Episode details
World Service,13 Oct 2025,8 mins
Naked mole rats prove pretty privilege is overrated
What in the WorldAvailable for over a year
What’s small, sausage-shaped, wrinkly and pink? No… not that… Get your mind out of the gutter. It’s a naked mole rat!!! A new study of the odd-looking rodent shows that they’ve evolved a DNA repair mechanism that could explain why they live for so long. They have a max life span of nearly 40 years. Victoria Gill, our Science Correspondent and strange animal expert, explains why they live so long and what human science can learn from these quite wonderful critters. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde
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