1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: Guess what, Mango? What's that? Will? So you know my 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: son who who's just eight years old now, he used 3 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: to be completely obsessed with a c DC. You remember this, right, Yeah, 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: it's hard to forget. Well, apparently there's a big advantage 5 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: to having as many A C d C songs saved 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: in our on our hard drive as we do. And 7 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: it's the calm Sharks down. Have you heard this? It 8 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: was back in two thousand eleven there was an Australian 9 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: tour operator, his name was Matt Wall already started playing 10 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: music from underwater speakers and what he realized was that 11 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: when he played back in Black or You Shook Me 12 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: All Night Long, that the sharks started to become much 13 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: less aggressive. How strange. So instead they actually became calm 14 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: and inquisitive, and they started nuzzling up to the speaker 15 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: and rubbing up against it as they moved past. And 16 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: I can't say this is my reaction to hearing a CDC, 17 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: but this is what they did. I love that like 18 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: sharks dig a C d C and not other bands, 19 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: you know, But do you have any idea why they 20 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: like it so much? No? And honestly, this guy was 21 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: baffled as well. So, as Waller told Time Magazine, quote, 22 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: sharks don't of ears, they don't have long hair, and 23 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 1: they don't headbang past the cage doing air guitar. But 24 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: they do seem to like the particular vibrations that a 25 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: C d C casts off. In fact, it works so 26 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: well he stopped using bait to draw the sharks near 27 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: his diving cages, and instead he just calms them down 28 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 1: and lures them close with a C d C. It's 29 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: like they go into this hard rock trance. So today 30 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 1: show is all about sharks, like why are we so 31 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: afraid of shark attacks? Why do they need so many teeth? 32 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: And why is punching a shark in the nose a 33 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: terrible strategy if you want to avoid being eaten? So 34 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: let's dig in. Hey, their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part 35 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm joined 36 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: by my good friend Manges Ticketer and on the other 37 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: side of the soundproof glass wearing yet another one of 38 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: his classic shirts. Every week I think there's no way 39 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,959 Speaker 1: he can top the last one, and then he somehow does. 40 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: And so today's it just says live every week like 41 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: it's shark week, and I have to bet I don't 42 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:19,959 Speaker 1: know exactly what that means, but I feel like it's 43 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: so deep and it's something that we really need to 44 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: learn to live by. These words. I'd actually put it 45 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: right up there with the Golden Rule, even though I'm 46 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: not acent sure what it means. That's our friend and 47 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: producer Tristan McNeil. So after about a year of working here, 48 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: I tend to get all my moral advice straight off 49 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: of Tristan shirts. I feel like he's basically a walking 50 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: Confucius well, and from what we hear from our listeners, 51 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people are doing this too. 52 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: I really don't think he knows the impact he has 53 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: in this world. But you know, in this case, we're 54 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: taking his advice to heart. Because today's show is all 55 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 1: about sharks. That means we'll be taking a deep dive 56 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 1: into the surprising science behind some of their unique characteristics, 57 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: as well as a few reasons why it's in our 58 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: own best interest to eat the ocean shark friendly. And 59 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: I know for a lot of people, the idea of 60 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: protecting sharks is going to sound like a terrible idea. 61 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: That's part of the reason we wanted to do this episode, 62 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: so with summer just around the corner, it felt like 63 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: the right time to take a close look at the 64 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: animals responsible for so much of the world's beach side dread. 65 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: But rather than just perpetuating that old idea that sharks 66 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: are ravenous and man eating monsters, even we're actually going 67 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: to try to make a case for why sharks should 68 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 1: be feared a little bit less and and actually admired 69 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: a whole lot more So, we have these animal plates 70 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: at my house, and they've got foxes and owls and 71 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: all these other cute creatures and bow ties. They're all 72 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: kind of dressed up, and I always end up eating 73 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: off the shark plate, Like the kids always go for 74 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: the cute animals, and I am tired of eating off 75 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: the shark plates. For me. That's what's fueling this episode. 76 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: But that's great. But I do think a good place 77 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: to start is noting that while they're nearly five unique 78 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: species of sharks in the world, only thirty or so 79 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: have been definitively linked to unprovoked attacks on humans. So 80 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: while this idea of sharks immediately conjures up, I don't know, 81 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: like scary ideas of tiger sharks or great whites. In 82 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: people's minds, those kind of human hungry peak predators. They're 83 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: really the exception for sharks species and not the rule, right, 84 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: And you know you've actually said human hungry. But but 85 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: even that is not really the case when we talk 86 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 1: about these species as well, because you know, I remember 87 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: hearing that even these highly predatory sharks, they don't really 88 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: care for the taste of human Yeah, I mean, I 89 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: guess we can't really compete with the taste of free 90 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: range blue fin tuna. Um Sharks obviously don't typically hunt 91 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: humans for food at all. In fact, the majority of 92 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: shark bites are considered exploratory bites, which is basically the 93 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: sharks just kind of taking a little taste to see 94 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 1: if what it's caught is food or not. And after 95 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: that first bite, most sharks decide, you know, they aren't 96 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: in the mood for humans and don't go back for seconds. 