With the help of spider scientist Sebastian Echeverri, Maddie presents the case for why spiders are the best and coolest animal.
Spoiler alert: some travel thousands of kilometers by “ballooning,” while others live part time underwater.
Supplementary Spider Reading:
- Spider Uses Web As Slingshot To Ensnare Prey, Scientists Find
- When Spiders Go Airborne, It’s Electric — Literally
- A Spider Across The Room Can ‘Hear’ You, Study Finds
P.S. Are you a scientist who thinks Sebastian is wrong and that the animal you study is superior? Let us know! You can email us at shortwave@npr.org. We’d love to hear the case for your critter.
This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez, edited by Viet Le and fact-checked by Rasha Aridi.
Short Wave Podcast
It’s science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join host Maddie Sofia for science on a different wavelength.