Great things come in small packages, and animals are no exception to the rule. From a tiny sengi, the "cheetah" of the shrew world, to a hummingbird who travels thousands of miles north each year, from a small shark that walks on land, to an army of baby turtles instinctively racing to the safety of the open ocean. We will travel across the world, through the vast savannah to the rocky plateau, and down to the depths of the seas, to shine a light on these tiny survivors of the animal kingdom. It is a great big world out there, but for these animals, size does not matter.

生命是我们这个星球最重要的特征，但是直到最近生命繁盛的原因仍是个未解之谜。新的科学发现现在要为我们揭开这种不可置信的联系、奇怪的生存策略，还有让地球上的生命成为可能的复杂机制。我们将发现为什么巴西的坚果树要依赖一种牙齿尖利的啮齿动物生存；为什么大象对于保持东非的草原意义重大；为什么玳瑁海龟和海绵之间的密切关系对珊瑚礁的健康非常重要。运用高科技拍摄技术，《探秘自然界》将会揭开最重要的栖息地的秘密，以及它们如此特别的原因。

从辐射对称到旋转对称到左右对称，生物的进化和美是一场免费的数学大秀，从雪花到蜂巢又展现了六边形的奇特魅力，而蝴蝶效应这种禅意的表达其实正是确定性混沌的特点！ 从向日葵种子的排列，到叶片的生长排布，再到螺壳的形状，斐波那契数列与自然现象有怎样关联？斑马是白底黑道还是黑底白道答案的背后有怎样的数学规律？彩虹的产生和变化是光学与几何怎样奇妙的组合？

在世界5000种哺乳动物中，近四分之一濒临灭绝——每年就有一种动物灭绝。在全球各地，这个故事都不会太陌生。偷猎、毒害、重要栖息地的丧失。这是一场与时间的赛跑。乔盖尔·霍华德博士一生致力于拯救濒危物种。她是兽医、养殖珍稀动物的专家，但最重要的她是一名生殖侦探。从国家动物园的宝贝熊猫泰山，到于濒临灭绝处成功拯救的黑足雪貂种群，再到云豹和猎豹的繁育。我们将跟随乔盖尔一起体验濒危野生动物的繁育。这是出生和重生的故事，智慧和坚持的力量不可阻挡，通过恢复丢失的东西来改变世界的开拓者。

团队合作的效率众所周知，而动物们也深谙其道。这个星球上的动物们通力协作，采用令人惊诧的各种方式进行狩猎或生活，修建巢穴或保持温暖，解决复杂问题或实现惊人的成就。以前人们一直以为合作行为在动物界中难得一见，但是这种情况却日渐被大家所发现。尤其令人震惊的是，这种合作不仅仅出现在同一个物种内，而且还会出现在似乎完全没有联系的物种之间。这种团队协作涉及到较高的智力水准，并展示出了动物的真正能力。通过合作，动物们不仅仅是占据数量上优势，还可以完成那些不可思议的目标。

