Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up

... of bad reviews, meager financing, or artificial intelligence. But he is worried that the world is full of sloppy thinkers who mistake facts for the truth. SOURCES: Werner Herzog, writer, filmmaker, and actor. RESOURCES: The Future of Truth, by Werner Herzog (2025). Every Man ... Show More

Existing drugs can sometimes be repurposed to treat rare diseases. But making that match can be hard — and the financial incentives are weak. Guest host Steve Levitt tries to solve the puzzle. SOURCES: Chris Snyder, professor of economics at Dartmouth College. David Fajgenbaum, c ... Show More

When Richard Thaler first published Nudge, the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. In this 2021 episode, we ask: How has nudge theory held up in the face of a global financial meltdown, a pandemic, and other existential crises? SOURCES:Richard ... Show More

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in 1819, Owen Chase is standing on a slowly sinking ship. It's just been headbutted by an 85 foot whale. It's taking in water. And now the creature is coming back for another go. This is a whaling ship, and Chase is convinced that he observes " ... Show More

How do whales use their blowholes to breathe, and what keeps them from filling up with water? There’s no better way to find out than getting up close and personal with whales! That’s what marine mammal biologist Justine Hudson did when she collected whale snot from belugas. Snot ... Show More

<p>Killer whales — orcas — eat all sorts of animals, including humpback calves. But one day, biologists saw a group of humpback whales trying to stop some killer whales from eating… a seal. And then it happened again. And again. It turns out, all across the oceans, humpback whale ... Show More

Baleen whales were almost hunted to extinction. Now they face a new threat – global shipping. But despite humans blighting their lives, can they now recover and help revive ocean life?Justin Rowlatt speaks to two researchers who observe these intelligent, sociable giants up close ... Show More

<p>From 6,000-year-old cave paintings to silver screen stars in movies like Free Willy, whales have long captured the human imagination. And it makes sense—they're among the largest and most intelligent creatures to ever live on our planet. This time on Sidedoor, we’ll explore ou ... Show More

There's a humpback whale song sensation that's sweeping the South Pacific. We'll learn about the burgeoning study of "whale culture"-and why these super smart cetaceans may have a lot more in common with us than we'd ever imagined. For more information on this episode visit natio ... Show More

<p>Ever since the discovery of whale songs almost 60 years ago, scientists have been trying to decipher the lyrics.</p><p>But sperm whales don’t produce the eerie melodies sung by humpback whales,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1970/05/26/archives/whales-sing-siren-song-for-scie ... Show More

<p>In our most recent episode, we answered questions about  really big animals: whales!</p> <p>We covered a lot when it comes to these huge aquatic mammals but there was one big topic we didn't get to: and that's how whales communicate.  We'll learn more about the sounds whales ... Show More