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Have you ever wondered what it means for something to be bear resistant? How do manufacturers know that the cooler you take camping or the compost bin in your backyard will keep hungry bears out?
Wonder no more! Journalist Alex Davies’ new book “Kobuk the Destroyer: And Other Tales from the Wild, Unseen World of Test Engineering” takes you inside the workplace of the grizzly bears whose job it is to tear apart consumer goods. Davies joins Ira to discuss how bears do it, and other creative experiments to test the safety of jet engines, pill bottles and more.
Read an excerpt from “Kobuk the Destroyer.”
Further Reading
- VIDEO: These Bears Put Your Household Items to the Test via Great Big Story
- Product Testing at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
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Segment Guests
Alex Davies
Alex Davies is a technology writer, author of “Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car”, and a former editor at Wired, The Athletic, and Business Insider. He lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Segment Transcript
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Ira Flatow
Ira Flatow is the founder and host of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.
About Shoshannah Buxbaum
Shoshannah Buxbaum is a producer for Science Friday. She’s particularly drawn to stories about health, psychology, and the environment. She’s a proud New Jersey native and will happily share her opinions on why the state is deserving of a little more love.