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Unexplainable

Glow in the dark ocean

Unexplainable

Vox

Life Sciences, Science, Natural Sciences

4.62.4K Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2022

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Most deep-water creatures are bioluminescent. Marine biologist Edie Widder has spent the last 40 years trying to figure out why. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to view show transcripts and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:26.0

and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

0:30.0

It's unexplainable. I'm no, I'm hasten fouled. This week we're going deep underwater.

0:49.0

The vast darkness of the ocean. But also the surprising light coming from down there.

0:55.0

Reporter Bird Pinkerton has the story of one scientist chasing after that light.

1:00.0

About the extraordinary things she's discovered. But also about all the new questions she's revealed along the way.

1:09.0

Even as a little kid, Edie Wooder knew she wanted to be an adventure.

1:13.0

I had visions of being some kind of swashbuckling superhero, the female version of Zorro.

1:20.0

But then unlike most Adreamers, Edie actually became a swashbuckling superhero,

1:25.0

also known as a marine biologist. In 1984, she was working with a researcher who wanted to move away from studying animals pulled up in nets

1:35.0

and instead explore the ocean through diving. And that is how she found herself on a research vessel

1:42.0

off the coast of California, climbing into this special diving suit known as a wasp.

1:48.0

It's called wasp because somebody thought it looked like the insect. It's got this bubble head

1:52.0

and a yellow tubular body and it's got Michelin man arms with claws on the end.

1:58.0

The suit was going to let her see animals in the deep ocean,

2:01.0

sort of up close in personal, without being crushed by all the pressure down there.

2:06.0

So Edie got inside and then she was lowered off the back of the boat.

2:12.0

As you pass from air to water, everything changes. The colors all change.

...

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