As we enter our teenage years, many of us feel like life is just getting started. But for dogs, celebrating a ‘teen’ birthday is a sign of old age, entering a phase when things start slowing down. Listener Susan was besotted with her beloved corgi Copper John and wants to know why our furry companions rarely live as long as us. We investigate what accounts for the huge differences in lifespans across animal species. From fish that live a few weeks, to sharks who can survive for 500 years, what are the factors that affect the ticking on our biological clocks? Central to this field is the idea of ‘live fast, die young’, with some animals burning more quickly through their ‘life fuel’. But is this rate set in stone? Presenter Anand Jagatia find out how animals’ growth, reproduction and anti-ageing methods contribute to the length of their survival. Dr Kevin Healy, a macroecologist at the University of Galway, discusses some of these theories, explaining how the dangers and luxuries faced by animals during their evolution shape their speed of life. One example of extreme slow living is the Greenland Shark. John Fleng Steffensen, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Copenhagen, describes how he helped figure out how old they really are, and how their cold living quarters increase their lifespan. Alessandro Cellerino, physiologist at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, finds the key to the sharks’ longevity in their DNA. Anand also goes on a hunt on the west coast of Ireland for a creature that lives fast but surprisingly, dies old. Noel Fahy, research student at the University of Galway, is his guide, while Dr Nicole Foley, Associate Research Scientist at Texas A&M University, reveals the life-extending secrets of this creature. And geneticist Trey Ideker, Professor at the University of California San Diego, busts the myth that one dog year is seven human years. But how much is this misconception off by? Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Julia Ravey Content Editor: Cathy Edwards Studio Manager: Sarah Hockley Production Coordinator: Ishmael Soriano (Photo: Copper John the Welsh Pembrokeshire Corgi, by listener Susan)
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So a neutron star is kind of about the size of Chicago.
Unexpected Elements from the BBC World Service.
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What do you think the chances are of us finding these animals?
The chances are not as good as they would have been a few months ago.
Some of them will be probably already hibernating.
Hello and welcome to Crowd Science from the BBC World Service, where we're out hunting for some elusive creatures on the west coast of Ireland.
Weather conditions at the moment are looking good.
So with the mild temperature we have now, they should put on some extra weight.
I'm Anand Jagatiya, and helping me to track down these mysterious beasts is my guide, Nol Fahi.
This animal would definitely be waiting until the sun sets before it does anything.
So we've just got to go to wherever you think they might be and then wait for it to get dark.
Yeah, absolutely.
The animals we're looking for are nocturnal and they hibernate.
But there's something else about them that's special and that's what we're interested in.
They are apparently remarkably long lived, and their biology could help us understand how some species are able to sidestep the effects of aging.
In this episode, we're exploring animal lifespans, and it's thanks to a question from listener Susan in the usa.
I think, like every dog lover in the world, I wonder why my dog can't live as long as I do.
Susan wrote to us because like many people, she's had to contend with the mortality of her pets.