Genius of Nature Synopsis Life has been evolving on Planet Earth for nearly three and a half billion years. In that time the process of natural selection has shaped creatures able to survive in virtually every corner of the planet, from boiling hot springs to the crushing pressures of the Marianas Trench at a depth of 11 kilometres. And in those three and a half billion years, the survivors have needed to move around their chosen habitat, avoid being eaten and find food themselves. Natural selection has been like an arms race, honing animals, giving them speed and agility to hunt their prey and ability to hide from their own predators. Just 10,000 years ago, as the world emerged from the last Ice Age, one species evolved the intelligence to manipulate the natural world as never before. Homo sapiens – the wise man. And in the last few decades, those wise humans have realised that the answers to many of our technological problems can be found in the vast library of nature. Each program begins by identifying a selection of human problems, explores how nature has solved these difficulties, and then reveals how modern science has adapted nature’s solution to our own ends. In some cases, nature’s solution is still far beyond our capabilities and we have had to invent an ingenious parallel solution. The visual style includes blue-chip natural history, including time-lapse and ultra-slow motion, along with spectacular experiments, with scientists uncovering nature’s secrets and the engineers testing bold new designs. The stories are visually linked by the use of an elegant ‘Library of Life’ set. Specially built and looking like a super-modern museum store, the set is packed with specimens and skeletons and can be extended to infinity with CGI – to suggest the sheer scale of possibilities for inspiration from nature. This set also forms the backdrop for many of the experimental settings. EPISODE 1: SENSING We, as humans, have fairly advanced senses, but there is a great deal we can learn, copy and develop from nature. This programme looks at how we can draw on millions of years of evolution to enhance our own technology and methods of sensing the world around us. Some of the animal kingdom’s great ‘sensers’ include the common seal, whose whiskers can detect water turbulence over 30 seconds after it was generated; African elephants who are able to ‘hear’ sounds through their feet from potentially over 2 kilometres away and bats, whose ability to echolocate, has lead to the new design of a walking cane for the blind, and even a bike that can be ridden by a blind cyclist. EPISODE 2: EXTREMES We have taken cues from nature’s most extreme examples to help ourselves in as many applications as possible. Huskies survive in the coldest places on earth and so are covered in thick fur, but can also avoid overheating in warmer climates. Based on their cooling methods scientists have developed the ‘Bear glove’ to help stop humans from overheating. Copying a giraffe’s ability to regulate the blood pressure in its head, Swiss scientists have developed a suit for fighter pilots to wear, allowing them to stay conscious when experiencing more than 9G. And crash helmets are now being improved by copying the way woodpeckers protect their brains when they undergo 1200G, hammering their head against a tree. We have learnt from some of nature’s most extreme evolutionary adaptations to make our lives just that little bit easier and safer. EPISODE 3: ARMS RACE Evolution is a race. A survival of the fittest. And because of this, nature has come up with some incredible answers to our planet’s difficult questions. Animals’ exoskeletons, which make them strong, protected from predators and mobile, now provide inspiration for scientists hoping to aid disabled people to walk. The cuttlefish’s ability to camouflage itself in almost any marine environment has lead to the development of specialist camouflage technology for the military. And even an owl’s wing is now being used to make our world a tiny bit quieter. Fan companies are studying their ability to fly silently and copy this for their product’s fan blades. The race to be stronger, better, quieter, faster has given us answers from nature that we can copy to advance ourselves. In these three one-hour episodes of ‘Genius of Nature’, we look at some of those most remarkable creatures on the planet, how they’ve evolved to move around, how they’ve become adapted to attack and defend themselves and how they manage to survive in extreme environments. In addition, a presenter-led version, starring Richard Hammond, titled ‘Miracles of Nature’, is also available. Produced by Terra Mater Factual Studios and Oxford Scientific Films in co-production with BBC

徐志摩在游西湖时看到成群绵羊，想起在爱尔兰曾经见过空中万鸟齐鸣的景像，忍不住赞叹:「数大便是美。数大了似乎按照着一种自然 律，自然的会有一种特别的排列，一种特别的节奏，一种特殊的式样，激动我们审美的本能，激发我们审美的情绪。」动物为了各种特殊的理由聚集，带给我们一幕幕壮观的景象，为什么春天的时候蛇会大批聚集，有如电影「魔宫传奇」的一幕? 为什么 有大批鱼群让自己搁浅在沙滩上? 企鹅围成一大圈的原因是? 【大自然之最】将为我们一一找出答案。

团队合作的效率众所周知，而动物们也深谙其道。这个星球上的动物们通力协作，采用令人惊诧的各种方式进行狩猎或生活，修建巢穴或保持温暖，解决复杂问题或实现惊人的成就。以前人们一直以为合作行为在动物界中难得一见，但是这种情况却日渐被大家所发现。尤其令人震惊的是，这种合作不仅仅出现在同一个物种内，而且还会出现在似乎完全没有联系的物种之间。这种团队协作涉及到较高的智力水准，并展示出了动物的真正能力。通过合作，动物们不仅仅是占据数量上优势，还可以完成那些不可思议的目标。事实证明，聚集在一起的动物会变得更加优秀。

我们将检视几座世上最危险的火山，看看它们如何摧毁城市、将白昼变为黑夜，甚至引发全球性的大灾难。介绍一群研究龙卷风的科学家，他们冒着生命危险，在美国追逐危险的龙卷风。探讨野火的模式，风势和斜坡为何能助长野火。介绍沙尘暴的成分、形成地点，并研究它的落尘。从中非到澳大利亚、印度到佛罗里达州，闪电都曾造成死亡和破坏，我们将指出何时才安全，以及会被闪电击中的原因。请看科学家探讨水灾形成的原因以及如何从水灾中逃生。

纽约本地人、说唱歌手亚历克·“德斯波特”·莱因斯坦、阿肖克·“达普”·孔达博卢和阿列克谢·“拉库蒂斯”·温特劳布邀请他们的朋友们来到大自然的边缘，在沙漠和沼泽地带进行交流，勇敢地尝试揭示人类共同存在的梦境状态中那些不为人知的真相。