logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2019
28m 55s

Are we heading for a mass extinction?

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode
<p>Will human actions result in the demise of huge numbers of other species - in a mass die-off, comparable to the end of the era of the dinosaurs? Neal Razzell assesses the evidence that species are dying off at a rapid rate, and looks at some of the surprising things we might do to slow or reverse this process. Producers: Beth Sagar-Fenton and Josephine C ... Show More
Up next
Mar 2024
The low pay puzzle
From April, 2.7 million workers will get one of the biggest pay rises in UK history as the National Living Wage rises to £11.44 an hour. But will they feel better off?It's 25 years since the National Minimum Wage was introduced. During that time it's credited with putting billion ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2024
The low pay puzzle
From April, 2.7 million workers will get one of the biggest pay rises in UK history as the National Living Wage rises to £11.44 an hour. But will they feel better off?It's 25 years since the National Minimum Wage was introduced. During that time it's credited with putting billion ... Show More
29m 1s
Mar 2024
How real is the existential threat from AI?
The existential threat caused by Artificial Intelligence is a popular theme in science fiction. But more recently it’s started to be taken seriously by governments around the world and the companies developing the technology. Where did this idea come from, and why is so much mone ... Show More
29m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
Are we the next asteroid?
So, in the list of bad actors for the planet there's been the ice age, the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, and then … us? Yeah, it really looks like that sometimes. But we've got hope! So what can humans do to steer clear of steering the planet into seemingly inevitable doom? ... Show More
10m 31s
Dec 2016
Could Humanity be Wiped out Like the Dinosaurs?
Is there a killer asteroid with Earth’s name on it? The dinosaurs ruled for many millions of years before coming to their violent end. Will humanity prevail or are we doomed to succumb like the dinosaurs? It’s a question that will keep you up at night. No wonder our listeners Zar ... Show More
26m 51s
Oct 2022
Will Humans Ever Become Extinct?
Greg and Bella explore the science of extinction with the help of dinosaur enthusiast Mr Yates.Together, they’ll look at some famous recent extinctions, find out what role conservation plays in the preservation of species, and explore the major mass extinction events that shaped ... Show More
43m 7s
Mar 2023
Could de-extincting the dodo help struggling species?
As a leading expert on paleogenomics, Beth Shapiro has been hearing the same question ever since she started working on ancient DNA: "The only question that we consistently were asked was, how close are we to bringing a mammoth back to life?" In the second part of our conversatio ... Show More
11m 51s
Jun 2020
Bringing Animals Back to Life
Scientists want to bring extinct animals back to life. Is this a good idea? Or could it change our environment too much? Luke Haley and Robin Basselin look at the issue of de-extinction. 
15m 1s
Mar 2022
La sixième extinction de masse a démarré
"Vivre et laisser vivre" : il semblerait bien que ce principe écologique soit de moins en moins respecté....À en croire certains spécialistes, nous serions effectivement entrés dans la sixième extinction de masse des espèces vivantes ! Le cycle de la vie Nous avons tendance à l'o ... Show More
2m 5s
Feb 2022
World’s largest Jurassic pterosaur found on Skye
In a week of exciting fossils finds we get up close to a 170 million year old pterosaur, found on the Isle of Skye. And over in the States, some fossilised fish hold the clue to what time of year the dinosaurs, along with three quarters of life on Earth, met their end. We hear fr ... Show More
28m 56s
May 2019
T8: How will humans die out?
A talk for episode 8, an ode to Theia. Anthropologist Michael Rivera on our evolutionary history compared to other less successful species who became extinct. Are we heading in the same direction? Produced by Eliza Lomas and Becky Ripley. Don’t forget to take part in our Forest 4 ... Show More
10m 3s
Mar 2023
How Far Can the Human Body Go?
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined on stage by biomechanist Polly McGuigan, evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod, comedian Russell Kane and Olympic gold medalist Sally Gunnell to find out how good humans are at endurance. Could anyone win a gold at the Olympics? Could a human outru ... Show More
42m 41s