97 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: Of course, none of that means that a single shark 98 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 1: bite can't be devastating on its own. Usually a nibble 99 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: is all it takes to lose a limb. Yeah, I mean, 100 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: you know, setting aside the unlikely hood of an attack 101 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,359 Speaker 1: and the intention of the sharks themselves, it is easy 102 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: to understand why so many people are scared of these creatures. 103 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: And even a bite that leaves a person's organs and 104 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: tacks still puts them at risk of, you know, significantly 105 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: bleeding from that. And at the end of the day, 106 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: some sharks definitely do attack humans, and when it happens, 107 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: the results tend to be pretty horrifying. So you know, 108 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: you figure that has to color the way the average 109 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 1: person looks at sharks, even if the friendlier species do 110 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: far outnumber the killer ones, right, I mean, as good 111 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: a drummer as jabber Jaws was on that cartoon, it 112 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: didn't change our impressionive sharks. Yeah, and he was a 113 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: very very good drummer, to be honest. But I mean 114 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: it's partially because, like, the only reports we hear about 115 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: sharks are terrifying, and that makes it tough for people 116 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 1: to think about them as anything but a threat. But 117 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: the weird thing is that those feelings have persisted even 118 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: as a lot of media outlets are improving how they 119 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: handle shark attacks. In the news like now, reporters will 120 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: often give a little perspective on the attacks by mentioning 121 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: how rare shark attacks are overall, Yeah, and that true. 122 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: I feel like the line always here is how you 123 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: have a greater chance of being struck dead by lightning 124 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: than killed by a shark. I think the odds of 125 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: dying from a shark attack or something like, you know, 126 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: one in three point seven million, whereas the odds of 127 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:15,119 Speaker 1: dying from lightning are I think one in a hundred 128 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: and sixty two thousand, So it is a pretty significant difference. Also, 129 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: I think Martha Stewart has claimed to have been struck 130 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: by lightning three times, and she's also never been eaten 131 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: by a shark, which supports that data. That definitely supports 132 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: that if that's true. Does she actually claim to have 133 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: been struck by lightning three times? Yeah? I think once 134 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: was in her bed once wash dishes. Yeah, she has 135 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: a little frame bed apparently. Oh that is some bad luck. Well, 136 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: there are plenty of other examples too. I think I think, 137 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: you know, you have higher odds of being killed by 138 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: beastings or squashed by unstable vending machines, which weirdly is 139 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: kind of a fear of mine, or at least it 140 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: was when I was a kid, or or even crushed 141 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: by falling coconuts. Those are all things that are more 142 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: likely to happen to you than being eaten or bitten 143 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: by a shark. Well, I mean, no matter how you 144 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 1: want to measure it, the point is that sharks aren't 145 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: nearly as big a threat to humans as we give 146 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: them credit for. But that's still a tough prospect for 147 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: most of us to believe. All right, So I'm curious, like, 148 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: why do you think that is? Like, if we know 149 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: grizzly shark attacks are really, really rare, then then why 150 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: are we so unnerved by them? I Mean, I think 151 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: part of it is just the sense of otherness that 152 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: people get from sharks, because I mean, if you think 153 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: about other animals that prey on humans, you're thinking about 154 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: like lions or tigers or wolves, there's still some sense 155 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: of familiarity there. Like the characteristics and mannerisms we see 156 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: in those predators kind of remind us of cuddly cats 157 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: or the dogs we keep his house pets. And it's 158 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: similar with other occasional human killers like grizzly bears and gorillas, 159 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: Like sometimes their behavior makes it seem like they're almost human, 160 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: which causes people to underestimate the threat that they pose 161 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: until it's too late, right, And you know, if you 162 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: think about those animals, they're also pretty cute and playful 163 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: when they're just baby. So I would think that kind 164 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: of furthers the the empathy that you're talking about, definitely, 165 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: And like, none of this happens with sharks, right, I mean, 166 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: baby sharks are called pops, but we don't see them 167 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: as cute like puppies. So when when most people look 168 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: at sharks, they see something completely unfamiliar to them, and 169 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: and humans tend to have a tough time grappling with 170 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: the unfamiliar, all right, So it sounds like most of 171 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: us probably won't ever really empathize with sharks. But but 172 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: I feel like we can at least admire or even 173 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: respect them a little bit more than we currently do. 174 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: So keeping that in mind, I know, we both found 175 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: a ton of surprising, you know, non threatening reasons to 176 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: be pro sharks. So I feel like maybe the best 177 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: way to do this is just kind of have a 178 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: back and forth and and and maybe we can help 179 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: these guys out on the pr front. I don't know 180 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: why we're doing this, but but let's give it a shot. 181 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: Yeah for it? So I'm gonna start us off with 182 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: the fact that sharks are way more social than we'd 183 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: always thought. And this news actually comes from a group 184 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: of Delaware based researchers who spent nearly a decade tracking 185 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 1: the movements of more than three d San tiger sharks. 