Octopus Death Frenzy, Wildlife Tracking, Fungi to the Rescue

Curiosity Weekly

Warner Bros. Discovery

Science

4.6 • 963 Ratings

🗓️ 10 August 2023

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, you’ll learn about a new discovery that explains what causes octopuses to go into a death frenzy when they have kids, how air pollution sensors could help track invasive species, and how fungi could save entire ecosystems.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/octopus-death-frenzy-wildlife-tracking-fungi-to-the-rescue

Octopus Torture

“Octopuses Torture and Eat Themselves After Mating, Science Finally Knows Why.” by Stephanie Pappas. 2022.
- https://www.livescience.com/why-octopus-moms-self-destruct
“Octopus Moms Enter Death Spiral Before Eight-Armed Bundles Are Born.” by Jeanna Bryner. 2018.
- https://www.livescience.com/63911-octopus-moms-death-spiral.html

Wildlife Tracking

“Accidental DNA collection by air sensors could revolutionize wildlife tracking.” by Natasha Gilbert. 2023.
- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01850-z
“Air Pollution Monitors Have Been Accidentally Harvesting Wildlife DNA.” by Matthew Sparkes. 2023.
- https://www.newscientist.com/article/2375624-air-pollution-monitors-have-been-accidentally-harvesting-wildlife-dna/?_ptid=%7Bkpdx%7DAAAAwWljNkrzhAoKcmJhNGYxWmNwZRIQbGswNnQ1a2FlZzJ2ZXQyaBoMRVhXUVJKOURFTUVQIiUxODIzcTgwMDdnLTAwMDAzMmFicXM0N2pjMzlmb240a2prMDVnKhtzaG93VGVtcGxhdGU1TERCMVJFTVU0NEQxMzcwAToMT1RZNkM3MjZBN1EyQg1PVFZDVkEwU1BUSTROUhJ2LYUA8BhkM3hhOTQxZXBaDTk4LjE1LjE0MS4xNDZiA2RtY2iiw8GlBnAKeAQ

Fungi to the Rescue

“Invasive Palms and WWII Damaged an Island Paradise. Could Fungi Help to Restore It?” by Virginia Gewin. 2023.
- https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-023-01932-y/index.html
“Rewilding the Planet.” by Aisling Irwin. 2023.
- https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-023-01370-w/index.html

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, you're about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Discovery.
0:09.0	Time flies when you're learning super cool stuff.
0:11.0	I'm Nate.
0:12.0	And I'm Callie. If you're dropping in for the first time
0:14.1	welcome to curiosity where we aim to blow your mind by helping you to grow your mind.
0:17.9	If you're a loyal listener, welcome back. Today you'll learn about a new discovery that
0:22.1	explains what causes octopuses to go into a death
0:24.7	frenzy when they have kids, how air pollution sensors could help track invasive species, and
0:30.5	how fungi could save entire ecosystems.
0:33.5	Without further ado, let's satisfy some curiosity.
0:36.5	Did you know that most species of octopus have their numbers go down after reproducing?
0:42.0	I did not know that. Seems a little counterintuitive. Wouldn't the numbers be going up if they're
0:47.2	reproducing? That would definitely make more sense, but as it turns out in many species, as an octopus bomb's eggs get close to hatching, they stop eating and go into a
0:56.5	frenzy of self-destruction, beating themselves against rocks, ripping at their own skin,
1:01.0	they'll even chew up bits of their own arm.
1:03.2	Okay, that doesn't just seem counterintuitive, that seems super counterintuitive.
1:07.7	Why would they do something that at least on the surface would hurt their ability to take
1:11.4	care of their babies?
1:12.4	Well, that's the million dollar question.
1:15.0	Researchers have been scratching their heads over this behavior for years.
1:18.0	Some theories suggest the octopus mother's dramatic death displays draw predators away from the eggs.
1:23.2	Others think the mother's body releases nutrients into the water to nourish the little ones.
	...

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