Are you smarter than an ant swarm?

In this series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the biology, history and mythology of the gila monster, the venomous lizard with surprising connections to modern pharmacology. (part 2 of 3)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

In this classic episode of Weirdhouse Cinema, Rob and Joe discuss the 1999 frontier cannibal horror film “Ravenous,” directed by Antonia Bird and starring Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle. (originally published July 4, 2025) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

In this series of classic episodes from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss the majestic manta ray, from its biology and lifecycle to conservation issues and its portrayal in mythology, folk beliefs and even 1930s horror movies. Learn all about these strange and beaut ... Show More

<p>Today, Ashay Aswale and Tony Lopez shared their work on swarm robotics and what they have learned from ants. Robotic swarms must solve the same problems that eusocial insects do. What if your pheromone trail goes cold? What if you're getting bad information from a bad-actor wi ... Show More

Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system. Guests include neuroscientist Greg Gage, computational neuroscientist Frances C ... Show More

You ant gonna believe this! A new ant species has been discovered in the jungles of Southeast Asia! And while these tiny insects may look similar to the ants we know, they are literally BURSTING surprises! Join Mindy and Guy Raz as they get up close -too close- to explore the Who ... Show More

Join us for our capstone episode on the Animal Intelligence season. We recap what we loved, what we learned, and things we wish we had gotten to spend more time on. This is a great episode to see how the podcast is produced. Now that the season is ending, our current co-host, Bec ... Show More

Step inside DeepMind's laboratories and you'll find researchers studying DNA to understand the mysteries of life, seeking new ways to use nuclear energy, or putting AI to the test in mind-bending areas of maths. In this episode, Hannah meets Pushmeet Kohli, the head of science at ... Show More

In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of ants and learn about their impressive communication skills and unique behaviours. We discover that ants communicate through pheromones, antenna touching, vibrations, alarm signals, and trail marking to share important informati ... Show More

In this special episode, Scott welcomes the legendary Dr. Howard Gardner, a developmental psychologist and professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Best known for his groundbreaking Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Dr. Gardner’s 1983 book Frames of Mind challenged th ... Show More

This is a rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes from Season 8! When did smartness begin? We’ll find out how a neuroscientist blends up brains, and cracks the case of the Tyrannosaurus Rex smarts! Suzana Herculano-Houzel helps us answer listener Penny’s question by explainin ... Show More

S2 Ep18. Snap! The trap-jaw ant’s amazing jaws can move faster than a speeding bullet, snapping shut at a top speed of 230km per hour. When the ant bites down, the force is so great that it launches the insect high into the air. Their powerful spring mechanism is being copied by ... Show More

Recent research — and one surprising season of The Biggest Loser — has scientists wondering whether some of the most basic things they know about metabolism are wrong. Guest: Julia Belluz, author of Food Intelligence For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts ... Show More