186 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: So this group tagged the sharks with these mobile transmitters, 187 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: and then they logged how often members of the group 188 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: cross paths with fellow sharks in the wild, And in 189 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: the end, they found that sharks hang out in groups 190 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: that shrink and grow in size depending on the time 191 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: of year and the location, which is actually something we 192 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,079 Speaker 1: see mostly in mammals like elephants or chimps and dolphins. Yeah, 193 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: that's not something I'd heard before, so just trying to 194 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: understand this. So, like in the spring, the sharks might 195 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: go off on their own to mate, but then they 196 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: like group up again later in the year to hunt together. 197 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: Is that is that how it works exactly? But even 198 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: when they travel alone like these San tiger sharks still 199 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: seem to socialize with passers by. Like the researchers who 200 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: tagged all these sharks recaptured two of them at one point, 201 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: and when they downloaded the data from their trackers, they 202 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: found that just these two sharks had interacted with more 203 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: than three fifty fish. Oh wow. And were they mostly 204 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: bumping into other sand tiger sharks or what? Yeah for 205 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: for the most part, but they also ran into seven 206 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 1: other different species, including a few other kinds of sharks 207 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: and some plain old fish. But here's the really wild part. 208 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: These encounters weren't just chance meetings with strangers like the tag. 209 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: Sharks actually interacted with the same individuals over and over again. 210 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: And this would go on throughout the year. And in fact, 211 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 1: some sharks bumped into the same fish more than twenty times. 212 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: That's so bizarre. So do the researchers know what's going 213 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: on with that? Like, are they really forming these little 214 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: friend circles or family groups out in the out in 215 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: the ocean. I mean, it certainly seems that way, but 216 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: the truth is we aren't actually sure yet. Like we'll 217 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: still have to keep following sharks around until we figure 218 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: it out, But so far, there's actually reason to think 219 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: that sharks are much friendlier and also better at staying 220 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 1: in touch than we ever thought before. Well, I want 221 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: to congratulate you on on finding both a way to 222 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: boost the public perception of sharks and your home state. 223 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: Don't think I've noticed the mention of Delaware in there. 224 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: That was well done. But you know, while the social 225 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: lives of sharks might bear some similarity to our own, 226 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: I am sad to say they put us the shame 227 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: in one category and I'm going to go in a 228 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: very different direction here. But I did find this interesting, 229 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: and that's dental hygiene. I bet you didn't see me 230 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: going there now, But if you look at it, sharks 231 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 1: actually can't get cavities, And to be fair, that's actually 232 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 1: true of most animals, since their diets don't contain anywhere 233 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: near as much sugar as that of humans. But sharks 234 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 1: actually have a really unique ability here are really unique 235 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: feature rather, and that's that their teeth are completely coded 236 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: and fluoride. And that's not an exaggeration. There was this 237 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: research I was looking at. It was published in the 238 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: Journal of Structural Biology that both makos and tiger sharks 239 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: have teeth with outer coatings made from a hundred percent fluoride. 240 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: So there's reason to think the same is true for 241 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: other shark species as well. That's really incredible, but it 242 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: also reminds me, do you remember when we were coming 243 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,959 Speaker 1: up with bad ideas for T shirts at Mentalphlass, and 244 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: one of our friends was desperately trying to get us 245 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: to make a shark shirt, like a T shirt of 246 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: a shark smiling, and it said too many teeth, too 247 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: little time. I do remember that. I still have no 248 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,439 Speaker 1: idea what that means. It made no sense. I know, 249 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: I'm kind of surprised we didn't make it. But you 250 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: were saying, basically, cavities are an issue for sharks because 251 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 1: of their diet, but it also sounds like they don't 252 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,079 Speaker 1: have much of a problem with tooth togay, like if 253 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: their teeth are basically encased in this toothpaste. Yeah, that's true. 254 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: And and not only that, but because the mineral that 255 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: coat shark teeth is less water soluble than the stuff 256 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: that coats mammal teeth, they're they're actually perfectly suited for 257 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: that underwater life. So then one thing I'm actually curious 258 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: about is why are there so many loose shark teeth 259 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: floating around? I mean, if their teeth are so protected, 260 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:21,959 Speaker 1: why are they always falling out? Well? See, that's the thing, 261 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: and this is actually another point of overlap between us 262 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,199 Speaker 1: and sharks because you know, it turns out that shark 263 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: teeth are just as weak as human teeth. And so 264 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: this was discovered by that same German team of researchers 265 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: who were studying the fluoride coating on their teeth, and 266 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: what they found was that despite the added strength from 267 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: the fluoride, shark teeth aren't any better than ours when 268 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: it comes to resisting cracking or breaking. So shark teeth 269 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 1: actually fall out all the time, you know, whenever they 270 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: break or get too worn down. And this is made 271 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,679 Speaker 1: especially easy because shark teeth are actually only attached at 272 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: their jaws by this soft tissue, So unlike ours, they're 273 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: they're they're not nestled in these like tight fitting sockets 274 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: that we see in you know, in human teeth. But 275 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 1: do they have uh, never ending supply of shark teeth 276 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: as well. I mean, I feel like any time you 277 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: see a picture of a shark's mouth, it just looks 278 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: like endless rows of teeth. Oh yeah, I mean, these 279 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 1: guys are like tooth making machines. And in fact, it 280 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: it only takes them. And this was one of the 281 