From Oldest to Strongest Living Thing
We revisit the oldest organism on Earth and meet the strongest.
Trees are old – they transcend human generations – but are they the oldest living things on Earth? This story began in June 2017 when we explored a question sent in from CrowdScience listener William. Many of you got in touch after the programme with questions of your own. So we’re revisiting our trees programme but also exploring another question from listener James, who wants to know what, pound for pound or gram for gram, is the strongest animal alive on Earth today? Marnie Chesterton wrestles with one of them and – spoiler alert – it’s not a gorilla.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Jen Whyntie
(Photo: Kumbuka, a 15-year-old western lowland gorilla. Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
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When tree science goes wrong
Disaster stuck as a scientist tried to date an ancient tree
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Why are dung beetles so strong?
Duration: 01:13
Broadcasts
- Fri 8 Dec 2017 20:32GMTÂ鶹Éç World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East & Americas and the Caribbean only
- Fri 8 Dec 2017 21:32GMTÂ鶹Éç World Service Australasia, South Asia & East Asia only
- Sat 9 Dec 2017 00:32GMTÂ鶹Éç World Service except Americas and the Caribbean & News Internet
- Mon 11 Dec 2017 05:32GMTÂ鶹Éç World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Mon 11 Dec 2017 07:32GMTÂ鶹Éç World Service Australasia & East and Southern Africa only
- Mon 11 Dec 2017 15:32GMTÂ鶹Éç World Service Australasia
- Mon 11 Dec 2017 18:32GMTÂ鶹Éç World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Tue 12 Dec 2017 03:32GMTÂ鶹Éç World Service West and Central Africa
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CrowdScience
Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe