Biological Sciences

At the southernmost tip of South Africa, where fresh and salt water collide, a tiny seahorse appears to levitate. Seahorses are the ocean’s slowest swimmers, but they have one of the world’s fastest muscle contractions, using it to suction up their prey. In this episode, we meander through eelgrass with a male Knysna seahorse as he twines tails with his partner, changes color to match the sand, and even gives birth to a brood of tiny seahorses.

Red pandas have thick bushy ringed tails like raccoons, but they aren’t related to panda bears or raccoons—in fact, they have no close relatives anywhere on Earth. In this episode, we wander the Himalayas with a red panda and her cubs as they munch on bamboo, practice walking in the treetops, and settle in to nap together as the first snowfall of the year covers their forest home.

California’s coast redwoods are Earth's tallest living beings, some reaching more than 350 feet high. They can also live for more than 2,000 years, outlasting entire civilizations. In this episode, we spend an evening with an ancient tree. Below ground, its roots tap into a forest-wide network; above ground, its branches harbor life in its many forms.

In the misty Puerto Rican El Yunque rainforest, coquí frogs no larger than your thumb fill the air with their distinctive two-note song: “co-quí, co-quí.” They alternate routines—one night singing to attract potential mates, the next hunting to fuel up for tomorrow’s performance. In this episode, we follow a singer and a hunter amid the vibrant nighttime chorus.

Concrete Botany is a gritty, kick-in-the-guts look at the ecological disturbance humans have caused and the resilience of the plants living amongst it. Delivered in his raw and unapologetic yet botanically accurate tone, Joey Santore—the unforgettable host of Crime Pays but Botany...

What is Now? This immediate moment, what we're experiencing right now . . . it bathes us like air, or gravity. Yet when we try to grasp this quality, to scrutinize it or bring it into focus, it vanishes, slipping through our fingers like a dream. And worse, according to the most trusted models of physics, Now doesn't even exist. If all this is so, then what, exactly, are we experiencing? How do we carve out time, sensation, self, and meaning from a blank, Now-less canvas?

The concept of canine consent is far more than simply a buzzword in modern dog training practices. In its current form, consent is a distinctly human concept, designed by humans and for humans. Looking beyond species boundaries can help us not only consider concepts of canine consent and...

Dawn and dusk – those fleeting, half-lit hours – are when the ordinary becomes extraordinary. In THE SECRET WORLD OF TWILIGHT, author and smallholder Sally Coulthard invites us into this magical in-between realm, where seductive night-blooming flowers open, secretive mammals stir, giant moths reign and fantastical sea creatures ride the tide. Blending natural history, folklore and memoir, Coulthard reveals twilight as a vital, liminal force: one that has inspired awe for millennia and still has the power to illuminate our daily lives.

How did the world as we know it—from the soil beneath our feet to the air we breathe and the life that surrounds us—come to be? Geologists have proposed one set of answers while biologists have proposed another. Earth and Life is the first book to reveal why we need to listen to both voices—the physical and the biological—to understand how we and our planet became possible.

From the award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of Cod and Salt, To Catch a Fish is an entertaining and beautifully written illustrated collection of essays that explore a lifetime fascination with fishing. For as long as there have been humans, there have been humans trying to catch...

Consciousness is the most fascinating but tantalizingly difficult topic in biology. Although many people now believe that mammals, birds, and possibly all vertebrates are conscious, there are also claims that many other animals such as crabs and insects may be conscious too. Such claims, if true...

“A truly remarkable achievement.” —Jill Lepore “A gorgeous story of human nature and animal behavior—and of the way science itself evolves.” —Dava Sobel The tumultuous life and radical science of a revolutionary thinker, and the history of an idea that changed the world In the...

“I found Ms. Sifferlin’s book entertaining, enlightening, and in addition timely—a book mindful of science in this era when crackpot notions about public health and medicine are routinely issued from on high.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains A...

