What’s on (4 – 10 August 2012)

Fancy watching (or listening to) something new? Here’s our pick of the week’s science on TV and radio…

Sun 5 August

The Dark: Nature’s Nighttime World
BBC2, 9.00-10.00pm

In this episode, the team travels to a flooded Amazon forest to find out what comes out at night. Camerawoman Sophie Darlington goes in search of the world’s only nocturnal monkey, whilst Dr George McGavin abseils deep into a giant cave system to look for new species.

 

Mon 6 August

Nature's Microworlds
BBC4, 8.30-9.00pm

Steve Backshall explores Monterey Bay on California’s coast, home to one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. From giant kelp forests to microscopic plankton, Monterey Bay is bursting with life, but what keeps this ecosystem balanced?

Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer
BBC2, 9.00-10.00pm

Dr Michael Mosley seems to be making a habit of suffering in the name of science. Recently, he swallowed a camera pill to expose his inner workings. This time, he’s going without food to test out the powerful new science behind the ancient idea of fasting. The results are life changing.

Tues 7 August

The Life Scientific
BBC Radio 4, 9.00-9.30am

Jim Al-Khalili returns with a new series of his show celebrating the motivations, inspirations and life stories of today's pioneering scientists. In this episode, Jim chats to geneticist Steve Jones about his research into nature’s slowcoaches: snails.

Weds 8 August

Darwin’s Tunes
BBC Radio 4, 9.00-9.30pm

Does Darwin’s theory of natural selection apply to music as well as nature? That’s the question Professor Armand Leroi and colleagues have set out to answer. They’ve designed an experiment to see if they can create the perfect song by allowing people to choose which tunes survive and which die out. If they succeed, does this mean human composers might soon be out of a job? 

Thurs 9 August

How the Universe Works
Discovery Channel, 9.00-10.00pm

This episode of How the Universe Works investigates solar flares and gamma rays. What causes these dramatic cosmic phenomena, and do they threaten the Earth?