Lower Limb Neurological Examination

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest and most complex natural ecosystems on earth, and it’s home to over 600 species of coral – marine animals that are most closely related to jellyfish. But the coral is under threat, with climate change, ocean acidification and marine heatwaves endangering the reef and the many iconic animals that depend on it. CrowdScience listener Felix, aged 9, wants to know what we’re doing to protect it, and presenter Caroline Steel is on the case. In this special edition of CrowdScience, we follow scientists from Australia’s Institute...

Sometimes we all feel like we're doomed to repeat the past. We always seem to say or do the wrong things. And we keep making the same mistakes. But no matter how many times we've made the same mistake, we're not doomed to repeat the past. We can always choose a new direction.

On a recent kayaking trip, CrowdScience listener Lanier sliced through his right thumb, putting it out of action for a while. This made life difficult, as he couldn’t button his shirt, tie his shoelaces or type efficiently on his smartphone. Missing the use of his thumb made him wonder: since opposable thumbs are so advantageous to those of us who have them, why didn’t they evolve in more species? Host Marnie Chesterton unpicks the evolution of our own unique thumbs with the help of paleoanthropologist Tracy Kivell, learning how our grip compares to that of other animals. We discover why mammals like horses and dogs have no use for thumbs, and why we humans don’t have opposable big toes. Meanwhile, at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, senior keepers Tarryn Williams Clow and Bec Russell-Cook introduce us to two different marsupials. Humphrey the koala has not one but two thumbs on each hand. Why did koalas develop this anatomical quirk when their closest living relative, the wombat, has spade-like digits? Dr Mark Eldridge from the Australian Museum shares his hypothesis. And what if we, too, had another thumb? Marnie tries on a robotic Third Thumb, built by designer Dani Clode. Dani has collaborated with neuroscientists from the Plasticity Lab at the University of Cambridge. She tells us what the Third Thumb has revealed about the human brain and how we control our digits. Presented by Marnie Chesterton Produced by Cathy Edwards and Margaret Sessa Hawkins for the BBC World Service(Photo: Kung-Fu Koala - stock photo Credit: Alex BOISSY / Getty Images)

This episode: Parks for Tomorrow. We’re going to look at one protest in Banff on a drizzly October day in 1977. And we’re going to peek behind the scenes to see how and why organizers tried to get media attention. We’re sharing three stories about Albertan environmental groups and journalists way back in the 70s.It's part two of our mini-series… You Can Change the World! Or… Why Would I Talk to You?Parks for Tomorrow was a coalition of scientists and environmental groups from across Canada who came together to protect national parks from commercial exploitation. Most urgently, they wanted to stop expansion of the Sunshine Village ski resort in Banff, and cattle grazing and haycutting in Waterton and Prince Albert National Parks. Their campaign was centred around a march down the streets of Banff on October 23, 1977. The Parks for Tomorrow demands were endorsed by conservation groups from across Canada who said they represented over 750,000 members. The ground-level organizing work was done by a small group of volunteers, many from the Banff-based Bow Valley Naturalists.We went through Bow Valley Naturalists’ records at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies to learn why they valued media coverage so highly – and ask how much these lessons would apply outside of a park.--Don't miss our next live show - Let's Find Out: About the Whale Society of Edmonton.Yes, Edmonton really used to have a save-the-whales club. No, they weren't based at West Edmonton Mall. But they did make a big splash.Join Let's Find Out host Chris Chang-Yen Phillips for a live podcast recording, exploring the fascinating history of the Whale Society of Edmonton.Live PodcastTuesday March 3 20266:30 – 8 PMCity of Edmonton ArchivesPrince of Wales Armouries10440 108 AvenueFrom 1979 - 1984, the group led public education programs about whales and dolphins and advocated for their protection. Together we'll learn what drove these Edmontonians in a time of hope and crisis, and see fan art and letters they received from around Alberta.Get tickets through Taproot Edmonton: luma.com/q45148xeThis episode is brought to you by SkirtsAfire, Edmonton's annual festival featuring the work of women in the arts. This year's festival takes place from March 5 to 15, 2026, in Old Strathcona and the French Quarter, plus a new venue: ArtsHub Ortona!This episode is also brought to you by The Pulse, Taproot Edmonton's daily newsletter. Subscribe to The Pulse and you'll get original journalism from Taproot's team of reporters, summaries of recent news and upcoming event listings, and The Taproot Mini crossword.