0:00:02 > 0:00:04# Wormy 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, raging storms
0:00:08 > 0:00:10# And pigs that swim at dinner time
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 > 0:00:30# They're really, really wild and weird... #
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Coming up on today's show,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35how to get from A to B, Wild and Weird style.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38A dam-busting, fish-firing cannon.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Some amphibian aviation innovation.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43And there's a furry game of follow-the-leader.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54HAMMERING
0:00:59 > 0:01:01What are you doing?
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Just inventing.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Ooh, what've you made this time?
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Something that will revolutionise the transport industry forever.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- Whoa. - Behold, the speed shoe.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Pshew, pshew, pshew.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Isn't that just a roller-skate?
0:01:16 > 0:01:17OK, uh...
0:01:17 > 0:01:20What about my jetpack?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22It's a fan in a rucksack.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23Ugh, all right.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Teleportation device?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27- That's a wristwatch.- No, it isn't.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Shall we just have a cup of tea and watch telly instead?
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Yeah, all right.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Where's the remote?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Hmmm.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Ooh! Here it is.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39Here you go.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43It's just how you like it, that. All the way from India.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44Mmm.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47We start with salmon -
0:01:47 > 0:01:50not a fish you'd expect to require assistance in getting around.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Not only do they migrate thousands of kilometres
0:01:53 > 0:01:56from the ocean back to their freshwater spawning grounds,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58they also swim up rivers against the current,
0:01:58 > 0:02:02propelling themselves through rapids and up weirs
0:02:02 > 0:02:04with phenomenal strength.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08But there are some obstacles that are just too big to hurdle,
0:02:08 > 0:02:09even for a salmon.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13- I'm talking about...- Skyscrapers. - ..dams.- Dams, yep.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15There are 75,000 dams in the USA alone
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and that number is rising higher year on year,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22unlike the salmon, who are stuck down at a dead end.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23Ooh, terrible problem.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Must be like banging your head against a brick wall.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27HE LAUGHS
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Cut off from their spawning grounds, the salmon are in trouble.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37So in some cases as much as 50% or more
0:02:37 > 0:02:40of the habitat that used to be used by the salmon
0:02:40 > 0:02:43has been completely blocked off.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45- Who's that?- Salmon saviour...
0:02:47 > 0:02:51The numbers of fish that are now returning is
0:02:51 > 0:02:53a fraction of the historical numbers.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55So, how to help the poor old salmon?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Until now the existing solution was fish ladders.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05How does a fish even climb a ladder? They don't even have arms or legs!
0:03:07 > 0:03:09OK, they're not actually ladders,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11more like steps running up the side of a dam
0:03:11 > 0:03:14which take advantage of the salmon's leaping instincts,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17allowing them to pass upstream unaided.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Now, this is all fine for a small dam,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21but some can be almost as tall as a...
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- Dam.- ..Skyscraper.- Skyscraper.
0:03:24 > 0:03:25Ugh.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28And even the strongest swimming salmon isn't going to be able
0:03:28 > 0:03:29to get up a ladder that long.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33A new solution was needed and this is where Steve came in.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37- Ah, so Steve's a salmon expert?- No.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38- Dam builder?- No.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39Engineer?
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Marine biologist? Construction manager?
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The company originally started in the fruit business...
0:03:45 > 0:03:47The fruit business?!
0:03:47 > 0:03:53..trying to solve the problem of taking fruit from a tree
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and putting it in a packing case in the field.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02And they came up with this - an octopus in an orchard.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Don't be silly, they can't put an octopus in...
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Oh, it's not a real octopus, is it?
0:04:06 > 0:04:08No, Tim.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11This ingenious machine transports delicate fruit,
0:04:11 > 0:04:12without damaging it,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14by sucking it gently through a tube.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19HE STRAINS
0:04:19 > 0:04:23That's not going to work, Tim.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24You're right, silly me.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Need a hosepipe.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32And if delicate fruit could be transported in this manner unharmed,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34why not a salmon?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37So, Steve and the team went to work and came up with this.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the salmon cannon.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47That is brilliant.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51The fish enters the cannon, a door closes behind it
0:04:51 > 0:04:55and then a blower pushes the fish and a little bit of water
0:04:55 > 0:04:57through this slippery tube.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59The salmon move through the device
0:04:59 > 0:05:01at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04before popping out unscathed at the other end.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Supersalmon!
