Sharks On The Big Screen And In The Big Blue Sea

Duunnn dunnn... duuuunnnn duun.Odds are you probably know what that line references without having to click the link. And there's a good reason for that.Sharks have been around for nearly 450 million years – a lot longer than humans. And in the relatively short time we've shared the planet with them, they've become a part of some of our most treasured pop culture moments. But that also means they've fallen victim to pop culture narratives.Since the release of "Jaws" in 1975, sharks – especially great white sharks – have endured a reputation as aggressive and violent. But however we're thinking about them on land, they're struggling to survive at sea.According to the World Wildlife Fund, nearly a third of all shark and ray species are threatened with extinction – with overfishing and harmful fishing practices at the top of the list of hazards.We get into all things sharks, from the so-called "Jaws-effect," to all the things we get wrong about this fascinating fish.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy