BBC Inside Science: Rats, Wet Wipes, Extinction as a Political Choice, and a Spiked Ankylosaur

Rats, wet wipes, extinction politics, and a striking dinosaur feature anchor this episode. A leading ecologist debunks fears of a rat plague this winter, explaining population dynamics and the role of food waste. Volunteers and Thames Water illuminate the Wet Wipe Island crisis and microplastics in river ecosystems, while a historian-researcher reframes extinction as a political choice, illustrated by the Liverpool pigeon mystery. The program also covers aging due to heat waves and a novel rumor-spread study, finishing with a spectacular dinosaur fossil that reshapes ideas about armor evolution and behavior.

Rats, Urban Wildlife and the Seasonal Myth

Steve Balmain, a rodent expert, explains that UK rat populations typically swell in summer driven by food waste and tend to decline in winter as resources vanish and temperatures drop. He cautions against sensational headlines about a winter plague, noting that the urban-rural mix and food management largely determine rat abundance. He also emphasizes that monitoring is essential to understand changes in population dynamics and disease risks rather than relying on media-driven doom scenarios.

"Indeed, I think we should be monitoring rat numbers" - Steve Balmain

Wet Wipes and the Wet Wipe Island Crisis

A Thames-side investigation reveals a large accumulation of wet wipes on the foreshore, with plastics leaching as microplastics into river life. Volunteers and engineers discuss the lengthy process of removal and the importance of upstream behavior, including proper disposal and bin management. Thames Water explains the role of the Tideway Tunnel in intercepting sewer overflows to reduce plastics reaching the river, while admitting past failures and the need for consumer responsibility to flush only pee, poo, and paper.

"The plastics in the wet wipes leach out as microplastics" - Grace Ronsley

Extinction as a Political Choice

In a feature on Sadia Qureshi’s book Vanished, an argument is made that extinction is not merely a biological event but a political and ethical choice. The Liverpool pigeon case offers a lens on how human actions shape the fate of species, and the discussion extends to how museum collections, conservation funding, and cultural narratives influence policy and public perception.

"Extinction is not just a science, but a political choice" - Sadia Qureshi

The Great Fear and the Spread of Rumors

Researchers model the spread of fear during the French Revolution as a virus spreading along road networks, with data showing how fast rumors traveled and how they could reshape town-level unrest. The study highlights that fear exposure does not confer immunity as a vaccine would, but it does reveal the power of information dynamics in historical contexts.

"Exposure to fear doesn't immunize you in the same way that a vaccine does" - Nature study authors

Dinosaur News: Spiked Armor and Evolution

The episode closes with a dramatic Moroccon fossil, Spiomelu apher, a herbivorous dinosaur with a neck collar of spikes and a tail mace. The find suggests armored tails evolved 30 million years earlier than previously thought, prompting debate about defensive display versus mate attraction in early ankylosaurs.

"The armored tail evolved about 30 million years before we thought" - Lizzie Gibney