0:00:02 > 0:00:04# Luminous fish killers Convoys of caterpillars
0:00:04 > 0:00:06- # Super-clever brainless slime - Ugh!
0:00:06 > 0:00:08# Bunny-rabbit swarms Whizzing storms
0:00:08 > 0:00:10# And pigs that swim at dinnertime!
0:00:10 > 0:00:13# Tornadoes of fire Starfish going haywire
0:00:13 > 0:00:15- # Algae balls from space! - What?!
0:00:15 > 0:00:17# Prairie dogs that chat Birds going splat
0:00:17 > 0:00:19# And fish slapping in your face!
0:00:19 > 0:00:21# They're wild and weird Wild and weird
0:00:21 > 0:00:23# Really, really wild And really, really weird
0:00:23 > 0:00:25# They're wild and weird Wild and weird
0:00:25 > 0:00:27# They're really, really wild
0:00:27 > 0:00:29# They're really, really wild and weird. #
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Coming up on today's show,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33some superpowered strangeness.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37A death-defying deepfreeze squirrel.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39A real-life Batman on a bike.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43And a heroic rodent risking it all on the front line.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53MUSIC: Superman Movie Theme
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Ha-ha! Madam, are you in need of assistance?
0:01:01 > 0:01:03- No, not really. - MUSIC CUTS
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Just watching some telly.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08You haven't seen the remote control anywhere, have you?
0:01:08 > 0:01:10MUSIC RESUMES Yes, a missing remote!
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- This sounds like a job for... - Here it is.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15MUSIC CUTS
0:01:15 > 0:01:16I hope all this weird behaviour's
0:01:16 > 0:01:18not just another excuse to dress up as...
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Wonder Man.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22No. It's my name, actually.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24W, Warwood, so...
0:01:24 > 0:01:27You don't have to make up superheroes, Tim.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30There are plenty of animals with real-life superpowers, you know?
0:01:30 > 0:01:32- Really?- Mmm-hmm. Here, I'll show you.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Life in the wild can be tough,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39so sometimes animals need superpowers just to stay alive.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Take this mighty hero of cold-weather survival,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44the Arctic ground squirrel.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48A squirrel? Squirrels don't have superpowers.
0:01:48 > 0:01:49Not like...
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Wonder Man!
0:01:52 > 0:01:53That's where you're wrong,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57because this super squirrel can survive freezing temperatures
0:01:57 > 0:01:59that could turn Wonder Man into a popsicle.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02And it does it by heading underground.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Underground? To a secret base filled with hi-tech military prototypes?
0:02:06 > 0:02:10No. To a den, filled with straw, where they curl up and...
0:02:11 > 0:02:13..go to sleep.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Aw, come on, Naomi.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Sleeping's not a superpower.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18Everyone can sleep.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22I'm so good at sleeping I often find myself just the drifting off mid...
0:02:24 > 0:02:25HE SNORES
0:02:29 > 0:02:30..sentence.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33But the Arctic ground squirrel
0:02:33 > 0:02:35doesn't go to sleep for just one night -
0:02:35 > 0:02:38it sleeps for a whopping eight months.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Whoa, talk about a lie in!
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Here's Arctic biologist Brian Barnes.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46One day in early August, they'll retreat into their burrow,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50pull their tail over their head, and they fall asleep.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53But what's unusual about the Arctic ground squirrel, in fact unique,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56is that it can drop to the lowest body temperature
0:02:56 > 0:02:57of any mammal on Earth.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00-3 degrees Celsius.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It should be frozen, but isn't.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05That's right. Despite having a body made of up to 70% water,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07this squirrel doesn't freeze
0:03:07 > 0:03:09when its temperature drops below freezing.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11But isn't that impossible?
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Not if you've got superpowers!
0:03:15 > 0:03:17So how does he do it?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Well, to explain that, we're going to need some weird science.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22That's my favourite type of science.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Let's pretend our squirrel is a raspberry or cucumber.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26Random, but OK.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31They both contain the same amount of water as a squirrel
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and, when they freeze, ice crystals form inside them,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36puncturing their cell walls
0:03:36 > 0:03:40so that when they thaw out again they collapse and turn into mush.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45So why doesn't the squirrel turn to mush as well?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It's all down to a process called supercooling.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Cool.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51No, cooling.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53No, I mean, cool as in cool.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Oh. Cool.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56No, cooling.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Supercooling is when a liquid drops below freezing, but doesn't freeze,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and this is the squirrel's special superpower.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Once their blood drops below the freezing point, it should freeze.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15But, in fact, liquids don't, unless they are in the presence
0:04:15 > 0:04:17of what's called an ice nucleator.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18Look out, bad guys,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22cos big Timmy here has got himself an ice nucleator.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23Ch-chkk!
