logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2022
1h 12m

Dipterology (FLIES) with Bryan Lessard

ALIE WARD
About this episode
DO NOT YOU SKIP THIS ONE. Listen. Give flies a chance. Everyone loves a bee, but meanwhile flies are out here with all kinds of bodies and adaptations, inhabiting the least inhabitable lands, pollinating your future lunch, shimmering in rainbows, having lifelong love affairs, and burrowing in your back to eat your flesh. It’s a wild world and Australian Dipt ... Show More
Up next
Aug 12
Noctohabitology (SLEEP PROCRASTINATION) with Vanessa “Nessy” Hill
Late night scrolling. Couchlock. Habitual insomnia. You want to sleep — so why won’t you turn off the light, dumplin’? We’ve got someone for that: sleep scientist, globally known PBS correspondent, host of the series Braincraft, and Noctohabitologist, Dr. Vanessa “Nessy” Hill. So ... Show More
1h 37m
Aug 5
Hyaenidology (HYENAS) with Christine Wilkinson
Giggles. Pseudopenises. Matriarchies? Media slander. Hyaenidologist Dr. Christine Wilkinson delivers stories about the nature of matrilinearity, hot Lion King gossip, bristle backs, tiny heads, big teeth, animation errors, human-hyena interactions, tongue bumps, termite poisons, ... Show More
1h 16m
Jul 30
Sciuridology (SQUIRRELS) Encore with Karen Munroe
Flying squirrels. Fox squirrels. Giant squirrels. Tiny ones. Grey ones. Black ones. Fluorescent ones? Alie is losing her mind talking to dream guest and Sciuridologist, Dr. Karen Munroe. This Baldwin Wallace University professor has studied squirrels for decades and addresses whe ... Show More
1h 40m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2021
In Praise of Flies
In Praise of FliesBrian Cox and Robin Ince kick off a new series of Infinite Monkey Cage with a look at probably the least revered or liked group of insects, the flies. They are joined by fly sceptic David Baddiel , fly enthusiast and champion Dr Erica McAlister and maggot expert ... Show More
38m 51s
Apr 2011
Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me
<p>Flies: They're disgusting, disease-spreading flying machines. They're also really fascinating. Flies taste with their feet, smell with their antennae and use a pair of eyes as a compass oriented to sunlight. Listen in to learn more.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices ... Show More
35m 12s
Sep 2023
158 - Flies - The Enemies of Summer
tail spinning
1h 1m
May 2024
FIREFLIES with Sara Lewis
<p>We’re back with another fresh episode of Smologies to light up your life and your butt. World renowned firefly expert Dr. Sara Lewis of Tufts University joins to share her love of a bug that many think is merely a mythological delight. Learn how these tiny animals illuminate t ... Show More
22m 20s
Sep 2023
Metamorphosis: Drosophila melanogaster, hoverfly
Dr Erica McAlister uncovers a treasure trove of remarkable insights from the insect world including the innocuous flies that are Drosophila melanogaster. More is known about these flies than any other animal on the planet, as a model for human genetics. And the hoverfly that argu ... Show More
27m 15s
Jul 2013
Insect Love Song
<p>Insect Love Song: The night is alive with insects. To our human ears their song is mere cacophony, but it's actually a vast web of communication signals. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie decode the Insect Internet for the meanings behind insect song ... Show More
24m 20s
Aug 2025
Moths v Butterflies - Katy Brand, Jane Hill and Chris Jiggins
What really separates a moth from a butterfly? Is it just a matter of day and night, or is there more to this fluttering feud than meets the eye? Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince flap into the fabulous world of Lepidoptera with Professor Jane Hill, Professor Chris Jiggins, and ... Show More
42m 8s
Feb 2023
The fascinating physics of insect pee | Saad Bhamla
Scientist Saad Bhamla is on a mission to answer a question most people don't think to ask: How do insects pee? Taking inspiration from the incredible "butt flickers" of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Bhamla presents a fascinating study of the physics behind how bugs take care of ... Show More
8m 45s
Sep 2023
Metamorphosis: Jumping fleas and mighty mouthparts
Dr Erica McAlister uncovers a treasure trove of remarkable insects from the humble flea whose jump enables them to fly without wings and the mystery of the hawkmoth’s tongue, whose varying length has offered the simplest and most effective proof of Charles Darwin's theory of natu ... Show More
27m 15s