logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2021
36m 41s

How Blue Holes Work

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode
Geologists and biologists have recently realized that the planet’s oceans and coasts are littered with a unique type of ecosystem called blue holes, submerged sinkholes that were once dry caves. They are turning out to be weird and amazing places. 
Up next
Jan 15
Data Centers: Can't Live With Em, Can't Live Without Em
Data centers are the backbone of our digital world. All the sites you visit and social media you post happen there. A boom in huge data centers to support AI is underway, and they’re taking a big toll on the environment and life for the people around them.See omnystudio.com/liste ... Show More
48m 14s
Jan 14
Short Stuff: Did a vampire legend help win the Cold War?
During the Cold War, the CIA used the legend of a vampire named Aswang to scare locals into not helping the communists. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
12m 55s
Jan 13
Doin’ Science in the National Radio Quiet Zone
West Virginia is home to sensitive radio telescopes that could easily pick up your cell phone’s signal on Mars. And the cell reception on Mars is about as good as it is in the NRQZ, since cell towers are banned in the interest of furthering astronomy.See omnystudio.com/listener f ... Show More
50m 48s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2011
Saving the Ocean, One Shipwreck at a Time
<p>It's no secret that pollution and human development threaten the ocean's ecosystems. But could shipwrecks and other machines be used as artificial reefs to replace the slow-growing coral reefs? Tune in as Scott and Ben take a closer look at reefs.</p><p> </p> Learn more about ... Show More
29m 49s
Apr 2023
Worm Blobs In The Bowels Of The Earth
In the toxic waters of Sulphur Cave in Steamboat Springs, Colo. live blood-red worm blobs that have attracted international scientific interest. We don special breathing gear and go into the cave with a team of researchers. There, we collect worms and marvel at the unique crystal ... Show More
14m 50s
Nov 2018
Where Did Earth's Water Come From?
tail spinning
30m 28s
Mar 2022
BrainStuff Classics: How Do Nutrients Get into the World's Oceans?
Phytoplankton are responsible for a lot of the oxygen we breathe, and their wellbeing is made possible by... deserts. Yes. Learn how the Sahara Desert and other dusty debris feeds our oceans in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/l ... Show More
5m 12s
Nov 2021
Modern Lives, Ancient Caves
There's a lost continent waiting to be explored, and it’s right below our feet. We’ll dig into the deep, human relationship to the underground, and why we understand it from an instinctive point of view — but not so much from a physical one. (Hint: we’re afraid of the dark.) Nati ... Show More
30m 26s
Feb 2021
Chauvet Cave Paintings
On December 18th, 1994, three cave scientists discovered a narrow opening in a cliff near the Ardèche River in France. When they cleared enough debris to get inside, they found a cave covered in perfectly preserved 30,000-year-old paintings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi ... Show More
43m 37s
Jul 2021
Ancient Pacific Navigation, Part 3
The original discoverers of the Polynesian Islands traversed a vast ocean, bringing civilization to islands untouched by human activity. How did they do it? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind three-parter, Robert and Joe discuss the sheer scale of the Pacific Ocean and environmental ... Show More
49m 16s
Apr 2021
Treat Your Brain: Season 6 of Overheard
Dive with killer whales to observe their surprising cultures. Venture into the world of artificial intelligence to see how scientists are teaching machines to recognize human diversity. Visit Nat Geo’s legendary tech lab where engineers have dreamed up super cameras to hunt for t ... Show More
2m 54s
Feb 2022
Could Earth Gain a New Ocean?
Some researchers think that eventually, a rift that's forming in West Africa could become a whole new ocean. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/earth-get-new-ocean.htm Learn more abou ... Show More
4m 10s