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: craziest stats that I saw. It takes most sharks about 282 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: twenty four hours to produce a replacement tooth, and over 283 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,319 Speaker 1: the course of an average, say like twenty or thirty 284 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 1: year lifespan, a single shark can go through literally thousands 285 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: of teeth, So anytime you have a tooth falling out, 286 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: there's always another one just to row behind, and it's 287 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: just ready to move up and take its place. So 288 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: it's pretty remarkable. Yeah, I love that shark dentist isn't 289 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: a profession any sharks should go into. I feel like 290 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: there's no money in that, So this is also dumb. 291 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: But I wonder if anybody's ever knocked out a bunch 292 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: of sharks teeth, Like you know, how if you're ever 293 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: faced with an attacking shark, they say your best bet 294 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: is to punch in the nose. You know, it's weird 295 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 1: because I've heard that too, and so I decided to 296 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: actually look into it, and it turns out that punching 297 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: a shark in the face is just about the worst 298 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: advice you could give a shark attack victim, which honestly, 299 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 1: I feel like should have been pretty obvious from the start. 300 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,200 Speaker 1: And I really don't know how this rumor caught on, 301 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: but I found this interview with a wildlife filmmaker, and 302 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: I wanted to include this quote because he has the 303 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 1: best name of just about anyone we've ever talked about. 304 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: His name is Andy Brandy Cassa Grande the fourth. Is 305 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: that not such an amazing name? It's pretty amazing. I 306 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: feel like he deserves his own episode. Anyway, he explains 307 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: why socking a shark is such a dumb idea. So 308 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: here's what he says. The reality is that sharks are 309 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: pretty durable. Plus water magnifies images, so shark's nose might 310 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: look like it's six inches in front of your face, 311 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: but in reality it's nout as further away. So when 312 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: you punch and miss its nose, your punch trajectory will 313 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: go slightly downward, right into the shark's mouth. And here's 314 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: his advice, don't put your arm in a shark's mouth, 315 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: which just seems like pretty sound advice. Yeah, it is. 316 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: And it seems like even if someone did knock a 317 00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: sharks teeth that they probably weren't around to talk about 318 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:02,480 Speaker 1: it afterwards. Yeah, I mean, I think you'd better go 319 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: ahead and just take that socking a shark thing off 320 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: of your bucket list, Mango. But you know, since we're 321 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: back on talking shark attacks, there's a side of them 322 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: I do want to talk about that actually might be 323 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: another reason to be pro shark strange as that may sound, 324 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: So let's take a quick break and then I'll tell 325 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: you what I mean. You're listening to part Time Genius 326 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: and we're talking about the signs of sharks. Okay, well, 327 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: so I'm super curious where you're going with this one. 328 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: Tell me what's the upside shark attacks? All right? So 329 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: it's tragic as shark attacks undoubtedly are, it's it's possible 330 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 1: they also provide a kind of paradoxical benefit to humans. 331 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: So this comes from a well known theoretical physicist and mathematician. 332 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: His name is Freeman Dyson, and according to Dyson, for 333 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: every swimmer killed in a shark attack off the coast 334 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: of San Diego, there are a ten drowning desk prevented 335 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: due to fear of going in the water. So here's 336 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: how he writes about it. He says, every time a 337 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: swimmer is killed, the number of deaths by drowning goes 338 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: down for a few years and then returns to the 339 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: normal level. The effect occurs because reports of death by 340 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: shark attack are remembered more vividly than reports of drownings. 341 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: So you know, the ideas here that after a shark attack, 342 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: people are either more cautious in the water or they 343 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: just avoid it altogether, and in the process of that 344 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: that's effectively saves people from drowning. Now, to be clear, 345 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: Dison's yet to show enough solid evidence to back up 346 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: this claim, but but it kind of makes sense if 347 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: you think about it, and you know, it's a nice 348 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: reminder that protecting sharks could wind up benefiting in all 349 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: sorts of kind of weird ways. Well, one thing we 350 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: can definitely thank sharks for is the summer blockbuster, though 351 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: I guess Steven Spielberg gets some credit for this too. Well, 352 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: this is something of a tangent. I I do want 353 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 1: to take a little time to talk about not only 354 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: how Jaws has impacted the public image of sharks, but 355 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: also how it revolutionized the movie industry as a whole. 356 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: You know, I've read before how monumental this move you 357 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: was in terms of building this excited audience, like it 358 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: caught so many people's attention when it was released. I 359 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 1: guess it was what came out and it actually became 360 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: the first movie to ever pass the hundred million dollar 361 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 1: mark at the box office, which, if you think about it, 362 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:17,199 Speaker 1: not too shabby. This was this was really just a 363 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: B movie about these three scruffy guys waging war with 364 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: this largely unseen sharks. So it's pretty incredible. Yeah, And 365 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: you know, the sellar box office wasn't the only way 366 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 1: that Jaws was a game changer. I mean the way 367 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: the movie was advertised and also merchandized also fed into 368 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: its success, and it established this new formula for Hollywood blockbusters. 