Explore the vast and wondrous legends behind 35 of the world’s tree species and enjoy a new approach to nature–based spirituality. In this nature connection and spiritual wellness tool, Dawn Nelson offers a new way of connecting with trees—and in turn the landscape and nature around...

All of us have lurking in our DNA a most remarkable gene, which has a crucial job – it protects us from cancer. Known simply as p53, this gene constantly scans our cells to ensure that they grow and divide without mishap. If a cell makes a mistake in copying its DNA during the process of division, p53 stops it in its tracks, summoning a repair team before allowing the cell to carry on dividing. If the mistake is irreparable and the rogue cell threatens to grow out of control, p53 commands the cell to commit suicide.

'A nuanced invitation to see the city as a place of wild co-existence and possibility.' OLIVIA LAING 'Meticulously researched and elegantly written' VICTORIA BENNETT While it's easy to think of the city as a human domain - a place that belongs to us alone - the reality is that nature is always...

If you want to master ship spotting, identify vessels with confidence, and explore the world’s most exciting maritime hotspots, HowExpert Guide to Ship Spotting is your ultimate companion. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced spotter looking to sharpen your skills, this comprehensive guide provides everything you need to take your passion for ship spotting to the next level.

En La vida en un planeta poco conocido, Elizabeth Kolbert nos guía por algunos de los lugares más afectados por el calentamiento global, desde Groenlandia hasta los lagos de Utah, pasando por montañas protegidas en Nueva Zelanda y comunidades costeras que hoy luchan por sobrevivir. A lo largo de este viaje asistimos al descubrimiento de nuevas especies, presenciamos los esfuerzos por rescatar a otras del borde de la extinción y tomamos consciencia del alcance real de la restauración ecológica y la reintroducción de fauna silvestre.

Have you ever wondered why we count sheep to get to sleep? Or where the phrase "red herring" comes from? Across British history, animals have been written about in poetry, painted in oils, and even recorded in law. Loved or feared, familiar or endangered, animals are everywhere to be seen. In this enchanting study, Karen R. Jones takes a journey through the history of ten animals to show the extraordinary story of "beastly" Britain.

Written by poultry keeper and lifetime enthusiast, Adrian Marks who has been involved with animals his whole life. He has reared and kept many breeds of poultry over the years, including many varieties of Ducks, Geese, Pheasant, Chickens, Bantams and of course Guinea Fowl. Guinea Fowl in particular have always held a lasting interest to him, which largely inspired him to pay homage to this fascinating bird.

Rapamycin is one of the most intriguing—and controversial—compounds in modern longevity science. Originally developed as an immunosuppressant, it has moved from transplant medicine into the center of debates surrounding aging, healthspan, and cellular biology.

Unlock the science of you-at-your-best with Powerhouse Peptides for Women Over 30! This beginner's guide pulls back the curtain on nature's most potent messengers — short chains of amino acids known as peptides — and shows you exactly how to harness their regenerative magic for radiant skin, lean muscle, balanced hormones, and boundless energy. I also discuss bioregulators, which are loved within the peptide community. And I go over what I consider the Four Key Pillars of Health.

Perhaps the closest a human being comes to visiting another planet is to descend into the sea. In Soundings, Kennedy Warne connects his lifelong exploration of the underwater world with a global story of humanity’s relationship with the sea. Drawing on over 20 years of work for National Geographic, he shares experiences that range from diving with harp seals under the sea ice of the Gulf of St Lawrence to following the legendary ‘sardine run’ along South Africa’s Wild Coast; from watching turret-building ghost crabs in Arabia to witnessing the impact of dynamite fishing in the Philippines…

Ancient and carbon-rich, old-growth forests play an irreplaceable role in the environment. Their complex ecosystems clean the air, purify the water, cool the planet, and teem with life. In a time of climate catastrophe, old-growth and other natural forests face existential threats caused by...

From the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller On Trails comes a wondrous new journey through the wilds of nature and the gnarls of history, exploring how trees—from the mightiest sequoia to the tiniest bonsai—can teach us to grow wise. To truly grasp the wisdom of a tree, you...