0:05:11 > 0:05:13So we've been very careful to make sure
0:05:13 > 0:05:16that the design doesn't harm the fish.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21They still spawn successfully and there's no impact
0:05:21 > 0:05:25on the number of young that that fish can produce.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27These fish-firing flumes are now being installed
0:05:27 > 0:05:29all over the USA and Europe
0:05:29 > 0:05:33and, with the ability to transport one salmon every three seconds,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37they've already helped thousands of slippery customers on their way.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39So, next time you're passing by a dam,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42you might want to keep an eye out for low-flying fish.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Tim, where are you going with my pet fish?
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Gardening.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53- Put him back.- Ugggh.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55What's that?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It's Amphibian Aviation,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59the number one magazine for fans
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- of flying and ectothermic tetrapod vertebrates.- Ooh.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Hey, has it got the story about the frog that's making aeroplanes safer?
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Uhhh...
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- No.- Hmm.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Heathrow Airport, December 2010.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17- NEWS READER:- The drop in temperature
0:06:17 > 0:06:21has led to grounded planes being frozen into their parking stands,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24with the de-icer having little effect,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28leaving 350,000 passengers stranded.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Ice on grounded planes may cause travel chaos,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35but it's much worse if ice forms on the wings mid-flight,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37causing the plane to lose lift.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- It says here that losing lift when flying is bad.- Yeah.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44It also says, ha,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47juvenile amphibians have a single loop circulatory system
0:06:47 > 0:06:49similar to fish.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- Yeah.- That bit's probably less relevant.- Yeah.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55Shall we?
0:06:55 > 0:06:57The current solution for this icy conundrum
0:06:57 > 0:07:01is to simply spray the wings with anti-freeze before takeoff,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03which is generally very effective
0:07:03 > 0:07:06but it can't always stop ice from forming mid-flight.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Hence, grounded planes and winter travel turmoil.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14It's a problem that's been troubling aviation experts for years,
0:07:14 > 0:07:15as mechanical engineer
0:07:15 > 0:07:20Konrad Rykazwheez...Rykazwhiz...
0:07:20 > 0:07:22As Konrad explains.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25The problem is that ice comes in many different forms.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30Mmm, yeah, there's strawberry, lemon, blackcurrant. Ooh, mmm.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- No, I don't think that's what Konrad meant.- Oh.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38Freezing rain, snow, sleet, freezing fog or frost.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43What we wanted to make is a paint or a surface for the aeroplane
0:07:43 > 0:07:46that releases anti-freeze when it's exposed to ice.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Their goal was a plane that produces its own anti-freeze
0:07:49 > 0:07:51when it gets cold,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54in much the same way that us humans produce sweat when it's hot.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00But where to search for a solution to such a peculiar problem?
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Um, scientific research papers?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Aviation construction manuals?
0:08:05 > 0:08:06No, the jungle.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- The jungle?- Yep.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13My wife and I were on holiday in Panama.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Ah, lovely Panama.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19The sun, the beaches, the offshore tax havens.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22We went on a jungle tour.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24As we're going to the jungle,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27the guide lifted up a leaf on a palm tree
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and there was a little poison dart frog.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35And he said, "Ah, don't come up. These things are really dangerous."
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Poison dart frogs come in a dazzling variety
0:08:38 > 0:08:39of bright and inviting colours.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Like ice lollies,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46although never mistake a poison dart frog for an ice lolly.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Whoof, that's a holiday I'll never forget.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54The colours are actually a warning to potential predators
0:08:54 > 0:08:56because the skin of the poison dart frog
0:08:56 > 0:08:59is covered in a potent neurotoxin.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05But it wasn't the poison that Konrad was interested in,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07it was how the frogs release it.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09They have little glands in their skin
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and when they're very scared,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13when they see a predator or a tourist,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16they start releasing or secreting this toxin
0:09:16 > 0:09:20from the inner part of their body onto the outside of their skin.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23And, incredibly, this was the inspiration
0:09:23 > 0:09:26that Konrad and his team had been looking for
0:09:26 > 0:09:28to solve their icy plane problem.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32We made a surface that mimicked the structure of the frog
0:09:32 > 0:09:36that releases, in this case, an anti-freeze instead of a toxin.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42Work is now underway to develop this new technology for use on planes,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46delivering instant anti-freeze whenever cold weather strikes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48And that in turn should mean fewer grounded planes
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and stranded tourists.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54All because of a tiny frog no bigger than your thumb.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Artificial frog skins on planes. - Mm!- Weird, eh?- Mm.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Whatever next, Kangaroo pogo sticks? Electric eel cars?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- A-ha-ha!- No, a caterpillar convoy.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- Brilliant, that's a good one. - No, really. Look.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15We're off to northern Israel where, in a typical back garden,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17something very untypical is occurring.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21No, this is not a new species of strange furry snake,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25this is a tiny traffic jam of truly epic proportions.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Just wow.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28What is this?
