How Our Bodies and Animals Are Trained by Sunlight - Lecture 4

Explore a fascinating Royal Institution Christmas Lecture from 1998 that delves into how sunlight trains the biological clocks of humans and animals. Learn about nature's remarkable timing mechanisms, from cicadas that emerge after precisely 17 years to iguanas that sense daylight without using their eyes. Discover how seasonal changes affect animal survival, including hibernation patterns and food storage behaviors. Examine the intriguing variations in animal lifespans, from the single-day existence of mayflies to the centuries-long lives of giant turtles, while understanding why some smaller creatures like bats and lobsters can live for decades. Gain insights into cellular programming and predetermined lifespans as Professor Nancy Rothwell explains how our bodies and those of animals maintain their natural rhythms through environmental cues.