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Pyow! Pyow!
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Pyyffff....
0:04:29 > 0:04:31So, what's an ice nucleator?
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Ice nucleators are tiny impurities in the liquid, like dust or bubbles.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Without them, ice can't form, so the water in the bottle stays a liquid.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45But introduce an air bubble and...
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Kapow! Instant ice.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48Cool.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50No, cool-ing.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Don't start that again.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55What these Arctic ground squirrel seem to do
0:04:55 > 0:04:57is cleanse their bodies and their blood
0:04:57 > 0:04:59of would-be ice nucleators,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02and that allows them to reach this supercooled state,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05this lowest temperature that no other animal does.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07And this means our super squirrel
0:05:07 > 0:05:10can sleep on through the Arctic winter,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12without having to worry about waking up as a Slush Puppie.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Hey, do you want to see the ice blaster
0:05:17 > 0:05:19that I made to help Wonder Man fight crime?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Yes, please.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Ta-da!
0:05:23 > 0:05:24It's melted.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27You know, your squirrel - it's very impressive,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29but us humans have superpowers too.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Tim, for the last time, you are not a superhero.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33No, no, no. Not me.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35This guy.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36Meet Daniel Kish.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41He seems like an average man, out for average bike ride.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44But Daniel is totally blind.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I lost my first eye at the age of seven months
0:05:47 > 0:05:49and the second at 13 months.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I have no recollection of ever having seen.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Now, of course, being blind
0:05:54 > 0:05:57shouldn't stop anyone from doing anything, but riding a bike
0:05:57 > 0:06:00isn't generally recommended for people with no vision at all.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Especially not in a forest.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Exactly. So how does Daniel avoid colliding with the nearest tree?
0:06:07 > 0:06:11I am a man who uses the techniques
0:06:11 > 0:06:13of a bat to navigate.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18That's right, Daniel has learned to find his way around
0:06:18 > 0:06:20using echolocation.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24And you can probably guess what nickname
0:06:24 > 0:06:26these bat-like abilities have landed him with.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29The Great Soundini.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Corre... What? No, That's not right.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32Erm...
0:06:32 > 0:06:34The Sonar Kid.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36No. Think animal.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Ooh! Echo Bunnyman.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39What? No.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Superhero name with the words bat and man.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Manbat!
0:06:44 > 0:06:46What? Ugh...
0:06:46 > 0:06:50I seem to be known the world over as the real-life Batman.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Many species of bat use echolocation.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58They generate a noise, sending out sound waves.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00When a sound wave hits an object,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04it rebounds back to the bat and the bat interpret these signals,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06building up a very accurate picture of its surroundings,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09even in total darkness.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And, remarkably, Daniel can do exactly the same thing.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15HE CLICKS HIS TONGUE
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Here we've got a stairway.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Amazingly, Daniel has never been to this park before.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24So we have a structure here that has a roof.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29A pavilion.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34And it's got places to sit underneath.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35That is incredible.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Isn't it just?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40I had no idea humans could echolocate.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43We must start practising immediately.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45SHE CLICKS
0:07:48 > 0:07:50This tree is a total oddball
0:07:50 > 0:07:52in terms of its shape.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57It's a highly irregular structure here.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02It swings out a little bit and then it curves around.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05So we've got a soft, cushiony shape here.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Ooh. Ooh! But there's an irregular, oddball shape here.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14It's kind of lumpy and carbuncular.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16A bit like a gargoyle.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22In fact, Daniel's echolocation skills are so accurate
0:08:22 > 0:08:25that neurobiologist Professor Lutz Wiegrebe
0:08:25 > 0:08:31decided to scan Daniel's brain to find out just how he does it.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34And the results of Daniel's brain scan were astonishing.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36He can really see with his ears.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40And it's not only that he can process spatial information
0:08:40 > 0:08:43acquired with his auditory system,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48but he can also recruit parts of his visual cortex to do this task.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51To put that more simply, Daniel is using the part of the brain
0:08:51 > 0:08:55usually used for vision to help him see with sound.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I think I'm getting the hang of this.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59I'm off for a bike ride. See you later.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00That's not such a good idea.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01Oh...
0:09:03 > 0:09:07So it seems that Daniel's blindness may have allowed his brain
0:09:07 > 0:09:10to develop sonar skills at a superhuman level.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13And while potentially anyone can learn to echolocate,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15the next time you fancy a bike ride...
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Aargh!
0:09:16 > 0:09:18..you might want to leave your blindfold at home.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24You know, I just thought of another story of superheroism
0:09:24 > 0:09:27from the animal kingdom. Would you like to hear it?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Ha! Is the sky blue?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Well, that depends on the time of day, weather,
0:09:32 > 0:09:33atmospheric conditions...