369 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: I mean, it's what Hollywood blockbusters still do today. And 370 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 1: it's weird to think about, but prior to Jaws, there 371 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 1: were actually no wide release summer event films, like the 372 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: tradition of luring movie goers into theaters with these big 373 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,120 Speaker 1: budget thrillers, especially during the hottest months of the year. 374 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: It's a practice that really began with Jaws and was 375 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 1: cemented two years later with the release of Star Wars. 376 00:17:57,560 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 1: So obviously, I know you looked into this a bit 377 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 1: more than I and I'm curious what made Jaws such 378 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: an outlier. Like if you look back and movie history, 379 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 1: there were so many movies released in the summer months 380 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: before Jaw. So why didn't any of these others catch 381 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:13,360 Speaker 1: on as the world's first blockbuster? Well, largely because at 382 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 1: the time, the summer months were this unspoken dumping ground 383 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 1: for all the studios worst movies. So while today movies 384 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: that studios have no faith in typically come out in 385 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: like January or September, back then, the thining was that 386 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 1: most people were too busy going on vacations or enjoying 387 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: the outdoors, you know, to bother with going to the 388 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 1: theater in the summertime. Wait. So, so, looking back at this, 389 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: so universal had assumed Jaws would flop. Kind of yeah, 390 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: I mean, the original plan was to release it in 391 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:44,239 Speaker 1: Christmas in n but when this production schedule just was 392 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:46,240 Speaker 1: so troubled and it dragged on for more than a 393 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 1: hundred days over schedule, the studio had no choice but 394 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: to push it back for a summer release the following year. 395 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: By the way, I don't know if you realize this, 396 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: but Spielberg wasn't actually the movie's first director. It actually 397 00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: got offered to a number of people, including this guy 398 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: Dick Richards, who got fired because he kept referring to 399 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: Jaws as a whale. If you're directing the movie, it 400 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: feels like you should learn the animal your ship. That 401 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,239 Speaker 1: seems like a pretty critical mistake there, but after you know, 402 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 1: so many of these setbacks along the way, Universal probably 403 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 1: didn't have that much faith in Jaws finding an audience. 404 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,640 Speaker 1: But for whatever reason, a movie about people being torn 405 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: apart by a shark is exactly what people wanted to 406 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,120 Speaker 1: see that summer. The Universal really just looked into the success. 407 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: It sounds like, and you know, since this is a 408 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: Shark episode, we should probably take a couple of minutes 409 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,439 Speaker 1: to talk about the star of Jaws, which, of course 410 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,719 Speaker 1: is this mechanical shark puppet that the crew referred to 411 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: as Bruce. And as a real quick aside here, the 412 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: shark's namesake is actually Spielberg's long time and still current lawyer. 413 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 1: His name is Bruce Raymer. That there was a funny 414 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: quote from him when he was asked about this by 415 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: the Harvard Law bulletin. He just says, they never paid 416 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: me a royalty and that's all I know, which is 417 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: spoken like a true lawyer. But speaking of Bruce, I 418 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: I know that three mechanical sharks used during production, where 419 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 1: this constant headache for the crew, and in fact that 420 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:05,479 Speaker 1: that was a big part of the movie's delays, not 421 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: to mention it's ballooning budget, which wound up a full 422 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:12,400 Speaker 1: five million dollars over budget. But apparently it was one 423 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: nightmare after another with a shark like it was constantly 424 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: slipping off its platform or I guess it's foam skin 425 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 1: would actually blow from all the water and then would 426 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: just sink to the bottom of the ocean before filming 427 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: could begin, and then like these scuba teams would have 428 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 1: to go down to haul it back up. And of 429 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 1: course the other problem was that even when the shark worked, 430 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: which was rarely, it didn't look very convincing, much less frightening. Well, 431 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I have to think that this was a 432 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 1: real challenge for Spielberg, and this was actually only, like, 433 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 1: I think, his third theatrical film. But you know, I've 434 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: actually heard that this malfunctioning shark turned out to be 435 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 1: more of a blessing and disguise than anything, because what 436 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,119 Speaker 1: it did was it for Spielberg and his crew to 437 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,479 Speaker 1: focus on building this suspense rather than just kind of 438 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: looking at the carnage created by the shark. So you know, 439 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 1: for instance, early versions of the script gave the shark 440 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: prop a lot more screen time in the movies third act, 441 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,200 Speaker 1: but since Bruce was rarely working as needed, the production 442 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:09,120 Speaker 1: team really had to improvise, and instead they used these 443 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:11,399 Speaker 1: barrels to show where the shark was in the water, 444 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: and a Spielberg once put it, he said, I had 445 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 1: no choice but to figure out how to tell the 446 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: story without the shark, which is such a tough spot 447 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: to be in when you're making a movie about a shark. 448 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: Obviously he pulled it off. And it's just like hitchcockis today, right, 449 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:28,400 Speaker 1: Like it's what we don't see, which is truly frightening, 450 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 1: which makes a lot of sense. But it does matter 451 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,199 Speaker 1: what we hear, as this movie proved, you know, in 452 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: the case of Jaws, of course that's John Williams iconic 453 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: two note theme. And I know we talked a little 454 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: bit about this back in our Weird Government Investments episode, 455 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: and we were talking specifically about how the use of 456 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,479 Speaker 1: suspenseful music and shark films has really contributed to the 457 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: public's negative view of sharks. But I still can't help 458 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,160 Speaker 1: but marvel at how much dread they managed to squeeze 459 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: out of just repeating that done. Uh, you know, and 460 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,400 Speaker 1: this was all done on a two. But I mean, 461 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: it really takes some talent to make the tubas seem 462 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: that threatening, don't you think? I think so. But Williams 463 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: was spot on when he later said that the theme 464 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,119 Speaker 1: worked because it gave the quote effect of grinding away 465 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: at you, just as a shark would do. Instinctual, relentless, unstoppable. Yeah, 466 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 1: obviously the music played a pig part in making this 467 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,880 Speaker 1: as suspenseful as it was. But you know what's strange 468 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: while the film plays like fiction, that there was definitely 469 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: a real life series of shark attacks that sound like 470 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: they might have inspired Jaws. Really, I've actually never heard 471 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: this before, and I do want you to share this story. 