Unexpected Elements - Sharks, albatrosses, the Jaws theme and fishing

Download Sharks, albatrosses, the Jaws theme and fishing

Shark Awareness Day on 14th July sends us on a deep dive into marine biology.

First, we learn how shark-inspired materials could help make aeroplane flights more efficient.

Next, we hear about the fish that don’t flee from sharks... instead, they seek them out to help them hunt.

Bob Duke, Meyerson Professor of Music and Human Learning at the University of Texas, Austin, joins us in the studio to reveal how and why the iconic Jaws music taps into our psychology to leave us trembling.

We also hear about a couple of tiny islands in the Southern Ocean, on which an unexpected predator is wreaking havoc.

Plus, why a tiny fish is being ground up and fed to other fish.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Leonie Joubert and Christine Yohannes
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Imaan Moin, Minnie Harrop and Margaret Sessa Hawkins

Published on Friday, 11th July 2025.

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