The Nerve of a Cockroach
Erica McAlister explores remarkable insights from the insect world: the flexibility of the cockroach nervous system. From 2022.
Dr Erica McAlister of London's Natural History Museum takes a look at some of the entomological pioneers, whose groundbreaking observations and experiments have led to some truly innovative developments.
She unravels the mystery behind the nervous system of the cockroach.
It appears to be anatomically hard-wired, yet has an extraordinary flexibility that enables it to adopt new behaviour in matter of minutes or hours. It would lead to proof of the controversial idea that nerves and hormones form an intimate and influential relationship with each other, and the birth of the field of neuroendocrinology
With contributions from Historian and zoologist Prof Matthew Cobb (University of Manchester), Prof Stephen Simpson (Director, Charles Perkin Centre, Sydney), neurobiologist George Stefano.
Producer: Adrian Washbourne
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2022.
On radio
Broadcasts
Fri 27 May 202213:45BBC Radio 4- Fri 26 Jun 202609:30BBC Radio 4 Extra
