30 Animals That Made Us Smarter

Accompanying the hit BBC podcast, a fascinating exploration of how the animal world has inspired human progress via new inventions and solutions that impact our daily lives. Did you know that mosquitoes' mouthparts are helping to develop pain-free surgical needles? Or that manta rays are being tipped to offer the solution to microplastic pollution?For many years, humans have been using the natural world as inspiration for everything from fashion and architecture to medicine and transport. In 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter, Patrick Aryee shares astonishing stories of animal biology and behaviour that have influenced human progress - from x-ray space telescopes inspired by the eyes of lobsters to kingfishers that helped solve engineering problems with Japan's high-speed bullet train.

Based on the hit BBC World Service podcast, 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter reveals a whole new level of wonder at the world around us.