Octopus Death Frenzy, Wildlife Tracking, Fungi to the Rescue

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-rescueOctopus 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.htmlWildlife 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%7DAAAAwWljNkrzhAoKcmJhNGYxWmNwZRIQbGswNnQ1a2FlZzJ2ZXQyaBoMRVhXUVJKOURFTUVQIiUxODIzcTgwMDdnLTAwMDAzMmFicXM0N2pjMzlmb240a2prMDVnKhtzaG93VGVtcGxhdGU1TERCMVJFTVU0NEQxMzcwAToMT1RZNkM3MjZBN1EyQg1PVFZDVkEwU1BUSTROUhJ2LYUA8BhkM3hhOTQxZXBaDTk4LjE1LjE0MS4xNDZiA2RtY2iiw8GlBnAKeAQFungi 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.htmlFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.