About this episode

The episode explores the complexities of human-animal interactions through the lens of a man-eating tiger found in London and the implications for conservation and safety.

It begins with a discovery in a loft: a full man eating tiger skin, brought back from a village in northern India where Professor Hannah Fry's ex-mother in law grew up. That find sends Hannah and Michael Stevens into the strange world of man eating big cats: a tigress blamed for a staggering number of deaths, what can turn a tiger toward hunting humans in the first place, and how India now borrows techniques from forensic science…effectively putting a tiger on trial before deciding its fate. And it raises an uncomfortable question: when a critically endangered animal kills a person, how do you weigh human safety against saving a species? Plus the wonderfully simple trick that stops attacks in their tracks.Then it's over to your questions, taking in some of the universe's most beautiful coincidences, from the sky above us to the clockwork of distant moons, and a mysterious number that once haunted one of the great physicists. Come and join our sub-Reddit: /r/TheRestIsScience ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit ⁠⁠https://cancerresearchuk.org/restisscience⁠⁠ Cancer Research UK is a…

More episodes of The Rest Is Science

• The Hole In Your Brain That Makes You Doomscroll · July 19, 2026 · 49 min
• All The People You Don't Know · July 12, 2026 · 56 min
• An Honest Dad Ranking (Out Of All 2 Billion) · July 8, 2026 · 42 min
• Your Brain Invents Pain. Here's Why. · July 5, 2026 · 51 min
• The Most Dangerous Rock In Hannah's Collection · July 1, 2026 · 56 min
• The Audio Illusion That Proves We Don't Experience Reality · June 28, 2026 · 58 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Rest Is Science podcast page.