Hi there, Labcoat enthusiasts. Let's do an experiment together. You test out leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and then we'll all see how happy it makes us. Spoiler, we think the results will trend in a positive direction. Your feedback is important research for this show, okay? Thanks so much. Did you know whales can speak in different dialects?

Researchers are now discovering that different pods of sperm whales use distinct click languages,

and they're trying to see if they can translate them from the whale to something that humans can understand.

We'll talk about marine acoustics with David Gruber, the whale whisperer himself.

But before we swim there, there's a brand new species of octopus whose discovery has been

a long time coming. And then we'll talk about a new gene editing therapy that's been

shown to lower bad cholesterol significantly. Welcome to Curiosity Weekly. I'm

Dr. Samantha Amin. Okay, what happens when you cross a grumpy, two-eyed minion with a smurf? Well,

you get the newly discovered microeladone octopus. Yeah, it looks just like a plushy looking creature

that scientists found in 2015. And after a fascinating 10-year story, it looks just like a plushy-looking creature that scientists found in 2015, and after a

fascinating 10-year story, it's now a whole new species classification. So here's what happened.

Back in 2015, researchers aboard the Nautilus were scanning the ocean floor with the robotic submarine

in the Galapagos Islands at about 5,800 feet deep. That's when their

camera caught a flash of blue. They zoomed in and found this little eight-armed creature small

enough to sit in the palm of your hand. The researchers were charmed. You can hear them on video

exclaiming about how tiny and cute it is. And trust me, it is cute. It has big, black, curious eyes,

so adorable. They collected the octopus and preserved it before sending it to the Charles Darwin

Research Station on Santa Cruz Island. Now, it wasn't until 2017 when scientists went through

specimen photos and realized this octopus was something special.

One thing led to another, and when they contacted Janet Voigt, curator emeritus of invertebrates from the Field Museum in Chicago,

she decided she needed to see the specimen up close.

After close to five years, the research station agreed to ship the octopus to Chicago.

...