliver, author of The Self Delusion: The surprising Science of How we are Connected and Why That Matters, explores how people, animals, plants and the planet we live on are all intimately linked…

Many of us are familiar with the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, the wooden boat that preserved all life in Earth in ‘pairs’. Thanks to the floating rescue of all species in ‘reproductive twos’, Noah was able to repopulate Earth. But that was a fable. Or was it? Many scientist have come to realise that we can no longer conserve many species of plants…

Climate change is rapidly altering ecosystems around the world. This is resulting in many species becoming maladapted to the ecosystems in which they evolved.How are organisms choosing their partners in such a rapidly changing world? Are the organisms able to predict what future ecosystem might be like? How would they do this, if they could? And, e…

One size can never fit all. So, is it fair that all countries should have Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050? And if they have to, what is the most just path for the whole world to achieve Net Zero in the 28 years?Join us as we discuss Net Zero 2050 with Prof. Navroz Dubash, who explores the complexities and specificities of different nations’ globa…

Hindsight is 20/20. In retrospect, we could have always done things better. But how does this play out in the case of climate change. Does our recorded history hold lessons for us? What and how did our ancestors do when faced with climatic changes and disasters? What can we learn?In this episode, we chat with Dr. Dagomar Degroot who takes us all th…

About 20,000 heads of state, diplomats and activists will convene a critical conference in the Scottish city of Glasgow – popularly known as COP26 (Conference of the Parties). In our launch episode of our Linnean Future podcast series, we hash out the long history of climate negotiations with Prof. Mark Maslin. We chart the political journey of int…

For most of us we have never seen a sea snake or even perhaps heard of such a creature but in actual fact they are an incredibly diverse group of animals. Dr. Jenna Crowe-Riddell from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide is helping us to understand these mysterious creatures. With terrestrial environments being entirely differe…

Why have whales evolved to have such incredibly large brains? This is a question that has puzzled researchers for a very long time. New research published in the Biological Journal of The Linnean Society has shed some new light on this question and perhaps got us a little closer to the answer. In this podcast we will hear from Matthew McCurry about…

Octopoda appear to be from another planet with their entirely unrelatable anatomy and way of being, yet, we are uncontrollably drawn to them. In this podcast we explore what makes them "human", why we relate to them and discover that they are far older than we might have ever previously thought.Interviewer: Padmaparna Ghosh, Ross ZiegelmeierProduce…

Every month Padma, our Events and Communications Manager, will highlight a historical object, personality or quirky tale from our Collections as the "Pick of the Month" episode. The full stories can be found on our website in “News” section. We hope that these short narratives will serve as trailers to the longer essays that are meticulously resear…

Lord Howe Island is a tiny dot in the Tasman Sea. But home to a curious bunch of beetles. Come and scan the forests of this island with Professor Alexey Solodovnikov and our new host, Padma. Alexey helps us trace the history of beetle study on this island and how important island biogeography is to understanding evolution.Presenter: Padmaparna Ghos…

Sounds are used by animals for a large variety of purposes, from finding prey and recognising mates to communicating with each other about food, threats and territories. Many animals, from mammals, birds and fish to insects and numerous groups in between, use acoustics, vocalisation and other ways to make and hear sound. It is without doubt that so…

Take a tour through the Society’s historic collections with our book, L: 50 Objects, Stories & Discoveries from the Linnean Society of London. Written by staff, curators, researchers and Fellows of the Linnean Society, the book showcases 50 of the Society’s most well-known and rarer treasures, including books, manuscripts, specimens and artwork dat…

In this podcast, Mark Spencer tells us about the work being done to combat the illegal trade of orchids. This podcast is part of a larger series that asks each of our curators to share stories with us about our precious natural history collection.Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Mark Spencer (Curator of Botany at The Linnean Society of London)…

In this podcast, Mark Spencer tells us about Coralline Algae, the canaries of the sea. He explains what indicator species are and their importance to us in trying to understand our changing planet.This podcast is part of a larger series that asks each of our curators to share stories with us about our precious natural history collection.Produced by…

In this podcast, Mark Spencer tells us about Linnaeus' issues with fungi. He also shares a story with us about a fungus that is not pretty but is fascinating. This podcast is part of a larger series that asks each of our curators to share stories with us about our precious natural history collection.Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Mark Spence…

