logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2021
5m 52s

A king cobra bite -- and a scientific di...

TED
About this episode

A king cobra has enough venom to kill 10 people in a single bite. Recounting his near-death experience after being bitten by one of these majestic yet deadly snakes, conservationist and TED Fellow Gowri Shankar shares the epiphany he had when the antivenom failed: there's more than one unique species of king cobra.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
The four steps to hearing hard feedback gracefully | Chris Wheatley
We all have a "thing" — the way we act when we're not at our best that we somehow can't see in ourselves. Leadership expert Chris Wheatley learned about his when his best friend at work called him on it. He shares how hearing that hard truth shattered a lifelong pattern of defens ... Show More
14m 52s
Yesterday
A journalist's trick for talking to people you can't stand | Joshua Johnson
Neutrality can get you through a tough conversation, but it rarely gets you anywhere. Joshua Johnson, actor/anchor for “The Onion” and former NPR host, makes the case instead for objectivity — parking your own opinions for a moment so you can focus on someone else’s story. He sha ... Show More
9m 31s
Aug 2
Sunday Pick: How to Survive a Losing Team | Good Sport
No one loves to lose. But even if you are a GOAT on a great AND lucky team (and sure, we can debate about who the GOAT is – drop us a line at goodsport@ted.com), no one wins every time. So how do people who face loss after loss keep fighting to win? Jody speaks with Nikky McCray, ... Show More
30m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
Adventures of a King Cobra
Welcome to Season 3 of Amazing Wildlife! Hosts Rick and Marco are joined by a returning friend of the show, Kim Gray, the curator of herpetology and ichthyology (reptiles, amphibians, and fish) at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Oftentimes, people have some fears around snakes, ... Show More
24m 47s
Feb 2022
Tooth and Claw: Venomous snakes
Adam Hart discovers why rattlesnakes make good mothers and how deadly their venom is. There are over 600 different species of venomous snakes around the world with fearsome fangs delivering deadly venoms. Up to a third of the world’s population lives in fear of snakes, but are th ... Show More
27m 3s
Mar 2021
Science Vs Snakes
<p>More than 100,000 people die every year from snake bites. Snake venom can have up to 200 different toxins inside it and each toxin has a different horrible effect to your body. Some attack your muscles, while others attack your nerves. And sometimes two different toxins can wo ... Show More
37m 1s
May 2021
Selects: How Snake Handlers Work
<p>Snake handling ranges from professional snake milkers for antivenin to religious handlers who tend to get bitten and sometimes die from it. Either way, it can be a dangerous business. Learn all about snake handling in this classic episode.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad- ... Show More
54m 30s
May 2022
Ep 97 Snake Venom: Collateral Damage
<p>How do you feel about snakes? Intrigued or terrified? In awe or creeped out? Of course, those aren’t the only options; the sight or thought of a snake can evoke many different emotions, but chances are indifference isn’t one of them. And is it any wonder? Some snakes can produ ... Show More
1h 30m
Jul 2024
56. Snake Venom
tail spinning
22m 20s
Oct 2025
Mark O'Shea on close encounters with venomous snakes
How do you feel about snakes? What about highly venomous ones?For Mark O’Shea, close encounters with the world’s most rare and deadly snakes are not only his profession, but his passion. Mark is a Professor of Herpetology - the area of zoology focusing on reptiles and amphibians ... Show More
28m 28s
Apr 2025
Would a poisonous snake die if it bit itself?
We all know that bites from poisonous snakes can be really dangerous, but can a poisonous snake poison itself? We asked snake expert Lawrie Arends to give us the factssssssssss. If you’ve got a Moment of Um question for us, slither your way over to BrainsOn.org/contactto submit i ... Show More
4m 35s
Jan 2022
The venomous vendetta
Whilst watching a documentary about some poisonous frogs, Curio Janni in Amsterdam, started to wonder what would happen if a frog licked itself or another frog of the same species. She asks Dr Adam Rutherford and Professor Hannah Fry to investigate whether an animal would react b ... Show More
27m 20s