logo
episode-header-image
May 2018
26m 45s

Sharks

VOX MEDIA PODCAST NETWORK
About this episode
The U.S. Navy attempted to develop a shark attack repellant after many sailors were attacked during WWII. The first step was the formation of a "Shark Research Panel," which led to what we have today: the International Shark Attack File. When someone is attacked by a shark, anywhere in the world, the investigation closely resembles police work. "We're not re ... Show More
Up next
Feb 27
The Mug Book
After a gang leader was murdered in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the only witnesses who would talk with the police were tourists. They looked through so-called “mug books” filled with photographs of Asian men - and pointed out a man named Chol Soo Lee. Years later, a journalist dec ... Show More
47m 38s
Feb 20
The Plot
In 1864, a 41-year-old woman named Mary Surratt was running a boarding house in Washington, D.C. One of the most famous actors in the country began visiting her – which led to her becoming known as the woman who “kept the nest that hatched the egg." Kate Clifford Larson’s book is ... Show More
42m 37s
Feb 13
The Big Lie
In the early 2000s, the hip hop group Silibil N’ Brains seemed like they were on the brink of becoming very famous. They had a record deal with Sony, had been on MTV, and were talking about making a TV show. But they weren’t who they said they were. Gavin Bain's book is Californi ... Show More
48m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2012
How Shark Attacks Work
<p>A shark attack is a terrifying experience for the victim -- but are sharks really man-eating monsters with a taste for human flesh? Join Josh and Chuck as they ask why sharks attack, how attacks occur and which sharks are most likely to attack someone.</p><p> </p> Learn more a ... Show More
39m 3s
Jul 2022
Do Shark Stories Help Sharks?
Our obsession with sharks has generated folklore around the world for thousands of years. But a series of attacks at the Jersey shore in 1916 would forever change the way we tell stories about sharks. We trace how attitudes toward sharks shifted in the past century—from stoking o ... Show More
37m 32s
Dec 2022
Shark Vomit (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
<p>In 1935, guests at an aquarium in Sydney, Australia, were watching a huge tiger shark swim around a tank when suddenly the shark started acting strange. It began violently shaking and swimming around as fast as it could, periodically bumping hard into the walls. And then, fina ... Show More
36m 30s
Jan 2023
How Sharks Devoured My Career
When Nat Geo Explorer Gibbs Kuguru was in college, he found himself trying to choose between two terrifying futures: going free diving with sharks off the coast of South Africa or, even scarier, studying for the MCAT. Since then, he’s become devoted to sharks. His genetic researc ... Show More
27m 55s
Jul 2021
Bonus episode: The Surprising Superpowers of Sharks
Sharks have never been able to outswim their reputation as mindless killers, which is so entrenched that the U.S. Navy once even tried to weaponize them. But are sharks really just “remorseless eating machines” on the hunt for blood? Hop in the water with marine scientists for a ... Show More
28m 33s
Jul 2024
PTG Classic: How Did Sharks Get Such a Bad Rap?
As summer reaches its height, everyone gets nervous about shark attacks. But how afraid should we be of these Jabberjaws? (Spoiler: not very.) From the hilarious way goblin sharks catch their prey, to the strange effect AC/DC has on sharks, to why Will and Mango wish they could t ... Show More
35m 38s
Jul 2023
The Secret Life of Sharks
Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the apex predators of the ocean. They are joined by physiological ecologist Lucy Hawkes, shark scientist Isla Hodgson and naturalist Steve Backshall. They learn about the surprising social behaviours of sharks, how they reproduce and exactl ... Show More
42m 28s
Jul 2022
E2: What We Talk About When We Talk About Killing Sharks
When a beloved local surfer gets torn apart by two sharks in front of an ultra-luxurious hotel, Reunion Island society splits into violently opposed factions: terrified surfers who want the government to kill more sharks, and environmentalists determined to stop them. Subscribe t ... Show More
40m 45s