Title: BBC Inside Science

In this episode, host Roland Pease explores three distinct scientific frontiers. First, he addresses the looming threat of a new El Niño event. With the memory of the 2023 phenomenon still fresh, forecasts for 2026 suggest another powerful iteration is forming in the Pacific Ocean, potentially ranking among the most intense on record. Pease discusses the mechanics of this climate pattern and its global implications for the period between October and early next year with Amanda Maycock, a climatologist at Leeds University.

Shifting focus to deep time, the program examines the origins of animal life. Scott Evans from the American Museum of Natural History shares findings from his expedition to the Mackenzie mountains in Canada’s Northwest Territory. His research targets the Ediacara era, a period preceding the Cambrian explosion when hard-shelled and boned animals diversified. By investigating ancient ocean floor rocks, Evans aims to understand the biology of the soft-bodied, strange organisms that inhabited Earth before these later developments. Notably, he has discovered a significant new collection of fossils located deeper beneath the surface of these ancient seas, raising questions about whether animal life originated in the dark depths rather than in shallower coastal pools.

Finally, the episode looks at modern marine conservation. Over 500 million years after the Ediacara period, bottom trawling remains a prevalent but destructive fishing technique that drags heavy nets across the seabed, obliterating ecosystems to maximize yields. Pease interviews Amanda Vincent, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and founder of the international conservation group Project Seahorse. They discuss the potential benefits of banning bottom trawling, citing recent data showing a biodiversity resurgence in Scottish waters where such practices have been prohibited for several years.

Additionally, science journalist Gareth Mitchell analyzes how bottom trawling negatively impacts technology and other scientific endeavors. The episode concludes with brief updates on other missed science news, including developments regarding solar storms and a reported shortage of robotic wolves in Japan.

Presenter: Roland Pease Producers: Alex Mansfield and Dan Welsh Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Programme Website

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-21 20:00:00 UTC