This year marks the 50th anniversary of Jaws.

Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster about a ravenous, straight white shark.

The film, which drew big crowds during a special re-release this weekend, terrified audiences back then,

packed theaters and left behind a lasting fear of sharks.

But while many Americans remain afraid of them, shark attacks are rare, and the species

itself is widely misunderstood.

William Brigham is back with more.

On one hand, I mean, it makes perfect sense why many of us fear sharks.

But the fact is, the general public really doesn't

know all that much about these ancient creatures. So to sort out some common misconceptions,

we are joined by Keith Cowley. He's a shark historian and conservationist. Keith, thank you so

much for being here. Thanks to movies like Jaws and more recent shark movies, as well as the

Discovery Channel's seemingly ubiquitous Shark Week, it is no wonder that Americans view

sharks as these ravenous, bloodthirsty killers. Overall, though, when you look at the species,

how accurate a portrayal is that?

Well, I don't think it's an accurate portrayal at all.

Of course, you know, we all fear that which is primal, whether it's lions, tigers, or bears,

or sharks.

You know, we have a visceral reaction to this idea of a toothy predator in a domain that we can't control.

Historically, we've always been very intrigued.

I think as different networks and different programs continue to produce content that taps into that,

sharks are always going to be a topic of conversation worldwide.

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