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The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry

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Factual: Science & Nature

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries.

Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.

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The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry: Series 9

The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry: Series 9: The Enigma of Sex, Part 1

26/02/2018

The Enigma of Sex, Part 1

Series 9

BBC Radio 4 - The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry, Series 9, The Enigma of Sex, Part 1

Why does sex exist? And why aren't we all the same sex?

Why does sex exist? And why aren't we all the same sex? Let's face it, life would be a lot easier. Drs Rutherford and Fry examine reproduction.

"Why do we only have two sexes and are there any anomalies in the animal kingdom?" asks Robert Turner from Leeds. 

From reptilian virgin births to hermaphrodite sea slugs, over the next two episodes Drs Rutherford and Fry examine the weird ways other creatures reproduce.

In this first instalment, they tackle what's been called 'the hardest problem in evolutionary biology' - why does sex exist? 

Why aren't we all one single sex that clone ourselves to produce offspring? It makes perfect evolutionary sense - you could pass on all of your genes and don't need to bother finding a partner.

Hannah visits London Zoo to meet a fierce komodo dragon named Ganas, the result of a virgin birth. And Adam meets some tiny bdelloid rotifers, microscopic worm-like females who have survived for 50 million years by cloning themselves.

You can send your questions in to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk

Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford
Producer: Michelle Martin.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate science mysteries sent by listeners.

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The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry

Series 9

The Enigma of Sex, Part 1

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