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Ha-ha, it comes into my garden.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- That is crazy.- I know.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39The grouting on that wall is, ugh, what a mess.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41No, not the wall! What's on the wall.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- Oh, what, the furry snake?- Ugh.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47For those of you that are paying attention,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50this crazy convoy is actually made up
0:10:50 > 0:10:52of around 300 individual caterpillars,
0:10:52 > 0:10:57each one marching behind the next in a freaky game of follow-the-leader.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- You know, I just read an amazing book about a caterpillar.- Did you?
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Mm. On Monday, he eats an entire apple but he's still hungry.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- So, on Tuesday, what he... - Is this going to take a long time?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10All right, I'll skip to the end, there's an amazing twist.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11He turns into a butterfly.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14No, Darth Vader is his father!
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Ooh. No, that's not right. Think I got mixed up.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24So, what on earth are our furry friends up to?
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Well, one clue might be their name,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30because these are caterpillars of the Pine Processionary Moth.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35They've spent the whole winter in a pine tree,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37feeding and growing, but, come spring,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40they leave their tree en masse and march out,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43one after the next, into the big wide world.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45And that's when they start to raise eyebrows.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47They have eyebrows?!
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- It's an expression, Tim.- Oh.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55I think that is one of the strangest things I have ever seen.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Wait a second, doesn't creating a giant caterpillar conga line
0:11:59 > 0:12:01make them more likely to be spotted by predators?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04It's true that hungry eyes are always on the lookout
0:12:04 > 0:12:05for a tasty caterpillar,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08but some creatures, like these fungus gnat larvae,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11actually use mass movement to trick predators,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14fooling them into thinking they're a single large animal
0:12:14 > 0:12:16that's too tough to tackle.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19So, is this what our crafty caterpillars are up to?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22No, because they're already protected against attackers
0:12:22 > 0:12:23by a secret weapon.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25- L...- Don't say laser eyes!
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Every time I mention a secret weapon you always say, "Laser eyes."
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Laser ears?
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Ugh.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37These caterpillars are actually protected by their hair.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41- Laser hair! Oh, so close! - Not laser hair -
0:12:41 > 0:12:42poison-tipped hair,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46which can be incredibly irritating to would-be caterpillar chompers.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48So, if it's not to protect themselves,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50why are they all lined up like that?
0:12:50 > 0:12:51They queuing for the bus?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Well, put simply,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56each caterpillar is programmed to follow the one in front.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58It's straightforward evolutionary instinct,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02an excellent way of staying together and conserving energy.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05And when the leader finds a nice piece of sunlit soil,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07they all dig down and make a den
0:13:07 > 0:13:10where they can safely transform themselves into...
0:13:10 > 0:13:11..Darth Vader.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17- Oh, no, I got that wrong again, didn't I?- Yeah, moths, Tim. Moths.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Anyway, it's a good way of getting around.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Yeah, much like my speed shoe jetpack combo.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Ugh, this'll be good.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26Whoo! OK.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28So long, sister, let's go.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33FAN BLOWS
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Whoa.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38# They're wild and weird, wild and weird
0:13:38 > 0:13:40# Really, really wild and really, really weird
0:13:40 > 0:13:42# They're wild and weird, wild and weird
0:13:42 > 0:13:43# They're really, really wild
0:13:43 > 0:13:49# They're really, really wild and weird.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52# Wild and weird! #