How parasites play a vital role as caretakers of Earth’s ecosystems

How parasites play a vital role as caretakers of Earth’s ecosystems

Author: Our Media June 26, 2026 Duration: 40:50
When most of us think of parasites, our minds will likely turn to thoughts of the various icky creatures that can invade our bodies, make their homes there and end up making us ill. But the truth is that parasites make up a hugely significant part of all life on Earth and bring many benefits to the organisms they live in or alongside and the wider ecosystems they are a part of. As part of our Nature’s Unsung Heroes miniseries, we’re joined by Timothy Brown, a researcher based at the University of Leeds and member of the IUCN Parasite Specialist Group who works on the conservation of parasite diversity, to talk about the many ways in which parasites influence life on Earth. He tells us how our own bodies are host to trillions of different beneficial organisms, the key role parasites play in managing the balance of the animal life in the ecosystems they are part of and talks us through the most recent ideas researchers are working on to preserve these overlooked, but ecologically vital creatures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Curiosity doesn't have to be a deep dive; sometimes, you just want a clear, smart answer. That's the idea behind Instant Genius, a production from Our Media that brings the editorial expertise of BBC Science Focus Magazine into audio form. Each episode is a compact conversation with a leading researcher, scientist, or technologist, designed to unpack a complex topic in a single sitting. You might explore the mechanics of memory one day and the engineering behind quantum computers the next, all within the same accessible format. This podcast operates on the belief that profound understanding doesn't require hours of your time. Released every Monday and Friday, these bite-sized masterclasses are perfect for a commute or a coffee break, turning spare moments into genuine learning. The discussions are focused and surprisingly thorough, moving from fundamental principles to cutting-edge implications without getting lost in jargon. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered about the science of sleep, the truth about nutrition trends, or how black holes actually work, and wanted a reliable source to explain it clearly. Tuning into this podcast means getting a direct line to experts who are shaping our understanding of the world, all structured to deliver insight efficiently. The range is deliberately broad, spanning health, cosmology, technology, and everyday science, reflecting the endless questions a curious mind can hold.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Instant Genius
Podcast Episodes
The latest breakthroughs in Parkinson’s research [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:03
Parkinson’s disease currently affects more than 160,000 people in the UK. It’s a complex, progressive condition that typically develops slowly over many years and causes issues with movement, balance, and quality of life…
How to harness your brain’s underused superpowers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:14
For a large proportion of our lives, our brains seemingly work on autopilot – the many processes the brain controls hum away behind the scenes, helping us to carry out our daily tasks. But in certain scenarios, our atten…
How we define intelligent life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:53
What does it mean to be a living organism? What are the driving forces that motivate our thoughts and actions? Are we all simply acting the way we do thanks to the instructions built into our genes and our automatic resp…
Exploring Darwin’s ideas through a queer lens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:56
When Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in the mid-nineteenth century, his theory of evolution by natural selection turned many of the scientific ideas of the day on their heads. The influence of the book…
On the frontlines of our fight against dementia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:47
Currently there are around one million people in the UK living with dementia. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the disease over the past several decades an effective cure is yet to be found. However,…
Why the search for life on Mars is far from over [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:20
Way back in 1976, NASA’s Viking landers touched down on Mars to search for potential signs of microbial life that could currently exist on the planet’s surface. Despite the mission making a number of promising discoverie…
Why rediscovering simple pleasures may be the key to happiness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:52
Every single day of our lives, we’re exposed to a vast multitude of experiences and interactions with the various people, objects and technologies in the wider world that surrounds us. The chances are that many of us giv…
Why human urine may be our most untapped natural resource [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:33
While largely viewed as a toxic waste product with no practical use, our urine is actually rich in all manner of valuable nutrients that, with a little effort, can be extracted, recycled and converted into fertiliser for…
How new technology can change our emotional lives for the better [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:08
It’s clear to all of us that the rapid progress that technology has made over the last century or so has had profound impacts on almost every aspect of our lives. But often, the impact on our emotional well-being associa…
The birth, evolution and future of microchips [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
It’s a good bet that if most of us were to glance around our living rooms or offices, we’d quickly spot all manner of electronic devices that are powered by microchips. Since their introduction in the 1950s, chips have b…