Episode 41
How deep does bomb carbon go?
Nuclear weapons have obviously had a big impact on the world since their development more than 70 years ago. But new research on the diets of small crustaceans in the Mariana Trench–the deepest known point in the world at more than 36,000 feet below sea level–indicates that elevated levels of the radioactive isotope Carbon-14 created by nuclear weapons testing can still be found in these remote, isolated creatures. This week Charlie dives into this interesting research that reveals new insights about the carbon cycles of our oceans as well as the measurable impact of human activities on the environment.
Check out the paper from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) here and the Scientific American article here.
And of course the photo of the hadal amphipods here.
Questions or comments? Reach out to us:
You might also like these episodes!
- Episode 82 · Why do gray whales strand during solar storms?
- Episode 4 · Is pollution hurting your cognition?
- Episode 67 · How does hibernation work genetically?
- Episode 65 · Can we save the penguins?
- Episode 40 · Are synthetic genomes in our future?
- Episode 36 · Can you bring a dead brain back to life?
- Episode 28 · How did tardigrades become immortal?
- Episode 22 · Can an LED control your nervous system?
- Episode 17 · Did climate change cause the Great Dying?