472 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: But first let's take a quick break, all right, mango, 473 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 1: So get us back on the topic of the non 474 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: mechanical sharks, and and I want to hear more about 475 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: this real world Jaw story that you you mentioned before 476 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: the break. So this is something that started in the 477 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: summer of nineteen sixteen with a shark attack at the 478 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,200 Speaker 1: Jersey Shore and it was a twenty year old man 479 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 1: who died after being bidden by a great white on 480 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: July one, and then just five days later, another guy 481 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:08,440 Speaker 1: was killed by the same great white about forty five 482 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 1: miles to the north. And I mean, this was super strange, right, 483 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 1: because shark attacks don't typically happen in quick succession like that, 484 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,199 Speaker 1: and it's especially rare for the same shark to go 485 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: on multiple attacks like that. But the nineteen sixteen attacks 486 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: didn't stop with the second victim, and this is where 487 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: it gets really weird. On July twelve, eleven days after 488 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: the first attack, the shark struck again another thirty miles 489 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: to the north, but this time the shark didn't attack 490 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: along the shore. Instead, it traveled sixteen miles inland through 491 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: the Mattawan Creek to claim it's third and fourth victims. 492 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: The shark's fifth and final attack happened just half an 493 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: hour after the fourth, but thankfully the victims survived this 494 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:48,880 Speaker 1: by and made it out of the creek alive, which 495 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: is just such a nightmare when you think about and 496 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: I can definitely see how Peter Benchley might have been 497 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: inspired to write his Jaws novel after hearing about all this, 498 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: And it actually goes right along with that whole idea 499 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: about there being so called rogue sharks that just I don't. 500 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,159 Speaker 1: I guess they developed this taste for human flesh and 501 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 1: then they just go on the hunt for other people. Yeah, 502 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: and that rogue shark theory has actually pretty much been 503 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 1: debunked at this point, like most shark researchers now consider 504 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: attacks to be kind of a one off thing. In fact, 505 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: the majority of shark attacks are isolated events, and they're 506 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: either provoked, which means the shark was speared or hooked 507 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: by a human who drew first blood, or else the 508 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,159 Speaker 1: shark attack because if you'd the human as a thread 509 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: or as a competitor for food, well, what about those 510 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,400 Speaker 1: nineteen sixteen attacks. I mean, I get that multiple attacks 511 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: from a single shark is unusual, but it feels like 512 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,120 Speaker 1: there still had to be some reason why this happened then, right, 513 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: But even now, it's hard to say exactly what that 514 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:42,639 Speaker 1: reason was. Like, the best I came across was that 515 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 1: the shark might have been injured or deformed in some way, 516 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: which could have caused it to lash out at humans 517 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: nearby whenever it's pain peaked. And though it's kind of 518 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: sad to think about, it's not a bad theory. We 519 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 1: already know that some other animals like Elephants, for example, 520 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: have been known to attack humans because they have I 521 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 1: don't know, like an injured foot or maybe a rotten tooth. 522 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,959 Speaker 1: So it's pretty reasonable to think that something similar might 523 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 1: happen with sharks, which makes sense. But I'm curious though, 524 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,199 Speaker 1: like what happened to the shark after its fifth attack 525 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 1: and in nineteen sixteen, Well, it was caught soon after 526 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 1: that last attack, and the shark's body actually wound up 527 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: on display in the New York shop where the owner 528 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: made I guess a fortune just charging people admission to 529 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 1: see it, which you know, in itself has a very 530 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 1: Jaws feel to it if you think back about the characters. 531 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: I could easily see the movie Stevie Mayer like getting 532 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:30,439 Speaker 1: on board with some sort of scheme like this, Yeah, totally. 533 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 1: And if you already think this all sounds a lot 534 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: like Jaws, wait till you hear this. So I was 535 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,400 Speaker 1: reading an interview with a scientist named George Burgess, and 536 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 1: he's actually the curator of the International Shark Attack File. 537 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: It's this amazing archive that keeps case files on over 538 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 1: five thousand attacks that took place between sixteenth century and today. 539 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: And he said that the public's response to the nineteen 540 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: sixteen attacks was the same reaction observed in cases all 541 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: throughout the world. It also happened to sound quite a 542 00:25:57,320 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: bit like what happens in Jaws. So listen to this, 543 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: and this is how Burgess told it to Smithsonian quote. 544 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,359 Speaker 1: I see a common pattern around the world when shark 545 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: attacks occur. There's obviously shock. Then the second phase is denial, 546 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,639 Speaker 1: denial that it was done by a shark. It has 547 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:14,960 Speaker 1: to be done by something else. The third phase is 548 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: the feeling that if we shuffle it under the rug, 549 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,919 Speaker 1: maybe it will disappear. The fourth phase is realizing that 550 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 1: none of those things are working and that we probably 551 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: need to go kill some sharks. Then in the fifth phase, 552 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: the reality sets in finally that that's not the solution 553 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,240 Speaker 1: and we probably ought to bring in a scientist that 554 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,679 Speaker 1: knows what's going on. Wow. I mean, it feels like 555 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: that's scene for seeing what the townspeople try in this movie. 