Hello, 50 things listeners, I'm Patrick I and I've got some news and something for you to listen to.

I'm the host of 30 Animals That Made A Smarter, the wildest original podcast from the BBC World Service,

and I'm so excited to say that I'm bringing you 30 more incredible animals and discovering

the amazing unexpected things they can do that have inspired new technologies that make us humans smarter.

That's right, I'm back for season 2 and I thought you might like to hear the first of my new episodes.

In this season I find out how the punch of a mantish shrimp could revolutionize future aircraft,

how telescopes in space are inspired by the eyes of lobsters,

and why jumping robots based on the snapping jewels of ants could one day save your life.

So here's the first episode of the new season.

It's about everyone's favourite gentle giant, the elephant.

If you enjoy it and want more, search for 30 animals that made a smarter wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine just for a moment that you've been born with a long, fat noodle attached to your face.

You understandably have no idea how to move this giant noodle around, in fact it seems to have a mind all of its own.

Over the next few months this appendage will at times prove to be a little awkward.

However, life without it would undoubtedly spell doom for you and your fellow kin.

Sounds kind of odd right?

Well, you've now entered the world of every baby elephant to have walked the plant.

An elephant's trunk requires precise coordination to use correctly.

Luckily, elephants have evolved their biggest brains of all land mammals.

Although when they're born, their brains only weigh half of what they will be once they're fully grown.

To develop and strengthen the neural pathways from their brain to the rest of their body requires time.

So, as you can imagine, for newly born elephant calves, their trunks may see more of a floppy, awkward obstacle than a life-changing tool.

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