Simon Pollard

Simon Pollard looks at the human predilection for the prediction of our own demise - the apolcalypse, coming to you this Friday. Audio

Facial recognition, peacock tails, and Darwin's cousin. Audio

A look at what makes chillies hot. Audio

The legacy of Neil Armstrong. Audio

Cannabilism and sex (the praying mantis). Audio

Venoms of Doom. Audio

Simon talks about Cryonics. Audio

Why some male spiders become eunuchs during mating and how the earthquakes in Christchurch may have increased mosquito numbers. Audio

Why science and scientists have such a bad reputation. Audio

Polygamous Pukeko and how they share the work of child raising. Audio

Do subatomic particles called neutrinos really exceed the speed of light? Audio

Spiders and homeopathy. Audio

Simon Pollard discusses the evolution of humour. Audio

Why it's so easy to be a transgender fish and the male blanket-octopus. Audio

Simon explains some of the extraordinary lengths that animals will go to in order to escape the grasp of a predator. Audio

Simon embraces the inner Neanderthal man. The science of self awareness. Audio

When chimps and human ancestors split about four million years ago, what was it that led to the enormous intellectual gap between us and our closest living relative? Audio

Simon Pollard looks at whether gossip is the human version of primate grooming, and suggests an evolutionary explanation for why so much of our conversations involve gossip. Audio

Designing an advertising campaign for non-human primates, and why human females do better than males in tests on recognising emotions or relationships among people. Audio

About half of all female primates conceal ovulation to make it unlikely that males will know when they are fertile. Among the apes, humans and orangutans conceal ovulation while our closest living… Audio