0:09:33 > 0:09:34Just say yes.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35Yes.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38We're off to East Africa,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40to the foothills of Tanzania and Mozambique,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44where it's possible to meet a very unusual superhero.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48The mild-mannered giant African pouched rat.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rats can't be superheroes.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- Why not?- Well, they're supervillains, aren't they?
0:09:54 > 0:09:56The live in sewers, they spread disease.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58That is classic supervillain stuff.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Not these guys.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Just look at them! They're so cute.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07How could that face possibly belong to a supervillain?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09What is it with you and cuddly animals?
0:10:09 > 0:10:11OK. Why are they superheroes then?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Because they save lives.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17You see, this part of East Africa has had a troubled past.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Years of war and conflict has left behind a deadly legacy.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Whoa!
0:10:23 > 0:10:25It's estimated around 100 million landmines
0:10:25 > 0:10:27still lie hidden in the ground,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29turning the simple task of farming
0:10:29 > 0:10:32into one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36So how to clear the landmines safely?
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Well, that's where our remarkable rodents come in.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- Ooh, OK, let's just stop it there then.- Why?
0:10:43 > 0:10:45This is the BBC.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47We can't do stories about blowing up rats.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49It's not about blowing up rats.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Oh, isn't it?- No. - Oh, carry on, then.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Now, giant pouched rats may seem unlikely candidates
0:10:56 > 0:10:58for a bomb-disposal squad,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01but they're actually more qualified than you might imagine.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Take smell, for instance.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07In that department, rats can rival our canine friends the dogs.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08I know exactly what you mean.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Because Tinsel - he's my nan's dog - he reeks.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13No, I mean sense of smell.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Rats and dogs have a great sense of smell.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Ah, yeah.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21In fact, the African giant pouched rat has a sense of smell so good
0:11:21 > 0:11:25it can sniff out an infinitesimally small amount of TNT
0:11:25 > 0:11:29from a metre away, even when it's buried deep underground.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32But clearing minefields is a serious business,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34so before they enter the fray,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37our rats require some serious training.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39With a little incentive, in the form of a banana,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42they can be taught to sniff out a buried object,
0:11:42 > 0:11:43scratch to mark the spot
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and then come running back to the sound of a clicker.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47Clever rats.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Ha! You say they're clever, but they can't be that smart
0:11:50 > 0:11:53if they fall for the old banana-and-clicker routine.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57I mean, a more advanced brain - take mine for example -
0:11:57 > 0:12:01would never fall for a little bit of cognitive manipulation like that.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02No way.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04Ooh, banana. Thank you.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Once fully trained, it's time to head for the front line.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15The rats are now sniffing out real, live landmines,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18designed to explode when trodden on.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Oh! I can't watch!
0:12:20 > 0:12:24And now the rat's final mine-busting secret weapon comes to the fore.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Not laser eyes?
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- No. Not laser eyes. - Aw, that's a shame.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31The rat's secret weapon is its size.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35They may be called giant rats, but they only weigh around 1kg,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37which is much too light to set off a landmine.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40So these resourceful rodents can sniff out the mines
0:12:40 > 0:12:42without suddenly entering orbit.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46And once they've found them, their human colleagues can set to work
0:12:46 > 0:12:48putting the mines out of action once and for all.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57And remember, kids, never go back to a landmine once you've lit it.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59The rats are so good at their job
0:12:59 > 0:13:02that in just 20 minutes they can cover the same amount of land
0:13:02 > 0:13:05that humans would take five days to search.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08To date, they've cleared over 13,000 mines,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10which means the farmers can get on with their job
0:13:10 > 0:13:13without having to worry about where they tread.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18And if that doesn't qualify the African giant pouched rat
0:13:18 > 0:13:21for superhero status, I don't know what does.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22Agreed.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23- DISTANT:- 'Help! Help!'
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Tim! That sounds like someone in distress.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Quick, this is your big chance to be a superhero.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30Yes, it is. Ha...
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- Come on, what are you waiting for?- All right.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Well... I... I haven't got my pants on the outside of my trousers,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- so I can't, really.- I'll just do it myself then, won't I?- What?
0:13:39 > 0:13:41See you later, Wonder Boy.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44Oh!
0:13:45 > 0:13:48It's Wonder Man, actually.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53# They're wild and weird Wild and weird
0:13:53 > 0:13:55# Really, really wild And really, really weird
0:13:55 > 0:13:57# They're wild and weird Wild and weird
0:13:57 > 0:13:58# They're really, really wild
0:13:58 > 0:14:02# They're really, really wild and weird
0:14:04 > 0:14:07# Wild and weird! #