How bats became one of the planet’s most successful animals
Instant Genius18 Sep 2025

How bats became one of the planet’s most successful animals

It’s a little-known fact that bats are one of the most successful animals on Earth, with almost 1,500 different species currently identified. Their agility in flight and prowess as hunters, wide-ranging diversity in size and behaviour and ability to adapt to almost any environment have allowed them to conquer almost every corner of the globe. But despite their success, many species of bats are now under threat. In this episode, we’re joined by ecologist and neurobiologist Prof Yossi Yuval to talk about his latest book, The Genius Bat – Understanding our Most Mysterious Mammal. He gives us a breakdown of bats’ sophisticated ability to ‘see’ the world using sound, tells us how despite their reputation as terrifying blood-thirsty predators, vampire bats have highly developed social networks and will even share their meals with other members of their roosts, and also explains how the loss of bats could have a huge effect on the ecosystems in which they live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(669)

What we’re getting wrong about narcissists

What we’re getting wrong about narcissists

Oftentimes in popular culture we’ll hear the term narcissist used to describe a person who has an inflated opinion of themselves, a big ego or someone who tends to overestimate their own abilities. Ho...

16 Aug 28min

The latest breakthroughs in Parkinson’s research

The latest breakthroughs in Parkinson’s research

Parkinson’s disease currently affects more than 160,000 people in the UK. It’s a complex, progressive condition that typically develops slowly over many years and causes issues with movement, balance,...

13 Aug 29min

How to harness your brain’s underused superpowers

How to harness your brain’s underused superpowers

For a large proportion of our lives, our brains seemingly work on autopilot – the many processes the brain controls hum away behind the scenes, helping us to carry out our daily tasks. But in certain ...

9 Aug 35min

How we define intelligent life

How we define intelligent life

What does it mean to be a living organism? What are the driving forces that motivate our thoughts and actions? Are we all simply acting the way we do thanks to the instructions built into our genes an...

6 Aug 28min

Exploring Darwin’s ideas through a queer lens

Exploring Darwin’s ideas through a queer lens

When Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in the mid-nineteenth century, his theory of evolution by natural selection turned many of the scientific ideas of the day on their heads. The in...

2 Aug 35min

On the frontlines of our fight against dementia

On the frontlines of our fight against dementia

Currently there are around one million people in the UK living with dementia. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the disease over the past several decades an effective cure is yet to...

30 Juli 29min

Why the search for life on Mars is far from over

Why the search for life on Mars is far from over

Way back in 1976, NASA’s Viking landers touched down on Mars to search for potential signs of microbial life that could currently exist on the planet’s surface. Despite the mission making a number of ...

26 Juli 34min

Why rediscovering simple pleasures may be the key to happiness

Why rediscovering simple pleasures may be the key to happiness

Every single day of our lives, we’re exposed to a vast multitude of experiences and interactions with the various people, objects and technologies in the wider world that surrounds us. The chances are...

23 Juli 32min

Populärt inom Vetenskap

p3-dystopia
dumma-manniskor
allt-du-velat-veta
hacka-livet
bildningspodden
rss-vetenskapsradion
medicinvetarna
rss-ufobortom-rimligt-tvivel
sexet
ufo-sverige
rss-vetenskapsradion-2
halsorevolutionen
paranormalt-med-caroline-giertz
svd-nyhetsartiklar
det-morka-psyket
vetenskapsradion
ufo-sverige-2
rss-spraket
dumforklarat
rss-kriminologerna