It's Gilbert White's 300th birthday this year and to celebrate his contribution to our understanding and love of nature, Stephanie West shares a short story with us about this great naturalist's work and some of the connections he made throughout his life.Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Stephanie West (UK Biodiversity Training Manager, Angela…

Professor Stella Sandford asks "Is it obvious that what is ‘obvious’ is always true?". In this Podcast Stella explores the history of the knowledge of plant sex to see if things really were as obvious as Linnaeus suggested. Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Prof. Stella Sandford (Professor of Modern European Philosophy at Kingston University)…

In this podcast, Mark Spencer tells us about the first time he worked with the plant specimens from the Linnean herbarium.This podcast is part of a larger series that asks each of our curators to share stories with us about our precious natural history collection.Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Mark Spencer (Curator of Botany at The Linnean S…

In this podcast, Suzanne Ryder tells us about a Giant beetle, Dynastes hercules!This podcast is part of a larger series that asks each of our curators to share stories with us about our precious natural history collection.Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Suzanne Ryder (Curator of Insects at The Linnean Society of London)…

In this podcast, Mark Spencer tells us about the work of Peter Artedi and his connection to Carl Linnaeus. This podcast is part of a larger series that asks each of our curators to share stories with us about our precious natural history collection.Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Mark Spencer (Curator of Botany at The Linnean Society of Londo…

Professor Stella Sandford visits Linnaeus' private library to find his book on Aristotle's writings about animals. In this podcast Stella explains the importance of Aristotle's writings and explores what his work means to us now. Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Prof. Stella Sandford (Professor of Modern European Philosophy at Kingston Univers…

In this podcast, Suzanne Ryder tells us about a deadly killer, The Hornet Robberfly! This podcast is part of a larger series that asks each of our curators to share stories with us about our precious natural history collection.Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Suzanne Ryder (Curator of Insects at The Linnean Society of London)…

In the summer of 1732, the Swedish botanist and physician Carl Linnaeus journeyed through Lapland. His travel account is not only often cited as the earliest first-hand account of Lapland by a naturalist and ethnographer, but also known as a founding piece of Swedish literature. With its lively first-person narrative, keen eye for empirical detail …

In the summer of 1732, the Swedish botanist and physician Carl Linnaeus journeyed through Lapland. His travel account is not only often cited as the earliest first-hand account of Lapland by a naturalist and ethnographer, but also known as a founding piece of Swedish literature. With its lively first-person narrative, keen eye for empirical detail …

In the summer of 1732, the Swedish botanist and physician Carl Linnaeus journeyed through Lapland. His travel account is not only often cited as the earliest first-hand account of Lapland by a naturalist and ethnographer, but also known as a founding piece of Swedish literature. With its lively first-person narrative, keen eye for empirical detail …

In this podcast, Suzanne Ryder explains the importance of museum collections and why the collections held by The Linnean Society are of particularly importance. This podcast is part of a larger series that asks each of our curators to share stories with us about our precious natural history collection.Produced by: Ross ZiegelmeierSpeaker: Suzanne R…

In the late 1800s, Frank Edwards, a Victorian gentlemen, found himself shanghaied aboard the whaling ship the Abram Barker. Frank kept a daily diary of his year out at sea, in which he gives a detailed account of the ship’s activities and his own personal struggles. Given to us by his descendants, the diary is now in the safe keeping of The Linnean…

Last summer, Linnean Learning visited the Green Man Festival in Wales to showcase the Museum of Lost Species. This fictional museum contains the life stories of different species that have become extinct due to human activity. We asked happy festival goers to listen to the stories and tell us how it made them feel.This podcast contains the stories …

Coral reefs are crucial for both the survival of humans and marine organisms. However, due to climate change, coral reefs are now under threat and are on the brink of collapsing. This podcast takes us on a journey around the world to find out more about these amazing organisms, their importance to the planet and what is being done to try and save t…

This podcast was produced for an escape room activity for the 2019 Burlington House Summer courtyard late: "Experience life in Movile Cave, Romania. Be careful, if you don't successfully answer the series of clues, you may be locked in forever...."In this podcast Dr Rich Boden walks us through this mysterious cave and explains why it is so importan…

In this podcast we will try to uncover the origins of our fear of plants. We will begin with our most basic fear – the fear of being hurt by some of the most dangerous or just plain irritating plants. We will then move into the intangible fear of the imagination as we explore the horrors that wait for us if carnivorous plants where to grow the size…