The Life Scientific

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The Life Scientific: Nick Longrich on discovering new dinosaurs from overlooked bones

Nick Longrich on discovering new dinosaurs from overlooked bones

BBC Radio 4 - The Life Scientific, Nick Longrich on discovering new dinosaurs from overlooked bones

Jim Al-Khalili talks dinosaurs and ‘one in a million year’ events with Dr Nick Longrich.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to Dr Nick Longrich, who shares how 'uninteresting' fossils can lead to fascinating findings and how rare events have shaped evolution.

We are fascinated by dinosaurs. From blockbuster hits to bestselling video games, skeleton exhibitions to cuddly plushies, the creatures that once roamed the planet have fully captured our imagination, giving us a portal to a completely alternative Earth. And it’s likely new species are still out there, waiting to be found...  

Dr Nick Longrich is a palaeontologist and senior lecturer at the University of Bath, and he studies the dinosaur bones that many have overlooked. By rummaging through the back rooms of museums, he finds traces of never-before-described dinosaurs and goes on the hunt for other specimens to confirm or deny his hunch. Through these adventures, he’s discovered over a dozen new species, painting a more detailed picture of our prehistoric world. 

Nick is also fascinated by rare ‘one in a million year’ events – like asteroid collisions or mega volcanic eruptions – and investigates how the event that wiped out the dinosaurs created the world we live in today. From an Island off the coast of Alaska, Jim Al-Khalili discovers how Nicks early immersion in nature has trained his brain to spot the subtle differences in the world around us that many would overlook. 

Produced by Julia Ravey.

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

Podcasts

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Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future

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The Life Scientific

Nick Longrich on discovering new dinosaurs from overlooked bones

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