556 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: When you think about those different stages, you know of 557 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:42,679 Speaker 1: shock and denial, cover up machismo, and then you know, 558 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: lastly reason though that doesn't work out quite as planned either. Yeah, 559 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 1: and that denial phase is particularly interesting to me, Like 560 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: I always thought it was ridiculous in the movie when 561 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 1: the mayor tries to convince everyone that the woman was 562 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: killed by a boat propeller and not a shark. But 563 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: people in New Jersey in nineteen sixteen proposed even weirder explanations, 564 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: like apparently someone pitched this idea that it was a 565 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: school of sea turtles that was coming in and biting everybody, 566 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 1: despite the fact that you know, turtles don't tend to 567 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,680 Speaker 1: school like fish or bite off people's limbs like sharks. 568 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: You have to admit, though, I was skeptical at first 569 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: with this, but I think you've sold me on this. 570 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: I mean, he's nineteen sixteen attacks. I don't know. It 571 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: feels like they have to have been the inspiration for Jaws, 572 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: at least to some degree. I mean, that's the thing. 573 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,879 Speaker 1: Peter Benchley has gone on record saying they definitely weren't 574 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: the inspiration for the novel or the movie. It's spunned. 575 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 1: I mean, of course, there are plenty of people that 576 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: shark researcher I mentioned included who don't buy that denial well, 577 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:37,919 Speaker 1: and I can see why. I mean, there's an awful 578 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: lot of crossover between the two stories. But I can 579 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: also understand why Benchley might not want the public to 580 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:46,160 Speaker 1: think his work was actually rooted in reality. And that's 581 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: because years later, you know, after the massive success of 582 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,199 Speaker 1: Jaws as a movie, Bnchuley came to deeply regret his 583 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 1: role in shaping public perception, at least that perception of 584 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 1: sharks as these man eating beasts. And you know, he 585 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,679 Speaker 1: actually spent decades trying to convinced people that sharks weren't 586 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: the villains that have been portrayed in the film. And 587 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: for instance, that there was a two thousand two interview 588 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 1: he did with nat Geo and here's what Benchley said there. 589 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: He said, the theory that sharks target humans, that they 590 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,679 Speaker 1: are man eaters, nothing could be further from the truth. 591 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: Every time you see on TV people surrounded by sharks, 592 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 1: the chances are that the sharks have been baited, and 593 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:24,120 Speaker 1: it gives a false impression because by nature, sharks will 594 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,920 Speaker 1: stay away from people. Yeah. I mean, it's kind of 595 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,359 Speaker 1: amazing to see someone do a complete one eighty like that, 596 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: but I also think it's pretty laudable in this case. 597 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 1: And actually that reminds me. You want to hear my 598 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: favorite fact about Peter Benchley. So when Discovery started hiring 599 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: host for Shark Week beginning in the seventh season, the 600 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: first m C they ever got was none other than 601 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: the Jaws author himself. I mean it seems appropriate, you know, 602 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 1: especially since Shark Week has also been accused of misrepresenting 603 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: the ferocity of sharks. But you think about this, To 604 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: be fair, the event has gotten more and more educational 605 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,560 Speaker 1: over time, and even functions as a fundraising drive for 606 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: somebody I think pretty reputable shark conservation efforts. Now. So 607 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 1: I didn't realize this, but two eighteen is actually the 608 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 1: thirtieth anniversary of Shark Week, and in honor of that, 609 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: they've got Shacked to host, which, of course that makes 610 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: perfect sense. It makes a lot of sense. But uh, 611 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: I feel like they've had enough time to find that 612 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: sweet spot between entertainment and education. Well, and if nothing else, 613 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: I do give the producers credit for drawing some much 614 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: needed attention to shark conservation. And like we said at 615 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: the top of the show, it's hard to wrap our 616 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 1: heads around the idea that sharks are in need of saving, 617 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 1: you know, probably because we're so used to thinking that 618 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: we're the ones in danger from them. But when you 619 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: look at the numbers, it really tells a very different story. So, 620 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: I mean, the sharks have survived for four hundred and 621 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 1: fifty million years on the planet, including no less than 622 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: five mass extinction events. And so for the first time, 623 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: I started looking like the survival of sharks could be 624 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 1: in jeopardy. And you know, I say that because today 625 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: about a quarter of all shark species are threatened with 626 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:58,200 Speaker 1: extinction and the main culprit behind their dwindling numbers is 627 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: I'm sad to say us and and just looking at 628 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,479 Speaker 1: the numbers, it's pretty crazy. So more than a hundred 629 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: million sharks are killed by humans every year based on 630 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: most reports, and that number is staggering enough, but there's 631 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 1: some sources that say the number could be as high 632 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 1: as two hundred and seventy million. But you know, either way, 633 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: when you consider that shark attacks account for only about 634 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: five human deaths on average each year, it's obvious who 635 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 1: the most dangerous predators really are. Okay, so just to 636 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 1: sum this up, don't punch a shark in the face, 637 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 1: don't judge a shark by its creepy eyes, and do 638 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: appreciate how great a movie Jaws is. Well, let's not 639 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: forget Tristan shirt Live every week like it's shark wa 640 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: right that most of all? Okay, then I guess that's everything, 641 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,600 Speaker 1: well everything except for how we like to close the show. 642 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: We gotta we gotta have the fact off. Are you ready? 