Kate Jones on bats and biodiversity

The Life Scientific

BBC

Technology, Personal Journals, Society & Culture, Science

4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 June 2015

⏱️ 28 minutes

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Summary

Kate Jones is Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity at UCL and the Institute of Zoology. An expert in evolution and extinction, her special interest is in bat research and conservation. Bats make up one in five of all mammal species on Earth, from the miniscule bumblebee bat to the enormous megabat. As well as controlling harmful insects bats also pollinate a large variety of crops, from bananas to blue agave plants that are used to make tequila. Kate has pioneered ground-breaking technologies that allow the public to monitor bats, including the citizen science website Bat Detective. This work led her to investigate human infectious diseases, including those spread through animals. Together with a global team of researchers, they drew up a map of global hotspots to try and predict where the next 'zoonotic' disease will emerge. Producer: Michelle Martin.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to the podcast of the Life Scientific.
0:03.6	First broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
0:06.3	I'm Jim Alleili and my mission is to interview
0:09.2	the most fascinating and important scientists alive today and to find out what makes them tick.
0:15.0	If you're lucky enough to go on safari to spot the big five wild animals,
0:20.0	you wouldn't expect to be looking out for bats. In fact bats make up one in
0:25.4	five of all mammal species on earth and these fascinating nocturnal creatures
0:30.5	from the miniscule bumblebee bat to the enormous and frankly
0:34.3	terrifying mega bat are the passion of my guest today Professor Kate Jones.
0:38.7	Kate is Professor of Ecology at bothiodiversity at both University College London
0:44.2	and the Institute of Zoology. Amongst her many other titles is chair of the BACT
0:48.7	Conservation Trust and she's pioneered groundbreaking techniques that allow the public to monitor bats.
0:55.0	She used the proceeds of the prestigious Lever Hume Prize which she won for
0:59.4	significant contributions to zoology to develop a bat phone. More of that later.
1:05.0	Colleagues describe her as a roller coaster, enthusiastic, inspirational and the life
1:10.6	and soul of the party which may explain her nickname
1:13.5	Cocktail Kate.
1:15.2	Kate Jones welcome to the life scientific take your head out of your hands.
1:21.0	Okay beyond back. your deeper scientific interest is in exploring questions
1:29.8	about how life on earth evolved what is it about evolution that fascinates you? I think it's
1:35.6	because evolution is how we are all here, you know, the diversity of life on earth.
1:42.0	How did that happen? You know know how can we have so many
	...

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