Radio Times

Review by:

Emma Sturgess

Imagine if Tomorrow’s World had had a zoo at its disposal and Hammond at the helm so it could examine the cutting-edge engineering influenced by some of the cleverest aspects of evolution among birds and beasts.

The highlight tonight is the fate of a light bulb dropped back to Earth from space. It’s packed into a protective canister modelled on the layers that help a woodpecker’s brain to withstand its head-banging feeding habits. The pictures from 85,000ft up are extraordinary, but will the bulb (and its filament) survive the impact? Hammond’s excitement is infectious.

About this programme

1/3. The Hamster enters the natural world to uncover animals' secret abilities and reveal how those skills have inspired a series of unlikely inventions. In the first programme, he discovers how scientists have been able to build a flying submarine, prevent jet pilots losing consciousness, safely protect a light bulb dropped from space and waterproof a mobile phone, all thanks to creatures as diverse as a vulture, a giraffe, a woodpecker and a South American butterfly.

Cast and crew

Cast

Presenter

Richard Hammond

Crew

Director

Graham Booth

Executive Producer

Alice Keens-Soper

Series Producer

Graham Booth

Share this episode