643 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: I'm ready? Yea. So it is pretty amazing to think 644 00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: how long sharks have been around. I know you mentioned 645 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 1: that they've been here for over four and fifty million years, 646 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: but that's two hundred million years before dinosaurs. And in fact, 647 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: they're even older than trees, Like how can anything be 648 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 1: older than trees? Are? We talked earlier about how much 649 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: more dangerous humans are to sharks than vice versa. But 650 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:18,320 Speaker 1: it's even more sad when you realize what a waste 651 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 1: it is when sharks are just killed for their fins, 652 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: you know, because shark carcasses are bulky and worth a 653 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: lot less than their fins. Because of these luxury items 654 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: things like shark fins soup, which actually can go for 655 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: something like a hundred dollars a bowl. A lot of 656 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: times their fins are removed and the rest of the 657 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: shark is just thrown overboard, and this is known as 658 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: shark finning. And in these cases only about three percent 659 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: of the actual shark is being used. So I'm fascinated 660 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: by a shark reproduction. Uh. The very unusual ghost sharks, 661 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 1: which are named this because they live so deep and 662 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 1: are rarely spotted, have these really weird retractable sex organs 663 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: on their heads. Like the organs actually have these hooks 664 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 1: and use them to grab onto female ghost sharks during mating. 665 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: And on top of this, the females have a unique 666 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: ability to store the sperm for years until just the 667 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: right time for conception. That's so strange, you know, And 668 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: you see so many cases of significant aggression on the 669 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: part of males and several sharks species during mating. And 670 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: because of this, it's actually not surprising that the skin 671 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 1: on female sharks typically is found to be a good 672 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 1: bit thicker than that of males, because the males actually 673 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:27,719 Speaker 1: often bite during mating, so that that thicker skin is needed. Well, 674 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,479 Speaker 1: that might explain why some sharks have figured out how 675 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: to reproduce a sexually. They're basically cloning themselves now. Well. 676 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: One of the first cases of scientists seeing this came 677 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: in two thousand one, when a female hammer head at 678 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,320 Speaker 1: a zoo in Nebraska gave birth without the assistance of 679 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:45,360 Speaker 1: a male. This process is called parthenogenesis and it's where 680 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: embryos are created without outside fertilization. Oh that's so cool. Well, 681 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: I think we may have talked about this before, but 682 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: in the book Grunt, the Terrific Science, writer Mary Roach 683 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 1: writes about this top secret project during World War Two. 684 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: And in this project, the U. S Military was trying 685 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: to use sharks to deliver bombs. So the sharks were 686 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: equipped with this headgear and then they would use electric 687 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: shocks to keep the sharks on track before they would 688 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: deliver the bombs to these very specific locations. And it 689 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:14,800 Speaker 1: was a project that ran for a couple of decades, 690 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 1: I think from the late fifties to the early seventies, 691 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 1: and then it was discontinued without much fanfare because it 692 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 1: turned out this was not really an effective way to 693 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 1: deliver bombs. And I feel like we're always trying to 694 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: harness animals like pigeons or sharks or whatever, and it's 695 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: always a bad idea. It never is better. But Uh, 696 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 1: there's this other feature that I'm so fascinated by, and 697 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: it's what goblin sharks can do when they're hunting. So 698 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: they had this ability to do what scientists called sling 699 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 1: shot feeding. And this is where they use these elastic 700 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 1: ligaments that are attached to their jaws to basically catapult 701 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: their mouths forward by almost ten percent of their bodies. 702 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 1: Lent what yeah, and then they could do this with 703 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 1: like impressive speeds. So this is basically the equivalent of 704 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: a person being able to sling shot his or her 705 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 1: mouth about seven inches in front of it to snag 706 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: food in front of its nose. That is so strange, 707 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 1: So it's called it's called sling shot feeding. You said, wow, 708 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: I have to say, you mentioned ghost sharks, and now 709 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 1: you've mentioned goblin sharks. I feel like you have to 710 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: win today's fact off, so I'm going to give you 711 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: the trophy today, Mango. Thank you so much, well, and 712 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 1: thank you guys for listening. I'm sure we've forgotten some 713 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:22,320 Speaker 1: terrific facts about sharks and because of that, we would 714 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 1: love to hear those from. You can always email us 715 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 1: part time Genius and how Stuff Works dot com, or 716 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: call us on our seven fact hotline that's eight four 717 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 1: four pt Genius, or you can always hit us up 718 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: on Facebook or Twitter. But thanks so much for listening. 719 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. Part Time. Genius is a production 720 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: of how stuff works, and wouldn't be possible without several 721 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: brilliant people who do the important things we couldn't even 722 00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 1: begin to understand. Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. Noel 723 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 1: Brown made the theme song and does the MIXI MIXI 724 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. Gabe 725 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,319 Speaker 1: Loues Yer is our lead researcher, with support from the 726 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:11,800 Speaker 1: research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams 727 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:13,680 Speaker 1: and Eve Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. 728 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 1: Good job, Eves. If you like what you heard, we 729 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: hope you'll subscribe, And if you really really like what 730 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 1: you've heard, maybe you could leave a good review for us. 731 00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:22,360 Speaker 1: Do we do? We forget Jason? Jason who