logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
25m 16s

What the [sheeping] flock?

ABC listen
About this episode

You have a lot to thank sheep for. Yes, sheep.

More than just wool and meat - sheep have played a part in the development of contraception AND reproduction of humans.

It's not as dodgy as it sounds, but it is absolutely surprising and listening to this show will have you thanking every sheep you see from here on out.

Featuring:

Tara Farms, YouTuber, and Sheep farmer.

Sally Coulthard, Historian, Smallholder, and Author of “A short history of the World according to Sheep”

Dr Charles Roselli, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland.

Emeritus Professor Gareth Evans, University of Sydney.

Dr Stephan Leu, The University of Adelaide.

Production:

  • Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
  • Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
  • Additional mastering: Nathan Turnbull.

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

Up next
Oct 9
Mushrooms: What are they, really?
Mushrooms were once lumped in with plants, and they stayed there well after science knew better.But if a fungus is not a plant… is it a closer relative of yours than you might've thought?With millions of species on Earth, and many that live inside you, it seems important to know ... Show More
25m 44s
Oct 2
Mushrooms: Why do they kill?
As daily updates about the 'mushroom murders' monopolised newsfeeds around the country, the What the Duck?! team started questioning the motives. Not the human ones — the fungi ones.Why would a mushroom need a toxin so powerful it takes just a few grams to kill a human?And where' ... Show More
25m 46s
Sep 20
What the Duck?! serves mushrooms
Have you found yourself wondering why a simple brown mushroom would develop a toxin so strong that just a few grams could kill a human?What the Duck?! is investigating the motives of toxic fungi and exploring the curious world of puffballs, fly agarics, stinkhorns, and death caps ... Show More
2m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
The science of sound
Scientists, conservationists and other researchers are using audio soundscapes in innovative ways to record the natural world in rich detail and help develop strategies to preserve it. Gaia Vince visits the Dear Earth exhibition at London’s Southbank Centre where she interacts wi ... Show More
35m 39s
Oct 2021
Comment améliorer le bien-être animal dans les élevages ?
Parler du bien-être animal, c'est accepter qu'il existe aujourd'hui un mal-être dans certains élevages. Pour y remédier, ou tenter dans un premier temps d'y apporter des solutions, les consommateurs ont rendez-vous jusqu'au 16 octobre avec les producteurs au Turfu Festival. L'évé ... Show More
34m 11s
Feb 2023
Golden Goose
After years of being publicly shamed for “fleecing” the taxpayers with their frivolous and obscure studies, scientists decided to hit back with… an awards show?! This episode, we gate-crash the Grammys of government-funded research, A.K.A. the Golden Goose Awards. The twist of th ... Show More
45m 14s
Jun 2025
Ziegen - Weidetiere im Klimawandel
Ziegen sind neugierige, intelligente Tiere mit einer engen Bindung an die Menschen, die sie versorgen. Wie funktionieren sie als Herde? Können sie Biotope schützen und damit einige Folgen des Klimawandels begrenzen? Im Naturschutz setzt man zunehmend auf wiederkäuende Weidetiere ... Show More
23m 44s
Jul 2023
17/07/23 Bovine TB and badgers; Farming co-operatives; Vineyards.
All week we're looking at co-operatives. They're a big part of farming networks on the continent, so are English and Welsh farmers missing out a trick? The rise and rise of English and Welsh wine. New figures from land agents show an increase in number of vineyards and the amount ... Show More
11m 30s
Nov 2023
17/11/2023
Farmers who continually have bovine TB outbreaks on their farms should ‘find another business’. That was what Labour Welsh Senedd member Joyce Watson suggested on the floor of the Senedd earlier this week. Ms Watson was responding to a statement from the Welsh Rural Affairs Minis ... Show More
13m 42s
Jul 2020
What If Your Teacher Were A.I.? - Guests: Dr. Joanna Bryson and Dr. Jutta Treviranus
Sign up for the Great Courses today to receive the first month for free: https://bit.ly/great-courses-what-if Is A.I. the future of education? Could human teachers one day be replaced by robots? How can A.I. enhance the educational experience? What are the pros and cons of A.I. i ... Show More
47m 27s
Oct 2023
Jonathan Swift - Gullivers Reisen
"Gullivers Reisen" ist vor allem als Kinderbuchversion weltberühmt geworden, als Abenteuerreise ins Land der Zwerge und Riesen. Der irische Schriftsteller Jonathan Swift hatte mit seinem Roman, der 1726 erschien, anderes im Sinn: nämlich eine Satire auf Politik und Wissenschaft ( ... Show More
22m 30s
Nov 2023
Metal Mines
Long abandoned metal mines are having a huge impact on rivers across the UK. BBC Inside Science reporter Patrick Hughes visits Cwmystwyth in Wales, where he finds lead, zinc and cadmium seeping into waterways. It’s the costly legacy left after hundreds of years of mining. Roma Ag ... Show More
28m 24s