5. Are We Facing a Bananapocalypse

In this episode of Insult My Intelligence, Tim Dowling investigates the looming banana crisis — the potential downfall of the Cavendish banana, which makes up nearly all the bananas sold in the UK and Europe. With help from Dr. Chris Cockel of the Millennium Seed Bank and Professor James Dale from the University of Queensland, Tim explores the history of Panama disease, the song Yes! We Have No Bananas, and why today’s bananas aren’t what they used to be. As a new, more aggressive fungus threatens to repeat history, scientists race to save the world’s favourite fruit through painstaking breeding, genetic modification, and gene editing. Will they prevent a bananapocalypse?