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BBC Inside Science

May 21, 2026 · Unknown · Original Source

Title: BBC Inside Science

Episode Details

With the lingering negative effects of the 2023 El Niño event still fresh in the public consciousness, the Pacific basin is bracing for another iteration of this extreme weather pattern in 2026. Early indicators suggest this upcoming phenomenon could rank among the most intense ever recorded. In this episode, presenter Roland Pease engages with Amanda Maycock, a climatologist at Leeds University, to unpack the mechanics of El Niño and forecast its global impacts from October through the early part of next year.

The program also shifts focus to deep time, featuring insights from Scott Evans of the American Museum of Natural History. Evans has been conducting fieldwork in the Mackenzie Mountains of Canada’s Northwest Territory, investigating the biology and ecology of life forms that predate the recognizable fauna of the Cambrian explosion. While the Cambrian period is known for the emergence of animals with hard shells and bones, earlier eras, such as the Ediacara period, hosted ecosystems dominated by soft-bodied and unusual organisms. By examining ancient ocean floor rocks found in Canada, Evans has discovered a significant new collection of fossils from much deeper strata, raising the question of whether animal life originated in the dark abyssal depths rather than in shallow coastal pools.

On the environmental front, the episode addresses the modern-day destruction caused by bottom trawling, a prevalent fishing technique that drags heavy nets across the seabed, decimating marine habitats in pursuit of maximum yield. Roland speaks with Amanda Vincent, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and the founder of the international conservation initiative Project Seahorse. They discuss the potential benefits of banning bottom trawling, citing new research that highlights a biodiversity resurgence in Scottish waters where such practices have been prohibited for several years.

Finally, science journalist Gareth Mitchell joins the show to detail how bottom trawling can hinder technological and scientific progress, alongside updates on other news stories, including developments regarding solar storms and a reported shortage of robotic wolves in Japan.

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